#some traits and symptoms overlap so hard

[pageofheartdj]

I will talk about this for a second cause I had night thoughts and all.

It's really annoying when people will pick this One behaviour and stereotype it on the whole group with condition/disorder. Especially it sucks when they purposufelly take the most offensive exaggerated version. It double sucks when in order to force a person into stereotype, literally everything else about their personality is dropped, their condition/disorder to be the only thing that is left for them. Yeah I am talking with NPD context.

Someone who doesn't have NPD acts like this? They will be armchair diagnosed that they have it. Someone who has NPD but doesn't act like this? Their existence is denied.

NPD in it's core is about starved and fragile ego. PwNPD struggle to sustain their own self-esteem, so they depend of external sources. This is why they seek attention and validation. And any even the smallest criticsm that wouldn't have done anything to a person with a stable ego, crushes a person with NPD.

Imagine an animal. You push them and they feel as if they are bleeding to death. Some will hiss and bite to defend themselves while they are in such vulnerable position, but some will run away, hide or pretend dead.

So. Here is three people with NPD.

One is outgoing and being afraid of painful emptiness, they put themselves in a center of attention to receive some positive feedback to their entertaining behaviour. The other is closed off/anxious, prefering to keep the passively pleasant attitude in order to avoid any possible critisicm as much as possible. The last one feeling constantly on edge choses the people pleasing behaviour, hoping their acts of service will guarantee more stable and safe position for them.

All three come from the same insecure and bruised source. All three deal with it differently. And only one of them will be chosen to have NPD.

#npd #narcissistic personality disorder #if i get something wrong feel free to point out #NOT ableistic ones of course #people who put pds in separate boxes: stop #some traits and symptoms overlap so hard #and when you have more than one pd #it gets hard to figure out what behaviour is influenced by what #they can feel so similar

[nohoperadio]

Let's say there's an online community of people who all have Whatever Syndrome. They talk about all the difficulties and frustrations and issues etc related to Whatever Syndrome. They share advice, they vent, sometimes they just chat and enjoy talking to people who can relate to them properly. Sometimes they make fun relatable observational comedy-style memes about common Whatever Syndrome experiences.

Some of the experiences they make memes about will probably overlap to some extent with the experiences of people who are not on the WS spectrum at all. Let's stipulate (made-up, obviously meaningless numbers incoming) that 10% of the memes they make appeal to a non-WS audience in this way, but 90% are highly specific to the WS niche and won't really be appreciated by outsiders.

In this scenario, the 10% of universally relatable memes will, because they are universally relatable, likely spread far beyond the core WS community. The 90% of niche ones will not (why would they?). From the perspective of someone without WS who doesn't engage with the WS community directly, this will look like 100% of all WS memes seeming to be about things that are just universal human experiences being described as WS-specific experiences for no particular reason. This person might begin to suspect that WS is just a trendy diagnosis that arbitrarily groups completely normal personality traits as a medical issue and that the whole thing is maybe kind of fake. This person is not being unreasonable given the information they have, but for reasons that are hopefully obvious the information they have is very skewed.

On the other hand! If this sort of thing distorts the public perception of what WS is about strongly enough, some people are going to latch onto the relatable memes about it, relate to them (because they're relatable), and wonder if maybe that means they themselves might have WS. This person might do a bit of googling and discover that, in addition to all the relatable stuff they relate to, there are other symptoms that they don't really identify with as much... but then, no one really seems to talk about those things very often, you mostly see people talking about [relatable stuff] when WS comes up, so the latter must be like, the main part, right? So (they think) it can't be too important if the other stuff doesn't apply to me.

[also the whole medical establishment is nightmarishly hard to access and a lot of doctors suck and make diagnoses based on random whims and prejudices, blah blah blah you know all this, the point is that the most obvious solution to "how do I confirm whether I do or don't have a specific medical thing?" is often not reliable.]

Well now, given all of the above... stuff might get confusing huh!

Okay, okay, (you might say), that's all well and good as a toy model of things that might be underlying the discourse you're alluding to, but to what extent is this dynamic actually responsible for what's actually happening? Aha! I have no clue whatsoever, sorry. I'm just the ideas guy.

#uninteresting

[briarpatch-kids]

may i ask what the difference between ME and mitochondrial disease is? i’ve heard they’re linked but i’m not sure, and the internet didn’t have much info

ME is chronic fatigue syndrome, so basically a collection of symptoms surrounding chronic fatigue and symptoms caused by chronic fatigue. I'm not sure if there's a known cause yet, I've seen things suggesting it's autoimmune, some saying it may be mitochondrial in nature, and other theories. I don't know a huge amount about it because I don't have it, but I do know a lot of people with mitochondrial disease get misdiagnosed as having severe ME/CFS because of how similar they can look. I'm not the best source on ME/CFS and I suggest you ask people who have a severe case more about what that entails.

For mitochondrial disease, which I know more about because I have one of them, they're a collection of usually genetic diseases that all have the same basic cause: mitochondria are broken, missing parts, or like in my case, just plain missing. This causes issues in energy production, and depending on where your mitochondria are broken, the percentage that are broken, and how they're broken, you can have different symptoms. (Is there enough energy to run your eyes, your digestive system, etc)

Most mitochondrial disorders cause fatigue, but they can also cause a lot of other things. For instance, there's a type that causes seizures that gradually get more and more severe as more mitochondria in the brain are broken, or one that causes you to lose vision and hearing. Or my type of mitochondrial disease, myopathy, that looks like muscular dystrophy but with bonus content like gastroparesis, heart wall thickening, and other symptoms that are related to "muscles don't work." One of the "Get checked" flags for mitochondrial disease is 3 or more "systems" having problems. (Like muscular, neurological, and heart. Or hearing, vision, and digestive system. Stuff like that) CFS can also cause bonus symptoms like gastroparesis, further complicating things.

Mito is often considered more progressive than ME is, but that's more of a CAN progress verses a WILL progress sort of issue. (Meaning mito will almost always get worse over time, but ME/CFS can also progress in some cases but not others)

All in all, both mito and me/cfs are both not well studied, not well understood, and have so much variation within them that its hard to discuss the differences in a way that's not like "well they're different, except when they often overlap in severity, symptoms, progression, and other traits." Most of the time you need a muscle biopsy to truly tell the difference. Someone could just have droopy eyelids and occasional seizures but it's mitochondrial, or someone could be bedbound with a feeding tube and chest port and have ME. We are all tired as hell either way and want better medical care.

