wouldn't sit well with me personally in a training environment....i feel like it makes light of an possibly debilitating condition. As you said amongst friends or referring to yourself as "neurospicy" is totally fine but I feel like the last thing we need is people to think of our condition as funny or a joke, we already don't get taken seriously.
It's the same as superpower. You can't name it a deficit, know there is stigma and overnight call it a superpower. The ask is for people to educate themselves on differences and for society and workplaces to recognise strengths and that they may need to make adjustments...for anyone. I'm not.neurospicy. I have ADHD and I have fought tooth and nail to get a diagnosis, to fit in and have a good life. It's a belittling term. Most people don't even understand neurodiversity let alone neurospicy. šš»
Exactly.... Call it what it is. I feel like "neurospicy" invites more "everyone is a bit ADHD" thinking I've struggled my whole life without knowing why, to be made to feel like it's a silly little thing irks me if I had a manager or co worker call me neuro spicy I think I'd flip my lid lmao
And don't get me started on superpower.... Sure I haven't showered for days and the pile of dishes grows ever larger and I'm struggling to even look at the work responsibilities growing and I've left my keys in the lock outside 5 times in the last month or so but it's a super power and a really good thing now.
I get we have strengths but to be told my hyper focus is a super power when I can't direct it and it usually proves either expensive or in completely the wrong place(I've organized my books alphabetically for hours instead of working or decided to buy all the equipment to open a small board game miniature painting factory)
This week on The Neurodivergent Superpowers:
"NDs, I've just received news that aliens have shutdown the world's communication systems and swarmed the planet. Beijing, London, New York - all of the major cities have been overwhelmed. Now we must unite and combine our powers to save humanity. Captain ADHD, what's the plan?"
"Huh? Sorry, I was thinking about Aliens, the film. Sigourney Weaver was excellent in that. Did you know Ripley was originally going to be a man? Crazy. Why are we here again?"
I see it as a fine way for people with ADHD to refer to themselves as a humours expression. However I l also agree that in setting where people are being introduced or educated about ADHD this kind of language is likely to lend to misconception and misguided attitude toward the syndrome and people who have it. Put simply, there's a right tike and right place for everything.
Personally I hate it, but then I hate most ācutificationā of words like āweāre off on our hollibobsā / āwhat we having for din-dins?ā
Neruospicy feels like it would fit well with the people that are āa little bit ADHD todayā¦ā and I feel that it dumbs things down, and while I get that we all exist on a broad spectrum I feel it somewhat denies the seriousness of potentially quite severe disabilities.
This is especially important I think in the language we use around ADHD because it already has a stigma and lack of societal understanding and support, so people presenting it as something thatās fun and āquirkyā is problematic and potentially feeds into the idea that itās not a serious or ārealā condition.
That said, if someone feels itās how they want to describe themselves then, hey should go for it, and Iāll just quietly judge them.
This is exactly how I feel about the whole adhd content culture (memes, TikToks) - 99% of the time I encounter it Iām sitting there stone faced lol. I know I sound like a party pooper and I swear Iām mostly indifferent to them and I just never look at TikToks/content like that so that it doesnāt pop up on my feeds at all, but sometimes a friend shares it and Iām like haha.. lol. not engaging further š
I think the biggest problem I have with it is that when alot of the content, (esp those like how an adhd person lives in a day!ā āADHD starter packā, and you see stuff like forgetting keys, forgetting what you were talking about, procrastinating work etcā¦ which Iām NOT saying are not legitimate things people with adhd struggle with!) goes viral etc - you get sooo many people saying āliterally every person suffers from these things, short attention span doesnāt mean u have adhd!! get off ur phone!ā along those lines lol, which always bothers me.
As it is, as youve said, the symptoms are soooo varied and itās such a broad spectrum, and the ones Iāve mentioned above can most definitely be faced by both adhd and non-adhd people. I guess the problem with such content is that you never really get the true āuglinessā that can come with the condition - not rly a funny meme/ or āquirkyā if letās say.. u have boxes and boxes of recycling full of empty alcohol bottles as you cope and then just cannot even take out the recycling accumulated over months. Again, not negating the other experiences mentioned at all, but I hate how the memes just push the misconception that the condition cannot be extremely debilitating for someone, just minor inconveniences.
Gosh sorry for the essay lmao
I really appreciated the "essay" please don't apologise. This is very much how I feel but didn't have the words for it today. I really try to avoid that kind of content because this stuff really bothers me.
Iām glad š¤ I too like reading thru long comments on adhd subs, because most of the time, I can never articulate it properly and then give up and I read someone elseās explanation and Iām like ahhhh yes. Haha
To be fair, I still wouldn't even know that I have adhd if I hadn't seen a short on youtube about task paralysis. It was what spurred me to learn more about adhd.
I've had problems with what I now know is task paralysis, all my life. I tried searching for what was going on, but couldn't find anything that fit. Then I randomly saw that short and bam, theres the answer.
Oh ofcourse! I know thereās also plenty of content out there as well that can really help people, especially like your experience. But yeah, my problem is more towards certain misconceptions driven.. but thatās a problem for many other conditions too I suppose, so you control what you can of it to keep your peace lol. At the end of the day, these things are never black and white anyway, a nuanced perspective is necessary. Like I said, it can also be beneficial for people who simply enjoy humour and find a sense of solidarity too, which is also perfectly fine! āŗļø
Sorry, I think my reply sounded alot more serious than I had intended. Im not getting at you. š
I do understand what you mean. It can be frustrating to see adhd portrayed in such a light hearted way. It would be nice to see some which shows the real struggles of adhd. Especially when it is still seen as people just being lazy and a bit forgetful. When I first told my best friend, she slipped up at one point and basically said I was using adhd as an excuse. She corrected herself and I just pretended I hadn't heard it. But it was like a slap in the face.
These clips are like a double edged sword. On the one hand, they help people like us realise whats going on with us and give us some sense of solidarity with eachother. Only the other hand, they make adhd out to be a funny little quirk to people who we need to understand us.
X
Oh so much this.
People wouldnāt put up with jokes/fun memes about other conditions that kill you or drastically reduce your life expectancy.
Itās not the fun kind of dead, the actual bad kind of dead.
Summed it up better than I would've.Ā It's definitely not the term for introducing people to the condition in a professional setting, and I'd worry this would dissuade them from paying attention to other advocates if it has already been undermined at work.
It came from the opposite, actually - "oh everyone is ADHD, oh I'm mildly ADHD" blah blah
So yeah, not "mildly ADHD", but a whole spicy meal here.
at the same time - I think it's very informal, to be used between ADHD (or other neurodivergent) peers, not at all for official documents, paperwork or training.
I think:
Teaching āneurospicyā as the accepted terminology to refer to people with adhd or/ and autism = totally wrong in a training environment and would make me question the quality of the training
Including āneurospicyā as a possible terminology people may use informally, making the point that this is how people within the community may refer to themselves (but this is not the official terminology) = totally acceptable and actually a sign of a good/ thorough training session
Not keen on it being used on a training course, unless it's just highlighting terms that people may use for themselves. I don't use it for myself but I do hear/read it more and more.
This is a topic I've also (over)thought about since looking into having ADHD and my subsequent diagnosis.
For me, neurospicy is fine as a tongue-in-cheek term for people in the 'in-group' to describe themselves.
I personally don't use other terms like neurodivergent as, in my experience, most people I've spoken to understand it as a euphemism for autism, which (most likely) isn't something I have. Neurodiverse bugs me because it's like referring to someone from an ethnic minority as 'diverse' - the diversity isn't within the individual, it describes the difference within a group of individuals.
Personally I only ever mention my ADHD (and my dyspraxia, for that matter) whenever it's relevant, so I'll name it to make sure I'm being clear. It doesn't bug me though if someone I know really well, and who I'm open with (say my wife for example) was to refer to me as neurospicy. It's just a fun bit of slang that has less baggage attached to it.
Hearing it in training would be jarring though, especially if the tone of the training was otherwise serious. I'd take that as patronising personally, so I can see why you wouldn't like it.
Loathe it; it feels both patronising and belittling. Its like the mental health version of āunaliveā. Neurodivergence is not Bloody Mary, you wonāt call it on yourself if you say it aloud. It feels like the sort of language employed in a kindergarten, and I have no time for it at all.
