this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2023
17 points (100.0% liked)
Melbourne
1862 readers
67 users here now
This community is a place created for the people of Melbourne and Victoria. We are a positive, welcoming and inclusive community. We might not agree about everything, but we always strive to stay civil and respectful.
The focus of our discussions is based around things that effect Victoria, but we are also free to discuss our local perspective on wider issues. Or head to the regular Daily Random Discussion thread to talk about anything.
Ongoing discussions, FAQs & Resources (still under construction)
Adoption Certificate for Nellie, the Daily Thread numbat (with thanks to @Catfish)
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
So, on the other site I came across the term "terminal uniqueness" in relation to a discussion about diagnoses of neurodivergence and whether people are quick to jump on labels to explain why they feel they struggle with life and to try and feel special and exempt rather than working productively with the diagnosis.
It's a fascinating phrase that has its roots in addiction recovery and is also known more simply as "personal exceptionalism". But honestly I think the concept can be applied much more broadly to many aspects of modern life and mediated discussions of mental health. and I'm embarrassed to admit I definitely felt that way about myself when I was younger. Maybe sometimes I still do.
Damn straight it's a fascinating phrase. Haven't heard it before, but I've seen the phenomenon many many times in various ways. I think part of it stems from simple lack of a large enough database of experience. And it's so so tempting to slap on a label, pop the fashionable pill and stop thinking and receiving information and examining alternatives. Have you read Temple Grandin's marvellous book An Anthropologist on Mars? Or any of Oliver Sachs' works?
The Oliver Sacks books are fascinating. I must put Temples book on the to read list.
Temple was one the of the most interesting long interviews I've heard this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYZP1wuGBD8
I've long been recommended to read Oliver Sacks books - for years. I confess my reading has been in the drain for a while now due to too much phone use. Definitely worth reading now that I have the time. Same with Temple Grandin, I did watch the movie about her life years ago ...
I read through that article. I definitely think people use different diagnoses to excuse their behaviour and choices, rather than taking that information and using it to their advantage.
Thanks for sharing, I have definitely noticed this but never had a word for it. With the eagerness for labels, I think there’s something else going on too. Labels can give people a sense of belonging. So it’s an overlap of feeling special individually plus feeling part of a tribe. Not saying neurodivergence doesn’t exist, but I do sometimes get unsettled when people label human experience that I consider to be just normal, to be something clinical. No, sometimes lost keys and procrastinating over doing the dishes are just lost keys and dishes. Can we just be allowed to be human.
This echoes my own sentiments, that we need a wider definition of 'normal' for humans. We should celebrate diversity, not medicalize it.
If I recall correctly the person who originally coined the term "neurodivergence" (an Australian psychologist?) intended it to describe all people, not to create a distinction between the "neurodiverse" and the "neurotypical" (as if the latter do not also exist on spectrums).