#i would love if some of my ME mutuals would share their 2 cents too

[basementstalker]

Denpa Delusional type

SUBTYPE: Hysteric (emotionally unstable)

Variant: -

As the subtype name suggests, this type of yandere is emotionally unstable and has panic attacks about the smallest things. They are mentally ill and in terms of stages of illness, this would be a symptom that mostly emerges towards the final stages. It is rare for anyone to start out as this subtype of yandere. They mostly switch over from other subtypes or variants after experiencing excessive amounts of stress. There are some who show a hint of the traits of this subtype from the very start, giving people the chills. Though, this last characteristic is an optional trait.

SUBTYPE: Desire for ruin

Variant: Forced murder suicide (reminds me of double suicide yandere type)

Yandere of this variant have given up on everything and will drag the love interest along with them in death even when they know there is nothing beyond it. The difference of opinion on death differ from person to person and that is what will affect the underlying conditions that form the yandere. In this case, the yandere’s views of death is nothingness. Their mental state makes it very easy for them to beome an alarmingly dangerous person. In extreme cases, the person they force into a murder-suicide does not even have to be the love interest. They are also originally emotionally ill.

Variant: Hope in the next life (reminds me of double suicide yandere type)

Yandere in this variant believe there is life after death. They are large-scale stalkers who follow the love interest through Samsara. They have their own strong, picky opinions on death so it is hard to reason with them. Unlike the Adam and Eve subtype, they find no appeal in death. It is simply a stage which leads them onto the next life. As a result, although they may find it regretful they have to kill the love interest, the yandere will still kill them as they say incomprehensible things such as “just endure it and it’ll be over.”

SUBTYPE: Abnormal behavior

Variant: Self contained (reminds me of obsession yandere type, bizarre seeking yandere type)

Yandere of this variant are more doers than not. They are an unaggressive type that deals with their excessive love for the love interest alone. They often do abnormal things in places away from view. We often imagine them to have the type of love interest that will be disgusted by after discovering what they are doing. Because these yandere are more docile, it is hard to sense the danger they pose but their love is still heavy. If they are obsessed in whatever they do while thinking of the love interest, it is possible some may not notice the love interest even when they are standing right before the yandere. They are happy when thinking about the love interest.

Variant: Abnormal fetish (reminds me of bizarre seeking yandere type)

As a way to let out their pent-up love for the love interest, yandere of this variant do abnormal things disregarding whether or not it may endanger a life. If their actions are not self-contained and end up involving others, the yandere is categorised in this variant. If the yandere sends their bodily fluids to the love interest or do something similar, many of their traits will overlap with those of the Attention-Seeking subtype of the Possessive type. If they do the unthinkable such as licking the chair the love interest sat on, they fit into this variant.

SUBTYPE: Sociopath

Variant: -

Unlike congenital psychosis, these sociopaths are usually formed in a uncommon way where an abnormality may occur in their brain when they are young, during their personality development. Up until then, the yanderes general mental structure would mostly be like anyone else’s but would lack sympathy or a conscience. They are narcissists, lie on a daily basis, are indiscriminant and short-tempered. They do not know fear and it is hard to glimpse any humanity in them. However, because they are emotionally lacking, they are skilled actors and are even ostensibly charismatic. Unlike those who have congenital psychosis, it is possible for yandere of this variant to develop affection for someone. When the boundaries between themselves and the love interest blurs, and the yandere becomes fixated on them, the yandere can carry out inhumane actions on other people without a thought. The type of people who can shred someone into pieces with a weapon without batting an eye will most likely be categorised here.

SUBTYPE: Blurring fantasy and reality

Variant: - (reminds me of delusional yandere type, wrong idea yandere type)

Yandere of this type don’t daydream. They truly blur the lines of fantasy and reality, so even if they are rejected they will just stare back blankly not understanding what is being conveyed. They twist their interpretation of things to suit their needs so their mental defense is tough. There is no other way to deal with them other than running away. They will say, “oh, I get it! You’re just shy aren’t you?” and proceed to smile widely while staring at the love interest who stares back in fear.

SUBTYPE: Actor

Variant: - (reminds me of manipulative yandere type)

Yandere of this subtype pretend to be someone who has mental abnormalities. They can switch their acting on and off at will. They will suddenly show a sense of normality then switch back, their personality changing constantly. They are a swindler at heart so they can’t be considered mentally normal, which is why they’re categorised under the Delusional type. They do not live in their own enclosed world so they will get angry just like any other person would in some situations. This makes them hard to deal with if the wrong method is chosen. Mysterious characters who are often outwardly cheerful fall into this category quite easily. Their true intentions often remain unknown until the end.

SUBTYPE: Religious (worshipping)

Variant: Faults viewed favorably (intoxicated) (reminds me of worshipping yandere type)

Yandere of this variant worship their love interest as a god and agree with everything they do or say. It is more accurate to say they are devote than have romantic feelings for the love interest. While the Dependency variant of the Self-Imposing subtype compares the actions of the love interest to their own standards of good and evil, then accepts acts they believe to be evil because of love, yandere of this variant believe the love interest = good from the bottom of their heart. They are intoxicated in their devotion and are a rabid devotee to the point that if the love interest says crows are white, then they become white. Yandere of this variant often have experienced a fateful meeting by their standards then transition into this type, or they may already work a job related to religion and their target of worship has simply changed to the love interest.

Variant: Imposing ideals (reminds me of worshipping yandere type)

Yandere of this variant see the love interest as their god, but they get furious if the love interest has traits that differ from their image of the ideal god. Although they are usually intoxicated in their devotion, they are a field of mines blow up as they keep an eye on the love interest to ensure the love interest doesn’t step out of the framework they’ve set for their “god”. This is in order to make the love interest into their ideal person. If their “ideal” crumbles away too much, their sense of self will collapse as well. That is how brittle their heart is.

SUBTYPE: Religious (sharing values)

Variant: -

The target of worship for this yandere is not the love interest. They are the type to invite and drag the love interest into worshipping their wonderful “god”. Yandere of this variant are unable to chose between who or what they worship and the love interest, and become furious when the love interest rejects their god. They often act out of goodwill believing the love interest will have a better life if they do as the yandere says, so it is hard to reason with them.

