Over time, the hallmark of being Nigerian has been a total disregard for ailments. If it’s walkable, then it’s not a threat. We keep our malaise to ourselves until it bursts out of us like water from a torn sachet. This is for ailments that we are conversant with, typical ailments of the physical body like common malaria or even diabetes. But what about the ailments and little quirks that afflict the most important organ in the body? Right up in our heads is an organ, a fascinating mash-up of four lobes that controls everything in the body: cognition, sensory perception, emotion, memory, name it. Would it not be odd that we come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and even mental capacities, but our brains remain the same type… all eight billion of us?
If you are chronically online, you might have heard or seen the word neurodivergent/neurodivergence being thrown around. Have you paused to wonder if there’s more to it than reminding you of that YA 2014 movie? As a Nigerian (derogatory), the first thought would probably be: they have come again with their fancy talk and attention-seeking or a hiss, and you move on. I hope you don’t do the same this time.
What Exactly is Neurodivergence?
To talk about neurodivergence, we have to touch upon neurotypicals and what they are. As the name implies, neurotypical refers to a mind that functions and abides by the dominant societal standard. Neurotypical individuals exhibit “normal” neurological behaviors and perfectly fit into the society created with them in mind. They are your classmates, neighbors, friends, partners, and even enemies. They are also majorly the ones who are privileged enough to not have to face certain challenges, and in the Nigerian setting, more often than not, sneer at neurodivergence. Neurodivergence, on the other hand, simply refers to a deviation from the normal neurological function. It is the opposite of being neurotypical and encompasses a variety of conditions.
Do not get me wrong; I do not come to you saying either is better than the other. That is simply the beauty of life, with diversity. It is us humans who create standards that do not accommodate everyone. Within the umbrella of neurodivergence fall many sets that you might be conversant with, such as ADHD, OCD, autism, Down’s syndrome, Asperger’s, depression, bipolar disorder, dyslexia, Tourette’s, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and anxiety disorders. When pitched against the neurotypical in society, the weaknesses of the neurodivergent might overshadow their strengths and leave them beaten hands down. These weaknesses may include concentration and memory issues, learning difficulties, mood instability, sensory issues, time blindness, inability to read social and verbal cues, sensory issues, hyperfocus on the wrong tasks, etc.
When we speak about the strengths, they are sometimes awe-inspiring and make you wish you were just like that. These strengths may include creativity, hyperfixation, detailed thinking, pattern recognition, enhanced perception, complex problem-solving, enhanced memory retention, heightened empathy, etc.
What Exactly Makes a Person Neurodivergent?
It is not enough to know these terms by their textbook definition and nod, after all, you have heard all this before. No, neurodivergence is something you meet with and interact with every day. It is, just like the neurotypicals, something you see in the streets, your classrooms, in movies, in the clinic, at the suya spot… even in you. So, let us treat a few examples that might be familiar to the average Nigerian.
Autism
You have a friend who acts ‘funny.’ Everyone always asks, ah wetin dey do this guy? He has a very niche interest bordering on obsession in something obscure like bugs or even wallpaper. This friend likes to stay on his own, takes things very literally, hates certain sounds, eats with a particular spoon always, started playing the piano at two and much more. In short, you have theorized he might be an alien. Well, these are common examples of autistic traits. Autism is not just something you hear in shows like “The Big Bang Theory” or seen flashed about in books. It’s a real neurological condition that a substantial amount of people close to you experience. It operates on a spectrum like most neurological conditions as there are variations in traits and expressions from person to person. The most common traits that begin manifesting from a young age include difficulties in social communication, repetitive behaviors, inability to read social cues, sensory sensitivity, stims, strong visual learning, excelling in certain subjects or creative pursuits, etc.
There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with them; that is just who they are. The fact that they do not fit into the societal standard of “normal” is a fault of the society and not the individual themself. The same way you wake up and pick a random shirt is the same way your autistic friend wakes up and meticulously selects his shirt before proceeding to follow a strict daily routine, making random sounds (if he is comfortable with you). He’s just like you, except with a brain that is wired differently. Sometimes, he might get tired of not knowing when to laugh at jokes or understand idioms and start mirroring your behavior in a bid to fit in. Other times, he might decide to live as he pleases and become standoffish. Either way, that is your friend, the way he is.
ADHD
I know you have heard this one; who hasn’t? And if you are as chronically online as I am, you must have asked yourself once or twice if the reason your attention span is bad nowadays is because of *name drop* ADHD. Well folks, ADHD awareness is one of the things I’m quite grateful to the internet for. You can’t scroll through your Instagram feed without seeing a reel on it (or it could just be my feed). Some people say everyone thinks they have it, but I don’t believe so. There is just enough awareness for people to finally name their challenges… and maybe the internet is to blame too for loading the brain with quick dopamine.
