Now, I’m not some Orlando Bloom fangirl (I think I’ve only seen him as Legolas) and I don’t even know which of the famous Katys his wife is, and yes, he said some things that some people have judged as ridiculous in *that* interview. But I thought maybe I should look him up as he is causing all this fuss, which I’ve just done, and lo and behold, he is NEURODIVERSE. So, here’s something. If you ask a dyslexic person (like Bloom) a question, don’t be at all surprised if they answer it in the minutest detail. Or ramble. Or say off the wall things, like how beautiful cows are, when they are thinking about whether or not to eat steak.
When I collapsed from mental exhaustion a few years ago, before my neurodiversity was diagnosed, I ended up in dyslexia/dyspraxia coaching and had CBT. The strategies I was encouraged to adopt, to help the “brain fog”, the stress and anxiety, the panic attacks, the chaos and mess, not to mention the piling up work, included a variety of things that sound weird to the neurotypical, but helped turn my life around. Of course, it’s really, really recommended we try to develop a routine. As neurodiverse people we can either have no routine or we are obsessed with routine. Or, sometimes, we swing from one to the other. My routine includes taking myself for a brisk walk every morning and trying to strengthen my core through exercise (to help my balance and coordination). This also helps clear my head of all the noise in it so that I can settle my thoughts for at least part of the day. I’ve been encouraged to meditate and do mindfulness body scans, by both therapists and coaches. Again, these are calming activities and can help a neurodiverse person to get some mental space. I don’t chant, but mindfulness comes out of Buddhist practice, so if it works for somebody, it works for somebody. Neurodiverse people can also tend to breathe very badly. Breathing exercises or chanting or singing all encourage good breathing, which ensures that the neurodiverse brain fogged person is getting oxygen to their brain. Don’t mock it. Furthermore, calming, repetitive actions (doodling, colouring, and I guess some people might even play with toy building bricks…) is a great way to help build concentration as well. I also dabble in trying out various “brain” foods (being dyslexic and dyspraxic I can’t remember the names) so I put seedy things or powders on my porridge in the hope that they will help me concentrate and occasionally, if I don’t forget, drink gingko leaf tea. If the last few days on social media and in the tabloids are anything to go by, however, all of these things are hilarious and ridiculous. But they can be really beneficial to help bring order to the neurodiverse person’s world.
So, satirize Mr Bloom’s lifestyle if that makes you feel good, his uncontextualised comments about helping women and minorities, his choice of music in his headphones, all the help he has (unless it is disability support, of course) and the collagen he takes for his hair. But please, leave the routines and the playing with Lego out of it.
Because that’s just his neurodiversity.
Saffron Muses 