SUBTYPE: Mental disorder (lack of emotions)

Variant: - (reminds me of bizarre seeking yandere type)

Yandere of this variant have difficulties with their emotions. They have no aversion to brutal acts of crime and may develop into the Abnormal Fetish variant which calls life and death into question as a method of expressing their love. They may literally consume the love interest believing that the love interest becoming one with them will bring happiness. They may also make love to the love interest's dead body or perform other acts beyond the understanding of normal people.

SUBTYPE: Mental disorder (acquired)

Variant: Traumatized

These yandere are not mentally stable due to abuse as a child or a side-effect of medication. They find it difficult to accept being happy and are often agonised by flashbacks. They can be categorised as someone who is emotionally ill, but when they suffer from trying to love someone they then obtain the position of ‘pitiful yandere character’.

Varient: Delusions and hallucinations

Yandere of this variant do abnormal things as a result of having injured their head or side-effects to drugs. There are also some who may have caused an incident, taken drugs that induced hallucinations before transitioning into this variant. It is a helpless situation. This is a problem with their brain, the most important part of the body. As a result, they can’t be reasoned with, there is no stopper to their actions and they are more aggressive than they would have been. Characters who are intrinsically delusional in its true meaning fall under this variant when they fall in love.

Variant: Lack of knowledge (reminds me of wrong idea yandere type)

Yandere of this variant don’t know how to express their love as a result of abuse during childhood. Because they were not given enough love they do not know what happiness or love is. They act upon instinct resulting in abnormal actions taken. Having no ill-intentions is a trait of this variant. If their other intuitions are normal, they gradually realise their abnormality and agonise over it. Even though they only lack the knowledge, it often affects their personality development during childhood. This then means the gap in their knowledge is not something that can be filled by just teaching them. It is a deeply-rooted problem.

#basementstalker posts #denpa delusional type #yandere town types #worshipping yandere type #wrong idea yandere type #bizarre seeking yandere type #manipulative yandere type #delusional yandere type #obsession yandere type #double suicide yandere type

[ddevilzadvocate]

Hi 😁! So I recently saw ur posts on Twitter and a recurring thing that I’ve seen is u HC Leo with Autism.

Not that I have a problem w/ that ofc (I’m autistic myself lol)! It’s just that I’ve seen almost everyone in the fandom HC him w/ ADHD. So I just wanted to ask why do you think or HC him with autism?

Have a great day/night!

I have talked about Leo having ADHD before, but it's not anything special I headcanon him having autism too.

So, to explain, here's some things I've noticed.

He has the traits, as so with special interests (it being illusion magic, as he seems to have been having a knack for it for years on end, along with Jupiter Jim too), stimming, hard time understanding cues, impulsive behaviors, being unaware how other's feel sometimes. He even seems to have a hard time reading books as well. I know that can bleed into ADHD, but it can also bleed into autistic reading comprehension difficulty, as he exclaims that "Hey! I know book words!" like he didn't understand certain words before. Leo even gets attached to objects- such as when he mentions his "lucky rock" in Air Turtle. Autistic people tend to get attached to items, and latch onto them. Leo has even said that he had gotten out of ruts due to this rock, which means that he holds that rock dear. He even starts singing about that rock.

Leo has trouble understanding people's POVs, going back to not understanding cues- as shown in the ROTTMNT Movie, and when he's mainly seen with Raph and Donnie.

He seems to also know prior knowledge about his brother's behaviors even when they don't notice. They don't believe he can do things, and when he proves he can, they're surprised. Leo is a very strategic and information holding person, which can be said to be one of the many "positives" in autistics as well.

I hope this explains some things. Some of these symptoms do overlap ADHD but I headcanon Leo with both. I have talked about it in the past. And if anyone asks, I have both ADHD and Autism!

#othello: ♡ #hope this helps anon

[feminist-pussycat]

man i was talking to a woman in one of my classes about adhd, and how I had only been diagnosed in my late teens after recognizing my symptoms from a psychology class.

and she told me she learned that she had adhd from tiktok. that the all-knowing algorithm had shown her videos from people who talk about adhd and she related, went to her doctor, and in two hours got a diagnosis. it took me three months to get a diagnosis because of all the tests and tests i had to send to people who knew me as a child and report cards from before the age of 12 etc.

at this point i’m kinda sceptical. adhd symptoms are similar to the focus- and attention- disrupting effects of heavy tiktok usage. so we start discussing symptoms, the practical ones that i incur in everyday life.

and she kind of doesn’t have them? granted, she said she was diagnosed with inattentive adhd (ADHD-IN) and I have combined (ADHD-C). but she isn’t late for things, and she doesn’t have time blindness. she couldn’t relate to the roadblocks of basic tasks (sorry if you can easily send emails or pay bills and you say you have adhd i don’t trust you). she doesn’t struggle with the constant forgetfulness and abysmal short-term memory loss.

we talked more and she absolutely has a history of trauma. i don’t want to go into details but basically she doesn’t talk to her family and there were incidents of harassment and terror campaigns and abuse. but trauma and adhd have some overlapping symptoms.

for example: symptoms for both include disorganization, poor self-esteem, problems concentrating and being inattentive, irritability/ hot temper. there’s emerging scientific research about how one of the epigenetic factors that contribute to developing adhd is early childhood trauma.

so my theory is that she was recklessly diagnosed, and has now made it like a personality trait. when i talk about adhd, it is and always feels like a disorder. it’s negatively impacting my brain, primarily the PFC and the symptoms constantly interfere with my well-being and functioning as a person. but for her it was like a quirky personality trait that she was happy to talk about.

anyway this is a long-winded way of saying i’m worried about how publicized mental health conditions are, and how quickly people will assign a disorder to themselves because of the influencers on tiktok. it frustrates me so much when people cheerily say “adhd isn’t a disorder! it’s just a different way of thinking / a superpower/ only a disability under capitalism!” and it’s always people like this, who either have mild adhd that isn’t that hard to deal with or accommodate, or were misdiagnosed with something else. and it contributes to this “woob-ification” of mental illness where it’s cute and quirky, and severe symptoms are disapproved of because everyone has this sanitized version of how people with mental disorders behave.

