I'm not sure he said he doesn't believe in mental illness, just that the psychiatrists are no good and he himself is not interested in psychiatry. I do however think anyone within the medical field must have a good grip on what goes on in the psychiatry field. Many patients have multiple issues, I have diagnoses from psychiatry, neuropsychiatry and somatic care. It bugs me when the doctor I talk to will not admit to my other issues, because it is not in their field. I am just one person and I cannot divide myself to please doctors.

One of the best surgeons at my hospital has aspergers. It actually makes him better at his job. So it doesn't have to stop you from going anywhere.

But I think you have to realize how you got the diagnoses, even if you don't feel that they are valid. When I was young, they tried to stick the label schizophrenia on me for a few years. I had to analyse the situation to understand what behaviors caused them to believe that. One, I seemed disinterested in them, sure I answered their questions but they felt something lacking. They saw this as flat affect from schizo. In fact I was just truly not interested in them on any deeper level than the talk we had. Full answer. Also they felt I was listening to voices. That was because there was a tad delay between their question and my reply. That was because I think in thoughts, not in language, which is not an illness, so I need a second to translate my thoughts into language. Also I seem absent when I am just listening to them talk, so they thought maybe I listened to voices. In fact, I listen better with less visual stimuli, so I tend to look away a bit while listening. Also sometimes I get bored, because I know the end of their sentence after a few words. Also I laughed in what they though was the wrong places, which is a marker for schizo they thought. I cannot really help I find different things funny than them. It doesn't prove anything.

After I analyzed this, I indeed explained how I thought they jumped to the wrong conclusion and the diagnosis was scrapped.

What things in your life has made them diagnose you?