No Such Thing as Normal

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She emphasises that we still need to understand the causes and consequences of these differences. “I would move away from the judgment of it being normal or abnormal, and think about if there’s an impediment that might be treatable,” she says. One of the greatest things about all of Bryony’s writing is she is just so damn honest, making her books so relatable to the average reader. She tells her story without any filter, airs or graces. Her support and advice throughout this book makes this so much more than just a “self help” book, it becomes a companion. A comforter. Join Bryony for this exclusive event, as she offers a practical guide to mental health, building on her most recent publication, No Such Thing As Normal.

As Armstrong argues, we should try to question our assumptions about different behaviours and the value judgements we place on them. He points out that when he is delivering lectures, some people with autism will walk around the room. Clearly, that is not the way that most of the stationary audience are behaving. “But why is it ‘abnormal’ to want to move and learn at the same time?”

PRODUCTS FOR CHANGE

I’ve always been quite a happy fatalist - the apocalypse is coming and it will possibly be my random clumsy fault, but hopefully if I nod and smile, use positive language, keep going with pace and use multiple exclamation marks at the end of each sentence, everything will be fine won’t it!!!! I loved Bryony Gordon's other book, Mad Girl, and rated it 4/5 ⭐ so it's safe to say I had high expectations for her latest book. But sadly, this one fell flat... Journalist, author, podcaster, and activist Bryony Gordon has long been open about her mental health. Over the years, she has suffered from OCD, depression, bulimia, and alcoholism – most of which she did completely alone, just like everyone else who suffers from mental illness. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Other experts are more positive about the terms. “I think that the term neurotypical is a good one and is an improvement over the term normal,” says Thomas Armstrong, author and executive director of the American Institute of Learning. “It doesn't necessarily define what is ideal, as an abstract concept, but it says this is what's typical.” That makes it preferable to something like “normal”, in his eyes. As Harmer suggests: “I think there's lots of differences between people when it comes to brains and the psychological systems and behaviour that the brain is in charge of. It is like saying what makes a normal face.” The chapter on helping others makes some good points about small acts of service, writing to your MP, or volunteering if you can. Gordon also suggests that you can participate in mental health activism simply by 'sharing your own story' on social media. I'm much more dubious about this peculiar neoliberal idea that individual stories create systemic change - really? It also presupposes that everyone's experience of mental illness has a coherent narrative structure, which I highly doubt. Most importantly, why should it be anyone else's business? Perhaps it's the shyness and introversion, but I'm not comfortable sharing a lot of personal details of my mental health with total strangers. While for some this may be a positive experience, social media is often a toxic, adversarial, corporate hellhole. I'd be inclined to caution on this front. This book won’t be for everybody - I don’t think I would have even liked it at all 18 months ago. But, for people who struggle with depression or anxiety, well, I think you will like it. Mixed feelings about this. Initially I liked it: the almost conversational tone, the references to the early days of the pandemic, but the more I got through it, the actual style of writing became annoying (quotations that desperately wanted to sound profound, bullet point lists so long they lost their impact).Gray believes the stigma around these conditions is the biggest hurdle those living with neurodivergence face. “We tend to focus on the deficits of neurodivergent people; we look at what they can’t do, not at what they can. Their many talents and strengths are often overlooked, and this has a huge impact on their self-worth”. Live on stage, Bryony will be offering sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behaviour, mindfulness and, of course – as the founder of Mental Health Mates – the power of walking and talking. Gray believes that focusing on and celebrating the strengths of neurodivergent people - rather than the challenges - is one of the missing pieces of the puzzle. " The diagnostic criteria for these conditions is based on a deficit model. It looks at what people can’t do – not at what they can. My daughter Inez has the most incredible brain, she sees things in a way most people don’t. But none of her many diagnoses reflects that”. In this final episode of the series, Sonia talks to 17-year-old Poppy, who gives a brave insight into her OCD. And we hear from some of the many people and groups who are driving change in the neurodiversity space.

NZME’s head of digital audio, James Butcher, says NZME is committed to creating content that resonates and connects with its diverse audiences. Organisations such as the UK’s National Autistic Society also have guides for employers on making their company more accommodating to people with the condition. This is not just of benefit to individuals – people with autism often have many strengths that would be an asset for companies, if only those strengths were better recognised and allowed to flourish. Even so, Armstrong agrees that reality is far more subtle than these terms would suggest. “We typically see kids do X, Y, and Z. So, in terms of defining these kids, we can say neurotypical, but to tell you the truth, ultimately, I see that the more we learn about a child, the more they appear in their true diversity as a unique individual. And if we see each child, each teen, each adult as a unique individual, then all bets are off as far as creating a dividing line between those who are neuro-diverse and those who are neurotypical.” I really identified with this book. I haven’t ever suffered from depression before the past year - my doctor calls it circumstantial depression. The authors struggles are different than mine - she struggles from anxiety and excessive worrying. I don’t. And yet, she resonated with me.Reading self-help books has always been hit and miss for me, because I’ve never really felt I could relate to the author describing their severe alcoholism or the doomed children that learn from all they do. This book was different, in that sense. OCD is largely thought of as an aversion to germs and excessive hand washing, but it’s far more complicated than that. Obsessive thoughts can be around almost anything, and the compulsive behaviour that accompanies it can be debilitating for the individual and their whānau. Sonia talks to students, parents and specialist teachers about their experiences in the education system, and what they think works best for children who learn differently. Catherine Harmer, a cognitive neuroscientists at the University of Oxford, agrees that all brains are different. “We're all unique... kind of like a fingerprint,” she says.

The world as we knew it was finally ending, and the most bizarre thing had happened: I knew it was going to be OK. Or, more accurately, I knew it was going to be messy, uncertain, stressful, fraught, frightening, lonely, and overwhelmingly sad - but that it would still be OK. but she also gets that insomnia is far more than ‘drinking a cup of cocoa’ (as I have, literally, had friends suggest - although she worded it more along the lines of being awake in the middle of the night, reading articles about insomnia on Google - and how they explicitly instruct NOT to read such articles while suffering insomnia. She questions if the people who wrote these articles ever really struggled with insomnia - which, I think, anybody who has ever really struggled with depression/insomnia has DEFINITELY questioned about ‘professionals’ AND friends, who give well-meaning advice). She understands that ‘meditation/mindfulness’ - though a common suggestion from well-intentioned friends, is useless when you are really struggling. She talks about meditation/mindfulness being great for maintaining well-being... but, really, if you are struggling to live another day, it’s more harm than good. She just gets it. Far more than I do.The method involves a wireless EEG system that measures the electrical activity in the brain. EEG is a harmless and objective method which can provide crucial information on how these amazing brains process reading material. This will enable the development of a strengths-based reading support strategy specific for autistic learners. The series is inspired by Gray’s own experiences as the parent of a neurodivergent child and as an ADHDer herself - a diagnosis she got only after going through the process with her daughter. She will talk with dozens of experts and people with lived experience to better understand, support and celebrate those whose brains are wired differently.