#adhd #neurodivergent #mental health #psychology

[the-one-who-lambs]

SIT DOWN it’s STORY TIME.

Y'all would not fucking BELIEVE the counseling appointment I just had. I PROMISE it’s related to Cult of the Lamb. Just sit tight.

TL;DR: I have been questioning whether I am autistic for YEARS. What helped actually set a potential diagnosis for me in action? It was motherfucking Cult of the Lamb.

Context: I recently moved, transferred health systems, and needed to refill my adhd medication (vyvanse, which is a controlled substance) so since my new health system has different diagnostic requirements for ADHD I had to go in for a psych eval to basically confirm that yes I still have adhd. Which all worked out, btw, I have access to my medication again.

BUT.

When I thought the appointment was nearing a close, she brought up the fact that I had self-identified as "neurodivergent" and last time she had asked me to explain what it meant to me. I explained that it encompassed many different ways of thinking and different brain chemistries/structures, including but not limited to ADHD, autism, PTSD, cerebral palsy etc. She then asked if I could potentially relate to any more of these identities and nudged me towards autism. Which was so validating because I've been wondering for years but like. For a therapist to just come out and lay it right in front of me was... unexpected. So that day I told her yes, I related to many autistic traits but that I also knew that there was a lot of overlap of symptoms between autism and ADHD and that non-autistic people could have autistic traits as well. I was deflecting wanting to deal with this and apparently it was obvious because she brought it back up again today.

There was a part of me dreading this appointment because I knew there was a chance she'd bring this up and then I would have to deal with it and it would feel real. So when she asked about it again and pointed out, hey your psych results and history questionnaire from your parents and past diagnoses and etc all line up with this and i just start tearing up because I don't know what else to do

And we had a long conversation about it and kinda unpacked my internalized ableism about this and pointed out some things in my history/questionnaire/eval that had led her to pose the question about pursuing a potential second evaluation for autism. So I accepted, because I had been procrastinating it for a while (due to fear of finding out that I was right I guess? but also really wanting to know and knowing in my heart that I know myself best and I was probably right?). If not now, when. So I have a follow-up appointment for an autism evaluation on October 24. Whatever the outcome I'm just proud I did this today.

Here's the fucking kicker that I think y'all are gonna appreciate.

So many of y'all know I write Narinder as autistic and boy howdy have I been projecting onto him so hard. When doing research for writing Requiem I realized how many of these traits I was checking off for myself. I published it like 2 days before the appointment. I have a LOT of trouble describing myself. My personality, my symptoms when asked about them, etc etc. But because I had done so much reading I had an idea fresh in my mind about what my autistic traits were because I had written them out and compared them to what I was writing. So I was able to articulate the things my counselor was asking me about so well and I felt like I had the most productive appointment I've had in ages. Looking back, I realized a lot of the things she asked me were autism-related rather than ADHD related. (For example, she asked me about any special interests I might have. Literally infodumped about the history of ALL my hyperfixations for ten minutes, then infodumped about my current hyperfixation cult of the lamb and my special interest (creative writing) and how I've been combining these two things and projecting onto blorbo from my video games and shit.) And all this really helped her in my evaluation and led her to propose the further evaluation for autism in the first place.

Also kinda screaming at the fact that I might have to send my therapist my fanfics so she can use them as a diagnostic tool.

Well. Back to writing.

#cult of the lamb #hannah's rambles

[adhbabey]

Psychopathy is a thing tho. It is separate from ASPD and psychosis. It is not technically a diagnosis, it is currently considered a "personality construct". Sociopath is less an official term these days than psychopath, which is whatever but while there is significant overlap between ASPD and psychopathy, they are not necessarily the same thing. Someone could have one or both but they have different criteria. And psychosis is another thing entirely. There are also two types of psychopathy, factor 1 and factor 2. Factor 2 tends to line up more with ASPD or what some would call a sociopath. There's also a thing called pseudopsychopathy, typically associated with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

I agree that it is problematic that police procedurals/true crime shows and movies heavily associate psychopathy and personality disorders with violent crime. However, criminal offenders, violent or otherwise, often do have (usually undiagnosed and untreated) mental disorders or are neurodivergent.

People try so hard to separate personality disorders and psychotic disorders from violence and crime that they forget that criminals are still people with their own psychopathology that may or may not impact their criminal behavior. There is no single thing that determines someones choices, but it is disingenuous to say that someone's psychopathology has no effect at all.

One thing, psychosis is not a disorder, it's a symptom of many disorders. Psychosis is when you experience delusions and hallucinations, similar to a hypnotic trance, and is often caused by triggers, such as unreality. "Psychotic" people refer to those with psychosis.

Psychopathy, however, is not in the DSM, and is not a thing, just something we made up to assign to people who are "evil". Here is a good article on it. It's not real in the case that it's a "mental disorder". Sure, it exists as something in criminal psychology, but it's not an actual thing that actually applies to anyone, just something we apply to people that we deem as bad.

People with ASPD are those who have no affective empathy, they cannot experience other people's emotions as their own, and can struggle to understand their own emotions as a part of that. There are many people who are compassionate and kind, with little to no affective empathy, that shouldn't make them villains. As well as, people who mirror others is a common human experience, even with animals, that's normal and not weird. People with ASPD need your support and kindness, trying to convince me of the goodness of criminal psychology doesn't help victims. My blog is here to support all disabled and neurodivergent and mentally ill people, those with ASPD are a part of that. They're not scary at all.

I need you to understand this is not about me discounting the work that doctors do, but the way in which this information is used. This is only used to further demonize those with mental illnesses and disorders, I hope you understand. Think about stuff like profiling or body analysis, or how mental institutions once held both criminals and those who were mentally ill. This information doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's always meant to hurt someone else.

I think that these traits and symptoms associated with criminals is a bad thing. It's like the prison industrial complex, something used to put marginalized people in prison, so they can't fight back. It's not just people of color, it's all marginalized people, disabled people are one of them. Disabled people already barely have any autonomy, so any disabled people that are deemed as dangerous are locked up, what do you think about that? It's real, these things happen all the time.

