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Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

erikengdahl.se

41–50 of 134 posts

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#41
post #26
post #9

Is there value to people constantly self-diagnosing themselves or seeking clinical diagnoses for neurodivergency? I don't mean this in a disparaging way; but surely constantly seeking to remind both yourself and society of your neurodivergency and any shortcomings you have with that seems almost like a crab bucket mentality that you are enveloping yourself with. I don't have a problem with people looking inwards, but…

Yes. We seek answers to why we feel so different or out of place socially living in a society. It has nothing to do with reminding ourselves of our shortcomings (although some do find humor in self-deprecation), but with the ways that society constantly reminds us that our brains are not wired the same way as everyone else. Frankly to even consider neurodivergency as shortcomings or a crab bucket mentality only furth…

Some folks won't get it, no matter how well you explain it, because they do not seek to understand in the first place. For them, being reminded that there is somebody out there that is somewhat different from them is already an annoyance, even before they realize they don't even understand you.

Whether you are neurodivergent, LGBTQ, or you get around on a bicycle, they treat you with the same derision and lack of sincere curiosity. Lindsay Gibson has written about these sorts of folks.

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#42

The neurodivergent label was always incredibly stupid though. It's an entire movement trying to make it sound that having a pathological condition is fashionable. Something like a super quirky, human difference, as opposed to a health problem. Even though the condition is defined in the context of reduced functioning in society. OPs site is a good example of that flawed line of thinking. The bigger issue is that the…

^ Bulverism.

> Even though the condition is defined in the context of reduced functioning in society.

Diagnostic criteria are not a definition. Even the organisation that publishes the DSM acknowledges it: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20250876

> Mental disorders are clearly not “natural kind” categories that can be defined using polythetic symptom checklists, which assume that a symptom can only be “present” or “absent” (9). In fact, it is debatable whether any medical conditions have this property. […] Thus, clinicians use the DSM framework not as the final word on psychiatric nosology but rather as one tool among others for treatment selection and communication with patients and families (11, 12).

In fact, in the case of autism, and if autism is conceptualised as a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference, the criteria logically can’t be the definition since they reference “current functioning”, which could go one way or the other for the same person depending on their circumstances.

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#43

So true. NT people are so frustrating! The scenario which drives me insane is; someone tells me some popular mainstream narrative about why we should do something in a particular way. Essentially just parroting expert consensus on a similar topic. I tell them exactly why this approach wouldn't work in that particular case and they concede to all my points. They fully agree and don't push back on anything. But then a…

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Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#44

The neurodivergent label was always incredibly stupid though. It's an entire movement trying to make it sound that having a pathological condition is fashionable. Something like a super quirky, human difference, as opposed to a health problem. Even though the condition is defined in the context of reduced functioning in society. OPs site is a good example of that flawed line of thinking. The bigger issue is that the…

It's understandable though. Would you like to think of yourself as deficient, even if you really are?

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#45
post #9

Is there value to people constantly self-diagnosing themselves or seeking clinical diagnoses for neurodivergency? I don't mean this in a disparaging way; but surely constantly seeking to remind both yourself and society of your neurodivergency and any shortcomings you have with that seems almost like a crab bucket mentality that you are enveloping yourself with. I don't have a problem with people looking inwards, but…

Neurodivergence does not require a diagnosis. https://sherlocksflataffect.tumblr.com/post/121295972384/psa... And looking outwards is exactly what it does since it references societal neuronormativity. It’s not about the “shortcomings you have”.

> Neurodivergence does not require a diagnosis.

It does if you require to be treated specially.

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#46
post #4

I'm torn on whether I like this parody. It is quite funny and IMO in good taste (which is hard to do when diagnosing 9,625 out of every 10,000 as deficient). It probably works well as an in-joke for people who prefer critical thinking to social proof. But it isn't really appropriate to fight fire with fire when it comes to calling people disordered and the people who need to hear the message won't understand it becau…

I don’t think it’s so much as fighting fire with fire, as just reframing and correcting the usual biased assumptions about what it means to be “typical”.

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#47
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got more things done in one week on ADHD meds than in the three months before that. And the only reason I went out to get a diagnosis was an ADHD meme community that constantly made me go "haha, that is so me". If I got diagnosed 10 or 20 years earlier, I wouldn't have dropped out of university and my life would have been profoundly different and better.

Productivity is not the most important thing to me— because it’s too easy to get the wrong things done.

It’s not really about productivity. Consider productivity an unintended benefit of the medication.

Extreme ADHD is a constantly shifting quest for volatile stimulation. This results in poor diet (extreme sugar cravings all the time), short term memory loss, failure to achieve basic tasks, obsessive behaviors, poor social framing, and more. For these extreme cases medication provides clarity that allows for more rational control of basic cognitive decisions.

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we are talking about genes, the goal is to keep the ability to duplicate itself. If there is anything about this duplication process that has lead to the individual's brain development with difficulties to adapt to life with their tribe, socialization and chances of finding a mate are also hindered.

The prevalance of these traits shows that it wasn't always a hinderance. Capitalist society predominantly valuing conformity is the issue.

That's not how genetics of sexual reproduction works. I think it's only fair to say that we can't truly do a qualitative measure of the impact of any condition on fitness.

Re: Tragically, as many as 9625 out of every 10k individuals may be neurotypical

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neurodivergent is absolutely not a synonym for autistic. https://sherlocksflataffect.tumblr.com/post/121295972384/psa... https://neuroqueer.com/neurodiversity-terms-and-definitions/

Thanks for the links - from the OP post "Neurotypical syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by preoccupation with social concerns, delusions of superiority, and obsession with conformity." I know this is a gag, but I see things like this and think oh maybe I'm autistic but no, I have the same complaints autistic people have, I just call it deathly dull, who knows.

See also "Am I German or Autistic?", which despite the cheeky title, does a pretty good job showing the balance between cultural and mindset patterns and autism spectrum traits. https://german.millermanschool.com
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