Episode 2 - PART A - The Neurodiversity Movement, Masking & A Love Note to Your 10 Year Old Self
May 12, 2024
auto_awesome
Em, a passionate neurodiversity advocate with ADHD, is joined by her son Elio, who also experiences the nuances of neurodivergence. They share their personal journeys, discussing the complexities of autism and ADHD. Em reflects on her childhood struggles with masking and societal pressures. The duo highlights the importance of recognizing neurodivergent identities, criticizing outdated perceptions, and emphasizing the significance of the neurodiversity movement in fostering acceptance and understanding.
The speaker's reflections reveal how societal pressures led to a lifelong struggle with self-identity and the impact of masking behavior.
The podcast underscores the significance of the neurodiversity movement in advocating for a more inclusive understanding of autism and ADHD, promoting acceptance over deficit.
Deep dives
Reflecting on Childhood Experiences
In reflecting on her childhood, the speaker recalls feeling like an outsider, often overwhelmed by sensory inputs. Despite being talented in various areas like athletics and art, she felt inadequate and disconnected from her peers, which fueled her drive to conform to societal expectations. This struggle led to a quest for approval and acceptance, often resulting in self-minimization and people-pleasing behavior. The metaphor of trying to hold onto rainbow-colored sand illustrates the exhausting effort to maintain a façade while grappling with deep-seated insecurities.
Discovering Neurodiversity
The speaker shares her journey towards understanding her neurodivergence, initially thinking her ADHD diagnosis was the only explanation for her challenges. However, as she began to see similar traits in her son, who showed signs of autism, it prompted further reflection on her own experiences. Throughout this process, she faced hurdles in accessing appropriate medical support, highlighting systemic issues in the mental health care system. Eventually, she found a supportive practitioner who validated her feelings and recognized her as an autistic individual, which was initially met with skepticism from a previous psychiatrist.
Challenging Societal Norms
The discussion emphasizes the importance of the neurodiversity movement in redefining societal perceptions of autism and ADHD. There is a call to move away from deficit-based thinking towards recognizing neurodiversity as a natural variation in human experience. The speaker notes that traditional diagnostic frameworks often overlook or misrepresent the traits of neurodivergent individuals, particularly women and those from diverse backgrounds. By advocating for more affirmative practices, the movement aims to ensure that neurodivergent individuals receive the understanding and support they need to thrive in a society that often marginalizes them.
In the last episode, Em unpacked her ADHD diagnosis & coming out as a neurodivergent person in a National Press Club address. But that was only the beginning of her quest.
Thinking her ADHD diagnosis was the final piece of the puzzle, it turns out Em’s diagnosis only unlocked another cipher as she realised she had more in common with her son Elio than she previously thought.
In this episode of Anomalous, we deep dive into the neurodiversity movement, what’s involved with an autism diagnosis, explain what masking is and how to reconnect with your unmasked self.