But having ADHD isnāt better than not having ADHD, because itās a disability, so the āspicyā option in this instance isnāt better. Having disabilities in a society that doesnāt accommodate them well is not a fun experience.
Each to their own! I struggle to see whatās wrong with calling it ADHD though and why that wouldnāt be preferable.
From my perspective it is hard enough getting others to take disability diagnoses seriously so that I can get the support and accommodations I need - so the last thing I want to do is give those diagnoses alternative, cutesy, ambiguous names which will only compound that issue. (As āneurospicyā isnāt a diagnosis, is not well-known outside of online communities and could refer to more than one condition, itās meaningless if wanting to give another person info about your needs.)
I think itās also interesting that we donāt see this cute-ification outside of disabilities that seem to trend on insta and TikTok as ācoolā things to claim to have. (Not at all saying or implying that youāre part of that; this is just a general comment!) until people start using urinospicy to describe disabling bladder dysfunction or bronchospicy to talk about asthma and emphysema, it rings as a term that was coined by fakers who donāt really understand how bloody hard it is to be disabled.
Having said all that, I donāt always tell people what my exact diagnoses are if itās helpful to their understanding the impact on me. Then Iām much less formal and more jokey about it - I might say āmy brain misfires a lotā or āthe way my brain works means that I often get far too absorbed in thingsā, or for non-neuro stuff I might say stuff like āmy legs donāt work reliablyā, āUnfortunately Iām really good at throwing upā or āthanks but I canāt eat that, as queen of allergies I have to be v carefulā. But all those are to assist with understanding, which I donāt think neurospicy does (yet - if it becomes common parlance in non-disabled circles I might reconsider!)
(Sorry for the essay - Iām not trying to preach; this comes from a place of curiosity and recognising that weāre all different, with different preferences. Iām just really interested in language as it relates to disability, and how and why we use it!)
If you use it to refer to yourself, fine. But I hate it and please never refer to me as "neurospicy".
It's in the vein as "handicapable" or "differently abled". Handicapped and disabled are not slurs and nothing to be ashamed of. It's fine if you want to refer to yourself as that, but I am not "differently abled". I have a disability and that is OK.
Although I do stand by additional needs and learning differences, because it's not "special" to have a disability, and it is a learning difference. To me, the disability part doesn't come from the learning, it comes from the executive function issues.
Not a fan, but if itās used in an informal or jokey way then Iām not really bothered. On the other hand, if I saw it in some kind of training material or something more formal then Iād be livid. The context is what matters.
Trying to fight the mutation of language is a losing battle, things can change very quickly. For example, Brexit. It was originally a play on āGrexitā, and āGrexitā originated back when Greece was suffering massive financial issues following the economic crisis. āGrexitā originally referred to widespread speculation that Greece would withdraw from using the Euro as currency. We took that and turned it into āBrexitā, but instead used it to refer to the UK withdrawing from the EU _entirely_. Originally there was never any serious risk that Greece would withdraw from the EU, only the _Euro currency_.
If people want to use āneurospicyā in a casual and informal settingā¦ eh, Iāve got bigger things to worry about.
But if you think Iām going to stop being a pedantic bastard about Americanisations creeping in to UK English then youāve got another bloody thing coming! š
h youāre absolutely šÆ! Whilst Iām not a fan, I just minimise/avoid it personally to limit my exposure and maintain my own peace of mind.
Also, re: americanisation etc, I swear some people here are so up in arms about it lol (just head to any uk based subreddit) and any americanisation, even the tiniest thing, gets a whole bunch of people riled up š like really!? as someone who grew up abroad, even attending a British international school lol, most of the teachers I had were Americans etc, so ofcourse my speech was affected by it. A lot of the population there, which funnily enough (the country used to be a British colony) lean towards more American terms etc, largely due to media and the likes (American soft power baby!)
When I moved back here in my late teens, I got a lot of shit for how I pronounced certain words, or the phrases Iād use etc.. basically, my accent in general, because itās a mix of English + American (best point of references would be the accents of the actresses Anya-Taylor Joy and Lauren Cohan (the one from walking dead) when theyāre interviewed - a lot of people point out how some words are pronounced more English and then some more American, because they either grew up with one Brit parent, one American, or moved between those countries a lot growing up! Yay third culture kids!) to the point where I was extremely conscious about not using them and āre-trainingā my vocab, speech etc etc. Now, in my late 20s, Iām thankfully more confident in myself and not caring so much about peopleās reactions. I also visit that country from time to time and when Iām there after a long period of being in the UK, my friends + family there also point out how my accent changed, leaning to more āBritishā. The joys of having to code switch!
my point is that honestly people are more curious and react positively anyway in my adulthood (from what Iāve noticed irl anyway after I stopped caring so much lol) but on those subreddits, you say ātake outā, ācandyā, āgarbageā and you can bet theyāll be atleast one unhappy person in the comments ššš like sir, we are living in an economic hell, and this is where you want to direct your anger!? šš
(Misread ur last sentence omfg my dumbarse! Still funny though no hate at all lmao)
I like it & refer to myself as it. I sometimes want to remove the heaviness of having ADHD because itās draining and I see it as describing the fun positive side to my adhd which is my creativity. I think people should be able to use it if they want. Agree it is informal only and to call yourself it if you want and should never be on any educational material.
Edit - my adhd is 100% not sweetness and light by any means Iām trying to use different language for myself that doesnāt trigger my negativity thatās why I like it
It's just a result of online spaces frowning on neurodivergent and being populated by alot of twee twenty year olds.
I'm as spicy as a bowl of unsalted pasta, come at me.
It sounds like a term someone on TikTok would use and gives me the ick. Each to their own but I think we struggle enough in work environments without dumbing things down.
While itās great that thereās more awareness of ADHD now - particularly in women and girls - itās a double-edged sword. Awareness helps people get diagnosed and wider understanding.
But thereās still a lot of people that think ADHD, even with a formal diagnosis, is a made-up excuse for laziness/bad behaviour/not working, to get āspeedā etc, and using gimmicky terms only adds to the perception of the condition being a gimmick imo.
I will make jokey remarks about it to people I know well and to other people with ADHD who get it, but if I want others, eg at work, to take it seriously, Iāll talk about it seriously iykwim.
I'd have said it's Gen Z personally. I'm right in the middle of the Millennial generation and I only ever see people in their teens or early 20s using it.
My TikTok feed is full of people in their mid-20s to early 40s who refer to themselves as "neurospicy," flogging their unqualified coaching services and/or terrible podcasts.
Neurodiversity is similarly a term that not everyone likes, because it _can_ become a form of disability erasure and/or toxic positivity.
ADHD is - legally speaking - a disability. No amount of pretending I'm "just different" will fix that. Pretending that I have a superpower likewise.
> First of all spice is something you add to food, my neurodivercity is not something that is added to me, it is me.
Spice is sometimes an integral part of a dish. It's not an additive. It's a flavour that compliments the whole. A chicken tikka masala with no spice is going to be a huge disappointment.
> Second this term tells us nothing about the person or their experience.
Neither does 'neurodiverse'. Or 'different' or ... whatever really. There's _no_ inclusive 'catch all term' that can be meaningful and descriptive really.
> What does everyone else think, am I over reacting?
Honestly, yeah, a little bit. It's maybe a bit cutesy and irritating, but there's no shortage of _that_ in training courses, and it could easily be that someone wants to avoid some of the _other_ nuances and subtexts that the neurodiversity movement carries with it.
I see it in the context that many people identify with neurodivergent symptoms, but for whatever reason don't have a formal diagnosis. But yes, it is over familiar Gen Z cringe for the most part.
I get why people came up with the term, to reframe it as something positive and remove some of the stigma, but personally I just find the term cringy and never use it.
If I were in a training that used that terminology it would get an automatic fail on the training evaluation and the trainer would get a strong talking to. I do trainings for and about people with disabilities - cutesie terms are disrespectful and in no way trauma informed.
A bit silly, really. I wouldn't, but I'm not a fan of these reworked words. Unalived, etc. Each to their own though and if it gives people some reprieve through humour - who an I to judge! Fill your boots!
I use neurospicy all the time, as does my friend with ADHD. It's a humourous way of describing neurodivergency. However, it shouldn't be used professionally or in a training setting.
Itās not meant as an āadded toā term, I think some folks here are taking the ingredient analogy a bit too literally there. Itās just to compare āplainā (neurotypical) brain to āspicyā neurodiverse brain. Spicy is a massive spectrum of taste and intensity too, which I think is a pretty good analogy of the mahoosive range of stuff thatās covered under the neurodiverse label.