What is ADHD?
Well, ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s a condition that is fairly common and affects more than 1.5 million Nigerians per year, with a prevalence rate ranging from 3.2% and 23.15% according to various studies. It may be you; it may be I. What’s that neurotransmitter? Yes, dopamine. It’s believed to be caused as a result of insufficient dopamine in the brain, the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, satisfaction, and pleasure. Now, the ADHD brain is left low on this, and as a result, it is always searching for ways to spike up its dopamine. This manifests as most of the telltale signs of ADHD in individuals like the inability to remain focused for long, lack of motivation, executive dysfunction(thinking about a task but being unable to execute it)or hyperactivity. It is also important to note that it comes in three forms: inattentive, hyperactive, and a combination of both. The inattentive type is easy to go unnoticed as it doesn’t have any of the telltale signs of visible hyperactivity, but it still very much exists, albeit mentally.
That friend of yours in secondary school who was always late and talked a lot. She always got into trouble, and the teachers used to shout, “Oh for God’s sake, what’s wrong with you? Sit down here!” She never knew where she kept her things, couldn’t concentrate to read but somehow passed exams, coming 3rd or 2nd. Her parents would say, “If you managed to sit down and focus, what is first that you can’t take? You’re a bright girl!” This friend was also terrible at navigation and had a very disorganized room. She was always starting one new hobby or the other and somehow managed to learn all about the Roman empire. Nowadays, this friend is addicted to Instagram but can’t watch or finish a movie to save her life.
These are all traits of the ADHD individual. A brain seeking dopamine, darting to and fro like a rabbit on caffeine. Sometimes, it presents with other conditions like anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism, etc., making it harder to decipher by professionals. But at the end of the day, it’s you and your impulsive brain with brand new ideas against the world.
Treatment usually involves stimulants like Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, etc.
Depression (Major Depressive Disorder)
One thing I genuinely don’t like about Nigerians is their approach towards depression and its follow-up baggage like suicide. Clinical depression is not a condition that arises because you lost a shoe or some money; that is just the mood. People have been speaking up and talking about their struggles with depression yet, for some reason, each time the unfortunate news of suicide comes up, everyone has their backward ideas and jokes to lend. You realize depression is real, and on suicide awareness month, you post the flyer, but on your group chat, you’re there shouting “vawolence” and posting sniper pictures. Very Nigerian of you.
Clinical depression is a condition that some people are genetically predisposed to and have to live with all their life. It is speculated to be a depletion of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, but that is not proven yet. Many factors trigger it, such as the death of a relative, loss of job, failure in school, a breakup, season change and poor nutrition, and this leads to a depressive episode that spans from 2 weeks to forever. Depression is defined as a persistent low mood for over 2 weeks with other symptoms like apathy, loss of appetite/increase in appetite, loss of interest, suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide), persistent sadness, bouts of crying. Sometimes, it is simply characterized by a bleak and empty feeling with no interest in life. As a student, I believe everyone has felt this way at least once; it is the law, and unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do but thug on… or so you think. When you reach out to a therapist or psychiatrist, get evaluated, and receive treatment, you’ll most likely be prescribed SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and CBT therapy. With time and personal effort, there comes a light at the end of the tunnel.
Depression is interesting because when you hear it, you don’t hear its full name, which is Clinical Unipolar Depression. The unipolar implies that there is a bipolar somewhere, doesn’t it? You are right!
Bipolar Disorder aka Manic Depression
This is the funny twin of clinical depression with a slight twist. This also happens to be mine, so I’ll tell my story. I fell into a major depressive episode or, as my psychiatrist revealed, had been living with one for a long time until my last exam period made me realize I’d completely lost my footing. It was a very bad time for me; I had almost all the symptoms of depression, but as a Nigerian, I said God forbid and continued thuggin’ along in denial. I couldn’t read because I could not concentrate, neither did I care about school or life. All I wanted to do was run far away from everything.
When I got home, I went to a psychiatrist and was put on SSRIs. Then an odd thing happened. After a while, I entered what is known as a manic episode and had a psychotic break. Going back to the psychiatrist, it was revealed that this phenomenon was indicative of bipolar disorder, not just the normal depression. So, if you haven’t heard about bipolar disorder apart from Kanye West, I’m here to talk about it. From the horse’s mouth to you.
Bipolar disorder, as the name implies, is a mood disorder that is characterized by two extreme mood swings over an extended period of time. These moods are: mania, periods of elevated highs and euphoria, and depression. These could last for days, weeks, or months. The bipolar individual swings from one extreme to another. During the manic phase, they may engage in risky behavior and be reckless (like sell their family land to buy a Gucci ring), be hypersexual, have an inflated sense of importance, rapid thoughts and ideas, reduced need for sleep and food, reduced inhibition, and euphoria. Mania is then followed by depression, which is exactly like the unipolar sort.
