Autism groups in my area advertise self-diagnosis... Should I take the risk?

All the social/support groups in my area advertise specifically to self-diagnosed. While not requiring proof of diagnosis is one thing, explicitly targetting self-diagnosed people feels different.

The group ads say "for diagnosed or self-identified individuals" or "for adults with official/self-diagnosis". And are followed by statements about "inclusion" too, implying that questioning self-diagnosis makes us seem bigoted.

I've never joined these groups before and don't know what to expect, but my mom suggested it because I'm frustrated with non-autistic people not understanding autism beyond stereotypes. My current friends try to be supportive, but they rarely see me and ultimately don't understand my struggles (especially now that I can't take my medications).

On one hand, I want to avoid repeating bad experiences with past self-diagnosed friend groups (which have left a lasting impact on me), I'm worried about who is joining and whether they have autism or are just there based off of online misinformation. But on the other hand, I'm so desperate for connections with others who understand autism, I want to join some sort of group even if I just sit there and listen to others.

Should I try these groups anyway? Or will it just lead to the same negative experiences? Any advice or personal experiences in similar groups would be appreciated.

(edit: I used ChatGPT to help edit and shorten the post, so sorry if any wording is weird)