this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2025
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ADHD

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Regular reminder that being an asshole is not a symptom of any form of neurodivergence. (You can replace “neurodivergent” with depressed, anxious, bipolar, etc. and the diagram works equally well)

ETA: social faux pas, awkwardness, and genuine symptoms of neurodivergence don’t make you an asshole. I shouldn’t have to say this? An “asshole” is someone who enacts a pattern of abusive, controlling, harassing, and/or harmful behavior with no remorse or concern for how other people are affected.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Yeah I have two childhood friends that are brothers. Their other brother is very autistic. When we were kids a lot of people didn't understand autism enough to get that while yes, his autism did affect the way in which he was a tremendous asshole, it didn't cause it. He happened to have a shit personality and disability level autism

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I guess MasterCard is either autistic or asshole now

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Definitely asshole at the very least

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

One more post for this thread and then protecting my energy. Topic of great passion, interest and survival for me.

You are not an asshole for protecting your energy from abusive behavior.

The following must not be confused with abusive/asshole behavior:

https://purrfurnax.tumblr.com/post/750391775364104192

Social Ostracization and Bannishment should be a last resort only.

We can do better with communal moderation and conflict resolution.

I reccomend the youtube channel AnRel to address some of the greater nuances

Also, this playlist is something i return to every so often: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaOxDnLZqNcmxxkuxTVxYnhrYEOeoTRjP

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Being an asshole is occasionally a symptom of me not being consistent enough with my anxiety meds though unfortunately. But I'm generally really apologetic afterwards when I realize and it doesn't happen often and only for a few days typically.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Seems like some users thought this thread was a free pass to question neurospicy folks legitimacy regardless of assholeishness. Cool lemmy.world, cool /s

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

It's because the phrase "neurodivergence" is an umbrella term. It's all but useless in the context given. That's a fact no matter how cool and breezy you are about people with disabilities.

I have an older brother with cerebral palsy - I know no other life than one that sympathizes with people with disabilities. I dedicated my life to helping children with disabilities. I have worked with children with cerebral palsy, autism, adhd, dyspraxia, downs syndrome, retts syndrome, ALS and many other conditions and brain injuries for a chunk of my life spanning over 20 years. I was treating them from before Ritalin was used to treat patients with ADHD (in England at least).

The term "neurodivergence" is not useful in the context it is used in here. Everyone is neurodivergent, and the terms popularity modern times has tweaked it to mean something else that is not clear. A social media "tag" used as an umbrella term is just that. It's not a diagnosis or an excuse because it's not one thing.

It is exactly like saying "i have fibromyalgia" - because that is also an umbrella term that leads to the question, "What does that mean in this context?"

The umbrella term "neurodivergence" includes both conditions that aren't an excuse and are an excuse for behaving like an asshole. Anyone can claim they are neurodivergent because they are. Therefore some people will use the term as an excuse for behaving badly no matter what their quirks are.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

If everyone is neurodivergent then there would not be a term neurotypical, go educate yourself. No two brains are the same but there are ranges that be be used to identify non typical patterns.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Everyone is neurodivergent. The term is often used to describe people on the autistic spectrum. I think that something along those lines is what you meant to say while you told me to educate myself.

The thing is, championing neurodiversity is good for those on the autistic spectrum, but that doesn't mean that neurodiversity doesn't include all the other ways in which no two brains are the same. There is no diagnostic criteria for being neurodivergent. Two neurodivergent people may share no common ground at all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Ok. Fine I get what you're saying. I read the page from the university i work for, and also Harvards information. I didn't read wikipedia.

Regardless, the exact same point can be made. Explain to me how this makes the term suitable in the context of this post.

