autismserenity

• Content Warning: the links provided in the body of this post lead to medical studies. As is the case with such studies, they contain medical and pathologizing language. If you do not feel comfortable processing that type of language, do not click the links.
  

Given the strong level of response from a few prominent neurodivergences (Autism, Cluster-B especially Borderline, PTSD, etc) I am considering that for future surveys.

However, it’s worth noting that research already exists that correlates having a neurodivergence with being queer. This is especially true for mental illnesses, moreso than mental disabilities, but other are more common in queer communities than outside of them.

The causes, of course, are varied, but most often seem to be a combination of being queer putting you in a higher stress situation which increases the likelihood of mental illness, and of being “different” in one facet of society meaning there are less cultural/psychological barriers to understanding other parts of your identity as being “different” too (hence the higher percent of queer people in developmentally disabled spaces). 

It’s worth noting, also, that queerness is often considered a diagnostically relevant symptom (which is not appropriate in my opinion, but the correlation is that strong.). For example, being trans/genderqueer/gender nonconforming/etc is so prominent in autistic populations that having “atypical gender experiences” is sometimes used as a diagnostic criterion for autism- especially among presumed girls. This is less common today than it used to be, but is still in practice in some places.

Similarly, bisexuality and polyamory are both sometimes used as criteria for a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder- this was more common historically than it is now, but it does still happen today- because borderline people tend to be queer more often.

If you are interested in researching this further, I highly encourage you to do so! The history of close ties and overlap between the queer and the neurodivergent communities is fascinating and deep, both in the past and today.

But, I also advise being very cautious. Both queer people and neurodivergent people are classes that are not treated kindly by the medical establishment, especially not historically. You will find some truly horrifying things in researching that subject- and not all of these things are historical. There are many groups seeking to exploit queer autistic people in particular, these days.

Also, since my brief search didn’t reveal to me any information about the prevalence of queer identity in ADHD populations, and vice versa, I suppose there really is still a prominent gap that future surveys could help close.