Longlegs (2024): Neurodivergence and My Performance of Normalcy

This episode is deeply personal. As both a mental health professional and someone who’s spent years being called “weird,” “nerdy,” “odd,” and even “evil” — not because of who I am, but because of the horror films and music I love that don’t match my facade — this episode is a reclamation.You’ll hear:🧠 A crash course on the topic of neurodiversity. I try very hard to be fair about my experience and respect the spectrum of lived experience that individuals have. 💬 My personal and clinical reflections on diagnostic language. I found it impossible to talk about neurodiversity without also talking more about this topic🕷️ Thoughts on being cast as “weird” and how that shaped my sense of identity (among other factors)⚖️ A short sidebar on Eddington and the relationship between neurodivergence and social justice 🎥 A spoiler-tinged breakdown of Longlegs, especially the character of Lee Harker 🪞 A raw take on masking (aka blending in, adopting identities, making others feel comfortable around you, fitting into social norms...that's what it means to me): how it’s protected me, how it’s cost me, and what it means to live more authentically🎧 Note: I’m still working on improving the podcast — from sound quality to editing flow — and I appreciate your patience as it grows. There are so many threads I could have woven together, including how neurodivergent folx often gravitate toward social justice (sound familiar for me and Lee?) as well as the comfort of special interests (that'd be horror for me). Tried to keep this episode at a reasonable length!