shoutout to people who are rejected from neurodivergent communities.
medium and high support needs autistic people who often get left out of the conversation or spoken over.
people with "just" anxiety and/or depression who are treated as if their problems are lesser.
people with OCD who have intrusive thoughts about really taboo subjects (yes, even that one). people with OCD who don't hate themselves for every intrusive thought, or who have learned to be okay with their thoughts. people with OCD who genuinely worry they might be xyz type of bad person (yes, even that type). people with OCD who don't know if they violate people's DNIs because of their intrusive thoughts.
people with psychosis or any schizophrenia spectrum disorder. people who are left out of the conversation, stigmatized, shunned away as too scary to talk about or include. people whose conditions are frequently misunderstood and demonized.
people with DID, OSDD, or any other complex dissociative disorder. people whose mental illness is glamorized and idealized and misunderstood. people whose condition is deemed fake or performative, made up for attention. people whose condition is heavily debated even among the scientific community.
people with cluster B personality disorders who are treated as evil. people whose conditions are often the "exception" to others' neurodivergent positivity posts. people who can't google their condition without seeing posts about abusers, toxic people, people labeled as evil or crazy or attention seeking or manipulative, and any other demonizing language.
people with non-cluster B personality disorders who are often forgotten and left out of the conversation. people whose conditions are widely unknown or underdiscussed. people who struggle to find a community for their experiences.
anybody who is "a stereotype." people who actually do look like the image that everyone in their community tries to insist is just a stereotype. people who are not responsible for the ableism their community faces and are tired of being treated like they are.
anybody who has done things they regret because of their mental illness. people who were abusive, who were harmful, who were toxic. people who developed addictions, made mistakes, ruined their lives. people who want to do better and wish they could be treated with compassion as they try.
anybody who was wronged by the system. people who were given a stigmatizing label that marks them for the rest of their life. people who are shamed out of communities, rejected or fired from jobs, turned away from even mental health professionals who are supposed to be helpful.
anybody who is "too disabled". people whose experiences are left out of conversations where more abled people are trying to frantically prove their validity to neurotypicals. people who can't do things, people who need help, people who will never be independent.
anybody who is left out for who they are. BIPOC, physically disabled people, intersex people, religious people, and more. people who are excluded from mainstream conversations, and whose discussions about intersectionality are ignored or talked over. people who struggle to find others who are like them.
neurodivergence is supposed to be a welcoming community for everybody. and we have a long way to go before that will be the case. but we're working towards it, one step at a time.
