Does Avery read as having autism or ADHD to anyone else?
To me at least, there's very subtle mental health messaging in DAWTDE specifically.
Anyway, with Avery, the way he brings up "I'm not smart enough" and the way he easily gives up really feels like a learned behaviour to me. Who do most people, on average, deem stupid? Not just people who are genuinely ignorant, but also neurodivergent people (specifically in this case, people with ADHD/Autism). Seems like he's experienced a lot of being called dumb/stupid, and being forced to give up a lot.
Also the fact that he was all alone on New Years Eve, the very specific way he gets frustrated, seems very literal, and is constantly doubting himself reads very much as, most likely unintentional, autism-coding to me.
There's also definitely something to be said about Derek too. Not just about neurodivergence but of self-harm and suicidality as well. Like he forces himself to believe his suffering is righteous and all, that there's a reason for all this. Definitely a burnout ADHDer/autistic going through a very extreme low.
I don't really know, I'm just yapping about things that I have noticed. Another half-baked post lmao.











