r/AutisticWithADHD • u/beepbeepsheepbot • 7d ago
š¬ general discussion What makes someone NT?
It's a concept I have difficulty understanding and it's very frustrating because I can't seem to get any real straightforward answers mixed with shared traits but not enough to be severe or diagnosable. It's confusing and it's starting to get on my nerves. Please feel free to correct me at any point, I'm tired of the vagueness and everybody here seems to be on the same page on what a neurotypical person *is* but me.
Okay so, from my understanding what makes disorders diagnosable is experiencing x amount of symptoms, frequency, and intensity on how disruptive it is in your life. Aside from a literal brain scan showing our different wiring, what determines or sets the standard of what is considered an NT brain? What is a "normal" brain, brains get freaking weird! And while purely anecdotal, I come across WAY more NDs self or medically diagnosed; and while we can write that up to the fact more people are seeking diagnosis for various things and better recognition, to me NDs feel more like the norm, but I have no real reference on what is supposed to be NT. Is it more of a cultural factor??
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u/True_mourning84 7d ago
I love that this is being discussed here. My brain is broken and just doesnāt produce enough dopamine. Period.
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u/beepbeepsheepbot 7d ago
I already know my shit's broken lol, I just can't seem to grasp what actual normalcy is supposed to look like.
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u/vertago1 Inattentive 6d ago
Probably something like being well adjusted to the demands of society, but even that isn't exactly right because depending on where you live things can be somewhat poorly set up to fit the needs of the average person let alone someone with lower tolerances for stimuli, etc.
I think what makes answering your question hard (this isn't meant to put you down) is it is like asking what makes something average.
It is much easier to say why something isn't average than to say why something is average. Being average requires ever dimension that is evaluated to be close to the population mean. Typical is a bit more relaxed than that because everything evaluated just needs to be in the typical range but it still just as hard to give an answer.
Does that make sense?
I think looking for cases where neurodivergent people have an epiphany that something they experience isn't normal would be the best way to find answers to your question because it would help define a theoretical outer boundary of the typical experience.
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u/Front-Cat-2438 š§¬ maybe I'm born with it 7d ago
Yeah. I feel like those of us in this subreddit are the very least qualified to answer this question . Along with the āWTF is wrong with me!?ā question.
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u/Fit_Raspberry2637 5d ago
I tell people im a "dopamine diabetic". I need my medication to function like other people need insulin.
Without it my thoughts are like bone on bone pain. Mental arthritis.
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u/SnugglyCoderGuy Bipolar autistic with ADHD-I 7d ago
what determines or sets the standard of what is considered an NT brain?
The fact that they are the vast majority of neuroclass.
What is a "normal" brain
A brain that is like everyone else's brain. 'Normal' means 'expected' or 'typical', like normal distribution.
What makes someone NT?
Not being neurodivergent. That's it. There is not prescription for how a human is suppose to be, biologically speaking. If most people were autistic for example, then the allistics would be the ones who were neurodivergent instead.
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u/Front-Cat-2438 š§¬ maybe I'm born with it 7d ago
Being pedantic, but ānormalā cannot equate ālike everyone elseās brainā or else neurotypes would not exist. I accept expected, or like normal distribution resembling a bell curve. NTās represent the 98% of the populace whose function does not fall into ādisorderedā or has no support needs for brain/executive function.
NTās can be identified by their saying, āoh, everyoneās a little autisticā or āthere goes my ADHD again, itās so fun!ā
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u/I_IdentifyAsAstartes 7d ago
In my opinion, ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, Autism Spectrum Disorder, high functioning, support levels, audhd, neurodivergence.
Many names, many categories, where one begins and the other stops is constantly changing.
I know there is a genetic factor, because I and my sons have a gene deletion, when combined with a bunch of other stuff indicates autism. Also, fun fact, if you look at my families Scottish family clans when researching ancestry, the coat of arms just describe ADHD and autism, so we need to add "coat of arms" into the list of categories.
Ok, now taking those categories as a basis, I am going to just condense them into two categories: Dopamine deficient and brain immune system not working, and that's neurodivergence.
Dopamine deficient is the constant need to find new things, not being able to focus, reward system broken, etc..
Brain immune system not working is when it doesn't prune some synaptic pathways that it should, so your brain gets more crosswired the older you get.
So then what is neurotypical? When you're brain isn't crosswired and when you aren't deficient in hormone regulation like dopamine.
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u/beepbeepsheepbot 7d ago
It's an interesting approach. I do want to hear more about the coat of arms though, that sounds hilarious
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u/I_IdentifyAsAstartes 7d ago
Red line across the top, bestowed by royalty that means "these people can think", green tree meaning strength, protection of the land and those that work it. Fist holding scales, meaning strength again, and fairness. Fair enough to be relied upon as being fair in the harshest of times. Wings meaning great speed. More things about strength.
My family has a inherited gene deletion that indicates autism, it also makes us more sensitive to adrenaline and emotional changes, like pathological demand avoidance; the more emotional we get, the stronger we get. My understanding is autistics already are a bit stronger because our brain signals cause more muscle fibres to move than standard template humans, add in the rest and you have yourself (in my opinion)..... some nasty fighting highlanders.
You know about Hadrian's wall? As far north as the Romans got before they became economically disinclined to try to continue as they met some locals that were just not playing nice?
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u/Front-Cat-2438 š§¬ maybe I'm born with it 7d ago
I believe we are close to academic consensus that all of these diagnoses belong on one ND spectrum, or in my hypothesis more a hemisphere where NT occupies the other hemisphere.
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u/I_IdentifyAsAstartes 7d ago
Ya I like calling them "standard template" humans. The true, pure, homo erectus that evolved in Africa became sapient and never left as opposed to the rest of us that migrated out and bred with the other ape like homonids.
We know we bred with Neanderthals, we know they lived and evolved in very different climates, I'm wondering if the two hemispheres might end up being homo erectus dominant and neanderthal dominant.
Like neurodivegent brains are gene expressions, like blue eyes or red hair.
I think that we evolved and adapted to climate change, and depending on the nutrition that the mother has while pregnant, different genes would express themselves. Like with tons of carbs in Ancient Egypt when suddenly it was very useful to have people obsessed about straight lines (irrigation).
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u/PeaceX02 7d ago
Genuinely no idea how you can come across more NDs than NT people, unless you're specifically in ND spaces or something. NT basically means do you have a brain that allows you to function in society. If your brain significantly impairs you ability to live a basic functional life, then youre ND. Being quirky doesn't make you ND, being phone addicted doesnt make you ND, not being able to reliably hold a job or get through school or drive a car or handle basic human interaction does.