neurodiverse
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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Tbh when I got diagnosed with ADHD as an adult I went searching for information and aside from academic articles there was:
Info sheets (e.g. "How To Get Your ADHD Child To Do Their Homework") that were borderline useless
ADDitude Magazine stuff (which is a bit sketchy and which is either aimed at such a broad audience that it's really generic or their videos which seem to attract dubious guests to talk about "strategies" that usually amount to vague descriptions and boilerplate advice)
Old lectures or sometimes interviews with Russell Barkley or William Dodson
The level of information online in social media peer spaces was really dismal too - I swear to Marx if I hear people reduce ADHD down to being "a lack of dopamine" one more time I'm going to have a stroke. (That's not aimed at anyone in particular, it's just a super common trope that imo is actually really harmful.)
There's a lot of misinformation out there about ADHD and ADHD meds, and there's a huge gulf between the basic "So your child has ADHD, now what?" info and the stuff that exists in academia. It's really fucking frustrating and I guess I'm just lucky that I had the right combination of things to be able to channel that frustration into becoming the knowledgeable person about ADHD that I needed in my own life.
So much advice on managing ADHD feels virtually identical to what you get regarding depression - it's just a list of things that might make it easier to manage but it's basically just healthy lifestyle stuff ("exercise regularly, get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, eat a healthy and balanced diet, maintain a routine, limit screentime, remember to take breaks regularly, practice mindfulness exercises, don't beat yourself up when you encounter setbacks...") Bruh, that's barely one step up from telling a depressed person "If you start to feel sad, think of something that makes you feel happy" smh.
Not a criticism aimed at you but rather the abject failure on behalf of professionals and adults around you to do basic psychoeducation but this is such a harmful trope and it leads people to think that ADHD meds are just a Big Pharma substitute for good parenting, "discipline" (usually just a stand-in phrase used to make advocating for low grade child abuse socially acceptable), and the moral character of the individual.
Oh and sometimes there's something thrown in there about how running around, usually in paddocks or forests, is the cure for ADHD but nowadays kids have to, like, sit down instead. Occasionally you get the manosphere bullshit about how "Boys aren't allowed to be boys because of "tOxIc mAsCuLiNiTy" so instead of letting boys beat eachother up, harass girls, and engage in destructive and antisocial behaviour we just dope them up instead" as well.
Well here's an open offer: if you ever have any questions about ADHD or you need ADHD stuff explained, I'm happy to share what I know - just ask. I'm not a substitute for a psychiatrist but I'm no slouch.
yeah it's very
-people giving me "advice"
"You just have to get better" - My immediate family. Ugh.
Do you mind if I message you about it? Just to give a short summary of my experience.
Sure, go for it!