Hi!
My name is Karolina, and I created this blog for people who, for different reasons, are excluded or discriminated against because they don’t fit into society. Mainly neurodivergent people, although that’s not the limit. In the most general sense, I’d extend it to people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, or people discriminated against by gender, race, or ethnicity.
I am neurodivergent myself. A highly sensitive person (HSP), to be specific. The lack of understanding and acceptance for people whose brains simply work differently led to my developing a long-term, treatment-resistant clinical depression, various eating disorders (bulimia included), self-harm, and PTSD.
At the age of nearly 22, I attempted suicide – you can hear my story at Suicide Noted, where I was a guest of Sean Wellington. Please bear in mind the trigger warnings (as much as I can say the general sentiment of this podcast episode is positive, I realise that the content might be triggering; not only my guest appearance was meant to be helpful, but I would never want it to do any harm to anyone, hence the warning).
As a matter of fact, the majority of my life was a struggle for independence and maintaining agency, besides an ongoing battle for my mental and, consequently, physical health.
For two years now, I’ve been on the road to recovery. In fact, for the first time in my life. The essential element of that has been understanding who I am and why I am this way.
Consequently, this blog is partly the collection of my findings on this journey. It’s not only about self-care and health in general, but it also raises practical concerns about how neurodivergent people can reclaim their agency and be an asset to society.
And by agency, I mean education and work, specifically. For different reasons, people are excluded from both, which are instrumental in maintaining or reclaiming one’s agency.
Telling my own story openly doesn’t come effortlessly. Even though one of my traits has always been blatant openness about whatever struggles I was going through. Very often, to the point that would make people feel uncomfortable. Incidentally, that’s one of the many things I learned that are just part of me, and I grew to accept them.
But for so many of us, some turning points in our lives show us this particular path is the right one, even if it feels scary.
For me, it happened during a job interview. I was applying to participate in a project. I was always open about my mental health struggles. Lately, I have also mentioned that I am an HSP because, for many jobs, this information may be valuable in a strictly professional sense.
I remember the person I was talking to told me that they felt sorry it happened to me. Namely, being neurodivergent. And as much as I could appreciate there was just genuine kindness that dictated it, I could see how wrong that was.
I thought to myself, ‘That’s what needs to be changed. People should stop feeling sorry for neurodivergent people as if the neurodivergence was a tragedy that happened to us’.
I’m not saying being neurodivergent is a blessing; it comes with a myriad of challenges. And as every neurodivergent person is different (regardless of the type of specific neurodivergence), for some people it will be much harder than for others. I am saying that we shouldn’t approach it as a blessing or a mayhem for life.
With this blog, I’m trying to create an embryo of a safe space for people who are excluded from what our society considers ‘normal’ (for various reasons) so they can feel secure enough to create their own path and grab their independence.
If you wish to ask me any questions, feel free to contact me. I’ll be delighted to be of help.