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AIBU?

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Original poster

Neurospicy

143 replies

Bearinthesmallmessyflat · 28/06/2025 18:33

I’ll preface this by saying I’m neurodivergent myself (adhd)
I’ve notice more and more people using the phrase neurospicy instead of neurodivergent. It started off online but now I know people who use it in person and I absolutely bloody hate it.
I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable because I can’t really articulate why I dislike it so much? It’s a bit like the ‘oh I’m just so weird and crazy people’ I feel

OP posts:
DorothyStorm · 28/06/2025 19:21

FurForksSake · 28/06/2025 19:05

I’ve seen it used by people who self-diagnose to explain their differences.

Me too.

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 28/06/2025 19:20

SteakBakesAndHotTakes · 28/06/2025 18:38

It's the overused tryhard quirkiness of it, it annoys me too...it's like cockwomble and all those other 'hilarious' ones

Excellently put. Im not keen on it either and to me it seems to have sexual connotations even though i know it doesn't if that makes sense

Ddakji · 28/06/2025 19:20

100%. Like straight people calling themselves queer because it makes them sound more spicy.

The first person I heard using this word was a woman in her 40s who appeared to be perfectly serious in telling me that I was neurospicy and so was she, right!?!!! I was a bit nonplussed to be honest.

BlueyNeedsToFuckOff · 28/06/2025 19:20

PeriJane · 28/06/2025 19:12

I have an ASD diagnosis and all the neurospicy/neurosparkly/superpower crap really pisses me off. It’s usually people who have self-diagnosed 🙄 and/or make being autistic the ONLY thing about themselves. It’s ridiculous.

“Neurosparkly”???

I haven’t heard that before and hope it doesn’t become mainstream

Original poster
Bearinthesmallmessyflat · 28/06/2025 19:19

Optimustime · 28/06/2025 18:52

It's the kind of person who uses star sign horoscope or even worse, MBTI profile in casual conversation "oh well, you know me, I am an ENTJ"

You know the overlap between the people I know who use neurospicy and the people I know who used to make a big deal of their mbti profile is massive actually now you mention it

OP posts:
Whatafustercluck · 28/06/2025 19:19

I hate it too. And I too can't put my finger on why not. It just makes my teeth itch.

Bumdrops · 28/06/2025 19:18

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 28/06/2025 18:44

Haven't heard that phrase but I think people should be able to call their neurodivergency whatever they like.

Exactly !! People with neurodivergences are entitled to describe their experiences any way they like !!!!!!
I’ve met so many people with ND with crushed low self esteem due to a lifetime of prejudice/ misunderstandings/ feeling that they don’t fit in - let’s not police the language people choose to use !

CostelloJones · 28/06/2025 19:14

”Girlie” is much worse IMO!

CostelloJones · 28/06/2025 19:14

I don’t really mind it. I’m AuDHD and do not think I would use it myself but at the same time I can’t get worked up about it. I don’t feel like it’s belittling… but I am the sort of person who would tell you about my most traumatic experience like it was a stand up routine. I am known to be flippant about things so I know that’s not the experience of everyone.

I think that people can use what they are comfortable with to describe their own experience

I do hate it when people make it their whole personality though

PeriJane · 28/06/2025 19:12

I have an ASD diagnosis and all the neurospicy/neurosparkly/superpower crap really pisses me off. It’s usually people who have self-diagnosed 🙄 and/or make being autistic the ONLY thing about themselves. It’s ridiculous.

LeungandLau · 28/06/2025 19:11

Can’t stand it either. Almost as bad as people suddenly saying they’ve “caught feelings” for someone. Horrible.

butterfly0404 · 28/06/2025 19:09

It's infantilising and patronising. I have ADHD but would never describe myself as neurospicy, wtf does that even mean?

I have 2 different types of cancer too, pray god I don't see 'tumourspicy' proliferating the English language

Hoardasurass · 28/06/2025 19:09

parkintherain · 28/06/2025 18:57

I did self ID for the whole 7 years I was awaiting assessment because I knew.
Who goes round saying they have something they don’t unless they recognise it in themselves and what person without it would think they did if they didn’t? It wouldn’t cross their mind.

