#is neurodivergent the better term?

[dissociacrip]

anyway um. shoutout to disabled people who move their bodies in ways that are considered "wrong" or "abnormal" regardless of the cause or how it's classified. and this isn't limited to just ambulation.

paralysis. dystonia. gait abnormalities. people with muscle weakness and/or atrophy. people with brain damage. rotational differences. clubfoot. knocked knees. other limb and bodily differences. functional deformities that affect movement. tissue contracture. muscular dystrophies. spasticity. impaired proprioception, balance, and/or coordination. chronic pain. spinal disorders. dyspraxia/DCD. apraxia. ataxia. dystaxia. tourette's syndrome and other tic disorders. conversion symptoms. tremors. neurodegenerative disease. degenerative bone diseases. joint instability. myoclonus. parkinsonism. tardive dyskenisia. various other neurological problems.

...and the list goes on.

personally i feel a bit surreal when my body not doesn't always move in the ways i want it to because that straightforward connection that's there for abled people has been disrupted in a myriad of ways. but no one is gross, ugly, or scary for being unable to move their body in ways that society considers "normal" and "healthy." no one deserves to be gawked/stared at or treated like they're subhuman because of the way their body moves.

it's okay for us to exist.

[derekhalesbian]

genuinely how i feel sometimes

[livixbobbiex]

I love how much we're all talking about neurodivergence here and all but let's all remember that neurodivergent is not ADHD/Autism only.

I've seen a lot of people using those expressions interchangeably and, whilst those are the most common conditions, neurodivergent is a wider label than that.

[fleshdyke]

sorry but being neurotypical sounds so boring. like i can’t imagine seeing anything about my hyperfixation/special interest and just being like “oh cool” and that’s it. like what do nt people even do

[six-of-cringe]

Am I the only one that feels super uncomfortable with being placed under the "neurodivergent" umbrella because of OCD? From what I understand, neurodivergence describes people whose minds process information/are wired differently, but is more of a neutral difference rather than all negative. It implies that there are pros and cons to the condition, that it's just another way of being, and that it makes up a part of your identity - who YOU actually are. Please correct me if that's not accurate, but if that's the case, then I hate the idea of OCD being associated with me in that way. I don't care if other people identify with neurodivergence on account of their OCD, but to me the condition is a burden, pure and simple, and I find strength in the idea that my OCD doesn't represent who I am as a person. I have my personality, and OCD is a malignant growth that I have to work to cope with so that it doesn't keep me from being my true and best self. Aligning it with neurodivergence feels to me like fusing it to my identity, implying that OCD is essential to my personality, how I take in the world, responsible for even the good aspects of me. It makes it seem like OCD HAS "pros" to it, which only suggests that if I treat it, the things that make me "good" or "myself" will go away, a fear I've struggled to overcome for a long time. It doesn't represent and is not responsible for what I am like as a person. It's a malfunction of my brain, and treating it as a neutral difference or as inextricable from my personhood spits in the face of all the work I've done to be okay

[decolonize-the-left]

Something else I've been thinking about is how common it is for one group of people to speak for the rest of the group they belong to.

Specifically, about the hierarchy of oppression within different spaces and how those at the top (with the most privilege) get to decide which issues get addressed and are the most important/valid

Let's be real, whether thats the LGBT community, feminists, liberals, leftists, etc it's happening. And 9x out of 10 the people at the top suffer the least (obviously).

My point though, is how those people will look at their experiences and look at members of their community and decide that the only oppression worth addressing is the oppression that the Top group shares with everyone else. They make themselves out to be representatives and speak as if the varied levels of oppression that the other community members face are just extra problems that don't need to be addressed just because they (the Top group) don't share that oppression.

With queer people the people who decided what the focus was were cis white gays: gay marriage was the focus.

With women the people who decided what the focus was were cis white women: abortion

With liberals the people who decided what their focus was were cis white folk: voting blue no matter who

With leftists the people who decided what the focus was were cishet white men: classism

With ND people the people who decided what the focus was were cis & white: normalizing adhd-tism

You may have noticed that the Deciding Groups have some things in common.

