I've decided that I would like for my first few Odyssey articles to be about some of the various labels I identify with. One of these labels is neurodivergent, otherwise categorized as being a person with some type of mental illness. At least, that's how I personally view it.

Now, not too long ago I spoke with my therapist about how I believe the mental illnesses I am diagnosed with are a very large part of who I am. She challenged this belief very respectfully, making me think further on the topic. Some of the questions she asked were why I called my diagnoses mental illnesses instead of mental health issues. While the word choice is similar, the connotations are extremely different.

In my eyes, and in the eyes of my therapist, mental illness has a much more negative connotation, especially in modern society. The negative connotation is, in all honesty, a bit ridiculous considering how common anxiety disorders are among students, but that's beside the point.

Mental health generally, of course, is a more positive term. Health versus illness. It's obvious which sounds better, isn't it?

Other terminology I've come across is neurodivergent versus neurotypical. Neurodivergent describes a person who has any type of learning disability or other developmental disorder. (I'm not as educated on the term as I'd like to be, so if anyone knows more than I do I would love to learn!) Neurotypical describes someone who has none of these issues. Someone with a "normal" brain. That raises the question, what do we consider a normal brain?

As far as my friend group, it's normal to have crippling depression and anxiety. The neurodivergent and neurotypical terminology is subject to different view points. It's very difficult to draw these serious lines. "This is what you are, this is what I am. There is no possible space for overlap ever."

It's a bit archaic, isn't it? To believe that a person can only be one or the other. (Check out my last article for more information about other-ing!) Something that my therapist brought up is how no matter what someone is diagnosed with, all of us are still people at our core. Unless you're an alien, in which case, sorry for not being inclusive?

Now, don't get me wrong, I won't tell people how to identify themselves. That's the opposite of what my objective is here. What I'd rather do is create something that makes people question the way they view the terminology they use to discuss mental health. Open communication and respectful discussion is always good.