There are 3 sorts: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and rapid cycling. The differences lie in whether the person has experienced either or both of a manic/ hypomanic (a mild mania) and depressive episode in their lifetime. A psychotic break occasionally happens when the mood swings are extreme, and this is a break from reality. It is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disturbed thought patterns, paranoia, speaking to oneself, rapid speech, strange feelings or no feelings at all, catatonia, etc. A psychotic episode is very dangerous because you literally lose grasp of your senses. It is one of the stereotypical behaviors of a person losing their mind in movies. An instance where one comes up in a depressive episode can end up with the individual actually acting on suicidal ideation.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRIs), the sort of drugs prescribed for depression, inhibit the serotonin reuptake in the brain, thus elevating serotonin levels. This is normally what brings a person up from unipolar depression with time, but in bipolar depression, it pushes you into mania, like it did to me. My psychiatrist instructed me to withdraw the fluoxetine (SSRI) I was taking and then prescribed olanzapine and carbamazepine, which are the right drugs for BPD—an antipsychotic and an anticonvulsant, respectively. These drugs are meant to keep you on neutral ground for as long as possible while you do your best to protect your mental health.
Like many conditions, bipolar disorder has triggers that can send you to one end of the pendulum like: stress, lack of sleep, over-excitement, death of a close one, fear, etc. All triggers that are very easy to come by. And even in the absence of triggers, you can, and will still swing from one end to another, but not so often. You just have to be cautious.
Anxiety Disorders (Social Anxiety and GAD)
Anxiety conditions are more popular than you think, with over 1.5 million reported cases per year in Nigeria. So, it would be quite unfair to skip one which the majority of people experience, myself included.
Almost everyone has a friend that’s “very shy”.Anxiety, as we all know, is a feeling of deep unease. Social anxiety on its own is a condition in which social situations or interactions trigger anxiety in the individual. Like all conditions, it operates on a spectrum with some more intense or milder than the other. We all know the FFF response and what adrenaline does to the body. Imagine each time you tried to speak to someone (be it your lecturer or even friend), your stomach churns and you feel a wave of anxiety. The same anxiety you feel when standing before an audience and you’ve forgotten your topic. Yes, social anxiety can be quite funny and embarrassing for the individual. When the body goes into overdrive, it manifests as a panic attack (lasting up to 20 mins) with symptoms like: waves of nausea, heavy breathing, cold sweat, tremors, self consciousness, heart palpitations, dizziness and teary eyes. This condition causes the individual to deeply avoid social situations because of the underlying fear of embarrassment, self consciousness and worry. All because you’re trying to gist with your coursemates or in a cab.
Social anxiety is not shyness or just stage fright, do not mix it up. The difference is, everyone gets shy once in a while or anxious before a major exam. But when it’s intense and begins to affect your everyday life, it might be SA. If you live your life avoiding ever being in a social situation because it will get you anxious even around your friends and you will rather carry ABS on your result than meet your lecturer, then it might be social anxiety.
We have the “big brother”, GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). This one does not play around with you. You have no time to think “oh I might be shy”. Oh no, every waking moment of your life is full of anxiety, with little or no decipherable triggers. You could be in your room alone feeling all of this. There’s generally zero sense of self esteem, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, nausea, irritability, excessive worry over mundane things like walking on the street or buying airtime, negative thoughts, mood swings, dreading conversations even with your family, sometimes suicidal ideation, feeling everyone hates you etc. Simply put, GAD is like social anxiety on steroids.
Treatment involves SSRIs (yes, the same as in depression), benzodiazepines, psychotherapy and buspirone. Most of all, many individuals with anxiety recognize and do their own part in learning how to calm down with breathing techniques, avoid triggers and try to build confidence with practice. Do your best!
Takeaway
There are many other conditions to touch on, but I believe I have touched some of the most common in Nigeria and around me. I appeal to you to not let the Nigerian in you stop you from going to a specialist if you suspect something is a bit off and you can’t handle it too well. This is the valuable help we speak about that is necessary. Again, this help (chemotherapy and psychotherapy) is not because you are broken or less human than the others. It’s just like a hand to hold you as you course through life in a society that isn’t kind to you. You are not alone, no matter how different you feel, there are others just like you, thuggin’ it out. And for those who are privileged enough to be neurotypical and well-versed in nasty humor, please learn to keep your sniper and noose to yourself, we get it, you’re funny.
Tobe Kpakpando (Contributor)
I had a beautiful read!
Thank you for this, Tobe.