Now let's consider: who is the least oppressed group of people on earth. Who are the most.

Now what does it say from an anti-racist, anti-white supremacy perspective that white folk across the board are speaking over and refusing to listen/address the very literal life or death struggles BIPOC face in favor of getting their entire community to focus on what impacts them the most? What does it say about white folk when they look at dying BIPOC and say to their audience "don't look at them, look at me, I'm the representative. Give me the protections"

This to say that I think white supremacy is still very much alive and well and it's done a good job of covertly getting the entire country (even the "good" guys in blue) to aid and abet the ongoing genocide and racism of BIPOC.

The inherent nature of white folk to center their own experiences within any space they occupy is white supremacy. The ability to disregard intersectionality or prioritize problems they don't face is white supremacy.

I don't think it's always done consciously or intentionally because 99% of y'all haven't deconstructed your internalized white supremacy enough to be aware of all the ways it manifests, but when you put a laser focus on the issues that matter and what matters is You before anyone else... That's white supremacy babe.

And honestly, white supremacy found a very good hiding spot within white liberal mindsets because white folks are so good at being victims and gaslighting that it becomes damn near impossible to argue that we shouldn't be talking about issues They face without sounding like you hate whatever community they belong to.

Like isn't it so interesting that when trying to challenge those priorities you get called a Republican, dummy, cunt, bigot, fascist who doesn't want the next step of "progress"? How "we can worry about that later right now we should be fighting against (the only oppression they face as a white person)." And "We all face this why shouldn't it be a priority?! Life would improve for all of us! Be rational."

its all just the woke-remix to silence BIPOC.

[novastellavox]

Worldtorn

The state sometimes experienced after a dream or extended periods spent inside a fictional universe as found in science fiction or fantasy settings, commonly found in books, shows, movies, tabletop rpgs or video games.

It describes the feeling of being torn between a fictional world and reality, commonly leading to a sense of longing for a life in that universe and the dissatisfaction of being in our boring universe.

The more intricate and captivating a world is, the more torn a person feels when pulled out of the world.

[matoitech]

its kind of comical how disconnected allistic 'neurodivergent' ppl online r from the ableism and violence autistic people irl experience to where they get genuinely angry seeing us talk abt our problems as a group of disabled ppl with barely any rights and think its somehow detracting from talking abt their own shit but its also not surprising at all. ppl generally dont like autistic people that much. or want us to exist

[girlwarlock]

idk i just feel like rather than taking one type of people and calling them "neurotypical" and collecting every single other type of person in a big group of "neurodivergent," it might be more useful to think like.

Humans have a big handful of neurotypes* . One of these types is the largest (although probably still a minority tbh), and it has strong executive function, likes to be up during the day, has a specific way of developing shared unspoken communications, etc. But other human neurotypes can have different broad preferences for day/night activity or different levels of executive function or different ways of approaching problems and making connections or all these different ways that humans can interact with the world.

and like not only is there a place for all these different ways that human brains can work, I think communities are really stronger for ensuring there is space for people who don't exhibit just the one neurotype.

before i get "umbrella terms are good," yes I know in the way the world currently works, terms that allow people to unite despite differences against a status quo that devalues them are good and I don't think people who find value in a blanket "neurodivergent," whether personally or as an organizing tool, should need to stop using it just because I think there are more valuable ways to think about ways people's neuros diverge.

*I've never seen anyone else use this word, idk if it has other meanings that may confuse this topic. If it does, then ah. Just ignore those other meanings for this post. "Neurotype" here refers to a portion of the human population whose brain function broadly aligns enough that an assumption or statement about brain function for one member of the neurotype is probably close to accurate for enough other members to have a coherent group. ADHD is a neurotype with this definition. autism is... at least one neurotype. there exist others.

**also i know there are neurodivergencies (to use the common term 😅) that have like. definite undeniable bad effects on the people who have them; it gets more complicated than my off-the-cuff text post on a social blogging site can get into but I still think that de-othering neurotypes other than the most common one would go a long way towards reducing stigma and increasing support and acceptance for everyone idk. also yes I know there isn't a ** somewhere in the post above for this to attach to but I'm not changing it.

