Would you consider yourself to be neurodivergent, even if you have not been diagnosed with anything in particular?
I feel like I definitely am
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TinyViolins · 31-35, M
No. I feel like many people conflate being socially awkward with being on the autism spectrum. Studies suggest that boys are getting overdiagnosed with ADHD just because of hyperactivity or inattentiveness.
I think the reality is that people have been spending so much time in front of screens that their ability to navigate human interactions gets stunted. Social skills are exactly as their name implies, a skill. Like any other, it takes practice and repetition to feel confident in communicating with others.
A lot of kids are also being raised on tablets and videogames and never get to learn that sometimes life is supposed to be boring. They're being overstimulated and bound to the safety and security of electronic devices. Sometimes feelings of anxiety can happen when thrust into unfamiliar situations because they don't learn how to handle things on their own.
I know I got my social struggles, but I feel like it's far too convenient to just blame things on my brain being different. It just gives people an excuse to stop trying, to stop learning, to stop working on themselves. Interacting with strangers or being in unfamiliar situations is supposed to be weird because we don't know if we can trust them or ourselves yet.
I say we should just learn to embrace the awkwardness and not slap a diagnosis on it. Most people can function just fine in spite of it
Edit: grammar
I think the reality is that people have been spending so much time in front of screens that their ability to navigate human interactions gets stunted. Social skills are exactly as their name implies, a skill. Like any other, it takes practice and repetition to feel confident in communicating with others.
A lot of kids are also being raised on tablets and videogames and never get to learn that sometimes life is supposed to be boring. They're being overstimulated and bound to the safety and security of electronic devices. Sometimes feelings of anxiety can happen when thrust into unfamiliar situations because they don't learn how to handle things on their own.
I know I got my social struggles, but I feel like it's far too convenient to just blame things on my brain being different. It just gives people an excuse to stop trying, to stop learning, to stop working on themselves. Interacting with strangers or being in unfamiliar situations is supposed to be weird because we don't know if we can trust them or ourselves yet.
I say we should just learn to embrace the awkwardness and not slap a diagnosis on it. Most people can function just fine in spite of it
Edit: grammar