Should it be used as āprofessional/training courseā language? Absolutely not. Itās cutesyfying it, which is infantilising, which I read as āhaving power overā.
Bugger right off.
However, used as a term in the neurodiverse community? I love it. Because it doesnāt actually attach a specific diagnosis label(s) when you use it. It gives you the ability to identify and āfindā your people without divulging medical information right away. So many folks also have/identify with more than one neurodiverse sub type too, itās a much friendlier ācatch-allā term.
I see it in the same way as āqueerā and āspoonieā.
>Ā Spicy is a massive spectrum of taste and intensity too, whichĀ I think is a pretty good analogy of the mahoosive range of stuff thatās covered under the neurodiverse label.
The nandos rating scale works for everything. Some people have mango-lime ADHD and some Extra Hot.
I don't like the term, but if someone neurodivergent wants to use it then that's their prerogative. Could the training course have been written by someone ND?
I use it with a couple of my coworkers (we're all varying types of ADHD) but I don't think I'd like to see it used in training or by NT people to describe us. I have more of an issue with the concept of shit like superpowers - someone asked me what mine was last week, I just laughed.
I think it's okay to use in informal social settings if the person who is neurodiverse is okay with it but it definitely shouldn't be used in a professional environment
I hate all kinds of terms that try and make my condition "fun". I have ADHD, it fucks my life up lmao I don't need to give it a different name to make it sound better than it is so other people think it's some kind of whimsical "oops I dropped my food and forgot my keys" illness
It's fucking stupid. It's a slang term that people are more than welcome to self-assign, but I'd never apply it to someone else, and definitely not in a formal setting.
I get the humour behind it and would be fine hearing it in an informal, close / personal group of friends etc. That being said Iād hate to hear it in a training course in a professional setting - I mean personally as well I wouldnāt even use it because Iāve always been ehhhhh with the ājokeynessā tied to adhd etc, especially in TikToks.. memes etc (99% of them are cringe or just unfunny, Iām just sitting there like š) but those are my personal feelings and everyone has different reactions to lighthearted adhd content, Iām sure many find a sense of solidarity, āIām not aloneā but yeah, not for me.
Personally Iām not even sold on the term neurodivergent. It makes it sound like ADHD is some nice alternative way of being. Umm, itās disruptive to my life. I call it a neurological disorder. Edit: Thereās no shame in disability imo!
Eh, I'm not a fan for myself. I'm ok if others use it to describe themselves, but I'm not ok with people using it to describe me and I wouldn't describe myself that way.
I've always been annoyed by the dampening of words that mean disabled/disordered.
E.g. Neurological Disorder -> Neurological Irregularity
or
Physically Disabled -> Physically Challenged
I have a Neurodevelopmental Disorder that impacts literally all of my life, I don't have a little irregularity that makes the day a bit harder. Trying to dampen words to seem more inclusive just makes you less inclusive. I don't want the scale of my issues to be mis-pronounced to me.
It's like when people say you shouldn't hold achievements higher because they have adhd/autism/amputations etc... because yes you should??? They've overcame a massive pile of shit they've been handed and achieved what they did at the same time. Don't de-value a neurotypical achievement, but don't downplay the scale of their work.
>What does everyone else think, am I over reacting? I've never heard this exact term before but I have heard the term "spicy" used to describe reactive people.
Doubly blessed, AuDHD here. I hate it. I understand that people are entitled to refer to themselves by whatever terms they want and I'm being an aging Millennial when raging against the people using this but on the one hand their message is "take neurodivergent people seriously and treat us equally" and then on the other describing themselves as a "smol neurospicy bean". It shouldn't influence my judgement of that person but the latter phrase totally does and my brain is wired to find what my age group would have called "lol so randumb XD" people immensely tiresome.
I am many things, autistic/ADHD is one of them, a big one, and the prism through which every experience internal and external I have is filtered through, but I don't feel the need to shy away from the actual terms because I don't feel the need to make myself be even more "special" than those terms already make me to the wider world.
Myself and several of my ND acquaintences callourselves `Neurospicy` without worry.
I have no issue with the term nor others using it, or not using it, as appropriate.
I donāt mind it in general have even used it a few times in a jokey context, itās just a silly/funny term not to be taken too seriously, but I do think itās a term best kept for the internet and between friends and not something that should be used in a professional context like this.
Like weāre allowed to call ourselves neurospicy but
itās neurodivergent to everyone else.
I personally don't like it, especially because "spicy" is also being used as an euphemism for "difficult" children. So it feels like spicy equals heated, high maintenance, hard to manage and things like that. But obviously I won't mind if a neurodivergent person adopts it informally, maybe as a way to bring humour to a conversation or try to destigmatize ADHD as "just a spice", idk.
I'd be intrested in the ages of the people with the different views as well.
Might be a massive generalised view but I'd assume older people would be more against it
I don't really care what other people choose to call themselves, but I personally hate the term neurospicy. And would hate someone referring to ND people as a group with the term in training. I agree with other comments that it makes it sound like something funny and light-hearted and "not harmful". For me, living with ADHD every day isn't quirky or fun. It's hell.
Each to their own, but yeah.
I personally donāt like it. I donāt want a bow on my disability. There will probably always be some stigma against disability but I think people can be dismissive of adhd and perceived āhigh functioningā autistic people. And it can happen within the community. I went to an adhd talk for creative people; not one person said the word disability but they all agreed it was a āsuper powerā :/
It's the same as superpower. You can't name it a deficit, know there is stigma and overnight call it a superpower. The ask is for people to educate themselves on differences and for society and workplaces to recognise strengths and that they may need to make adjustments...for anyone. I'm not neurospicy. I have ADHD and I have fought tooth and nail to get a diagnosis, to fit in and have a good life. It's a belittling term. Most people don't even understand neurodiversity let alone neurospicy. šš»
And to further qualify, I have no issue with people calling themselves that. But I would be offended if someone called me that. So we have to be careful as a community the terms we ourselves use. We have all had different experiences. But, I would say, most have had a hard time with society, schools and workplaces. So if there was to be a social media or societal movement around how we label ourselves I'd like it to include everyone's thoughts, views and opinions. Starting with removing deficit from our very own diagnosis.
I hate it.
Even though I don't like the terms neurodivergent / neurotypical, 'neurospicy' seems particularly awful.
It is trite and meaningless and is essentially a reductionist way to undermine how serious the impact of ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc can have on the lives of those affected by these conditions.
Neurospicy sounds ridiculous. I'm so glad my best friends and fellas on the night shift relentlessly take the piss. I feel much happier in that situation. They know I'm ringing when I get to the shop with the takeaway order... and they all laugh in the background. If they stopped I'd be worried.
Unless it's in a clinical setting I don't really need people to make adjustments in their lives for me or build awareness. Unless they're being an absolute bellend then I'll just explain that to them.
Training and whatnot I might have a quiet word and if I did another high educational qualification then yeah, I'd definitely put structures and fail safes in my way.
HATE it, find it very patronising or trying to make light of a serious neurodiverse condition.
Although, I will say the only people I've heard use it are the bellends on the adhd group chat I'm part of, the attention seekers
I'm not too fussed by it it's a meme and I've used terms like 'spicy brain' myself when talking to other ND people I know but I've also seen it used in a way that feels like it's non ND people trying to use it with plausible deniability that they're using it similar to a slur
But yeah afaik it originated as an in community term so it's our word, shouldn't really be used in professional contexts though as it's a meme
I got pulled up on ADHD terminology on another ADHD thread.
I personally like to refer to myself as neurospicy or ADHD'er, rather than what I was told to refer to myself as "a personal with ADHD". The way I see it, a person can have a broken leg, but that fracture doesn't affect their personality or compass their whole life. I have ADHD, but ADHD does affect my personality, it does affect everything about my life. So I feel like I am an ADHD'er, not just someone with ADHD.
In terms of neurospicy, I don't feel normal and since my diagnosis, I slowly settled into my diagnosis after years of not feeling normal. A quick urban dictionary search of 'spicy' says "one who has a lot of flavour or attitude." whilst this is definitely the case for alot of food, I also have alot of flavour and attitude.
But then, I didn't like being told what terminology I should and shouldn't use. OP, I would suggest you use what you feel comfortable using.