Do you know like, other disorders that are associated with "damage to the prefrontal cortex", ADHD. I don't think like,, there's much to say on the research of "psychopaths" when it's not even in the manual of mental disorders, and it's often associated with an actual disorder and a symptom of several disorders. But that one disorder isn't even the same, it's deemed as a different thing all together. I honestly think a lot of this is bullshit, and only further causes harm to those of us who are disabled.

Do you even know that most people with personality disorders cannot seek treatment because it's so demonized? That they get turned away or have their disabilities erased, because there is so much shame and hatred surrounding these disorders. Did you even know that some people have medication forced on them because they have a "dangerous" mental illness? I'm not surprised if you haven't. I'm not surprised with the amount of ableism in this world. People with stigmatized disorders are the victims, not neurotypical abled people.

I won't change your mind, clearly. But I want more people to reconsider the information that they are given to, on a silver platter, by the police. Ask yourself why is that information handed to you, so freely? Why is it so easy to believe? How easy is it to just blame someone for the world's problems, and not on the system that created such horrible things? This is not a mistake, I need you to understand that much.

#babey asks #tw ableism #i was gonna answer this privately but everyone needs to hear this #i know you're trying to educate me but criminal psychology has helped with jack shit in my opinion #it's not a disorder it's not a symptom #it's basically made up #it's not in the dsm #honestly someone's socio-economics play a bigger role into criminal behavior than mental health really does #i could tell you how much the brain survives on so little if you'd like #there's way less mentally ill people that do crimes than it is just people being affected by the system #like... it's so easy to blame a mental illness on something bad than it is to look at the system and say it's failing #i have way more leftist beliefs if you can tell

[elytrafemme]

actually im going 2 rephrase. im not against self diagnosis & im happy if my experiences can help other ppl figure things out & im sure im a hypocrite bc even my BPD thing is like... well u werent given a questionnaire and diagnosed professionally so none of the other stuff that went into this realization both on my and my therapists end matters. so its like im sure ppl think that im faking this too and by God i am scared that IM faking this lol. 

but what i just get. upset by ig is like... i think bc im in the same shoes but like. sometimes u read info abt mental health disorders & the info is online and meant 2 distill the experience down to be easily understood and ppl are like ok! This Applies To Me bc ultimately every disorder at its basis relates to some kind of human experience it just gets amplified thats all the controversy with the dsm5 etc etc

and i know bc i did that! when i was trying to figure out what was wrong w me (and repressing any part of me that thought it was BPD) i looked into disorders and went Oh Shit Thats Me bc i wasnt looking at testimonials or actual diagnostic info or studies yet i was like. well this summarized version (still from a reputable source or primary source. thats important these arent like random ass websites right) makes sense to Me. i did this with bipolar because i knew i had depressive episodes and i kenw i had periodic hypomanic (which i think at this point is below hypomanic but still some sort of psychological manic response, its complicated i can explain if anyone cares etc) so i was like this is probably it! but when i actually figured out ok how does bipolar affect ppls lives how does it manifest across a WIDE sample i was like oh, no. this doesn’t really make sense at all. 

and when u further deconstruct disorders as like... theres so much overlap and sometimes the traits that could be explained by X disorder are better explained by Y disorder bc to an extent these labels are ‘arbitrary’ (not the right word but u get it), you realize like ok. what im worried about IS valid but these arent the explanations. 

this is all to say that i get it and im not upset at ppl for being in different stages of realizing that. 

i think what upsets me is when i try to articulate 2 people like. here’s my experience w/ this right and its like, already so so hard to articulate bc  how do i capture this in a way that doesnt raise alarm but is inherently alarming but without that element of risk it just sounds too abstract? it sounds very much non maladaptive when i try to take out the parts that are really really bad so even trying to explain why i act the way i act is extremely vulnerable. and then bc i cant explain it ppl are like “oh omg i do that too” or they do the far less favored “girl that’s normal” which ppl, actually do say to me.

and i dont like this idea of ‘trauma olympics’ or comparison or whatever but i do think to an extent its important to emphasize that like... a lot of symptoms are really intense versions of what a person may everyday experience heres a BPD related example right. everyone has had times where they are irrationally hating a close friend of theirs. ESPEC if that relationship is already complicated . so whenever i talk about splitting ppl are like no no thats normal or Oh yeah i get it.

but splitting isnt “i have a complex dynamic w a person i have heavy emotional investment with therefore sometimes i really hate them” and splitting isnt “me and my friend have this underlying tension and now i kind of want them dead”. splitting for me is like... i would throw away my entire future for someone bc there is no no way that anything they want could be morally wrong. and then in the next moment i am CONVINCED i have to kill them because they are immoral and deserve to be hunted down because they are manipulative and vile and abusive. and its the same person and this could be an ENTIRE fucking stranger, ive done this with ppl ive known for like. a total of an hour. 

so its not like im trying to tell people like no you dont have BPD no you dont split etc. but its hard to say like. you dont get it. bc that makes people want to duouble down right!

but sometimes ppl dont get it. and it sucks bc i feel like im at a place where i HAVE to explain whats going on with me (tho ive resisted telling some ppl thank God) but whenever i do i regret it bc they very clearly do not get it and they’re trying but they like. make jokes about me being “actually a horrible person” or talk about how i need medication and its like. if you listened you would remember why i cant do that but at this point i dont think u listened i think the words went to your ears and you forgot what they all meant at all. 

#nightmare.personal #DO NOT RB #long post

[hollowsart]

‘I don’t understand a lot of what people do that everyone considers “Normal“ I can’t read body language or any other non-verbal ways of communication other than simple hand gestures or looks. I have an incredibly hard time even starting a conversation with my friends.’

Hollow, have you considered being on the spectrum? I was talking about this with my T (therapist), and we agreed that it’s highly likely. Not just because of this, though I do struggle with these things, but a lot of other things too — but it may not be an indication of being an autistic/ND person by itself because experiencing social isolation/anxiety around socializing/self-esteem issues/even trauma can all make ‘normal’ people stuff really hard.

I have a friend with a CPTSD diagnosis, and she/we realized that a lot of commonly ‘autistic’ traits overlap in people with CPTSD. The main difference is that us aspies weren’t really wired that way to begin with, while people with trauma experienced a maladaptive environment and never got to learn those things. So it’s something to think about! Anyway, that was a really long ask and I’m sorry! Just felt like sharing that and putting it out there. We all think you’re great and so so talented.

ah, thank you! that means a lot, I appreciate it.