[heartyearning]

context for today’s rant is that i got the feedback on my jury’s written feedback in the ‘general’ section (meaning it comes from more than one person) that i’m disrespectful towards my teachers and fellow students (i got it phrased in 2 different ways for flavour) & when i asked around today who said this so i could see how i could change my behaviour (btw none of my fellow students think this which i know bc i asked and everyone was shocked that i got this feedback) all of them were ‘i dont think this but it was discussed that’ which is funny bc it means the school’s computer system has a ghost or no one wants to fucking apologise to me for a very personal and hurtful comment that they can’t back up, but anyway, i was asking for clarification & my most diplomatic teacher (who i dont for a second believe to have written this feedback bc she’d have said so to my face no doubt) was like “well some teachers are worried about you and [best friend]’s clique & think it might turn into an Intellectuals Vs Others thing” (i don’t need to tell you this is so fucking out there i nearly fell from my seat like i have never said this in my life and when this very teacher saying this made a comment about one of my less-well read fellow students i was one of the ones who ‘‘rallied’‘ or whatever in her favour) and anyway then she continued “some ppl feel like u make condescending comments & you just need to remember not everyone has had your trajectory in life” WHICH IS FUNNY because she says this bc my bestie’s got a whole philosophy degree but i’m a highschool dropout with a lower than average iq in certain subjects. which obviously isnt even close to being the point and i do know that but i’m clearly feeling very upset and mad about this whole situation.

[astrxealis]

i do not like tumblr much anymore again :(( anyways important stuff in the tags! but tldr just hmu if you want my discord or twitter, won't be gone from here completely but yeah <3

[theoestofocs]

reading a truly excellent fic from a small fandom, that hasn't been updated in ages despite the author promising an epilogue: ah fair enough, hope everything's okay, I'll hit "subscribe" just in case bc i loved what they wrote so i'll comment that i liked it

scrolling absently up through the other 5+ comments and abruptly stumbling on a breathtakingly bad faith criticism of -problematic- elements that weren't even present in the fic:

[confused-n-queer]

Treating myself with kindness and giving myself acomidations is interesting.

I feel more at ease in the moment. Like my child brain (animal brain feels incorrect even though that’s what most people call it) feels fulfilled and safe because I’m giving it what it needs to feel that way. Wether that’s shopping for and cooking safe foods, wearing headphones and sunglasses in public, limiting talking and not masking my expressions at work, fidgeting and doodling, talking to myself out loud when I’m alone (or even playing pretend).

I’ve been working on a menu with proper portions and nutrition so I don’t over or under feed myself as I’m prone to doing. And I’m letting my inner child (i guess) be a part of and even guide this experiment. So far we’re stoked to try out “hidden veggie pasta sauce” it’s gonna taste so good and it’s gonna make me feel good since there’s so much nutritional value in it!

I let my inner self decide if there was an acceptable substitute for a safe food (a specific brand of cinnamon english muffin) I use to hide a nessisary but less pleasant food (fried eggs). She decided there wasn’t so we moved on putting it on a go order list. (Cinnamon bagels were too thick and hard to chew like a sandwich and toasted cinnamon raisin bread would be too thin and soft and make the egg texture worse.)

but also I feel bad giving myself an “out” for things I feel I shouldn’t do.

For instance buying bottled water when I can’t bring myself to wash my water bottles. Not like they won’t get cleaned I’m just too overwhelmed right now and it’s a time consuming and overwhelming process getting the soap and peppermint bottle cleaner cleaner taste out.

I go as long as possible without cleaning them to avoid this but the water tastes dirty now so they must be cleaned. So obviously the advice “don’t be a martyr” comes to mind. Like I could easily buy a liter bottle of water that I’ll use over and over then recycle in the mean time but OH NO ILL BE SPENDING $4 ON WATER AND CONTRIBUTING TO PLASIC WASTE! Like seriously? I try to avoid being wasteful but c’mon I already have trouble drinking enough water because of my sensory issues (hilariously it’s also like the only beverage I will drink) there’s no sense hospitalizing myself over something so small. (Fun fact I’ve been hospitalized more than once for dehydration. DRINK YA WATA KIDS!)

