Book Review : Divergent Mind
"I was depressed, confused, anxious, tired and plagued with a persistent feeling of inadequacy and the feeling that somehow I wasn’t myself."
This is how I lived my entire life and found out that this is not the typical way of existence when I was 34 years old.
"Neurodiversity, which means recognizing and celebrating the diversity of brain makeups instead of pathologising some as "normal" and others as "abnormal."
When Divergent Mind popped up in my feed last year, I had no clue about neurodivergence. Although, I have been questioning 'normal' in my own twisted ways for many years. From that level of ignorance, I went on most of my life experiences were anything but normal, untangling trauma and neurodevelopmental conditions is like solving the classic chicken and egg problem, like all the other systems diagnostic criteria based on the default male and finally trying to be comfortable with more of who I am on the inside rather than fitting in with the world's idea of 'normal'. Even though labels come with more issues than they solve, I would prefer having a word to define how I experience my world than ever not knowing why I struggled so much just to survive.
It is an easy book to read if you are new to the idea of neurodiversity. For those like me, it is a place where you get your life experiences validated. As the author herself has mentioned in the book, being able to finally give a name to an experience is incredibly healing and liberating.
"I feel like I am at last at home in myself. The pieces of the puzzle of me have finally fallen into place and I have permission to be myself in my own way at last."
Warning: The majority of us did not have the privilege of the women who were mentioned in the book. So I am not much of a fan of the thriving bit. But maybe we all need a little hope to make it through the next day and this book definitely delivers that.
