It Isn't Always Just A "Different Way Of Being"... Neurodiversity Terminology Talk

I am different, that's obvious, however I do not agree with the erasure of the term "condition". My Tourette's is certainly a condition, that sometimes requires medical management to keep me safe. I don't think it is natural to involuntarily injure yourself and I don't think that can be celebrated either. Of course though, there are aspects of TS and other neurodivergent conditions that can be celebrated, but we can't ignore the harmful symptoms either.
I use the term symptom rather than trait as these tics and associated symptoms have required medical management to give me a better quality of life. In this video I talk about why I don't feel comfortable with the erasure of certain terms and why I do not think that diluting the potential seriousness of them is helpful.
Of course, people shouldn't try to cure us unless we wanted to be cured, but we should still be able to access medical interventions to address problematic symptoms if needed. We shouldn't be shamed for that.
I also talk about why I think it is harmful for people to make out that anxiety and depression are neurotypes, rather than the sign of potential medical issues that can be reversed to help someone recover.

[@asexual_amanita]

I agree with this completely. I feel like calling some of these things a mere “difference” is really invalidating to people who are disabled and injured by their condition

[@ecxpac]

Who are these people advocating for (yet again...) a widespread change in terminology? I'm genuinely curious. They need to be called out, whoever they are. Dismissing "conditions", "symptoms" and "issues" as just "differences" or "traits" will become a very troublesome line of thought if it goes mainstream, unless it is already.

[@ChronicAdvocate]

There's just a few advocates I've seen who do it mostly on Instagram