For most of my life, I’ve been told I am a rather expressive person. Based on the wrinkles on my face that have made their presence known before I’m even 30 years old, I’m inclined to agree with the fact that I am expressive. Depending on who I am with, my voice can also become quite expressive in terms of tone and volume.
I have not been diagnosed as neurodivergent, and no, I am not a medical professional. But, I have taken it upon myself to research neurodivergence in detail because I’ve suspected I am neurotypical for some time now, and based on what I have read and the tests I have taken, winner, winner, chicken dinner.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also become aware of the fact that I mask when I’m with certain crowds or people. I had no clue I did this until I began researching neurodivergence, and I’ve realized that there are only a select number of people I do not mask myself around, and these people are my parents, my sister, my husband, and my closest friends. I’ve come to the conclusion the reason I do not mask myself when I am in the presence of these people is because I feel completely comfortable in my own skin when I am with them, therefore I have no need to mask.
Over the past couple of years, my dad has said to me more than once that my tone of voice comes across as rude. The first handful of times he said this to me I became very defensive which led to an argument; I was so confused by my dad saying this because I was truly unaware of how my tone sounded, and was not, by any means, trying to come across as rude. My mind was blown when I realized that tone of voice and neurodivergence are blatantly connected.
Check back tomorrow for more information on this topic.
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash
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