I am what they label AuDHD, I’m not into labels but for the purposes of stepping stones at this time to be able to know what subject we are speaking about they seem useful. I want to speak truthfully about what I feel and think about the whole subject….

I believe that neurodivergent people are only a ‘problem’ when modern society insist that we live and function inside specific (and quite limited) ways and these ways are not designed for the neurodivergent soul. Our modern societies have stripped out diversity from the human species, just like we have done with nature: ‘anything that does not fit the aspirations of success in a Capital growth society must either be killed or made to adapt to be allowed to stay’.

So how would it change things if we stopped making neurodivergent people the problem and instead start recognising that it’s modern life and the societal structures that are the real source of the problem ? If I look at all my neurodivergent traits, they only become challenging/problematic for me when I try to fit into a neuotypicaly societal structure set up. They are not a problem in and of themselves – they only become a problem when I try to function and relate inside a structure that was not designed for me.

For our deep time ancestors, neurodivergent people where the seers, the mystics, poets, healers, artists, shamans, psychics, and the truth speakers. Now we are the fuck-up’s that need to be medicated, pathologized, shamed, marginalised and told to change our ways and just try harder.

Not everyone was meant to be able to do everything ! that’s a modern artificial construct that support consumerism and control of the workers. Back with our deep time ancestors, interdependence was how we survived and thrived and no-one lived in isolation in hyper independence. If one person was a Seer but struggled to chop their wood – not a problem – we need the Seer in the community and the person who’s amazing at chopping wood is also loving their life !! Everyone is happy and everyone belongs. I believe with a passion that every neurodivergent person has a gift to bring to the world and one that is needed in order to returning us to a truly diverse life with all that is. But when we live inside a society that aspires to everyone being able to do everything and only certain gifts being valued it can be very difficult as a neurodivergent person to find a place in it all.

I believe that if each of us was existing within our optimum environment, one that supports us to really thrive we would soon find our gifts and thrive in bringing them. If you put an oak tree in the Sahara desert it won’t survive anymore than in you put a cactus in a welsh forest. It’s like we are saying that because the oak tree can’t survive in the desert it’s the tree that is the problem. It’s ridiculous and we know it. We would never expect an Oak tree to survive in a desert and would not force it to try. Yet when it comes to neurodivergent souls we seem to not quite of grasped this.

I also believe that Neurodivergent people are having a response to modern life that is actually more natural and right, as in we are not meant to be living in a society where our senses are so bombarded. We are not meant to be around hundreds of humans everyday. We are not meant to live under artificial light 24 hours of the time. We are not meant to sit for 8 hours in a day looking at a 2d screen. We are not meant to eat ultra processed food. We are not meant to be able to do everything ourselves, and so the list goes on. It’s an intelligent response that refuses to adapt to the insanity of our modern world. I for one think we need to listen to these intelligent responses and celebrate them and change the way we all live on our beautiful Earth.

We need to start naming all the positives of being neurodivergent of which there is a vast array. Most of them sit inside the qualities associated with the witches and the healers and the creatives and things modern cultures do not value, so it’s obvious why we don’t. THIS is what needs to change.

I am starting a revolution that recognises that it’s modern society that needs to change, not neurodivergent people. So rather than supporting neurodivergent people to adapt better to this broken society, let’s instead support them to be who they are and bring their gifts because their gifts are really needed at this time on earth. However uncomfortable that truth is – it is the truth I believe.