this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2023
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neurodiverse
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What is Neurodivergence?
It's ADHD, Autism, OCD, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, bi-polar, aspd, etc etc etc etc
“neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behavior”
So, it’s very broad, if you feel like it describes you then it does as far as we're concerned
Rules
1.) ableist language=post or comment will probably get removed (enforced case by case, some comments will be removed and restored due to complex situations). repeated use of ableist language=banned from comm and possibly site depending on severity. properly tagged posts with CW can use them for the purposes of discussing them
2.) always assume good faith when dealing with a fellow nd comrade especially due to lack of social awareness being a common symptom of neurodivergence
2.5) right to disengage is rigidly enforced. violations will get you purged from the comm. see rule 3 for explanation on appeals
3.) no talking over nd comrades about things you haven't personally experienced as a neurotypical chapo, you will be purged. If you're ND it is absolutely fine to give your own perspective if it conflicts with another's, but do so with empathy and the intention to learn about each other, not prove who's experience is valid. Appeal process is like appealing in user union but you dm the nd comrade you talked over with your appeal (so make it a good one) and then dm the mods with screenshot proof that you resolved it. fake screenies will get you banned from the site, we will confirm with the comrade you dm'd.
3.5) everyone has their own lived experiences, and to invalidate them is to post cringe. comments will be removed on a case by case basis depending on determined level of awareness and faith
4.) Interest Policing will not be tolerated in any form. Support your comrades in their joy!
Further rules to be added/ rules to be changed based on community input
RULES NOTE: For this community more than most we understand that the clarity and understandability of these rules is very important for allowing folks to feel comfortable, to that end please don't be afraid to be outspoken about amendments and addendums to these rules, as well as any we may have missed
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What are your thoughts on self diagnosis of ND? Coming to the reality I’m definitely on the autism spectrum. I don’t think I need to fill out a scantron to figure that out.
Here's one perspective: https://archive.is/yaFoo
Ask yourself: what would an official diagnosis bring you? And what would self-identification bring you? Are there specific issues?
Going through similar things right now, I feel like I'm probably autistic but I just have zero confidence in choosing that label for myself so I would like some actual confirmation. I have a suspicion I may have subclinical autism or something so that may not help at all.
Thank you for the article. That was extremely helpful.
❤️
From what I understand, you need a professional diagnosis for certain purposes, like ADA protections. I could be wrong tho
There's also drawbacks to getting a professional diagnosis, limiting stuff like immigration prospects and adoption
Non-discrimination laws always seem to just promote ways to be discriminatory without saying the discrimination part out loud.
Oh yeah I can't imagine trying to get accommodations at an actual workplace, shits fucking miserable
Oh that makes sense
I'm self diagnosed as autistic. I already have an adhd diagnosis on the books but I don't see the need to get one for autism, I don't think it would help me more than it would hurt. I think self diagnosis is 100% cool
to what end? If you want it as an excuse for being a shitty person or if you are doing it to gain an identity like a certain "musician" I know? not cool fuck that guy. (sorry, venting)
If you want to use it as a way to self crit it can be really helpful. If you want to use it as a way to preface/ add context to how you interact with people that's ok.
If you can identify specific symptoms you have it can help to avoid the umbrella term "autistic." I have dysgraphia and social anxiety and I'll talk about them openly. I'm definitely on the spectrum but I don't tell people that very often and wouldn't ever say the words "I'm autistic" because I feel that should be reserved for acute cases.
Mostly about acceptance of certain traits of myself that society tells me aren’t okay and I need to change.
Yeah do that. The way I dealt with it was by becoming a stoner so I no longer cared/noticed and other people just blamed my "strangeness" on me being high.
I was a stoner most of my life. Til it caused me mad anxiety every time.
I ended up quitting a few years ago too but it really did help me learn to mask and turn low self esteem into IDGAF confidence.
Um, why? Its a spectrum for a reason...
A person with a sprained ankle and a person who is paralysed below the waste are both lame. A person who had a nonmalignant melanoma removed and a person who went through stage 3 leukemia are both cancer survivors.
Disagree that the autism spectrum can be compared to those things cleanly like that. Like, we abolished the seperate label of ASpergers not just because Hans was a nazi but also because we recognized that its all a spectrum and seperating it like that doesnt make sense.
Agreed. It's a diagnostic category that encompasses many different symptoms that people experience to a greater or lesser degree. There's no biomedical marker you can point to that is required for diagnosis. Gatekeeping it is silly and just further stigmatizes the condition.
Yes it is a spectrum just like a rainbow and I am saying there is a distinction between the rainbow itself and warm/cool colors or a shade of green 5/7ths the way from yellow to blue. The autism spectrum is a umbrella term for a multitude of different conditions and a range of severities. Autism isn't a thing, it is a group of things.
Most neurodivergent people are so low on the spectrum that they don't even know. Most of the low-middle on the spectrum people that I have met prefer to make the distinction between their situation and that of people on the deep end. There is a marked difference between how you relate to a person who is non-verbal and a person who has difficulty identifying other peoples interest in a topic of conversation.
Autism is a un-understandable and un-relatable diagnosis specifically because it covers so many terms some of which are completely contradictory. Its a big boogie man that alienates people. Breaking up the autism spectrum to identify specific forms of neuro divergence will only lead to better understanding of those conditions and only lead to more acceptance.