[vizthedatum]

It's honestly embarrassing to watch someone be proud of being a self-proclaimed "mean, ignorant bitch" and think that they're more hardcore than you are because you aren't outwardly and impulsively violent... and then watch them think they have the upper hand on you.

--

Do you know how sadomasochistic I must be to go through all I've gone through... and intentionally be kind to you? And to work so hard on my inner wiring that it becomes my default?

Do you even know what lengths I'll go to protect the ones I love? Including you?

[chipistrate]

Me making a banger older Fritz design knowing that the AU it's for will probably never see the light of day

[jytan2018]

I read the comic in one sitting less than an hour after finishing the movie, and wow I have many Thoughts™.

- It's very obvious the two versions were meant to cater to different audiences AND tell different messages. I don't get why people are going "But the comic was better! It had more nuance!" just because Nimona was easier to root for in the movie.

- The comic was written back when ND Stevenson was still trying to process a lot of stuff, so all the characters are morally grey/straight up evil and the climactic battle is between a Ballister who regrets turning against Nimona, even if it was to save others vs. a Nimona who's too hurt to care if her lashing out was going to hurt innocent people.

- By the time Nimona got a movie adaptation, ND was a lot more secure in his sexuality, so the climactic battle was Nimona vs. the Director, the symbol of religious oppression and bigotry. It's not just about your friends turning on you because you're "too much" for them anymore, it's also about a society that would rather bring itself to the brink of ruin than coexist with you.

- (I totally get why people were upset about Ballister's surname change, though. Like come on, the media dubbing him Blackheart just to be mean was RIGHT THERE).

- Nimona's metaphor for not shifting is such a neurodivergent thing. Even in the comic, Nimona's parents insisting she's a monster who replaced their daughter is reminiscent of the changeling myth, which is what many parents thought their neurodivergent kids were—changelings who replaced their "real" children.

- Ambrosius being trained to cut off HIS BOYFRIEND'S WHOLE FUCKING ARM instead of merely disarming him is a very cop thing to do. As much as cops claim they're trained to de-escalate situations, their training still teaches them to treat everyone as a potential threat, and that level of constant vigilance can turn anyone into a trigger-happy/arm-choppy bastard. Even the Director, who can use a sword but probably hasn't actually fought someone in ages, STILL can't see Ballister reaching for the squire's phone without assuming he has a weapon.

- And on that note, the Queen getting killed simply because she was trying to reform the Institution and allow commoners to become knights? That's the best "no such thing as a good cop" metaphor I've seen. Because even if there ARE good cops and they ARE in leadership positions, the system will crush them before they make any meaningful change. It's not a good institution that turned rotten, it's an institution that only exists to spread its rot and refuses to be good.

- That's why Ballister's characterisation is so different in the movie vs. the comic. Comic Ballister had 15 years to come to terms with his trauma and the Institution's evildoing, while Movie Ballister is still freshly traumatised and hasn't found a way to define himself beyond the role he was assigned by the Institution.

- Not to mention Comic Ambrosius was not very noble to begin with and genuinely believed Ballister was better suited to villainy than heroism, while Movie Ambrosius never wanted the glory that came with his lineage in the first place and only antagonised Ballister because of indoctrination he needed to unlearn (which he did, all by himself, after witnessing the lengths the Director will go to just to kill Nimona).

- It really shows how important it is to surround yourself with loved ones who are open to change. Comic Ambrosius can love Ballister all he wants, but he'll still blast his arm off because he thinks Ballister deserved it anyway. Movie Ambrosius will stop to question what "the right thing" even means, even if he didn't love Ballister enough to defend him unconditionally.

I have so many more thoughts bubbling beneath the surface, but I'll probably address them some other day. In conclusion:

[ID: A pink-haired Nimona grinning evilly while holding up a knife.]

Watch Nimona. This is not a request.

Edit: Added more thoughts!