I feel like my sister is projecting her own mental illness on me

My sister has recently been diagnosed with autism. She really seems happy about her diagnosis, as she's had a long history of burnout and depression. She told me she experienced "sensory overload" at her job, and not understanding people when they're telling her things. She needs to hear things thrice before she gets it. Now she'll probably get some sort of modified job for people with autism. Recently she's also been saying "I'm 100 % sure you have it too." and wants me to do a diagnosis.

Now, I won't deny I have my fair share of mental problems, I just don't think I have autism. ADD, probably, sleep troubles, depression, yep, certainly. And those things make me a little socially awkward as well. But she says things like "You never look people in the eye" which simply isn't true. I rarely see her, and she doesn't know how I behave in front of others and in different kinds of situations. I think she has a distorted or incomplete view of me. She also bases it on things I did in childhood, like walking on my toes and banging my head at night. I don't do those things anymore.

I kind of feel like she's projecting her "autism" on me, maybe as some sort of defense mechanism or pathological reason, like feeling validated because it's a family/genetic thing. I am the little brother and she's always had a sort of "over-concern" and "over criticism" of me, and recognizes herself in me a lot to the point where it kind of disturbs and annoys me. We are blood-relatives, yes, but I am not her. We have different personalities, some things overlap, but we're also very different in certain ways. I guess it's meant well, but I feel like I shouldn't trust her judgement. In the past she also thought she was bi-polar, or borderliner, and she just seems to blindly go with whatever the psychologists have been telling her.

Am I in denial? Should I do a diagnosis? I probably do have some traits that could be seen as "autistic" but doesn't everyone? And what if I do get tested autistic. Will that enlighten me? What will that label then give me, other then maybe crushing my self-confidence for I will never be able to blend in with normal people and normal jobs?

Ps. I must admit I am a little bit opinionated and cynical/skeptical of the field of psychology in general. I think the mind is such a complicated thing, and things overlap so much, that labels are just very dangerous if you start believing in them. Maybe an attitude I should drop. I'd like to hear opinions.

I think a lot of people confuse autism with anxiety disorders because they have similar characteristics with one another, however they are not the same. I am sure that the traits you mentioned having "that can be seen as autistic" are just habitual behaviors, which could be unlearned if you wished.

Also, if your sister's only support for her argument that you are autistic is "you never look people in the eye," then I don't think she quite understands what autism is either. It is not just simply abnormal social behavior, but a difference in the way cognitive functions in the brain work.

I think you're right to doubt your sister's self-diagnosis for you. But I don't know you personally, nor am I a doctor, I'm just a kid on the internet. So if you would like to know for sure then get tested for autism, but I'm sure you have nothing to be concerned about.

I don't know. I guess my sister went through a long list with her diagnosis and may have seen some things that she thinks are "typical" of me. She may be right about those.

When I look at the long list of autism traits, I do see some things that I recognize, like the difficulties with group interactions and difficulties maintaining friendships/family relationships. Irrational fear of doing certain things (like making phonecalls). Perfectionism. But then there's also lots of things I don't have.
I'm sure if you'd look at the list for "depression" or "ADD" you'd find almost half of the same symptoms there.

Having been to art school I've noticed many garden variety quirky people, and I never stood out as particularly odd. when I think of autistic people, I think of guys who make strange repetitive movements, or who don't know what "personal space is" (the type who when you're walking with them, they move too close to you, to the point where you're pushed from your trajectory). It just seems like such a vague illness, that has a very wide spectrum of symptoms and severity. It apparently goes from "Rain-Man" types to people who seem to function pretty normally. Some characteristics also seem contradictory.

The thing I must take into account is that maybe I have a sort of sub-conscious pride and compulsion to not acknowledge what my sister says, maybe some form of "older sibling" rivalry.

I may end up doing a test, but I wonder really what the benefits will be.

I guess the benefits will be knowing for sure.

Either; your sister is wrong, and you live the rest of your life in witch ever way you'd like.

Or; your sister is right, and you live the rest of your life in which ever way you'd like with autism.

Neither scenario seems that awful to me. I mean, you're still yourself whether you're diagnosed with a particular disorder or not.

"witch". . .haha I meant to type which. Sorry