If you have been diagnosed with a neurodiverse condition such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, or dyspraxia amongst others, then opening up your thoughts and being able to talk about your condition with others can be a major step forward in allowing people to understand you better, as well as understanding yourself more.
Why is it important to open up about neurodiversity?
Opening up to people in any circumstance can give other people the opportunity to listen to what’s going on inside your brain. For most people who suffer from any kind of neurodiverse, or mental health condition, they are able to put on a brave face and allow people to assume they’re ok, without understanding the full picture.
Opening up to people and sharing is a good thing to do, but when you have a neurodiverse condition such as autism, this can be tough to consider. So why is it so important to open up and share?
If your friends, family, school or workplace do not know that you have a diagnosis and therefore need support they will not know to put measures of support in place to help you. You will find yourself feeling alone, misunderstood or being picked on for all the wrong reasons. This can then also affect your mental health.
We do not live in a world of crystal balls, so it is important to tell others, share what you need to help you as well as what can have an adverse impact on you. This way everyone knows and understands. Opening up to these people can not only give them more understanding about yourself, but also about the condition that you’re suffering with. Many people can assume, but until they understand the full picture from a first-person account, then they will truly never know.
Opening up to others, in a diary, a journal or even to your pet can also be beneficial. As social interactions may be upsetting or scary, simply being able to overcome these fears, as well as asking for help when the conditions get too much are all reasons to open up to someone or something. It is ok to write things down, read them out loud and share with others.
If you’re struggling with your neurodiverse condition, and want some help, you can find out where to find the best support for your neurodiverent condition here.
Is it hard to open up about neurodiversity?
Yes, it is. Being open and sharing if you have a neurodivergent mind can be tough. It shouldn’t be rushed or forced out of someone. An individual needs to feel safe and supported not that they might be laughed at or misunderstood.
Having a neurodivergent mind is not an illness. It is an individual, thinking, feeling and seeing the world in a different way. Be those pictures, words, equations and how the mind works and operates. People with a neurodivergent mind see, and understand the world differently to those who don’t.
Conclusion on Opening Up with a Neurodivergent Condition
Opening up is so important to let others know that you need support and measures put in place to help you with your day to day working life, at home with the family or at school. If people do not understand how you are feeling, what challenges you face, what negatively impacts you and what helps you then they cannot be there for you.
Neurodiversity is a blessing, and will only be misunderstood if you do not open up and share with others. It may initially be hard but it will get easier and better along the way.
