I also feel that making me self-diagnose with a disorder would be very useful for keeping me small and powerless
That’s a valid way to feel, but for many people on the spectrum it’s the exact opposite. A diagnosis is an answer for why in NT spaces we often feel constantly misunderstood and out of place, and reassurance that we aren’t the only people like ourselves in the world. It’s also an amazing way to connect with others for tips on how to manage symptoms or other issues; if I wasn’t connected to other autistic people I never would have discovered there are tools to reduce my sensory problems, or found the ability to advocate for myself and what I need rather than shutting up and feeling inadequate for needing help.
Yes to all those. It helped me immensely to understand that I am wired different. But lately I have come to believe it’s dangerous to find these common traits in the context of a mental illness diagnosis. Neurodiverse? Hell yeah. Suffering from ‘Can’t work an 8 hour job’ disorder? No thanks. It’s not a disorder, it’s my body and mind protesting against bad conditions. We don’t have to set up society in such a way that a significant percentage of the population cannot keep up with life tasks. I demand change not as charitable accommodation for a problem I have.
My issue here is not the grouping of people under certain traits, but calling these traits a ‘syndrome’ or ‘disorder’ because a person with these traits is less valuable as human resource within the capitalist work logic. I’m not disordered, the system is.
That’s a valid way to feel, but for many people on the spectrum it’s the exact opposite. A diagnosis is an answer for why in NT spaces we often feel constantly misunderstood and out of place, and reassurance that we aren’t the only people like ourselves in the world. It’s also an amazing way to connect with others for tips on how to manage symptoms or other issues; if I wasn’t connected to other autistic people I never would have discovered there are tools to reduce my sensory problems, or found the ability to advocate for myself and what I need rather than shutting up and feeling inadequate for needing help.
Yes to all those. It helped me immensely to understand that I am wired different. But lately I have come to believe it’s dangerous to find these common traits in the context of a mental illness diagnosis. Neurodiverse? Hell yeah. Suffering from ‘Can’t work an 8 hour job’ disorder? No thanks. It’s not a disorder, it’s my body and mind protesting against bad conditions. We don’t have to set up society in such a way that a significant percentage of the population cannot keep up with life tasks. I demand change not as charitable accommodation for a problem I have.
My issue here is not the grouping of people under certain traits, but calling these traits a ‘syndrome’ or ‘disorder’ because a person with these traits is less valuable as human resource within the capitalist work logic. I’m not disordered, the system is.