Inspiration - I'm Just Built Different
Do you ever feel like you're an alien plopped on Earth? Maybe you feel that you don't fit in, you don't understand how your peers are able to do "normal" things easily, or you have trouble making and keeping friends. You may be neurodivergent!
"Neurodiverse" is a relatively new term in the mental health world that is used to describe natural functional variations in the human brain. In other words, a neurodivergent person's brain is wired differently from what is largely understood to be the norm. Neurodivergent is an umbrella term for many types of differences, including but not limited to: ADHD, autism, OCD, bipolar disorder, dyslexia, and tourette's syndrome.
Although neurodivergent doesn't automatically mean disabled, it's not uncommon for a neurodivergence to also be recognized as a disability. Although they can pose challenges when trying to function in a neurotypical world, it's certainly not impossible to be accomplished and have a successful career. You could even say that neurodivergent people are simply built different!
Some famous neurodivergent people who have publicly disclosed their diagnoses include:
- Billie Eilish - tourette's syndrome
- Eminem - autism
- Greta Thunberg - autism
- Simone Biles - ADHD
- Camila Cabello - OCD
- Kanye West - bipolar disorder
- Tom Cruise - dyslexia
- Elon Musk - autism
- Michael Phelps - ADHD
- Halsey - bipolar disorder
- Courtney Love - autism
- Keanu Reeves - dyslexia
- Justin Timberlake - OCD
- Lewis Capaldi - tourette's syndrome
There are a lot more people who are suspected to be neurodiverse, I recommend you Google them!