I have speculated ADHD with some friends before since a lot of it is something I can relate to, the experiences and all, though I know like everything else, not all the experiences and symptoms others have will be the same as my own, but a lot of it still checks out for me.

However, I don't know about being on the spectrum tho.. it's not something I've ever considered? It's never occurred to me as something that might be a possibility of something I'd have/be on.

"weren't really wired that way to begin with" hmm brings to mind my long time since elementary school sense of being different and not in a good way.

I might have to think on this now, though.. I don't like to self diagnose or anything, even if I can't get a check-up/evaluation myself from a professional, but this is definitely still something worth considering at least.

#//long post #that was an old post you were quoting from me haha.. I almost didn't recognize it

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

Hello, I need a small rant or smth, no tws, just need to talk to someone who's familiar with the topic:

I hate hate hate how much mental illnesses overlap like, I have so many autism and adhd traits but they could also be trauma reactions, social phobia, anxiety, whatever. And I saw therapists and they didn't diagnose me with it, on the other hand, I was a depressed 14 y.o. girl so, the perfect example for someone, who's overseen with those kind of issues.

I am not even too interested in identifying with something (and I certainly don't feel part of some group). I feel like I have all those small, mundane traits but the famous big ones, which you usually use as examples, I don't. And I occasionally scroll through those tags and can find helpful tips for me (and a lot of tips for issues I don't have). So idk why it even bothers me.

I just would love to have clarity. And you know, even if I would visit a therapist, would they be able to diagnose those two things if they aren't textbook examples? I've seen incompetent therapists!

But srsly ppl, how are you able to self diagnose with adhd or autism, I feel like they have barely any unique traits!

Hi anon,

To address your question, I think it's just about extensive research into both conditions, including talking to autistics or those with ADHD about their experiences. I'm not completely familiar with the criteria or experience of ADHD but I can talk about my experience being autistic if you're interested.

Just because you weren't diagnosed doesn't mean that you don't have symptoms of those conditions. You have to meet a specific number of criteria to be diagnosed with a mental illness, which varies depending on how many criteria there are. So let's say you need to meet 50% or more of criteria to be diagnosed with something. Just because you didn't meet 50% doesn't mean it's 0%, it could be 30%, 40%, etc.

That being said, you don't have to meet all the criteria to qualify either. It's not impossible, but like I said, you typically only need 5 or 6 criteria to qualify for a diagnosis. I have diagnosed BPD and yet a fear of abandonment was not one of the criteria I met, although it's notorious.

While there are benefits to being diagnosed with something, my therapist told me that a diagnosis is merely a label given to you. For example, I don't need to be diagnosed with OSDD to receive necessary care for OSDD, as my therapist is already under the assumption that I would be diagnosed if I wanted to be evaluated. I don't need to prove that I'm autistic to receive accommodations in school. So perhaps it's worth asking yourself what a clinical diagnosis would do for you, and if those things can't already be done.

Sometimes it's hard to simply separate mental illnesses whose symptoms are often comorbid. Dissociation for example is characteristic of BPD, OSDD, DID, DPDR, etc. So if you have more than one of those disorders and you dissociate, it can be hard to tell which disorder may be responsible.

Not all therapists are certified to diagnose. My therapist personally refers me to my psychiatrist or her institution for evaluations. That being said, if you currently have a therapist, I would recommend asking their opinion on a potential diagnosis for ADHD, and see what they think. Your therapist can get an intimate sense of your potential symptoms over time and so they would be the best person to ask. Your therapist may also invite you to describe why you suspect this disorder, and take that into account as well.

If anyone would like to share their experience with ADHD to add insight to the conversation, you are more than welcome to do so. Otherwise, I hope I could help. Please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

#mod bun #trauma talks

[traumadragon]

recently my therapist introduced me to the concept of having traits of disorders without actually having the full disorder. it makes my brain make a little more sense, though it's really confusing because there's so many traits from disorders i experience things from. she asked if we would like to figure out something like percentages of things we experience from each disorder, because I think she started to realise that us having a name to put on things we experience makes us feel more comfortable.

it's weird because we've always tried to convince ourself that we don't need to be diagnosed with anything unless it explains everything, we have been so hooked on just finding one disorder that explains everything (like autism, which explains a SHIT TON of stuff we deal with, but some of those symptoms overlap other disorders too).

i dunno. it's hard to process the idea that maybe we do just have a shit ton of our issues from a shit ton of things, even though we're discovering over time how basically almost all of our trauma has been from different types of neglect. It's always been really hard to validate the idea that neglect could do so much damage to me, even if I validate it hurts others so badly. I was extremely smart as a young child so my brain was already understanding things at a much higher developmental level despite not learning developmental skills I was supposed to. And having access to knowing how I thought when I was 3-6, and seeing how logical I already was thinking then, makes it even harder to understand how much damage was done to everything but my reasoning skills.

It hurts a lot because my therapist explained this time as well, how certain skills can only be learned implicitly at certain developmental levels. So we really were damaged semi-permanently from the neglect, let alone later abuse.

#neglect #maybe a little fucked up #trauma #actuallytraumatized

[mcrmadness]

I noticed that I have started to avoid talking about my personality traits that could make others go "just say autism!!!" to me. I often feel that even in Tumblr tags I need to explain myself. Sometimes I describe something I do or think, and then feel like I need to explain that it's e.g. due to my introvertism/ambivertism, and then I start to feel like I need to leave both parts out completely before someone comes to me to tell me that I should just call myself autistic instead.

Like, I'm so tired of everything being symptoms of something I don't have. I'm so tired of not being "allowed" to be who I am without people constantly trying to diagnose me with autism. I know I am neurodivergent, but there is more to that than just autism, and I don't relate to autism things. I relate to ADHD things and many other overlapping ND things, but that's it.

I used to talk call myself "highly sensitive person" before, but I no longer can do that either because so many people started saying that's just autism. And it annoys me, because I still relate to many HSP things, but none of the things I relate to are actual autism traits.

