Actually I do have OCD so I do understand it. I might not have totally debilitating OCD, but, with all due respect, your assertion seems to be that, unless someone is at a certain ‘approved level of OCD,’ they don’t count. And that is also like dismissing people with a lower level of bipolar or depression because they aren’t suffering the most acute forms. So long as someone is showing up to work and paying their bills, then they don’t need help and aren’t a suicide risk.

In fact, I would go so far as to say these people suffer just as much but differently. If my condition is so acute I can’t leave my house or hold down a job, it is much more likely to be taken seriously at least by mental health professionals. Yet, when I suffered panic attacks and agoraphobia, no one listened to me until it was so bad I refused to leave my home. Don’t you agree maybe if we only portray the most extreme versions we could unwittingly do more harm than good? Ideally, the goal is to tell A LOT of stories. That is the beauty of books. We can write more than one and people can read more than one.

If I did a disservice to the more afflicted OCD community then write a novel that educates us. Unless I am a clinician and until storytellers start portraying these stories I can’t know what I don’t know.

I DO get there are many variations and many levels of extremes. WHY I ask for comments is because this is a blog, not the DSM-V…or DSM-VI. This is where you add in more experience and add to what I say to educate me and others in the comments. Yes, as a writer I like to play god, but am not god.

I never claimed OCD was not a disability, first of all. Also never claimed these movies or series were 100% accurate or a substitute for true expertise. Additionally, I am very limited in word count here and cannot give every single neurodivergent condition the time it needs. I also repeatedly said I am not a mental health expert, and was merely giving examples (albeit) imperfect ones in fiction where we could represent neurodivergent people better/more often/more accurately.

But comments like these, if I may say this kindly, is why often people end up not talking about these conditions at all. It shuts down the very people who try to at least get the conversation going. In the future, I encourage you to simply add more areas we can learn so we do learn more so we can write more accurate stories.

Even flawed conversations/portrayals have more impact than one might appreciate.

The movie “The Sixth Sense” was the first in modern history to portray Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Did they get it COMPLETELY and CLINICALLY correct? No, but it did introduce a rather insidious condition into the general cultural lexicon that we, before, didn’t have. After that move, there were SWEEPING changes in the hospital communities, care protocols, what doctors, nurses and social workers might begin looking for, etc.

And on what basis do you claim these movies did more harm than good? People had no concept of autism until “Rain Man” and then they learned another form of the disorder from “Big Bang Theory.” That is the entire basis of your contention is that these mental issues do not all manifest the same way. But perfect is the enemy of the good. Even an imperfect story opens the doors for creators to go, “Hey! I didn’t feel they really portrayed that well. I can do better.”

Also, both As Good As It Gets and Monk are generally very frustrating portrayals if OCD. Neither is really a super accurate representation of what this disorder is and often, people with OCD that’s not Contamination OCD don’t get diagnosed because they aren’t germ phobic or a neat freak. I have harm, religious, and existential OCD and it was incredibly hard to get diagnosed because of harmful stereotypes like the ones you use to represent OCD. Please do not talk about a disorder you so clearly don’t understand.

Sharing overload alert … I wrote a book, lol!!! Evidently this struck a chord with me. Don’t feel you need to respond. Looking forward to your talk for GRRWG’s August workshop even more, now!

I live limnally, in a conflicting space of mess & chaos with spots of detailed organization; with a soul deep feeling that everything is transitory and subject to change, and an equally deep need to hold onto what I have; with potentials spinning round, derailing thoughts and actions before most things get finished; and with a poor (but sometimes eerily exact) working memory that requires I write things down if I need or want to remember (can’t tell what will stick, what will fly free). I’m an almost compulsive note-taker. I can also go and go, staying on task long after others want to stop. I get stuck in analysis paralysis easily. I vacillate between tone & bars, and flashing / whirling ideas on the screen of my mind.

The advent of computers & the internet (especially auto-pay) were lifesavers for my credit score. And computers, Internet, and cell / smart phones slightly improve my sporadic communication or contact with others.

I was diagnosed as “Under the ADHD umbrella” at 40 (about 12 years ago). Made a lot of life occurrences sensical! I did neurofeedback for a while to help maintain focus during conversations – over 10 years ago, & it still helps. I could write a ton about what she found in my brain wave patterns … lol!

I still tangent, but I can usually find my way back to the point now. I’m beginning to think I could use a tune up, mostly from stress, & hormone changes. I had extremely high Alpha waves, lower beta – literally living in a meditative state. I think I turned to reading to minimize the choices I had to make (out of all the possibilities I see, EVERYWHERE), and that trained my brain into alpha. ? Or maybe it was the constant sit down & shut up (though in kinder words, usually). And reading gave me wonderful worlds & possibilities to live, and limited how much I had to interact with others, and how much I had to plan ahead. Traveling with my family, overseas & in the States, was wonderful, I loved seeing new places and meeting new people.

I was the strange child, odd one out to my classmates. I tend to observe and be quieter in larger groups, but can talk your ear off in smaller or 1:1. Multiple people talking at once drive me crazy, and I don’t like trying to insert my thoughts and opinions into group-talk.

I consider myself an ambivert at this point in my life, have learned to be comfortable on stage (performing Celtic music, fiddle / singing), presenting, or teaching, but am
totally fine not being the center, & often divert that to others.

Started Adderall a couple of years ago, it helps, a lot, but is not a “fix.” It quiets the background noise in my brain, helps ease spinning thoughts and helps me plan without getting lost in … blankness. ???? Maintaining good blood sugar & proper amounts of sleep also help.

But I still have areas where I need to write my own manual, and figure out what works for me, rather than try to fit myself into neurotypical expectations (thanks to an article from Additude.com for that idea).

Ok – perhaps an overshare, but hope it fits in with your topic here, & helps someone with characterization!
Happy Summer Solstice!

No, narcissism is a personality disorder not a neurological issue. But a great debate. I think some neurodivergent people can be narcissistic but it is because they CAN’T empathize with others and they are so wrapped up in their own sensory issues it impacts empathy.

You did clue me into another thing. I never thought of myself as ADHD, I’ve always said that multi-tasking is a mommy skill. I write while the TV is on (Discovery channels–I haven’t watched any regular channels in decades). While writing, I can be talking on the phone or to my husband and planning something for later. My husband wants to sit and watch a show (we just finished Star Trek Discovery last night) and I’m either taking notes on my book project, looking for keywords for the book I’m about to upload, or coloring on my tablet to relax. It makes him nuts that I can’t just sit and watch something.

Question: would you consider a Narcissist neurodivergent?

And the psychiatric community no longer uses Asperger’s (that was what I was once labeled as). It is all autism, just where you are on the spectrum and what constellation of symptoms you exhibit.

I usually mention television shows because most people have seen them and it is easier than recommending a novel that takes 12-25 hours to read. But yes, Rizzoli & Isles began as a book series and I would say Dr. Laura Isles is on the autistic spectrum, same with Bones and Dr. Temperance Brennan. Spock could be considered high on the autistic scale. Merry & Pippin in LOTR would be classic ADHD. Sherlock could be seen as neurodivergent. Brilliant but has zero concept of social cues. If you know what neurodiverdent looks like, you will see we are represented quite a lot in books and film.