Life is confusing for everyone. Life is especially confusing if you have a neurodivergence. Like ADHD for example. Like me.
And no, having a disability does in no way, shape or form make anyone lesser or weaker. And also, no the word disability is no longer one of such a negative connotation, the reason being that to combat ableism people have reclaimed the word to celebrate and honour their difference from the rest of the world.
So what does it mean to be neurodivergent?
What is Neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence is when someone’s brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered “typical.”
Examples of neurodivergence are:
ADHD, Autism, OCD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Epilepsy, Tourette Syndrome and others.
People with one neurodivergence are likely to have a second and are also at a higher risk for developing anxiety and or depression.
Nuerodivergence Is Real-and Serious
People
with a
neurodivergence
are not
faking.
Read that again, slowly. Let it sink in.
Neurodivergence is not the result of someone not trying hard enough, moral failures or poor parenting. Neurodivergent people do not need nor want to be told any of the above. It’s annoying, it’s demeaning, and just makes it harder for us to get some help.
There are the statistics to prove it:
- People with ADHD are 45% more likely to get into a car crash than someone without ADHD
- People with dyslexia are far more likely to develop anxiety issues than others due to their constant fear and confusion in school or the workplace.
- ADHD people are 50% more likely to unalive themselves than someone without ADHDH and teens with autism are 28 times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
There are tonne more statistics.
Self-Esteem and Neurodivergent Pride
None of us should measure our worth by ableist standards-or by grades for that matter and we should be proud of our differences and the unique skills that they give us.
But unfortunately, a lot of neurodivergent people suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety and or depression because we believe that we aren’t smart enough, pretty enough, organised enough, social enough, quiet enough, or liked enough. We believe that we aren’t enough.
A reason for this is RSD or rejection-sensitive dysphoria, which is not a medical diagnosis but a way of describing certain symptoms associated with certain neurodivergent conditions, for lack of a better term. And I would like to encourage everyone with a neurodivergence themselves and everyone who knows someone with a neurodivergence to look into this, it could shine light onto a lot of things.
But ultimately, as I said at the beginning of this post neurodivergence or any disability does not make anyone lesser or weaker, it just gives us a unique set of strengths and weaknesses which can be managed and treated. We bring an amazing menu to the table that other people can’t-and let’s face it we tend to have very funny mess-ups.
So chin up and don’t let your crown slip.
Hey everyone, I’m alive and I’m back. So sorry about my half a year’s absence, 2022 has been crazy what with starting the new year by catching covid, entering 10th grade, moving schools, getting diagnosed with ADHD and starting meds to name a few things…so if you’re still here thank you and let me know how your 2022 is going in the comments, your thoughts on this post and mental health in general. But quick warning, please, please be respectful in your comments! Thank you!
Love, Belle
The Labyrinth Life 