*Raises hand* Hello, person not diagnosed with autism OR adhd, what if like, you're into a piece of media to the point where you cant even sleep without thinking about it, and you can't move onto/get into different content cause the thing you're into has a stranglehold on your entire thinking, and you're like "Oh! This is an interesting show i really wanna watch," but the other media is like "Lol that cool i guess, but don't you wanna read me for the 7th time, that'd be cool right :)?" And the main character goes through something awful and you're like "Wow I know I shouldn't be in actual distress over a fictional character," but you CAN'T HELP IT. Is it then called a hyperfixation? Because I feel like that's the only word I can use that makes me feel normal, but it also feel disrespectful because i actually haven't been diagnosed -Cow anon
hello anon!!! (long answer srry being concise isn’t my strength)
i'm going to take this from my perspective hoping maybe i can help you out, but if i miss completely the shot, feel free to tell me.
Because of the family I come from and the years I was born and raised in, I never ever got a diagnosis for any mental illness or neurodivergence despite not being the most normal kid. My family (although they are lovely ppl) and the people around me had a very specific idea of what "normal" was, and sticking out back then wasn't considered acceptable.
In adolescence, I bottled up and repressed all the things that made me "weird", trying not to let other people notice, making it seem like I'd left that in childhood, where being "weird" is a little more acceptable.
I'm going to assume you come from a similar-ish background, I'm assuming you feel somewhat alienated from "normal" people, but not different enough for an external person to have sought out diagnosis in your place. (or you learned to hide your differences)
I know that when I did go see a school counselor in HS, they were like "I can't officially diagnose you but you very very very likely have generalized anxiety" and I only mentionned like. one "issue" to them.
Now, I'm not a therapist, I'm not a professional of any sort, I can't tell you for sure, but if you have reasonable doubt that you may not be NT and it affects your ability to function/your happiness, maybe it'd be in your favor to seek diagnosis! But in the end, all our brains work in different ways, and trying to pretend like there's only one "normal" way to exist mostly relies on capitalism's need for productivity.
I think using a word that's specific to a disability or a condition, etc. without having the proper diagnosis takes away from the people who actually know they have it, because as far as you know, it's like 50/50. However, there should not be any shame in seeking information about yourself, especially if it helps you in the long run be happy and function. Sometimes, just knowing you have something is helpful, even if you don't actively do anything about it!
(also if you look up synonyms for obsession you’ll find quite a few!! i think passion is the least stigmatizing/weird one. obsession feels kind of creepy, but passion conveys, imo, just the right thing.)