I've also been asked if me being ND affects my aroaceness. I know even psychiatrists think I'm autistic only because I have never been into dating. I don't understand why do they have to ask about that in general? A while back I decided that if I'm ever asked about dating again by a psychiatrist, I will say "It's none of your business." because it is not, and it's aphobic to diagnose aroace person as an autistic just because they don't date other people, and it's really damn rude towards autistics too (I forgot the other word...) to assume that they wouldn't be capable of normal relationships and dating.

Anyhow, I've really come to that point where I feel like I need to stop talking about myself cos I am constantly afraid of random people coming at me because what I describe sounds like their autism to them. It's like 2013 all over again. Back then I drew a small comic about my thoughts when a doctor started to suggest autism again, and I vented into that comic and it ends in a speech bubble that says "why does everything have to be a symptom of something? Just let me be who I am!" because I was really feeling like that just because I don't fit the mold of neurotypical, the doctors were trying so hard to find stuff that would made me fit the autistic mold, but I was not and still am not "autistic enough" to fit that. And it made me feel like I was an object or something. Not enough of this but also not enough of that, and people trying so hard to make me fit into either, when all I wanted was to be left alone since I seemed to be the only person who was not bothered by me floating somewhere in the grey area. The worst really was the feeling of people also trying to kinda change me so that I would finally fit either end, and of course the doctors always wish that they could make NDs "normal" again which, of course, is not even possible.

But yeah. I've probably just been spending too much time online again but I still don't like it how everything has become symptoms of _something instead of some of them being just regular personality traits...

#mcrmadness venting

[citrineghost]

Warnings for autism and ADHD related ableism discussion

I think there's something really interesting about the different traumas acquired by being autistic or having ADHD in a shitty ableist society.

The two disorders have a significant amount of overlap. Of course they're not the same and each comes with its own challenges that the other may not have but, when compared with other disorders/neurodivergencies, for all intents and purposes they are very similar.

However, society's perception of them is almost the exact opposite, which gives people who have one or the other wildly different kinds of disabled trauma.

Society at large likes to think they know a great deal about each of these disorders, but really knows almost nothing. What it comes down to is this:

Society believes and treats autistic people as if their entire personality, capability levels, and potential to succeed as a human is hinged to their autism, and they don't have a confident outlook on that, so they treat autistic people as if they can't do anything or are stupid. Autistic people have to continuously fight to be seen as something other than their autism (or in addition to it, of course, because I don't mean to say they're trying to escape their autism)

And on the flip side, society believes that ADHD is a myth, an excuse, a made up word for children that won't behave or are undisciplined, or a childhood disorder that 'goes away.' People consistently underestimate the symptoms/traits of ADHD, aren't aware of them, or don't believe them. People with ADHD are constantly told that these symptoms/traits are their own shortcomings rather than part of their ADHD. ADHD people have to continuously fight to be seen as having the disorder that massively affects their lives.

Because of these nearly opposite societal takes on each of these disorders, despite their similarities, autistic people and ADHD people end up, largely, being traumatized in opposite ways.

On the one hand there are autistic people who have any failure blamed on their "inherent inadequacy" due to their autism, taking away their sense of ownership, control, and agency of regular, human mistakes or failures they've experienced. And on the other, you've got people with adhd who have failures that are actually caused by symptoms of their disorder being told that they simply didn't try hard enough or that they clearly don't care or it wouldn't have happened.

(also to clarify, I don't mean to say that autistic people don't also have failures or mistakes caused by symptoms and that ADHD people have some that aren't, just that no matter what caused it, this seems to be the societal response)

In the end, you get commonalities in both groups that are directly caused by these societal traumas. Actually, there are two extremes that happen in both groups for the exact opposite reasons, and, often, these extremes coexist/alternate depending on the company.

The first extreme is refusing to unmask and making yourself very serious. For autistic people this seems to also come frequently with a kind of shyness because they're afraid if they say something that's "wrong" or that shows they missed subtext, they'll give ammunition to those who infantilize them. For those with ADHD this extreme comes with constantly overworking themselves, killing themselves with stress, and minimizing every struggle because they're terrified that if they relax for one second, or validate that something was difficult because of their ADHD, the people who called them lazy are right and they're just making excuses for their shortcomings. They seek desperately to prove to themselves and others that they do try.

The other extreme is leaning heavily into the stereotypes and abusive accusations they've faced their whole lives. For autistic people, this can mean taking on learned helplessness and refusing to try new things because they believe they really can't do it by themselves, ending up with less agency because they rely on help they don't really need but are too scared to forego. For those with ADHD, it can mean developing class clown syndrome and completely giving up on trying because no matter how hard they try, they can never get a result that satisfies society when they're constantly fighting symptoms that hinder their success. Both of these are self fulfilling prophecies that end up pushing them into the hole they felt it was impossible to avoid.

People with both disorders get to flip a coin on which trauma they get more of. Regardless of which one led to more trauma, the results end up looking the same - they're likely to fit into one of the two extremes.

Anyway, I don't really have a solid point to all of this - it's just some observations I've made on how the trauma inflicted on both of these groups is wildly different and yet often yields the same results for opposite reasons.

If anyone has anything to add, I really would love to hear!

#disability #actually disabled #nd #neurodivergent #autism #asd #actually autistic #actuallyautism #adhd #actually adhd #actually add #trauma #ableism #ghostpost #adhdghost

[caecilius-in-horto-ubi-sedebit]

Tim Drake is Disabled!

welcome to Pip's Projections! (fair warning im working mostly from oooold memory and vibes, im no expert)

neurodivergence!

i definitely get autism spec vibes from Timbo (maybe ADHD). His special interest– one of them, rather– being crime, and specifically high-profile, hero-adjacent crime.He seems to hyperfocus on anything crime related, and fixates automatically on such things– like where he's focused on the crime story on the TV when his dad is being awful

he also, at least from where im sitting, seems to have emotional dysregulation problems and problems recognizing his emotions in the moment and working through them– my most vivid example is when his dad dies, and he stuffs down his feelings, and either can't or refuses to communicate or emote, which is something i struggle with when i cant fully parse a feeling

hyperfocus, a deep drive for perfectionism– which isn't exactly a trait of autism or ADHD, but I've seen a lot of overlap, a need to be doing something– he rarely rests, and there's little (afaik) showing him just chilling, seeming to obsess over details (yes, he is a detective, still) and overthinking scenarios, especially possibilities

seems kinda socially awkward, but like not debilitatingly so, though his interests– that we've been shown– are fairly restricted, and often tie back in to crime and vigilante stuff

a large swathe of abilities, many of which are previously undisclosed, indicating a disinclination to share with friends/family/colleagues/whatever one's latest exploits

routines. this is less about him having to have the same day/week over and over, and more about planning. he has a plan, and he obsesses over also having a plan for every possible variation (control issues, i relate, except i ahte routines with a passion funny enough)

mental illness!