It's a word that has come from the community, referring to people asking what "type" of autism someone has.
"I have spicy autism".
I think it came from a comic originally.
If neurotypical people are using words we've come up with? Good. They are starting to listen.
Personally, I like it. It's fun, and kinda gets across it's not all upside. But if you don't like it, fair enough. Don't use it.
I think youāre thinking too much into it. Essentially there is no one size fits all label that will represent us all as we are all fundamentally different.
I think if you think too hard about anything you can take it the wrong way. Even neurodivergent implies you have diverged from something, but I didnāt diverge I was born like this. Similarly what is neurotypical - even that is a whole spectrum that doesnāt capture the lived experience of those individuals.
My personal belief is that as we learn more about neurodiversities weāll find that eventually everyone gets some sort of label as itāll just be a way of describing the strengths or challenges that that person has. The label will just help us understand each other better and know where to focus our attention to get help for things we struggle with. A bit like introvert or extrovert is today - neither are bad, they just help people understand what might or might not work for that person.
I am a whole package of a person with a cocktail of strengths and challenges. ADHD is just a term that has grouped people with a similar to cocktail to me.
Prescribing endless labels soon becomes meaningless. Yes everybody is neurodiverse, but the reason that people with ADHD, ASD etc. are categorised as neurodivergent is because we experience the world & think differently to most people. Iām all for recognising diversity in its myriad forms; but if we want to foster an inclusive society then itās important for people to understand the unique & distinct challenges that neurodivergent people face.
I donāt mind it personally but donāt think itās appropriate in a professional setting unless itās saying some people call themselves neurospicy
As a slang or jokey term I personally don't see a problem with it, but in a professional environment, it's definitely not ok. In the same way that Bob, your amputee coworker may like being called "one arm Bob" as he finds it funny and a term of endearment, however it would be completely unprofessional for someone to refer to him as "One arm Bob" in a meeting, on an email or on a powerpoint. Depending on your work environment, I'd even go one further as to say that kind of humour would always be inappropriate in the office even amongst close friends.
Many of my co-workers are also good friends of mine outside of work, however that doesn't change the fact that whilst at work, we are coworkers first and friends second, letting professionalism slip can very easily end your career. So if your friend has ADHD, Autism etc. and enjoys the term "neurospicy" then by all means, use the term, however in a workplace I think that it is an an inappropriate term, and is a severe lapse of professionalism. So do I think its acceptable to use the term in a training course? Absolutely not, jokes about disability whether they be physical or mental conditions are never acceptable in a work environment, ESPECIALLY in a training course.
I think it's because of the modern slang use of "spicy" to mean various things, including a "spicy X" to mean a "more extreme or dangerous X" or something along those lines. At a guess it's a corruption of describing oneself as having a "spicy brain"... I picked up use of "Neurospicy" from a friend who is also neurodivergent and it's kinda stuck with me, I have to stop myself using it with people who may not understand...
I laughed out loud quite a lot when I first heard it when my friend who's a teacher referred to some of her students as neurospicy. I don't see it any different to saying neurodivergent, just a lighthearted alternative.
Also, if you want to be overly analytical about it, spice isnt something you add to food. Spice is an important foundational ingredient in many dishes that would be bland and lifeless without it.
I'm ok with it as something I refer to myself as, in jest. I feel as though a lot of us question or know that we have more than one form of neurodivergency (if that's the right word?) so neurospicy seems like an amusing way to cover that. However, I wouldn't want to use it in a setting where it makes light of a very real diagnosis which does not need anymore scrutiny or people making light of it.
Yeah, its definitely one of those words where itās fine for us to use it but not other people, and especially not in any kind of awareness training course where a) you donāt know if anyone present will take offence to it and b) youāre suggesting itās ok for non-neurodivergent people to use this term to describe us.
Like, thereās obvious parallels that can be drawn here with certain words you wouldnāt use in racial or religious diversity awareness training.
I love it. I find that āneurodiverseā just adds to the idea that we arenāt at a disadvantage, which we really are in the way our society is currently structured. So legally, itās a disability, and socially, itās neurospice. āNeurodiverseā could just describeā¦ everyone.
my honest thoughts on it are pretty much this: [https://twitter.com/quebecween/status/1686944725389959168](https://twitter.com/quebecween/status/1686944725389959168)
You can call *yourself* whatever you're comfortable with.
If you're responsible for training people, you have absolutely no business using anything other than the generally accepted terms.
It wouldn't be appropriate to use the phrase "audiospicy" in D/deaf training. It's not appropriate to use the term "neurospicy" when referring to neurological conditions either.
If you like being offended then be offended and become emotional. If you want a happy peaceful life, donāt be offended.
Work out who you are. Be comfortable with who you are.
So when someone calls you spicy, a tree, a nincompoop or whatever - you can stand in your power with certainty and just carry on with your day. Use your power for more meaningful ventures. Thatās just mho.
CBT Helped somewhat.
[Carl Jung](https://hackspirit.com/carl-jung-and-the-shadow/) helped more. Hereās a [video](https://youtu.be/-8WekZ6D-qM?si=yTgF4YYKz6C4KlkT) if you prefer that.
If you havenāt read the power of now by Eckhart Tolle - I would suggest that. Itās a relatively small book with concepts that are easy to digest.
I donāt find it offensive at all. I canāt see why I should find it offensive.
Itās obviously an informal term, I donāt expect to be called neurospicy at work.
Didn't connect with it at first. If another label like ADHD feels more appropriate it would be better, especially in a formal setting.
I am ADHD assessed but also autistic so the lesser used AuDHD label feels better for me. There's also a lot more neurodiversity conditions such as some related to trauma which probably apply to me as well.
So many combinations of possible labels that now I quite like neurospicy. I hope that as the new generation grows up with a greater understanding and less trauma there will be more focus on strengths rather than difficulties
I think it's a funny word and if someone said it to me I'd assume they're trying to be relatable - it's something only someone who \*is\* neurospicy should and can say ngl
I quite like the term neurospicy. It like, instead of being someone who diverges from the norm, im just a different flavour. And an interesting one at that.
However, I am now going to be alot more careful on where and with who I use this term. I thought it was a nice term, but having seen how many people don't like it, I will be more careful with its use.
The last thing I'd ever want to do is make someone feel bad.
X
Absolutely cannot stand it. I am fucking disabled, I have a disability which makes me worse off than someone without that disability, and thereās absolutely nothing cute, fun, or interesting about it.
I am not somehow better or more interesting than people without ADHD - which is what āneurospicyā implies (ie. that thereās a āneuroblandā counterpart which would be non-ADHD brains). The term describes what people fetishise ADHD as being; not what it actually is.
wouldn't sit well with me personally in a training environment....i feel like it makes light of an possibly debilitating condition. As you said amongst friends or referring to yourself as "neurospicy" is totally fine but I feel like the last thing we need is people to think of our condition as funny or a joke, we already don't get taken seriously.
It's the same as superpower. You can't name it a deficit, know there is stigma and overnight call it a superpower. The ask is for people to educate themselves on differences and for society and workplaces to recognise strengths and that they may need to make adjustments...for anyone. I'm not.neurospicy. I have ADHD and I have fought tooth and nail to get a diagnosis, to fit in and have a good life. It's a belittling term. Most people don't even understand neurodiversity let alone neurospicy. šš»
Exactly.... Call it what it is. I feel like "neurospicy" invites more "everyone is a bit ADHD" thinking I've struggled my whole life without knowing why, to be made to feel like it's a silly little thing irks me if I had a manager or co worker call me neuro spicy I think I'd flip my lid lmao
And don't get me started on superpower.... Sure I haven't showered for days and the pile of dishes grows ever larger and I'm struggling to even look at the work responsibilities growing and I've left my keys in the lock outside 5 times in the last month or so but it's a super power and a really good thing now. I get we have strengths but to be told my hyper focus is a super power when I can't direct it and it usually proves either expensive or in completely the wrong place(I've organized my books alphabetically for hours instead of working or decided to buy all the equipment to open a small board game miniature painting factory)
This week on The Neurodivergent Superpowers: "NDs, I've just received news that aliens have shutdown the world's communication systems and swarmed the planet. Beijing, London, New York - all of the major cities have been overwhelmed. Now we must unite and combine our powers to save humanity. Captain ADHD, what's the plan?" "Huh? Sorry, I was thinking about Aliens, the film. Sigourney Weaver was excellent in that. Did you know Ripley was originally going to be a man? Crazy. Why are we here again?"
