Calamity Brains
Funny stuff that's no joke.
Supporting neurodivergents with humor, resources,
and community.
Monday Morning Misery
Open Plan Offices open a can of worms.
Sparkler: I Have ADHD and misophonia, which is a strong reaction to certain sounds. Sometimes voices, phones, echos, bells, murmuring, and unexpected noises make me feel annoyed and overwhelmed. The absolute worst is repetitive music. Lyrics or notes over and over and over and over and over again make me want to eat someone’s liver. Just sayin’.
Stitch: Do you work in an Open Plan Office? “Well I do and it hurts like a bugger!!” Just a “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles” reference there…all hail the late, great John Candy. 🤩
Open plan offices (OPOs) are everywhere these days and guess what? Most of us neurodivergent people don’t do too well in them. They’re loud, lack personal space, and are not conducive to getting things done, at least if you’re like me.
I have sound sensitivity. All sound hits at the same volume. I’m unable to “tune things out,” so if I’m working and there’s a conversation going on across the room, a phone ringing somewhere nearby, and a machine beeping I am just bombarded with invasive sound. If it’s particularly bad I can sometimes experience nausea. Apparently, most neurotypical people can tune sounds out that they know are irrelevant. I’m not able to do this. It’s the equivalent of having six radios on at the same high volume while trying to follow a baseball game on one of them. Concentrating is a nightmare. Modern employers give no thought whatsoever that, for some people, this makes the workplace inaccessible. I’ll go out on a limb here, too, and say that OPOs aren’t productive or good for anyone. They just save employers money.
We found this article about misophonia with some basic information and tips.
What’s your experience? And have you ever been so annoyed you could eat someone’s liver? (Asking for a friend, YES, I mean Sparkler.)
Mail is scary.
Stitch: Do you have a stack of mail that sits perpetually while you work to avoid opening it or even looking at it? Who knows what’s in that envelope? It could be anything! Fear of the mail touches on a couple of things a lot of neurodivergent people struggle with: anxiety and uncertainty avoidance. These are big things for me as an AuDHD. I haven’t overcome this, but knowing the reasons behind it has given me more compassion for what’s going on inside when I see mail, and that has helped me open those envelopes in a bit more of a timely manner. Note: I currently have a 2 inch stack of mail I plan to open SOON.
Sparkler: One time when I was a young adult, instead of dealing with a persistent junk mailer, I wrote “SHE DIED. RETURN TO SENDER” on an envelope addressed to me and put it back in the mail. I didn’t get any mail for two weeks, and didn't even realize it, until my grandma called me and asked why the card she had sent me came back to her marked ‘DECEASED.” The post office thought I was dead. It took me much longer than two weeks to get that straightened out.
At one time our biggest fear was a saber-toothed tiger coming at us. Now one of our biggest fears could be a medical bill coming at us from an envelope. Same scary adrenaline! (Can you tell we live in the US?)
One thing about mail we HAVE gotten good at is mailing letters and cards! Stitch wrote this article to share with you, it is some GREAT problem-solving!
We'll save opening and sorting mail for a future cartoon!
Monday Morning Misery
When a neurotypical has a job interview.
When a neurodivergent has a job interview.
I cannot lie, I hate lying.
How do you remain honest and still land the job? This might be pretty damn hard for neurodivergents!
Join us every Monday for The Awfuls!
Can I at least have my pocket knife?
Stitch: This cartoon resulted from a conversation we had about executive functioning, which are the higher-level mental skills that allow task initiation, planning, and execution. My executive function skills are not great. It’s hard to get started on things, even when I KNOW they need doing. Things that require many steps or detailed planning can leave my brain feeling foggy and sluggish and result in task avoidance or procrastination. When you struggle with executive function issues, you can experience shame, anxiety, and depression.
Sparkler: Lacking executive function is NO fun. For me, it's a constant struggle to get admin tasks done, for example. I don’t know how many late fees and penalties I’ve caused for myself (commonly called ADHD tax, which we'll address in future cartoons). I don’t even have the executive function to think about my lack of executive function. I AM pretty handy with a jigsaw, though.
We found this website and thought it helpful:
No friends were harmed in the making of this cartoon.
Stitch: For me, friendships have always been difficult to manage. Especially with girls as a child and, later, with women. A lot of neurodivergent women struggle with this, particularly autistic women. For me, picking up on unsaid things, reading body language, and my being too blunt and probably not making the right facial expressions all play a part in making friendships difficult. Also, I much prefer to do activities, things that can be done side by side. Just sitting and chatting can be challenging, exhausting, and filled with uncertainty for me. In addition, I tend to laugh at things that other women either don’t find funny or find off-putting. Get me with a fellow neurodivergent, however, and we’re off to the races!
Sparkler: I only have a few friends. One of them laughs at things other people don’t find funny or find off-putting. It’s really kind of hilarious and endearing. Through our friendship I’ve learned to not take myself so seriously. We make quite a spectacle.
What is the best and worst parts of friendship for you?
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