Current Events > "Neurodivergent" has been watered down to a worthless term..

(+) Yeah! (+)

It might have had some practical application once for people who needed special care or help interacting with society in some way. The purpose being to discrimination for their benefit, not to distinguish them for no reason.

Now though literally every person who is messy and bad at timekeeping or finds some social situations uncomfortable is neurodivergent.

Tell me, who the fuck is actually neurotypical? Is there a single person on earth who thinks their brain is not a little bit off beat sometimes?

In what way is your life affected by someone saying they're neurodivergent?

That isn't rhetorical.

A nice easy way to put yourself in the victim class.

FolkenRawr posted...

In what way is your life affected by someone saying they're neurodivergent?

That isn't rhetorical.

Answer the "who is actually neurotypical and what does that even mean" question first.

MildlyIrkedOwl posted...

Answer the "who is actually neurotypical and what does that even mean" question first.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-neurotypical-260047

The word neurotypical is an informal term used to describe a person whose brain functions are considered usual or expected by society. This term is often applied to people who do not have a developmental disorder like autism, differentiating them from those who do. It is neither a mental disorder nor even an official diagnostic term.

it has become a catchall and is victim of self diagnosis of randoms online, yes. but like others say here, *who cares*. doesn't hurt you

FolkenRawr posted...

Now explain why every person who has some mild form of forgetfulness or social anxiety is not neurotypical

well neurodivergent is a bit of a broad term

and who says that for a lot of people being bad at timekeeping and social situations can't be an actual mental issue? sounds more like you are just dismissing other people's problems, sure some people are going to use mental issues as excuse for things but there's a lot of people that actually have those issues

How much further are the goal posts going to shift? It's not a specific medical diagnosis, and your anecdotal experience doesn't mean shit.

FolkenRawr posted...

How much further are the goal posts going to shift? It's not a specific medical diagnosis, and your anecdotal experience doesn't mean shit.

We are right back at the heart of the topic. From the OP:

Tell me, who the f*** is actually neurotypical? Is there a single person on earth who thinks their brain is not a little bit off beat sometimes

majin_nemesis posted...

well neurodivergent is a bit of a broad term

and who says that for a lot of people being bad at timekeeping and social situations can't be an actual mental issue? sounds more like you are just dismissing other people's problems, sure some people are going to use mental issues as excuse for things but there's a lot of people that actually have those issues

Everyone has issues, ergo everyone is neurodiverse, ergo neurodivergent has no meaning except a way of othering yourself

MildlyIrkedOwl posted...

Everyone has issues, ergo everyone is neurodiverse, ergo neurodivergent has no meaning except a way of othering yourself

that's not how it works at all

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


My dude go on social media. Every person under the age of 25 thinks their messy ass student apartment is all the proof you'll ever need. What is even the point of this, because the neurodivergent I highlighted in the OP actually had a practical medical/care application

MildlyIrkedOwl posted...

Tell me, who the fuck is actually neurotypical? Is there a single person on earth who thinks their brain is not a little bit off beat sometimes

You're displaying a Neurotypival behaviour right now, TC.

Ricemills posted...

You're displaying a Neurotypival behaviour right now, TC.

Or maybe I'm so bad at picking up on subtext that I'm on the spectrum, m I right

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/2/AAQh2QAAEuEi.jpg

It's definitely become a bit of a meme byeond its value imo. There's definitely a tendency in the last few years to publicly and proudly label onesself as neurodivergent without being asked.

Heck, the word itself barely existed before 2020:
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=Neurodivergent&hl=en-GB

poor TC cant make fun of those of us who are nerodivergent and looking to find loop holes

I mean TC has a point. I dont think its fair to try dog piling him

If all it was is this:
[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

then it would be fine.

I personally liked the term as someone who is on the low end of the spectrum.
But if the term is being misused then that is a problem.

But thats kind of the nature of words and grammar, sometimes new terms are misused until it takes on new meaning.

Reminds me of the word triggered. It was supposed to be for people who actually have PTSD but now its used to describe mild annoyance.

I cant help but roll my eyes when I see people trying so hard to be quirky and talking about their undiagnosed autism. Claims of neurodivergence very much do seem to be a trendy thing.

People get mad at "neurotypical" like they do "cisgender"

MildlyIrkedOwl posted...

Everyone has issues, ergo everyone is neurodiverse, ergo neurodivergent has no meaning except a way of othering yourself

Hey. Why don't you shut the fuck up?

Tenlaar posted...

I cant help but roll my eyes when I see people trying so hard to be quirky and talking about their undiagnosed autism. Claims of neurodivergence very much do seem to be a trendy thing.

"Everyone is LGBTQ these days because it's trendy." Shut the fuck up.

MildlyIrkedOwl posted...

Everyone has issues, ergo everyone is neurodiverse, ergo neurodivergent has no meaning except a way of othering yourself

if it's everyone, then it isn't othering yourself. if you try to limit it narrowly (like TC is suggesting, I think), then you "get to" other people. I think frankly it's better to understand that people are different and just be cool with that (different in all sorts of ways).

I know where youre coming from TC. Its not like neurodivergent isnt a real thing but internet people love to abuse the term. Its the same with any psychology/therapy term.

I'm neurotypical
I've been tested by a doctor and everything. I'm just slightly quirky. I actually process things in a healthy way and my brain works the way it's supposed to.