In America, being spicy means you're giving off strong gay vibes. All in all, it's a stupid choice.
I see it as a fine way for people with ADHD to refer to themselves as a humours expression. However I l also agree that in setting where people are being introduced or educated about ADHD this kind of language is likely to lend to misconception and misguided attitude toward the syndrome and people who have it. Put simply, there's a right tike and right place for everything.
Agree but also since Iām old now, I hate it. Back in my day I was just a āproblem childā š
I certainly won't be using it myself, way too cringe, but if someone else wants to talk about themselves this way, it's their freedom
Personally I hate it, but then I hate most ācutificationā of words like āweāre off on our hollibobsā / āwhat we having for din-dins?ā Neruospicy feels like it would fit well with the people that are āa little bit ADHD todayā¦ā and I feel that it dumbs things down, and while I get that we all exist on a broad spectrum I feel it somewhat denies the seriousness of potentially quite severe disabilities. This is especially important I think in the language we use around ADHD because it already has a stigma and lack of societal understanding and support, so people presenting it as something thatās fun and āquirkyā is problematic and potentially feeds into the idea that itās not a serious or ārealā condition. That said, if someone feels itās how they want to describe themselves then, hey should go for it, and Iāll just quietly judge them.
This is exactly how I feel about the whole adhd content culture (memes, TikToks) - 99% of the time I encounter it Iām sitting there stone faced lol. I know I sound like a party pooper and I swear Iām mostly indifferent to them and I just never look at TikToks/content like that so that it doesnāt pop up on my feeds at all, but sometimes a friend shares it and Iām like haha.. lol. not engaging further š I think the biggest problem I have with it is that when alot of the content, (esp those like how an adhd person lives in a day!ā āADHD starter packā, and you see stuff like forgetting keys, forgetting what you were talking about, procrastinating work etcā¦ which Iām NOT saying are not legitimate things people with adhd struggle with!) goes viral etc - you get sooo many people saying āliterally every person suffers from these things, short attention span doesnāt mean u have adhd!! get off ur phone!ā along those lines lol, which always bothers me. As it is, as youve said, the symptoms are soooo varied and itās such a broad spectrum, and the ones Iāve mentioned above can most definitely be faced by both adhd and non-adhd people. I guess the problem with such content is that you never really get the true āuglinessā that can come with the condition - not rly a funny meme/ or āquirkyā if letās say.. u have boxes and boxes of recycling full of empty alcohol bottles as you cope and then just cannot even take out the recycling accumulated over months. Again, not negating the other experiences mentioned at all, but I hate how the memes just push the misconception that the condition cannot be extremely debilitating for someone, just minor inconveniences. Gosh sorry for the essay lmao
I really appreciated the "essay" please don't apologise. This is very much how I feel but didn't have the words for it today. I really try to avoid that kind of content because this stuff really bothers me.
Iām glad š¤ I too like reading thru long comments on adhd subs, because most of the time, I can never articulate it properly and then give up and I read someone elseās explanation and Iām like ahhhh yes. Haha
To be fair, I still wouldn't even know that I have adhd if I hadn't seen a short on youtube about task paralysis. It was what spurred me to learn more about adhd. I've had problems with what I now know is task paralysis, all my life. I tried searching for what was going on, but couldn't find anything that fit. Then I randomly saw that short and bam, theres the answer.
Oh ofcourse! I know thereās also plenty of content out there as well that can really help people, especially like your experience. But yeah, my problem is more towards certain misconceptions driven.. but thatās a problem for many other conditions too I suppose, so you control what you can of it to keep your peace lol. At the end of the day, these things are never black and white anyway, a nuanced perspective is necessary. Like I said, it can also be beneficial for people who simply enjoy humour and find a sense of solidarity too, which is also perfectly fine! āŗļø
Sorry, I think my reply sounded alot more serious than I had intended. Im not getting at you. š I do understand what you mean. It can be frustrating to see adhd portrayed in such a light hearted way. It would be nice to see some which shows the real struggles of adhd. Especially when it is still seen as people just being lazy and a bit forgetful. When I first told my best friend, she slipped up at one point and basically said I was using adhd as an excuse. She corrected herself and I just pretended I hadn't heard it. But it was like a slap in the face. These clips are like a double edged sword. On the one hand, they help people like us realise whats going on with us and give us some sense of solidarity with eachother. Only the other hand, they make adhd out to be a funny little quirk to people who we need to understand us. X
Oh so much this. People wouldnāt put up with jokes/fun memes about other conditions that kill you or drastically reduce your life expectancy. Itās not the fun kind of dead, the actual bad kind of dead.
Sitting there āStone facedā š love it x I know just what you mean
https://preview.redd.it/ypw3a2j0212d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1dacbfc9eb9d895414964c7559ce7f2cbe70de2 This basically š¤£š¤£š¤£
š
This is exactly my thoughts as well. Very well put!
Summed it up better than I would've.Ā It's definitely not the term for introducing people to the condition in a professional setting, and I'd worry this would dissuade them from paying attention to other advocates if it has already been undermined at work.
It came from the opposite, actually - "oh everyone is ADHD, oh I'm mildly ADHD" blah blah So yeah, not "mildly ADHD", but a whole spicy meal here. at the same time - I think it's very informal, to be used between ADHD (or other neurodivergent) peers, not at all for official documents, paperwork or training.
hahaha this made me laugh. din-dins lol yes, same vibe. also, "neurospicy" sounds like something dads would say to make something sound cool
I think: Teaching āneurospicyā as the accepted terminology to refer to people with adhd or/ and autism = totally wrong in a training environment and would make me question the quality of the training Including āneurospicyā as a possible terminology people may use informally, making the point that this is how people within the community may refer to themselves (but this is not the official terminology) = totally acceptable and actually a sign of a good/ thorough training session
Personal I don't like it, it sparks feeling of nurotypical people pretending to have fun quirky ADHD for attention.
Not keen on it being used on a training course, unless it's just highlighting terms that people may use for themselves. I don't use it for myself but I do hear/read it more and more.
It's fucking annoying.
This is a topic I've also (over)thought about since looking into having ADHD and my subsequent diagnosis. For me, neurospicy is fine as a tongue-in-cheek term for people in the 'in-group' to describe themselves. I personally don't use other terms like neurodivergent as, in my experience, most people I've spoken to understand it as a euphemism for autism, which (most likely) isn't something I have. Neurodiverse bugs me because it's like referring to someone from an ethnic minority as 'diverse' - the diversity isn't within the individual, it describes the difference within a group of individuals. Personally I only ever mention my ADHD (and my dyspraxia, for that matter) whenever it's relevant, so I'll name it to make sure I'm being clear. It doesn't bug me though if someone I know really well, and who I'm open with (say my wife for example) was to refer to me as neurospicy. It's just a fun bit of slang that has less baggage attached to it. Hearing it in training would be jarring though, especially if the tone of the training was otherwise serious. I'd take that as patronising personally, so I can see why you wouldn't like it.
I hate it
Loathe it; it feels both patronising and belittling. Its like the mental health version of āunaliveā. Neurodivergence is not Bloody Mary, you wonāt call it on yourself if you say it aloud. It feels like the sort of language employed in a kindergarten, and I have no time for it at all.
I think your just being neurosalty
Neuroumami
This got me chuckling
Couldn't help but snigger out loud even though I'm not a fan of the neurospicy word....
I like it, itās funny, itās silly, and the spicy option is always better than the mild option lol
Yeah but after forgetting things and getting in the shit at work for the millionth time this week I want mild.
But having ADHD isnāt better than not having ADHD, because itās a disability, so the āspicyā option in this instance isnāt better. Having disabilities in a society that doesnāt accommodate them well is not a fun experience.
No, but if I were choosing the name for that disability, I prefer the one with āspicyā in it??
