05/07/2026
Neurodivergence is a big topic right now, and you may hear things like:
🗣️ “Everyone thinks they’re autistic.”
🗣️ “Everything isn’t ADHD.”
🗣️ “Nothing was wrong with people until social media.”
But I think there are some deeper questions worth asking.
The first:
Why does someone else seeking answers, language, or understanding for their experiences create discomfort in you or others?
The second:
Why do we automatically associate these diagnoses with something being “wrong” with a person?
A diagnosis does not mean that something is “wrong”. It often means the person processes, experiences, regulates, communicates, learns, or moves through the world differently. It can also mean that the individual may have different support needs because of that.
And yes, social media has increased conversations around Autism, ADHD, OCD, trauma, and neurodivergence. That part is true.
But increased awareness does not invalidate people’s experiences.
For the first time in history, many people have:
✨ access to information
✨ access to community
✨ access to shared experiences
✨ language for struggles they never understood before
Many adults grew up in generations where neurodevelopmental conditions were underdiagnosed, misunderstood, missed entirely, or only recognized in very narrow presentations.
For example:
Current estimates suggest roughly 1 in 36 children are identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the U.S. That means many adults around us may also be autistic and never diagnosed (especially women, Black individuals, high-masking individuals, and people with co-occurring mental health diagnoses).
Sometimes what looks like “everyone suddenly has it” is actually:
➡️ awareness catching up
➡️ stigma decreasing
➡️ people finally recognizing themselves
We can hold nuance:
Not every trend online is accurate.
AND
Many people are finally being seen for the first time.
Different does not automatically mean defective. 🌿
💚 Sweetgrass Counseling & Consultation, LLC
www.sweetgrasscac.com