Lots of people just self diagnose with only a slight understanding of what the terms even mean. Like people saying "I'm a little OCD". No. No you're not. You're just clean. Your cousin that can't leave the house unless he flips the light switch on and off exactly 33 times or he feels everyone he loves will die is OCD. His doctor diagnosed him.

AloneIBreak posted...

I know where youre coming from TC. Its not like neurodivergent isnt a real thing but internet people love to abuse the term. Its the same with any psychology/therapy term.

Yeah. This. This so isn't a thing to dog pile on people for. So many people on the Internet don't even get themselves diagnosed and claim things about themselves. It IS dangerous and unhelpful for society at large.

Jiek_Fafn posted...

I'm neurotypical
I've been tested by a doctor and everything. I'm just slightly quirky. I actually process things in a healthy way and my brain works the way it's supposed to.

Lots of people just self diagnose with only a slight understanding of what the terms even mean. Like people saying "I'm a little OCD". No. No you're not. You're just clean. Your cousin that can't leave the house unless he flips the light switch on and off exactly 33 times or he feels everyone he loves will die is OCD. His doctor diagnosed him.

That's not self diagnosing. It's called hyperbole.

Bunch of randos on social media misusing a term does not make it worthless.

ArtiRock posted...

Yeah. This. This so isn't a thing to dog pile on people for. So many people on the Internet don't even get themselves diagnosed and claim things about themselves. It IS dangerous and unhelpful for society at large.

The difference is that context does matter. Sure, I can see an argument being possible for this if made in good faith

FolkenRawr posted...

That's not self diagnosing. It's called hyperbole.

Youve never met anyone that truly believes they're OCD because of this? Most people I know that use the term truly believe it.

prove ppl are using it with out any kind of diagnosis

Old account with low karma and only a few active posts makes an obviously inflammatory topic.

Dark_Arbron posted...

Old account with low karma and only a few active posts makes an obviously inflammatory topic.

He's just mildly irked.

MildlyIrkedOwl

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FolkenRawr posted...

That's not self diagnosing. It's called hyperbole.

Except there are people that legitimately do self diagnose themselves, or even fake mental illnesses nowadays. Hell, for a time, there were even people on TikTok pretending to have illnesses for views. Stuff like this does not help expand awareness, nor does it help people to be taken seriously when people actually suffer from it.

AceMos posted...

prove ppl are using it with out any kind of diagnosis

That's a horrible ask. That's akin to saying "prove the boogieman exists."

People do this all the time, and it's not just mental illnesses.

cant be worse than everyone and their mother calling themselves ocd because they decided to clean.

I am a college professor, so I've seen first hand how mental health and self-diagnosis has evolved. It is very difficult to parse out the students with actual diagnoses from those who throw out "BAD MENTAL HEALTH DAY" as a get out of jail free card for everything.

ArtiRock posted...

Except there are people that legitimately do self diagnose themselves, or even fake mental illnesses nowadays. Hell, for a time, there were even people on TikTok pretending to have illnesses for views. Stuff like this does not help expand awareness, nor does it help people to be taken seriously when people actually suffer from it.

That's a horrible ask. That's akin to saying "prove the boogieman exists."

People do this all the time, and it's not just mental illnesses.

The real question was prove its happening to such an extent as to discredit the term.

People concern trolling about the term losing meaning is the same as when racists complained that the left calls everything racist, it doesnt mean anything anymore.

Same old tactic, just applied to a new buzz term.

I only recently came across the term so it still works for me...

Im happy to leave the use of medical terms to medical professionals, but maybe Im just old fashioned like that.

Dark_Arbron posted...

The real question was prove its happening to such an extent as to discredit the term.

People concern trolling about the term losing meaning is the same as when racists complained that the left calls everything racist, it doesnt mean anything anymore.

Same old tactic, just applied to a new buzz term.

Maybe you are. But I sincerely doubt it for Ace.

In this case, I don't think it's quite the same. Your race isn't something that you're diagnosed with. Some mental problems are behavioral ones versus ones that you're born with, so mental problems are considerably more complicated than "calling someone racist."

Maybe it's because I have dealt with people that actually have mental issues, so it DOES stick out to me when people will misuse terms that bother me, or say there's something wrong with them mentally when they have no basis for it. IE, Bipolar disorder runs in my family, so it's often something that I'm sensitive to when people misuse it.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I am diagnosed as on the spectrum and I dont feel shit talked.

If everyone starts calling themselves neurodivergent then the word loses meaning.

Maybe it's because I have dealt with people that actually have mental issues, so it DOES stick out to me when people will misuse terms that bother me, or say there's something wrong with them mentally when they have no basis for it. IE, Bipolar disorder runs in my family, so it's often something that I'm sensitive to when people misuse it.

Absolutely, thats fair. I just think in this case its better to fight against the misuse of a term rather than accept its lost meaning. Not that you were doing that necessarily, thats just what I was getting at.

Using correct terminology is important, sometimes. The times it's not important, it's a failing on your part for expecting it.

deoxxys posted...

I am diagnosed as on the spectrum and I dont feel shit talked.

If everyone starts calling themselves neurodivergent then the word loses meaning.

so am i and i do feel called out by TC and i do not see ppl self diagnosing to any meaningful degree

and still waiting for people to prove this is happening

There's a difference between being diagnosed as neurodivergent and using it as an excuse for all behavior