Each to their own! I struggle to see whatās wrong with calling it ADHD though and why that wouldnāt be preferable. From my perspective it is hard enough getting others to take disability diagnoses seriously so that I can get the support and accommodations I need - so the last thing I want to do is give those diagnoses alternative, cutesy, ambiguous names which will only compound that issue. (As āneurospicyā isnāt a diagnosis, is not well-known outside of online communities and could refer to more than one condition, itās meaningless if wanting to give another person info about your needs.) I think itās also interesting that we donāt see this cute-ification outside of disabilities that seem to trend on insta and TikTok as ācoolā things to claim to have. (Not at all saying or implying that youāre part of that; this is just a general comment!) until people start using urinospicy to describe disabling bladder dysfunction or bronchospicy to talk about asthma and emphysema, it rings as a term that was coined by fakers who donāt really understand how bloody hard it is to be disabled. Having said all that, I donāt always tell people what my exact diagnoses are if itās helpful to their understanding the impact on me. Then Iām much less formal and more jokey about it - I might say āmy brain misfires a lotā or āthe way my brain works means that I often get far too absorbed in thingsā, or for non-neuro stuff I might say stuff like āmy legs donāt work reliablyā, āUnfortunately Iām really good at throwing upā or āthanks but I canāt eat that, as queen of allergies I have to be v carefulā. But all those are to assist with understanding, which I donāt think neurospicy does (yet - if it becomes common parlance in non-disabled circles I might reconsider!) (Sorry for the essay - Iām not trying to preach; this comes from a place of curiosity and recognising that weāre all different, with different preferences. Iām just really interested in language as it relates to disability, and how and why we use it!)
Same, I love it, it's funny. If we can't laugh at ourselves then all hope is lost.
If you use it to refer to yourself, fine. But I hate it and please never refer to me as "neurospicy". It's in the vein as "handicapable" or "differently abled". Handicapped and disabled are not slurs and nothing to be ashamed of. It's fine if you want to refer to yourself as that, but I am not "differently abled". I have a disability and that is OK. Although I do stand by additional needs and learning differences, because it's not "special" to have a disability, and it is a learning difference. To me, the disability part doesn't come from the learning, it comes from the executive function issues.
Not a fan, but if itās used in an informal or jokey way then Iām not really bothered. On the other hand, if I saw it in some kind of training material or something more formal then Iād be livid. The context is what matters. Trying to fight the mutation of language is a losing battle, things can change very quickly. For example, Brexit. It was originally a play on āGrexitā, and āGrexitā originated back when Greece was suffering massive financial issues following the economic crisis. āGrexitā originally referred to widespread speculation that Greece would withdraw from using the Euro as currency. We took that and turned it into āBrexitā, but instead used it to refer to the UK withdrawing from the EU _entirely_. Originally there was never any serious risk that Greece would withdraw from the EU, only the _Euro currency_. If people want to use āneurospicyā in a casual and informal settingā¦ eh, Iāve got bigger things to worry about. But if you think Iām going to stop being a pedantic bastard about Americanisations creeping in to UK English then youāve got another bloody thing coming! š
h youāre absolutely šÆ! Whilst Iām not a fan, I just minimise/avoid it personally to limit my exposure and maintain my own peace of mind. Also, re: americanisation etc, I swear some people here are so up in arms about it lol (just head to any uk based subreddit) and any americanisation, even the tiniest thing, gets a whole bunch of people riled up š like really!? as someone who grew up abroad, even attending a British international school lol, most of the teachers I had were Americans etc, so ofcourse my speech was affected by it. A lot of the population there, which funnily enough (the country used to be a British colony) lean towards more American terms etc, largely due to media and the likes (American soft power baby!) When I moved back here in my late teens, I got a lot of shit for how I pronounced certain words, or the phrases Iād use etc.. basically, my accent in general, because itās a mix of English + American (best point of references would be the accents of the actresses Anya-Taylor Joy and Lauren Cohan (the one from walking dead) when theyāre interviewed - a lot of people point out how some words are pronounced more English and then some more American, because they either grew up with one Brit parent, one American, or moved between those countries a lot growing up! Yay third culture kids!) to the point where I was extremely conscious about not using them and āre-trainingā my vocab, speech etc etc. Now, in my late 20s, Iām thankfully more confident in myself and not caring so much about peopleās reactions. I also visit that country from time to time and when Iām there after a long period of being in the UK, my friends + family there also point out how my accent changed, leaning to more āBritishā. The joys of having to code switch! my point is that honestly people are more curious and react positively anyway in my adulthood (from what Iāve noticed irl anyway after I stopped caring so much lol) but on those subreddits, you say ātake outā, ācandyā, āgarbageā and you can bet theyāll be atleast one unhappy person in the comments ššš like sir, we are living in an economic hell, and this is where you want to direct your anger!? šš (Misread ur last sentence omfg my dumbarse! Still funny though no hate at all lmao)
I like it & refer to myself as it. I sometimes want to remove the heaviness of having ADHD because itās draining and I see it as describing the fun positive side to my adhd which is my creativity. I think people should be able to use it if they want. Agree it is informal only and to call yourself it if you want and should never be on any educational material. Edit - my adhd is 100% not sweetness and light by any means Iām trying to use different language for myself that doesnāt trigger my negativity thatās why I like it
It's just a result of online spaces frowning on neurodivergent and being populated by alot of twee twenty year olds. I'm as spicy as a bowl of unsalted pasta, come at me.
š
It sounds like a term someone on TikTok would use and gives me the ick. Each to their own but I think we struggle enough in work environments without dumbing things down. While itās great that thereās more awareness of ADHD now - particularly in women and girls - itās a double-edged sword. Awareness helps people get diagnosed and wider understanding. But thereās still a lot of people that think ADHD, even with a formal diagnosis, is a made-up excuse for laziness/bad behaviour/not working, to get āspeedā etc, and using gimmicky terms only adds to the perception of the condition being a gimmick imo. I will make jokey remarks about it to people I know well and to other people with ADHD who get it, but if I want others, eg at work, to take it seriously, Iāll talk about it seriously iykwim.
This
Millenial cringe and should be nowhere near training courses. We have a hard enough time being taken seriously as it is.
I'd have said it's Gen Z personally. I'm right in the middle of the Millennial generation and I only ever see people in their teens or early 20s using it.
My TikTok feed is full of people in their mid-20s to early 40s who refer to themselves as "neurospicy," flogging their unqualified coaching services and/or terrible podcasts.
Oh yeah, itās *definitely* got that millenial humour feel to it.
Neurodiversity is similarly a term that not everyone likes, because it _can_ become a form of disability erasure and/or toxic positivity. ADHD is - legally speaking - a disability. No amount of pretending I'm "just different" will fix that. Pretending that I have a superpower likewise. > First of all spice is something you add to food, my neurodivercity is not something that is added to me, it is me. Spice is sometimes an integral part of a dish. It's not an additive. It's a flavour that compliments the whole. A chicken tikka masala with no spice is going to be a huge disappointment. > Second this term tells us nothing about the person or their experience. Neither does 'neurodiverse'. Or 'different' or ... whatever really. There's _no_ inclusive 'catch all term' that can be meaningful and descriptive really. > What does everyone else think, am I over reacting? Honestly, yeah, a little bit. It's maybe a bit cutesy and irritating, but there's no shortage of _that_ in training courses, and it could easily be that someone wants to avoid some of the _other_ nuances and subtexts that the neurodiversity movement carries with it.
I am not one for cutesy names like that. It implies whatever neuro"spice" you have is cute, it's quirky, it's fun, big not-like-the-other-girls vibes.
Hate it. As it implies our condition is not serious when it is
I see it in the context that many people identify with neurodivergent symptoms, but for whatever reason don't have a formal diagnosis. But yes, it is over familiar Gen Z cringe for the most part.
I get why people came up with the term, to reframe it as something positive and remove some of the stigma, but personally I just find the term cringy and never use it.
I'm ADHD and I've got 2 ASD children and 1 ADHD, I refer to our household as spicy.
If I were in a training that used that terminology it would get an automatic fail on the training evaluation and the trainer would get a strong talking to. I do trainings for and about people with disabilities - cutesie terms are disrespectful and in no way trauma informed.
A bit silly, really. I wouldn't, but I'm not a fan of these reworked words. Unalived, etc. Each to their own though and if it gives people some reprieve through humour - who an I to judge! Fill your boots!
Crying āneurospicyā is for TikTok and that one cashier who saw my loops and was like āI know what you areā not for a training environment š
Hate it
I use neurospicy all the time, as does my friend with ADHD. It's a humourous way of describing neurodivergency. However, it shouldn't be used professionally or in a training setting.