My entire point is that a "neurodivergeant" person is not one kind of person. It's many different kinds of people. It's autistic people, it's people with ADHD. It's a broad term. I myself was thinking that of course antisocial personality disorder would be neurodivergeant and a reason to be perceived as an asshole. The post makes no sense because to answer it, you would have to evaluate every single kind of neurodivergeant person.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago

I'm pretty sure it is a symptom of BPD.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You do not have to be friends with anyone! :D

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I thought what we had was special 😢

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I have an overwhelming urge to shop now.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

This meme brought to you by pɹɐɔɹǝʇsɐɯ

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

It's exactly why I do not present any of the mental psychological isms my therapist gave me to other people. I've seen loads of folks who pretty much brag about these things—using them as excuses to be shitty or negligent people with no attempt at learning or practicing social skills. I run like the wind anytime I hear someone brag or lament (usually just a backdoor brag) that they are "empathic" or "highly sensitive." I'm very cautious around people who bring up their "ADHD," "anxiety disorder" or "autism"—especially if they do it regularly, publicly (on social media), or very early upon meeting them. And don't get me started about personality disorders. I know people who are legitimately trying their best with all these things, but the genuinely responsible and aware folks seem to rarely wear those as kind of strange badges of identity.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's funny, because a common symptom of ADHD is oversharing, especially early on in a relationship when it's less appropriate. This doesn't make them an asshole, of course.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

And for me it's a way of communicating "hey, sometimes I'm gonna not think before speaking or lose attention mid conversation or something else, this isn't me intentionally being disrespectful and I am trying not to, but sometimes I'm gonna fail so please don't take it as a slight"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's so hard to tell sometimes. Thinking of a bipolar chap I knew back when. Decent hang most of the time, but really thoughtless and possessive at other times.

I still think he was mostly a jerk. Mostly.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I had a friend that had a traumatic brain injury and almost lost his leg from an explosion in Iraq. They guy was a loose cannon, so I tried making sure he didn't do things that were to stupid. He would often run dilemmas by me, and I would talk it out so that he could make healthy choices. I could tell that he kind of looked up to me sometimes. I would hang out with him, give him regular guidance, paint a healthy path for him...but that was pointless. I was too powerless to help this guy. He just wanted to be stupid, drive drunk, run red lights, have ton's of one-night stands, get into bar fights, hustle money, do drugs, hangout with the wrong crowd, etc. I had to cut him off because he was trying to drag me down into that scene. One time in the middle of the day, I'm riding shotgun with this guy. Everything seems fine. Some guy cuts us off. He gets pissed and pulls out a pistol from the center console to show the guy that cut us off. I'm in the middle of the altercation begging for him to just move on. Luckily, the other guy backed down. The last time I hung out with him, he shows up at my house unannounced and says we're going out to have fun. My girlfriend gives me the approval. I get in the car with him, and he starts driving to I really don't know where. A light up ahead turns red, and about 3 seconds into it, we run it without stopping despite my warnings. I then realize this guy had been drinking. I can't remember how, but I either pulled an Irish goodbye or had my girlfriend pick me up. I never hung out with him again.

Years later, I heard he got married, bought a huge house in a fancy neighborhood, and had five kids. A few years after me drifting away from that entire social circle, a joint friend tells me they heard he was in a halfway house/rehab facility after beating his wife. Some people just can't function right even with supervision. It was a hard lesson. All things considered, I still feel bad for the guy. I believe he was a good guy deep inside, but needed more supervision than what I could provide as a friend. I hope he recovers for everyone's sake.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What he really needed was for his country to stop ignoring the true cost of sending troops into dangerous situations and for us to support him properly.

If we as Americans can’t take care of our soldiers once they’ve come home, then we can’t afford to be the world police. I’m thoroughly disgusted and ashamed of my government for allowing this situation to happen.

You are a good person for trying to help him, but realistically he needs constant support from professionals.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I agree with you entirely. Thank you.

