Understanding mental health and neurodiversity 1.
‘Mental health is a dynamic state of internal equilibrium. Basic cognitive and social skills; ability to recognise, express and modulate one's own emotions, as well as empathise with others; flexibility and ability to cope with adverse life events and function in social roles; and harmonious relationship between body and mind represent important components of mental health which contribute, to varying degrees, to the state of internal equilibrium.’ 1
Neurodiversity is a combination of two words: neurological, which refers to the functions of the brain, and diversity, which refers to variation. Neurodiversity refers to variations in the human brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions in a non-pathological sense. The term includes those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, schizophrenia, depression, dyslexia and other disorders that affect the mind and brain. The concept of neurodiversity suggests a shift away from the traditional way of seeing mental health issues as sickness. Proponents of neurodiversity argue that there are positive aspects to having brains that function differently from the norm. They prefer that we see these differences simply as differences rather than disorders. Why, they ask, should the way of thinking that makes them different be classified as a problem? Others, however, focus on the difficulties and suffering brought on by these conditions. They warn of the dangers of normalising mental
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4471980/
