Welcome to the blog! Before you send an ask, read this post!
Hi, I'm Dr. Erica Lensher, PhD. I'm a psychologist and therapist who has 16 years of experience working with hybrid patients, mostly those with SMD. This blog is a place for me to answer your questions about hybridism and its related diagnoses such as SMD and SOMPS. This isn't a super formal thing, so don't expect a lot of cited sources or links to academic papers. Google is your friend, in that regard.
But if you've got questions about the psychology or neurology of hybridism that don't need peer-reviewed answers, this is the place! This post is also a but of an FAQ for the basics, so read the whole thing before you send me an ask that I may have already answered, please!
What is hybridism?
This is an excellent question with a complex answer. Historically, words like "Crossbreed" and "hybrid" have referred to a huge umbrella of people, and the definitions of such terms are too vague to be very useful in a medical or psychological context. But if you're asking this, you probably have an idea of what a hybrid is in your everyday experience. Maybe you have a neighbor with hooves instead of feet, or you've had a classmates who hybernates. Hybrids are those people who have like, alien bodies.
If you're looking for a more rigid scientific definition, then I'm afraid you're out of luck. The historical view is that hybrids are the descendants of a pairing between a prehistoric human and one of the last of an ancient species of aliens that once inhabited the earth. And while this is largely true -- evidence of the alien culture has been found -- it isn't comprehensive. For a host of reasons, there are many hybrids who don't have any alien DNA at all, but whose neurology, physiology, and behaviors are indistinguishable from what you might call a "true" hybrid.
In the medical world, hybrids are referred to with one or both of a pair of terms: SNMSD (Spontaneous Neurological Mutation Spectrum Disorder, or SMD), and SOMPS, Sudden Onset Mutant Physiology Syndrome. Any given mutantay have one, both, or none of these diagnoses officially, and they're sort of a topic unto themselves. In my professional opinion, however, the colloquial definition of hybrid is just fine in most cases. If a person thinks of themself as a hybrid, they probably are, and that's all there is to it.
How do I know if I'm a hybrid?
Another question with a very complex answer. As I mentioned above, the lack of a rigid definition of hybridism can make this hard to pin down. Often, people will submit to genetic testing to see if they have the marker for hybridism, and that can help. But it has its own issues, namely in what genes a given test actually looks for. My opinion is that if you have an experience that you don't think fits into a more apt diagnosis (ASD or cerebral palsy, for example), then talk to your doctor and/or therapist about it.
I've recently bloomed! What do I do?
I recommend you talk to a relevant medical and/or psychological professional to figure out what's right for you. While there can be many commonalities between hybridisms, each one is still unique, and no single blog will be able to help you figure out what your specific needs are.
Are hybrids superheroes?
No. This is a harmful stereotype that can make the lives of hybrids harder. I've known patients whose hybridisms seemed to other people to be "superpowers" and who struggle with things like police violence and housing discrimination on the basis that they must live a dangerous, vigilante lifestyle if they have "superpowers."
I've heard that some hybrids are crazy. Is this true?
Words like "crazy" have a complex and rough history in the world of hybridism and psychology. It is true that many hybrids (those with SMD, predominantly) experience sensory and or/psychological phenomena that might be categorized as hallucinations or dissociation, it's important for those who don't experience those things to understand the humanity of hybrids, and our rights to autonomy and self-determination. Terms like "crazy" can stigmatize and medicalize hybridisms and make life harder for people just trying to live their lives.