This post isn’t to exclude anyone or anything, I’m just curious how people understand the term.
According to the Cleveland Clinic:
People who identify themselves as neurodivergent typically have one or more of the conditions or disorders listed below. However, since there aren’t any medical criteria or definitions of what it means to be neurodivergent, other conditions also can fall under this term as well. People with these conditions may also choose not to identify themselves as neurodivergent.
- Autism spectrum disorder (this includes what was once known as Asperger’s syndrome).
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). […]
I think, as someone who was diagnosed with ADD when young and Asperger’s in my 20’s, the term applies. But I’d much rather be called Neurodivergent than other labels, if I had to pick one.
To me, my idea of neurodivergence is that it’s a more neutral term what we’d typically call neurodevelopmental disorders, and could potentially be extended to personality disorders. Neurodivergent people are those with (typically) lifelong differences in brain function. I think it’s a helpful concept at times but I also think it’s far too vague and more specific diagnoses exist for a reason.
I’m torn on including personality disorders because on one hand, they feel more squarely problematic (particularly as someone whose mother is Borderline), but on the other, it’s possible that “feeling squarely problematic” is influenced a whole lot by culture and personal opinion. I’ve experienced being judged by other people’s shitty personal opinions too often to feel comfortable doing it with other people.
I remember a similar discussion I had when an article labelled Kanye West as neurodivergent when he came out as bipolar. Part of it felt true, owning your mental illness as part of you is a part of labelling yourself neurodivergent. But I want to draw some separation between the symptoms and my personality. Plus I don’t want to glorify symptoms that cause a lot of people problems (including me). Having ADHD means I think differently than other people/have different life experiences and I like to see those as the main parts of neurodivergence.
My ability to hyperfocus is part of my ADHD but I feel like my ability to connect concepts in unlikely ways that other people don’t is part of neurodivergence. Also my ability to notice spiders on ceilings (it’s totally not cuz I’m looking all over the place). I just recommended a way for a student on how to take notes from videos because it’s something I struggle with so much and I notice where the difficulty is where other people miss it because it doesn’t affect them as much.
I completely see where you’re coming from with the idea of including personality disorders because of that “feeling squarely problematic” definition. Drawing on some personal experience, I don’t personally view myself as having a clearcut case of Asperger’s because 1) it was never severe enough to be a huge problem and 2) it was diagnosed after I was already an adult, by one psychiatrist (out of many).
Saying to someone “I’m considered neurodivergent” makes more sense to me than saying “I might be on the Autism Spectrum, depending on who you ask.”
Good insight!
…Granted, most psychiatrists are idiots when it comes to ASD. They’re operating on outdated as hell info and their own biases. I’ve seen way too much “well gee you’re holding a conversation with me, there’s no way your autistic” to actually take diagnosis seriously. I was diagnosed at six years old- It was obvious then and there was a ton of intervention- If I went for a diagnosis now, oh boy.
I’ve seen way too much “well gee you’re holding a conversation with me, there’s no way your autistic”
Twice in my life I tried to start a conversation on this topic with a medical mental health professional, like “Doctor, this feels relatable, can we…”, and both times the reaction was basically “we’ve talked for 10 minutes and that’s definitely not relevant, I won’t even ask you where that came from or explain why”, in a way that made me feel like a bad person even for considering. And then proceeded to blame me for any follow up miscommunications… One time this was a “specialist” on the subject and I fear for any kids coming to them, they were all around a condescending patronizing asshole that could not even be on time 90% of the meetings
That’s a great point wrt: diagnosis as an adult. Many folks with ASD have learned how to mask effectively enough that they are then dismissed by psychiatrists later in life because they’re not exhibiting specific symptom.
Interesting question. I actually had a conversation about this with friends recently, one of the group had just gotten an ASD diagnosis and we realised we were all neurodivergent–except, did I count? We quickly concluded that that didn’t really matter, but now I’m curious what y’all think.
Due to a medical event years ago, I suffered brain damage. It didn’t really “break” functions, but since then I’ve had trouble with concentration, energy, mental planning, and perhaps most importantly I get overstimulated really easily. I can’t handle a conversation while the radio is on, I wear ear plugs when I need to go into a shop, I can’t watch busy/flashy tv shows, if someone is fiddling with something in their hands I get an urge to run away, etc. It might not sound like much to some, but it’s left me unable to work (there’s more than I described).
I realise that neurodivergence is mostly used for differently developed brains. But mine also don’t function “typically”. What do you think?
(And just to reiterate, it really doesn’t matter, I know how I am and how my brain works now and a label isn’t important to me, I’m just wondering if the general public would find it strange if I said I’m neurodivergent).
I like that neurodivergence is a great big broad category. Each individual type represents a very small population that is easy to ignore and scapegoat. Adding up the huge variety of neurodiversity, genetic and acquired, gives us enough numbers to get something done.
I am dyslexic, autistic and bipolar. Not one of these groups have enough numbers on there own to effect change. The same accommodations that I need to function with one issue are the same accommodations I need to deal with them all, adequate education, adequate health care, adequate tools & technology, adequate shelter, adequate nutrition, and an adequately civil society. Just like every other human on the planet.
We need to speak with one voice. How neurodivergence is dealt with is inadequate for all of us.