spicy spicy major depression, generalized anxiety, and the obligatory PTSD, for all vigilantes. also, i feel, maybe some depersonalization-derealization– though i dunno if id say full on disorder or if thats just symptoms, you know? love them differential diagnoses

the major depression... i mean the vibes alone? his friend dies, and he sinks into his grief to the point where he tries to clone said friend. whenever he suffers a loss, he retreats, and then he stuffs it all down, and if that doesnt scream major depression, i should get a new diagnosis

the anxiety?? i guess this ones more abstract, but the feel of the way he holds himself for one? its all shoulders up, sometimes literally poking up, even hunching slightly, generally in the shadows, covering the eyes. thats just me in public.

also the overthinking, though it does fit with the neurodivergence, in terms of how meticulous it all is, how in advance, it also works here. the fact that he needs these plans, and props, and extra everything, and a mask under a mask, that's an anxiety disorder.

i feel like the PTSD is just a given, right? like, he's definitely got some stress from all them traumas, you know?

the dissociation– depersonalization and derealization– comes from how his inner monologue sounds while he's in conflict. true, he's probably desensitised to the panic of violence, but he still sounds detached, like he's seeing the things happen, but he's not really aware, or like, present. that's just from the mood, the gutcanon if you will

physical illness!

goodbye spleen! obvi this means our boi Timmy is immunocompromised. he has to take antibiotocs whenever he's ill at all, and if his white blood cell count gets too high (afaik, i have a spleen, i just googled), and he should NOT be in direct contact with anyone showing symptoms of shit, even if it's just the common cold.

so that's a wee bit disabling. also, from personal experience, your immune system sucking means you are always sick, even when you have no reaosn to be. So have fun imagining Red Robin interrogating a goon, and having to pause to blow his runny nose. I know I shall.

immune system problems also happens to be exhausting. not just because of upkeep, but because your body is trying so hard to repair itself, but it is too weak– for Tim, because some asshole stabbed him in a not-so-vestigial organ, for me because collagen fuckery– and all that trying takes up your energy. so i think Red Robin goes out less often than the others, because he needs more rest, as a precaution and as recovery

tl;dr he could be disabled, DC. he could be ND, DC. he could be so much cooler, DC!

i need more outright disabled characters. in the meantime, tim is my comfort probably disabled character

#batfam #batfamily #batboys #tim drake #tim wayne #bruce wayne #adhd tag #autism #disability #projecting

[thevirgodoll]

I am a black women and I feel like I may be autistic but I do not wanna fall into the act of self diagnosing yet I also don’t trust a therapist to tell me that. What do I do or are there confirmations to assure something is happening within myself that may be autism?

You should feel validated to know that women are highly overlooked in comparison to men when it comes to the diagnosis of autism. The beginning of this journey, as even explained on TikToks, is honestly self diagnosis and going from there. A lot of cases, too, diagnosis is inaccessible due to lack of insurance or benefits. Self diagnosing in this instance is trying to find answers and bettering your way of living in some way. So you have to do what works for you. This video is my shared opinion on it.

A lot of women, due to the anecdotal evidence of what it is like being on the spectrum (rather than the neurotypical, ableist version) are now realizing that they share these traits due to viral videos or memes. This is not an isolated incident on your behalf, again, a lot of women are literally having this breakthrough.

As far as confirmations, it varies. Refer to this post and see what it means to you.

Refer to this video.

Refer to this photo here:

It is called a spectrum because not everyone has the same symptoms or severity of symptoms. Contrary to popular belief, there is no “look” for autism.

Women are more likely to hide or “mask” their symptoms, and therefore look like “normal” individuals. Women, especially women of color, are dismissed when it comes to a professional diagnosis because of the implicit bias. Even more importantly, women are taught to be ladylike and approachable so it’s harder for a professional to outright say you are on the spectrum as a child due to this societal issue. Acting neurotypical (“normal”) is hard, and arguably if you’ve been doing it since childhood, as an adult your issues will come to a head.

On the other hand, someone can have autism and be completely disabled and unable to speak. This is not the representation for everyone.

It’s very possible you can maintain eye contact, communicate verbally, and keep up conversation. Being autistic, you can learn a “script” of what people expect you to say.

Autism varies. It’s an outdated belief that someone has to be autistic “enough” ...

Finding these answers through videos or communities is how many people come to realize this themselves and learn there’s nothing wrong with them, similarly for ADHD as well, and then they go on to get diagnosis.

The medical community has been known to be inherently insensitive, racist, sexist, and ableist when it comes to ASD. Some also say they don’t believe in ADHD which overlaps. So it’s normal for people to self diagnose or feel apprehensive. Not all doctors are like this, but a lot of them are. It’s up to you to decide how you’re going to move forward with a professional or not.

As someone studying psychology, I know there are professionals who live in the current decade and don’t see autism as a curse. They are willing to help you. They see it as a part of who people are and seek to validate it and give their client or patient tools to succeed. The culture demonizing neurodivergence has been bred by ableist parents and organizations such as Autism Speaks. Avoid using them as resources in your discovery journey. This will further fuel whatever internalized ableism that you may already have.

You are worthy and incredibly capable of success. Live in your truth unapologetically.

You may perceive differently, live differently, but remember the world is built on neurotypical tips and a neurotypical mentality. There’s nothing wrong with seeing the grey areas mostly instead of black and white. There’s nothing wrong with being autistic because it is a part of you, there’s nothing wrong with being who you are.

Intelligent, sensitive, oversharer, hyperaware, who cares what people think about that! If everyone knew the truth about neurodivergence and how they stifle all of us, they’d perceive everything differently and stop subconsciously promoting toxic positivity and insensitive behavior that makes everyone hesitant to seek resources in the first place!

If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask!

#hope this helps! #mental health