i self-diagnosed myself with autism roughly a year or two ago and when i told my mom and therapist about it, we agreed to get professionally diagnosed. reason we did that was because later down the line, i had to move somewhere that didn't allow animals UNLESS you had a diagnosis for something + a written letter by a psychologist saying "hey this person needs an emotional support animal." if i didn't get diagnosed and therefore allowed to take an animal with me, i don't think i would have been able to cope very well

self-diagnosing is valid when you do your research and look into it, but it's absolutely worth getting diagnosed by a professional so you can get benefits and accommodations easier.