BEHIND THE BRAND

I came up with the term "psychodivergent" because I wanted a way for us to talk about ourselves that removed some of the stigma that surrounds mental health diagnoses, particularly personality disorders, and especially those that fall under Cluster B. 

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I got my Cluster B diagnoses not long before I turned 40. Becoming self-aware was painful. Coming to terms with the way I had been toxic to myself and others, understanding the way my adverse childhood had caused my disorders, revisiting all those ugly memories, taking a deep dive into all the information I could find, throwing myself into new therapy-It was a LOT. I desperately searched for belonging, representation, validation for people like us. I couldn't find it. Where were the groups and channels BY US and for us? There were lots of professionals speaking for us, and about us, but I didn't feel represented. Where were the journals, and the shirts and the mugs with affirmations that would make us feel okay about having disorders that we didn't choose to have? They didn't exist.

 

So I decided to create that for us.

 

Our mental illnesses are something we were born with, or that we developed as a result of significant abuse, or a combination of both. Many of us have sustained brain damage as a result of our abuse, and our brain chemistry has been altered. We are Psychodivergent. Growth, and healing, and mastery over our disorders are not possible under the stress of shame.  We need grace, encouragement, and validation. We are more than our diagnosis, we are more than the behaviors that we struggle with because of our disorders, we are human, we have hope. Welcome to a place where you belong.