No Such Thing as Normal

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No Such Thing as Normal, funded by NZ on Air, is a 10-part series that aims to help listeners better understand those living with neurodivergence. It is believed that at least 20 per cent of New Zealanders live with neurodivergence, but there is little awareness or support for people with conditions such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia. 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!!!! With the chance to share your thoughts and experiences, or put your own questions to Bryony, in this interactive – yet entirely anonymous – group discussion, this event will teach us how we can all feel stronger, better, and just a little bit less alone.

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. 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. Well written, non-preachy book about mental health. Honest and completely relatable to my anxiety-riddled brain. Full of humour, facts and organisations/charities that can help whatever your situation.

Topics covered include how to navigate the system, the importance and limitations of getting a diagnosis, adult diagnoses and neurodiversity in education. 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. Mental illness has led to some of the worst times of my life... but it has also led to some of the most brilliant. Bad things happen, but good things can come from them. And strange as it might sound, my mental health has been vastly improved by being mentally ill.'

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. 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. People involved in the diagnosis and discussion of these conditions often use the term “neurodiverse” to describe the differences, and “neurotypical” to describe everyone else. But these terms have a long history and their meaning is constantly evolving. Instead, it felt like a sub-standad 'how to deal with poor mental health' tool kit book but with nothing we haven't heard before. Meditate. Sleep well. Question negative thoughts. You know the jazz. 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.

Mental illness has led to some of the worst times of my life… but it has also led to some of the most brilliant. Bad things happen, but good things can come from them. And strange as it might sound, my mental health has been vastly improved by being mentally ill.’ Mad Girl was full of engaging and sometimes witty extracts about dealing with poor mental health, and made for a relatable read as someone who somerimes suffer with poor mental health. 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.”

NZME’s head of digital audio, James Butcher, says NZME is committed to creating content that resonates and connects with its diverse audiences. 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. It was a time of incredible sharing and exploration,” she says. “I was just so overwhelmed with all these senses that people had that we didn't even know about – people who couldn’t recognise faces, people with extraordinary synaesthesia. There are so many things in the mind that we never imagined.The term has since been employed for many purposes – as a word for empowerment, a means for celebrating qualities some neurological conditions can bring, and as a term of identity. But Singer had never intended for it to be used to describe a particular condition. Instead, she meant to for it to be used in a more general sense, to describe the variety of all brains. In his opinion, “the vast majority of neuroscientists will probably have never heard of these terms”. Megan’s proudest personal accomplishments are as a wife and mother. Megan, along with her husband Jake, are raising their two sons in Nashville, TN. Jake is a professional musician and when either of them travel, the entire family goes along. Their sons, Bronx and Shai, are always in tow and part of everything they do. In Aotearoa, we pride ourselves on our inclusive education system. But is that really the experience for kids who are Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic or Gifted? Over two episodes we ask: Is our education system really meeting the needs of neurodivergent children, their families and the teachers that support them? These may seem like academic disputes. Ultimately, many people with conditions like autism find that the term neurodiversity (and its contrast, neurotypical) is a useful and positive way of self-defining their identity and their community. There’s certainly a need to reduce the stigma.

It maybe isn't as ground breaking as her other books but Gordon writes with insight about coping with intrusive thoughts, addiction and how to seek help. She has certainly done her research as she asks top mental health providers how to access the help people need as well as the best way to breathe to calm down. She combines this with her own personal battles and mantras she has used. She always manages to add her unique humour to such a taboo subject. I love how she calls her illness Jareth and liked the way she compares us to boilers and how we all need to keep the auto pilot light on which is our self-esteem.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 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?” 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. 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 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.