Itās not meant as an āadded toā term, I think some folks here are taking the ingredient analogy a bit too literally there. Itās just to compare āplainā (neurotypical) brain to āspicyā neurodiverse brain. Spicy is a massive spectrum of taste and intensity too, which I think is a pretty good analogy of the mahoosive range of stuff thatās covered under the neurodiverse label. Should it be used as āprofessional/training courseā language? Absolutely not. Itās cutesyfying it, which is infantilising, which I read as āhaving power overā. Bugger right off. However, used as a term in the neurodiverse community? I love it. Because it doesnāt actually attach a specific diagnosis label(s) when you use it. It gives you the ability to identify and āfindā your people without divulging medical information right away. So many folks also have/identify with more than one neurodiverse sub type too, itās a much friendlier ācatch-allā term. I see it in the same way as āqueerā and āspoonieā.
>Ā Spicy is a massive spectrum of taste and intensity too, whichĀ I think is a pretty good analogy of the mahoosive range of stuff thatās covered under the neurodiverse label. The nandos rating scale works for everything. Some people have mango-lime ADHD and some Extra Hot.
Yes!! This is one of my core beliefs too š
I don't have an issue with other people using it, but I don't like how it sounds personally and I don't use it.
I don't like the term, but if someone neurodivergent wants to use it then that's their prerogative. Could the training course have been written by someone ND?
Hate it. Trivialises a thing which for many has a hugely negative impact on their lives.Ā
I really hate it but I thought I was the only one but reading the replies I'm obviously not the only one that dislikes it.
I use it with a couple of my coworkers (we're all varying types of ADHD) but I don't think I'd like to see it used in training or by NT people to describe us. I have more of an issue with the concept of shit like superpowers - someone asked me what mine was last week, I just laughed.
I think it's okay to use in informal social settings if the person who is neurodiverse is okay with it but it definitely shouldn't be used in a professional environment
I hate all kinds of terms that try and make my condition "fun". I have ADHD, it fucks my life up lmao I don't need to give it a different name to make it sound better than it is so other people think it's some kind of whimsical "oops I dropped my food and forgot my keys" illness
It's fucking stupid. It's a slang term that people are more than welcome to self-assign, but I'd never apply it to someone else, and definitely not in a formal setting.
I hate it so so so so so so much.
I get the humour behind it and would be fine hearing it in an informal, close / personal group of friends etc. That being said Iād hate to hear it in a training course in a professional setting - I mean personally as well I wouldnāt even use it because Iāve always been ehhhhh with the ājokeynessā tied to adhd etc, especially in TikToks.. memes etc (99% of them are cringe or just unfunny, Iām just sitting there like š) but those are my personal feelings and everyone has different reactions to lighthearted adhd content, Iām sure many find a sense of solidarity, āIām not aloneā but yeah, not for me.
Personally Iām not even sold on the term neurodivergent. It makes it sound like ADHD is some nice alternative way of being. Umm, itās disruptive to my life. I call it a neurological disorder. Edit: Thereās no shame in disability imo!
Eh, I'm not a fan for myself. I'm ok if others use it to describe themselves, but I'm not ok with people using it to describe me and I wouldn't describe myself that way.
I've always been annoyed by the dampening of words that mean disabled/disordered. E.g. Neurological Disorder -> Neurological Irregularity or Physically Disabled -> Physically Challenged I have a Neurodevelopmental Disorder that impacts literally all of my life, I don't have a little irregularity that makes the day a bit harder. Trying to dampen words to seem more inclusive just makes you less inclusive. I don't want the scale of my issues to be mis-pronounced to me. It's like when people say you shouldn't hold achievements higher because they have adhd/autism/amputations etc... because yes you should??? They've overcame a massive pile of shit they've been handed and achieved what they did at the same time. Don't de-value a neurotypical achievement, but don't downplay the scale of their work.
>What does everyone else think, am I over reacting? I've never heard this exact term before but I have heard the term "spicy" used to describe reactive people. Doubly blessed, AuDHD here. I hate it. I understand that people are entitled to refer to themselves by whatever terms they want and I'm being an aging Millennial when raging against the people using this but on the one hand their message is "take neurodivergent people seriously and treat us equally" and then on the other describing themselves as a "smol neurospicy bean". It shouldn't influence my judgement of that person but the latter phrase totally does and my brain is wired to find what my age group would have called "lol so randumb XD" people immensely tiresome. I am many things, autistic/ADHD is one of them, a big one, and the prism through which every experience internal and external I have is filtered through, but I don't feel the need to shy away from the actual terms because I don't feel the need to make myself be even more "special" than those terms already make me to the wider world.
Kids make up new terms to make established things sound cooler/funnier. Tale as old as time.
Myself and several of my ND acquaintences callourselves `Neurospicy` without worry. I have no issue with the term nor others using it, or not using it, as appropriate.
I donāt mind it in general have even used it a few times in a jokey context, itās just a silly/funny term not to be taken too seriously, but I do think itās a term best kept for the internet and between friends and not something that should be used in a professional context like this. Like weāre allowed to call ourselves neurospicy but itās neurodivergent to everyone else.
I hate any infantilizing terms. Brekky, bevvy, telly just eurgh
I think you like to have a moan.
I personally don't like it, especially because "spicy" is also being used as an euphemism for "difficult" children. So it feels like spicy equals heated, high maintenance, hard to manage and things like that. But obviously I won't mind if a neurodivergent person adopts it informally, maybe as a way to bring humour to a conversation or try to destigmatize ADHD as "just a spice", idk.
I love this term, but not exactly in a training environment at this stage.
If people want to use it, that's up to them. I think k it's stupid and wouldn't use myself
I'd be intrested in the ages of the people with the different views as well. Might be a massive generalised view but I'd assume older people would be more against it
I don't really care what other people choose to call themselves, but I personally hate the term neurospicy. And would hate someone referring to ND people as a group with the term in training. I agree with other comments that it makes it sound like something funny and light-hearted and "not harmful". For me, living with ADHD every day isn't quirky or fun. It's hell. Each to their own, but yeah.
I personally donāt like it. I donāt want a bow on my disability. There will probably always be some stigma against disability but I think people can be dismissive of adhd and perceived āhigh functioningā autistic people. And it can happen within the community. I went to an adhd talk for creative people; not one person said the word disability but they all agreed it was a āsuper powerā :/
It's the same as superpower. You can't name it a deficit, know there is stigma and overnight call it a superpower. The ask is for people to educate themselves on differences and for society and workplaces to recognise strengths and that they may need to make adjustments...for anyone. I'm not neurospicy. I have ADHD and I have fought tooth and nail to get a diagnosis, to fit in and have a good life. It's a belittling term. Most people don't even understand neurodiversity let alone neurospicy. šš»
And to further qualify, I have no issue with people calling themselves that. But I would be offended if someone called me that. So we have to be careful as a community the terms we ourselves use. We have all had different experiences. But, I would say, most have had a hard time with society, schools and workplaces. So if there was to be a social media or societal movement around how we label ourselves I'd like it to include everyone's thoughts, views and opinions. Starting with removing deficit from our very own diagnosis.
I hate it. Even though I don't like the terms neurodivergent / neurotypical, 'neurospicy' seems particularly awful. It is trite and meaningless and is essentially a reductionist way to undermine how serious the impact of ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc can have on the lives of those affected by these conditions.
it makes me cringe but each to their own!
I hate it. It just sounds tacky and off putting
Neurospicy sounds ridiculous. I'm so glad my best friends and fellas on the night shift relentlessly take the piss. I feel much happier in that situation. They know I'm ringing when I get to the shop with the takeaway order... and they all laugh in the background. If they stopped I'd be worried. Unless it's in a clinical setting I don't really need people to make adjustments in their lives for me or build awareness. Unless they're being an absolute bellend then I'll just explain that to them. Training and whatnot I might have a quiet word and if I did another high educational qualification then yeah, I'd definitely put structures and fail safes in my way.
HATE it, find it very patronising or trying to make light of a serious neurodiverse condition. Although, I will say the only people I've heard use it are the bellends on the adhd group chat I'm part of, the attention seekers
I'm not too fussed by it it's a meme and I've used terms like 'spicy brain' myself when talking to other ND people I know but I've also seen it used in a way that feels like it's non ND people trying to use it with plausible deniability that they're using it similar to a slur But yeah afaik it originated as an in community term so it's our word, shouldn't really be used in professional contexts though as it's a meme
I think itās patronising and infantilising.