Edit: While we're on the subject, I'm going to voice an opinion. I think that if a person goes into literal combat, that person is now a permanent responsibility of the federal government and is guaranteed a decent life for eternity. Why? Because that person risked literally everything on behalf of everyone else. They risked having a family, living a normal life, mental health, permanent disfigurement, physical ability, and even actual existence. Many of those that went to war never made it back. The ones that did make it back are just like the ones that died, except they were the lucky ones because war doesn't discriminate based on anything, just sheer luck. Those that survived should be guaranteed a decent life regardless of anything else. Mfing period.

What if they were jerks before joining the military? Stop recruiting jerks. What if they can work but don't want to? That's their choice. They volunteered for a position that provides an extremely young retirement age if they survive it. If that seems like an great deal, then sign up for it too. Maybe someone can support this person that clearly has a foundational value of sacrifice and service to their country to the point that they will eagerly sacrifice their life if asked to do so and help them navigate the system so that they can continue contributing how they would like in a manner that provides them fulfillment while also adds the community. What if they merely did it for the benefits of having a guaranteed decent life? Then it seems to have worked out for them. The ones that it didn't workout for are dead. The assumed reason for their sacrifice is irrelevant because the actual concrete facts are that they did it. Someone had to do it based on our geopolitical situation. If we are a democracy, then we chose to send our own countrymen to war. Thus, it is everyone's responsibility.

These aren't criminals that need rehabilitation. These aren't lazy parasites that are trying to get by off of everyone else's labor and need to be forced to work by the fear of homelessness and ostracization. These are people that voluntarily agreed to take the toll of war for everyone else because the country went to war and everyone received the benefits. Veterans experience the damage 24/7 for eternity. They will never have what civilians have. So, the rest of us can help with that load by supporting them however needed. At the end of the day, we all get to go home without a care in the world for war. They can never escape it because it's in them.

  • When they look at their missing limb: war.
  • When they get into a fight with their spouse: war.
  • When someone tells them why they were going to join the military but didn't: war.
  • When they get called a baby killer by a stranger: war.
  • When they see news about how there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq: war.
  • When they wake up at night confused and drenched in a puddle of their own sweat: war.
  • When they see Palestinian kids crying on TV: war.
  • When they uncomfortably hide while an announcer asks veterans to stand at a sporting event so that the crowd can rid their own guilt and shame via a quick "salute our heroes" applause: war.
  • When they go to the doctor and get dismissed for the Nth time: war.
  • When they get played or betrayed by a co-worker: war.
  • When someone accuses them of being lazy or selfish: war.
  • When a civilian envies their benefits and implies that it's not fair: war.
  • When they can't mow the yard because they feel too exposed: war.
  • When they feel shameful because they risked their life in war but now don't risk their life to mow the yard: war.
  • When they get a speeding ticket because being in traffic is too overwhelming since it means they are stuck in danger: war.
  • When they confusingly and intriguingly look at a civilian live so carefree: war.
  • When they feel that they will never be an adequate partner or family member because of their limitations: war.

.

War. War. War. It's all war. So what if nothing.

My exfriend that was a complete mess? He needs to be supervised and checked in on often. Give him a case worker that talks to him on a regular basis. Maybe they have lunch together once a week or whatever. The case worker has a cell phone and is on call in case my exfriend needs to speak with someone before doing anything stupid. If my exfriend starts dating someone again, the case worker meets with that person and they stay in contact as well. Ensure that they know what they are getting into and ensure safety. And like you said, if the government and citizenry doesn't want to do that, then they should stop sending people to war. If they think it's a great deal and want those benefits (compensation) for themselves, they can volunteer go to war. I say this as someone that is extremely anti-war, in part, because of what it does to the combatants and their families. Want to see it for yourself? Volunteer at an event for disabled veterans. Look at their faces. Look at their behaviors. Look at their friends & family. Feel the vibe.

How is this even a topic of discussion? How is this not evident? I don't understand how we are having these discussions. The discussions should be how can we improve their lives. WTF. I need a break. I'm too heated rn. I may have gone overboard, so I might be back to tone it down later if I think it's appropriate. Sorry.

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