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There’s a lot of anti-psychosis sentiment in the neurodivergent community at large, even within the psychotic community. We’re taught that our psychosis is shameful and wrong and dangerous. I know I internalized that shit until I was almost 40, and met Phoenix.
I hid who I was. I still work every day on unlearning my constant self-vigilance. On allowing myself to just BE.
And, since I learned to embrace my neurodivergence, I have had to start learning to not pathologize all my personality traits & try to fit them into a certain dx.
And, since I learned to embrace my neurodivergence, I have had to start learning to not pathologize all my personality traits & try to fit them into a certain dx.
I know I’m not a great spokesperson for the psychotic community. That’s not because of my psychosis, but because of my propensity for freaking the fuck out at any sign of conflict. When I’m medicated correctly, I’m a bit better, but I don’t really have a “rational debate” setting
I have fight, or flight. Usually the first followed by the second. It isn’t functional.
However, this is also a neurodivergent & trauma trait that a lot of folx have, which we need to have more patience with in society.
However, this is also a neurodivergent & trauma trait that a lot of folx have, which we need to have more patience with in society.
It’s another trait, like psychosis, that we’ve been taught is toxic/dangerous/wrong, when it isn’t necessarily. Unless you’re screaming slurs or shaming people/trying to make them feel bad, there’s nothing wrong with being heated or agitated. It just makes people uncomfortable.
Same as psychosis.
But—we live in a goddamn society, and no one is entitled to never experience emotional discomfort.
We all deserve a space where we can be comfortable. And we all are entitled to a certain amount of safety. But emotional comfort, not so much.
But—we live in a goddamn society, and no one is entitled to never experience emotional discomfort.
We all deserve a space where we can be comfortable. And we all are entitled to a certain amount of safety. But emotional comfort, not so much.
Emotional discomfort is often how we learn. Unfortunately, people have the habit of setting their boundaries so that they never have to experience it, and they get angry/defensive if they do.
All these Karens you see on the internets—what they are doing is boundary-setting. Very inappropriately. They see something that makes them uncomfortable and they think they have the right to force other people to change their behavior to preserve their emotional comfort.
People do this do ND people all the time. “The way you show emotions/self-regulate/speak/move makes me uncomfortable.”
Not everyone actually confronts us to tell us to stop (though plenty do). Many just retreat. They don’t even think about it.
Not everyone actually confronts us to tell us to stop (though plenty do). Many just retreat. They don’t even think about it.
They see a visibly neurodivergent person and think, “Ugh. Weirdo alert.” And walk away.
Or else they infantalize us. “Awe, sweet little weirdo, poor thing.”
Uwu
Or else they infantalize us. “Awe, sweet little weirdo, poor thing.”
Uwu
I think just about every one of us has done this. Even those of us who are the object of this sort of reaction. Seriously.
Like I said, it wasn’t until I met Phoenix that I truly recognized the depth & extent of this form of ableism, even though I had been its object at times.
Like I said, it wasn’t until I met Phoenix that I truly recognized the depth & extent of this form of ableism, even though I had been its object at times.
I want everyone to think about how many friends you have who are visibly neurodivergent. Not folx who are neurodivergent but you’d never know until you got to know them, or until they told you. But folx who you see on the street and immediately know they’re ND.
