thoughts Archives

rigid thinking (cognitive inflexibility)

Cognitive inflexibility, also erroneously referred to as rigid thinking, is a diagnostic characteristic of autism that describes difficulty shifting between tasks, perspectives, or plans. The label captures how the trait looks from outside — but the internal experience is better understood through monotropism: a processing style that goes deep rather than wide. The depth that makes sustained focus, thoroughness, and reliability possible is the same depth that makes switching costly. The difficulty and the strength are the same mechanism.

justice sensitivity

communication emotions self-image society thoughts

Justice sensitivity is the heightened awareness of rule violations and inconsistencies, paired with an intense emotional and physiological response. For many neurodivergent people, fairness and consistency function as essential navigational tools when you can't reliably read social cues or predict what will happen next. When rules are applied inconsistently or stated expectations don't match actual consequences, your nervous system registers this as a genuine threat to your ability to navigate the world safely. The intensity of your reaction reflects the pattern violation itself, regardless of the moral weight of the situation. Justice sensitivity is morally neutral—it tells you when a rule has been violated, but not whether the rule was good or fair in the first place.

cognitive load

focus information thoughts

Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used at any given time.

For neurodivergent people, activities that others might find automatic (like maintaining expected facial expressions or processing background noise) can significantly increase cognitive load.

internalised ableism

prejudice self-image society thoughts

Internalised ableism is a psychological construct that refers to the internalisation of negative beliefs, stereotypes, and prejudices about disabilities that are prevalent in society.

It involves self-stigmatization and the development of a negative self-concept based on one's disability and onboarding negative beliefs said to us by parental figures, teachers, grown-ups and society in general.

hyperactivity

energy movement thoughts

Hyperactive Type is one of the ADHD subtypes. Hyperactivity can present in physical and mental symptoms. Hyperactive traits include fidgeting and other sensory-seeking behaviours, interrupting others when they talk or finishing their sentences for them, impulsive actions and thrill-seeking behaviour (with a reduced sense of danger), having many ideas and blurting them out.

rumination

stress thoughts

Ruminations are thought loops that you seemingly can’t get out of. Examples: thinking about what you should’ve said 5 years ago, feeling anxious if they misunderstood you, or worrying about whether you should’ve behaved differently, did they judge you, whether you were in the wrong, etc. Can be present in both OCD or ADHD. Rumination …