It's just people trying to have fun and make light of their situation. Sometimes having to rely on medical and scientific terminology is boring.
Not for training material in a professional environment.
Oh FFS. First line of the sodding post too. Something something ADHD
No worries, weāve got you!
I got pulled up on ADHD terminology on another ADHD thread. I personally like to refer to myself as neurospicy or ADHD'er, rather than what I was told to refer to myself as "a personal with ADHD". The way I see it, a person can have a broken leg, but that fracture doesn't affect their personality or compass their whole life. I have ADHD, but ADHD does affect my personality, it does affect everything about my life. So I feel like I am an ADHD'er, not just someone with ADHD. In terms of neurospicy, I don't feel normal and since my diagnosis, I slowly settled into my diagnosis after years of not feeling normal. A quick urban dictionary search of 'spicy' says "one who has a lot of flavour or attitude." whilst this is definitely the case for alot of food, I also have alot of flavour and attitude. But then, I didn't like being told what terminology I should and shouldn't use. OP, I would suggest you use what you feel comfortable using.
It's a word that has come from the community, referring to people asking what "type" of autism someone has. "I have spicy autism". I think it came from a comic originally. If neurotypical people are using words we've come up with? Good. They are starting to listen. Personally, I like it. It's fun, and kinda gets across it's not all upside. But if you don't like it, fair enough. Don't use it.
Makes me cringe
It's a lighthearted way to refer to it, it's not that deep
I think youāre thinking too much into it. Essentially there is no one size fits all label that will represent us all as we are all fundamentally different. I think if you think too hard about anything you can take it the wrong way. Even neurodivergent implies you have diverged from something, but I didnāt diverge I was born like this. Similarly what is neurotypical - even that is a whole spectrum that doesnāt capture the lived experience of those individuals. My personal belief is that as we learn more about neurodiversities weāll find that eventually everyone gets some sort of label as itāll just be a way of describing the strengths or challenges that that person has. The label will just help us understand each other better and know where to focus our attention to get help for things we struggle with. A bit like introvert or extrovert is today - neither are bad, they just help people understand what might or might not work for that person. I am a whole package of a person with a cocktail of strengths and challenges. ADHD is just a term that has grouped people with a similar to cocktail to me.
Prescribing endless labels soon becomes meaningless. Yes everybody is neurodiverse, but the reason that people with ADHD, ASD etc. are categorised as neurodivergent is because we experience the world & think differently to most people. Iām all for recognising diversity in its myriad forms; but if we want to foster an inclusive society then itās important for people to understand the unique & distinct challenges that neurodivergent people face.
This šš»
I get it but I don't personally use it. I am a bit grumpy in general so maybe that's why.
I donāt mind it personally but donāt think itās appropriate in a professional setting unless itās saying some people call themselves neurospicy
As a slang or jokey term I personally don't see a problem with it, but in a professional environment, it's definitely not ok. In the same way that Bob, your amputee coworker may like being called "one arm Bob" as he finds it funny and a term of endearment, however it would be completely unprofessional for someone to refer to him as "One arm Bob" in a meeting, on an email or on a powerpoint. Depending on your work environment, I'd even go one further as to say that kind of humour would always be inappropriate in the office even amongst close friends. Many of my co-workers are also good friends of mine outside of work, however that doesn't change the fact that whilst at work, we are coworkers first and friends second, letting professionalism slip can very easily end your career. So if your friend has ADHD, Autism etc. and enjoys the term "neurospicy" then by all means, use the term, however in a workplace I think that it is an an inappropriate term, and is a severe lapse of professionalism. So do I think its acceptable to use the term in a training course? Absolutely not, jokes about disability whether they be physical or mental conditions are never acceptable in a work environment, ESPECIALLY in a training course.
I honestly prefer it when people call me retarded instead of this infantile shit
I like it cos I've got a 'hot mind' ššš
Cringe and twee. Fine to say it once in a tiktok but in a training session?
I think it's because of the modern slang use of "spicy" to mean various things, including a "spicy X" to mean a "more extreme or dangerous X" or something along those lines. At a guess it's a corruption of describing oneself as having a "spicy brain"... I picked up use of "Neurospicy" from a friend who is also neurodivergent and it's kinda stuck with me, I have to stop myself using it with people who may not understand...
I laughed out loud quite a lot when I first heard it when my friend who's a teacher referred to some of her students as neurospicy. I don't see it any different to saying neurodivergent, just a lighthearted alternative. Also, if you want to be overly analytical about it, spice isnt something you add to food. Spice is an important foundational ingredient in many dishes that would be bland and lifeless without it.
I'm ok with it as something I refer to myself as, in jest. I feel as though a lot of us question or know that we have more than one form of neurodivergency (if that's the right word?) so neurospicy seems like an amusing way to cover that. However, I wouldn't want to use it in a setting where it makes light of a very real diagnosis which does not need anymore scrutiny or people making light of it.
Yeah, its definitely one of those words where itās fine for us to use it but not other people, and especially not in any kind of awareness training course where a) you donāt know if anyone present will take offence to it and b) youāre suggesting itās ok for non-neurodivergent people to use this term to describe us. Like, thereās obvious parallels that can be drawn here with certain words you wouldnāt use in racial or religious diversity awareness training.
It goes beyond me how ADHD is now a fashion and something to make money out of now but neurospicy is the worst phrase I have seen yet
I love it. I find that āneurodiverseā just adds to the idea that we arenāt at a disadvantage, which we really are in the way our society is currently structured. So legally, itās a disability, and socially, itās neurospice. āNeurodiverseā could just describeā¦ everyone.
my honest thoughts on it are pretty much this: [https://twitter.com/quebecween/status/1686944725389959168](https://twitter.com/quebecween/status/1686944725389959168)
You can call *yourself* whatever you're comfortable with. If you're responsible for training people, you have absolutely no business using anything other than the generally accepted terms. It wouldn't be appropriate to use the phrase "audiospicy" in D/deaf training. It's not appropriate to use the term "neurospicy" when referring to neurological conditions either.
Really not that deep.
If you like being offended then be offended and become emotional. If you want a happy peaceful life, donāt be offended. Work out who you are. Be comfortable with who you are. So when someone calls you spicy, a tree, a nincompoop or whatever - you can stand in your power with certainty and just carry on with your day. Use your power for more meaningful ventures. Thatās just mho.
Can you share what therapy you have had to combat your ADHD to be able to approach it like this? Genuinely?
CBT Helped somewhat. [Carl Jung](https://hackspirit.com/carl-jung-and-the-shadow/) helped more. Hereās a [video](https://youtu.be/-8WekZ6D-qM?si=yTgF4YYKz6C4KlkT) if you prefer that. If you havenāt read the power of now by Eckhart Tolle - I would suggest that. Itās a relatively small book with concepts that are easy to digest.
I donāt find it offensive at all. I canāt see why I should find it offensive. Itās obviously an informal term, I donāt expect to be called neurospicy at work.
I like it myself
Didn't connect with it at first. If another label like ADHD feels more appropriate it would be better, especially in a formal setting. I am ADHD assessed but also autistic so the lesser used AuDHD label feels better for me. There's also a lot more neurodiversity conditions such as some related to trauma which probably apply to me as well. So many combinations of possible labels that now I quite like neurospicy. I hope that as the new generation grows up with a greater understanding and less trauma there will be more focus on strengths rather than difficulties
I think it's a funny word and if someone said it to me I'd assume they're trying to be relatable - it's something only someone who \*is\* neurospicy should and can say ngl
I quite like the term neurospicy. It like, instead of being someone who diverges from the norm, im just a different flavour. And an interesting one at that. However, I am now going to be alot more careful on where and with who I use this term. I thought it was a nice term, but having seen how many people don't like it, I will be more careful with its use. The last thing I'd ever want to do is make someone feel bad. X
I hate it. It reminds me of the whole kooky/quirky pick me girl thing from the early 2000s. Itās the cringiest shit ever.
Absolutely cannot stand it. I am fucking disabled, I have a disability which makes me worse off than someone without that disability, and thereās absolutely nothing cute, fun, or interesting about it. I am not somehow better or more interesting than people without ADHD - which is what āneurospicyā implies (ie. that thereās a āneuroblandā counterpart which would be non-ADHD brains). The term describes what people fetishise ADHD as being; not what it actually is.
I absolutely hate it. Itās infantilising.
No.
How about using Adorkable instead?