Let’s define some terms, okay?
Someone who experiences some extra sensitivity, or utter bafflement toward others, (because humans are regularly confusing af), might be showing neurodivergence. Neurodivergence is the word used to categorize the sensory, behavioral, and emotional expression of people with developmental differences, autism, or ADHD.
But neurodivergence is only one type of neurodiversity. There are LOTS of ways to think, experience, and feel our way through life, and part of my job is helping you understand, work within, and expand your way in the world. This is how I think about diagnosis. It’s a way to put a name on the way you interact with the world.
Many of my clients like a challenge. More accurately, they need a challenge, almost constantly, to help them get their thoughts under control. This is a type of diversity in thinking. It is also, sometimes, a symptom called avoidance which can indicate something like PTSD.
Many of my clients filter the world through the dark reality of their experiences before making decisions. This is a type of diversity in thinking. This is also sometimes a symptom called negative cognitions, another symptom of PTSD.
Some of my clients are so connected with their memories that they can almost hear or feel those memories again when they recall them. That is neurodiversity. This is also sometimes a symptom we call re-experiencing, flashbacks, or nightmares. Again, very common in PTSD.
Having special ways of understanding or coping with things? Finding deep, vibrant connections to your ancestors or descendents, your religion, or your culture? THAT is neurodiversity. It might not even be a symptom of anything, but your own, unique way of taking care of yourself. But if these practices get in the way of your ability to support yourself or connect with others, maybe they need to be explored and re-evaluated.
Normal is a broad term, and lots of things that aren’t “average” can still be very normal. And even things that are “normally” fine, can stop being fine when life switches up on you.
So when you wonder if you have depression, or when you feel like you’re “going crazy”, take a step back and remember that you’re only doing the best you can with what you have.
A diagnosis and treatment are tools to give you more understanding and more strategies to utilize the strengths you bring to the table as well as addressing the areas that might feel weak. But a diagnosis and treatment do NOT define who you are, or make you so different that you have to shrink away from living.
Here are a few creations that do a great job of honoring the neurodiversity of all brains while also helping you talk about yourself or even find treatment, if needed:
Deadline magazine describes this show as an exploration of “the elastic nature of reality through its central character, Alma. After getting into a nearly fatal car crash, Alma discovers she has a new relationship with time and uses this ability to find out the truth about her father’s death.”
Season 1 will get the conversation going about relationships, grief, trauma, and yes, reality, for you and your loved ones. And it does it in a way that is compassionate for everyone involved, whether you have a diagnosis or love someone who does.
This editorial is a reminder that obsessing over our individual illnesses (and our past experiences) can become a distraction from the real, practical challenges of living in current society. To really help ourselves and our loved ones, we need to strive to make our communities and our world a little better too.
Here’s a choose-your-own-adventure game that winds you through a magical story while you engage with mental health exercises. You’re on your phone anyway, you might as well use it to grow!
The office is open, virtually, or in person, if you need some more opportunity to talk about your own thoughts and emotions. Just send me a message to get started. I’m wishing you well! -Andreana