Show quote history

You'd be amazed how many people amongst the superpower groups who all appear suspiciously high functioning self id as asd, and go around lecturing everyone else, using it as an excuse for their poor behaviour (I'm not talking about asd behaviour but outrageous behaviour) and making outrageous demands of those around them.
It's 1 thing to say you suspect that you have asd and a whole different thing to claim a diagnosis that you don't have

Original poster
Bearinthesmallmessyflat · 28/06/2025 19:05

nomas · 28/06/2025 18:50

Yes I don’t think young people are describing themselves as neurospicy.

Show quote history

I’ve found the opposite to be fair. It’s mostly people in their teens and twenties I’ve heard using it. Actually I think when I first heard it used it was from alternative influencery types and veeery online folk and that has probably influenced my feeling about it too

But I think people have knocked it on the head saying it tends to be people that make their nd their whole personality. I get why people do it, so I try to make a conscious effort not to be annoyed by it but dear god their is a middle ground and you can be confident and open about your differences without making them your entire personality

OP posts:
FurForksSake · 28/06/2025 19:05

I’ve seen it used by people who self-diagnose to explain their differences.

Twostones · 28/06/2025 19:03

See also

we are all on the spectrum

and

a little bit OCD

Ohtobemycat · 28/06/2025 19:02

For me, it kind of is like, if you have a dish and then get the spices out.. the dish is better, different and not everyone will understand the complexity of flavour.
So I don't actually mind it.
I am ND and so is my hsband and kids and grandparents on both sides, even though they won't agree, rhey definitely are!
We struggle with lot's of things but life is so much more flavoursome because of our ND.
That's how I see it.
However, I don't actually go around using the phrase myself, i will leave that to the influencers.

ReadingSoManyThreads · 28/06/2025 19:00

I actually rolled my eyes when I saw your thread title, before opening and reading the post! I agree.

Kimchiii · 28/06/2025 19:00

Earlybirdtweetiepie · 28/06/2025 18:56

Yes! i thought it was a kink, or type of kink

Show quote history

exactly! It does sound like that 😆

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 28/06/2025 18:59

It’s the self conscious quirkiness but also the implication that being neurodivergent is positive experience if managed in the right way, which for many people it is not.

YANBU

we can stick it on the list with holibobs and picky tea

parkintherain · 28/06/2025 18:57

Hoardasurass · 28/06/2025 18:47

I find that the only people who use it are the self IDing asd/adhd that use the term and honestly I don't know what pisses me off more the term neurospicy or the fact that people think it's OK to just self id as asd

I did self ID for the whole 7 years I was awaiting assessment because I knew.
Who goes round saying they have something they don’t unless they recognise it in themselves and what person without it would think they did if they didn’t? It wouldn’t cross their mind.

Earlybirdtweetiepie · 28/06/2025 18:56

Kimchiii · 28/06/2025 18:50

I found it confusing initially , because in the online bookish world “spicy” is often used to mean sex. So for example they’ll say “this book had a lot of spice in it”

So when I first seen people saying they are neurospicy it caught me off guard and I had to check what they mean 😂 it doesn’t bother me too much but I still don’t really get why it’s used shrugs

Edited

Yes! i thought it was a kink, or type of kink

Optimustime · 28/06/2025 18:52

It's the kind of person who uses star sign horoscope or even worse, MBTI profile in casual conversation "oh well, you know me, I am an ENTJ"

nomas · 28/06/2025 18:50

smallglassbottle · 28/06/2025 18:39

It's ridiculous. I'm audhd and 55 there ain't no way I'm going to describe myself as spicy 😂 it's funny seeing the way the younger ND generations define themselves. They're so much more confident and on it. I didn't even know what was wrong with me until 45.

Yes I don’t think young people are describing themselves as neurospicy.

Kimchiii · 28/06/2025 18:50

I found it confusing initially , because in the online bookish world “spicy” is often used to mean sex. So for example they’ll say “this book had a lot of spice in it”

So when I first seen people saying they are neurospicy it caught me off guard and I had to check what they mean 😂 it doesn’t bother me too much but I still don’t really get why it’s used shrugs