anger Archives - Christel Maritz

The unique challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals often remain invisible because, on the surface, they frequently “look no different” from their neurotypical peers. This very lack of outward distinction, however, underscores the immense and constant effort required to navigate a world designed for a different cognitive and sensory landscape. Neurodivergence, encompassing conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others, represents fundamental differences in how the brain processes information and interacts with the environment. While these differences are core to their being, the pressure to conform to neurotypical norms necessitates a persistent and often exhausting performance of “normalcy.”

Imagine constantly translating a foreign language in every interaction, filtering overwhelming sensory input that others barely notice, or trying to follow social cues that feel arbitrary and confusing. This is a glimpse into the daily reality for many neurodivergent individuals. They may learn to mask or camouflage their natural tendencies – suppressing stims, forcing eye contact, meticulously planning social interactions, or developing elaborate strategies to compensate for executive function challenges. To the outside world, they might appear to be functioning adequately, even seamlessly.

However, this outward presentation comes at a significant cost. The energy expended on maintaining this facade, on constantly monitoring and adjusting their behavior to fit in, is immense. This constant effort to appear “normal” while their internal experience is vastly different leads to a state of chronic stress and ultimately, neurodivergent burnout. This exhaustion isn’t simply tiredness; it’s a deep depletion that affects every aspect of their being – sensory processing becomes more acute, executive function deteriorates further, emotional regulation becomes more difficult, and social interactions feel even more draining.

The struggle lies in the disconnect between the outward presentation and the internal reality. Because they “look no different,” their difficulties are often underestimated or dismissed. The effort they exert to meet neurotypical expectations goes unnoticed, leading to a lack of understanding and support. This invisibility can compound feelings of isolation and invalidate their experiences, further contributing to burnout and impacting self-esteem.

Recognizing that “looking no different” doesn’t equate to experiencing the world in the same way is crucial. Understanding that the performance of normalcy is a significant and draining undertaking is the first step towards providing genuine support and fostering inclusive environments where neurodivergent individuals can be accepted and accommodated for who they are, rather than for how well they can mimic neurotypical behavior. Only then can we move towards a world where their inherent differences are understood and valued, reducing the immense pressure to constantly perform and mitigating the debilitating effects of neurodivergent burnout.

LACK OF SELF-AWARENSS AS PART OF A Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions that involve long-lasting, disruptive patterns of thinking, behavior, mood and relating to others.

People with personality disorders often don’t realize their thoughts and behaviors are problematic. Self-awareness is arguably the most fundamental issue in psychology, from both a developmental and an evolutionary perspective. It allows us to see things from the perspective of others, practice self-control, work creatively and productively, and experience pride in ourselves and our work as well as general self-esteem (Silvia & O’Brien, 2004). It leads to better decision making (Ridley, Schutz, Glanz, & Weinstein, 1992).

It is one of the first components of the self-concept to emerge. People are not born completely self-aware. Yet evidence suggests that infants do have a rudimentary sense of self-awareness. Being self-aware all the time is hard. In fact, there are many human flaws – or cognitive biases – that keep us from making rational decisions. It’s these human biases that cause a lack of self-awareness.

“Self-awareness is the ability to focus on yourself and how your actions, thoughts, or emotions do or don’t align with your internal standards.”

Internal self-awareness, represents how clearly we see our own values, passions, aspirations, fit with our environment, reactions (including thoughts, feelings, behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses), and impact on others. External self-awareness, means understanding how other people view us. When it comes to internal and external self-awareness, it’s tempting to value one over the other. The bottom line is that self-awareness isn’t one truth. It’s a delicate balance of two distinct, even competing, viewpoints.

Self-awareness is a crucial skill to have when it comes to being a kind, compassionate and happy person. However, most humans are prone to do things or make decisions that don’t seem self-aware at all.

Disorders of self-awareness frequently follow frontal lobe damage. Patients with bilateral lesions of the premotor cortex often have poor self-awareness and finger tap slowly. Patients with orbitofrontal lesions also may have impaired self-awareness, but their speed of finger tapping is normal.

Although most people believe that they are self-aware, true self-awareness is a rare quality. Self-awareness seems to have become the latest management buzzword — and for good reason. Research suggests that when we see ourselves clearly, we are more confident and more creative. We make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. We’re less likely to lie, cheat, and steal. We are better workers who get more promotions. And we’re more-effective leaders with more-satisfied employees and more-profitable companies.

Bodily self-awareness. T
Social self-awareness.
Introspective self-awareness.

There are 4 keys to self-awareness – being intentional, thinking differently, building skills, and changing your context – can make a vital difference in moving from passive self-awareness to dynamic action.

What disorder lacks self-awareness?

Individuals who have signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder or narcissistic personality disorder have one major thing in common, a lack of self-awareness.

Why is self-awareness so important?

Being self-aware gives us the ability to end negative unhealthy patterns. If you’re in a relationship with someone who seems to lack self-awareness, whether they have signs and symptoms of BPD or NPD, we need to get to the core of the issues. When someone is lacking self-awareness, it will contribute to arguments within the relationship. A person who lacks self-awareness doesn’t have the ability to fully see how their actions and attitude affects another person. When we look closely into an unhealthy relationship, we find a lack of self-awareness.

Lack of insight also typically causes a person to avoid treatment. When someone rejects a diagnosis of mental illness, it’s tempting to say that he’s “in denial.” But someone with acute mental illness may not be thinking clearly enough to consciously choose denial. They may instead be experiencing “lack of insight” or “lack of awareness.” The formal medical term for this medical condition is anosognosia, from the Greek meaning “to not know a disease.”

INSTROSPECTION DOESN’T ALWAYS IMPROVE SELF-AWARENESS

It is also widely assumed that introspection — examining the causes of our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — improves self-awareness. After all, what better way to know ourselves than by reflecting on why we are the way we are?

We need to be sure we are self-aware and apply it to ourselves in order to be more successful in every aspect of our lives. Self-awareness is key to mindfulness and understanding one’s self fully. Cultivating self-awareness requires an introspective approach, a system and a process to actively and consciously engage in the recognition of ourselves as an individual. This means focusing on all of our being — our beliefs (open or limiting), our physical state of health, our mental state of health, our spiritual state of health and more. It is an acceptance of all the good parts of ourselves and the areas that need improvement. It’s about who we are and what we do daily in each moment.

Sources:

https://hbr.org/2018/01/what-self-awareness-really-is-and-how-to-cultivate-it

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/signs-theyre-not-self-aware-bpd-and-npd-have-this-in-common-kpkn/

Click to access Rochat5levels.pdf

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Common-with-Mental-Illness/Anosognosia

Posts Tagged with anger

The Unseen Effort: Navigating a Neurotypical World When “Normal” is a Constant Performance

Being Self-aware or NOT?

LACK OF SELF-AWARENSS AS PART OF A Personality Disorders

“Self-awareness is the ability to focus on yourself and how your actions, thoughts, or emotions do or don’t align with your internal standards.”