Exploring your Mental Health as a Neurodivergent Person

This workshop is taking place in the Scott Room in the Plymouth Central Library, Armada Way. The Scott Room is located upstairs and there is lift access, please ask a member of staff for directions or assistance.

In this workshop we will be looking at some of the links between neurodiversity and mental health to help you to understand your experience better, and how you can support yourself and your mental health as a neurodivergent person.

We have created this workshop by focusing on the main pain points that we were hearing from neurodivergent adults about their mental health, as well as using our own experiences of discovering our neurodivergence in adulthood.

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity refers to the range of differences and variations in individual brain function. It recognises different ways of thinking, perceiving and experiencing the world. These differences can include conditions such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

There has been an increase in awareness over the last few years resulting in an increase in adults discovering their neurodivergence later in life. As a result, services are under significant strain leading to extended waiting times for a diagnosis, without any support in the meantime.

We will be looking at the following topics and how they can impact a neurodivergent person’s mental health:

• Emotional Dysregulation
• Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria
• Over/understimulation
• Masking

You will learn information to help you with taking control of your experience and learning more about your neurodivergence. This will help you to better understand your experience in order to advocate for your needs and put suitable support mechanisms in place.

We will also be looking at letting go of the shame you may have internalised about yourself and empower you to start treating yourself with compassion and understanding, moving towards self-acceptance.

This workshop is open to anyone looking to learn more about their neurodivergence, including those with a formal diagnosis, on a waiting list, self-diagnosed and those exploring their possible neurodivergence. It is also open to those looking to learn how they can better support neurodivergent people in their lives.

This workshop will be a safe and validating space for neurodivergent people and we ask that this is respected by everyone in attendance in order to make it as valuable and positive for everyone as possible.

There will be plenty of breaks and check ins, as well as reflection and discussion opportunities. We will provide fidget toys and refreshments but please feel free to bring your own if you have something that helps you. We just ask that you are considerate of the possible sensory experiences of others around you too. We want this to be an inclusive space so you can take part in a way that is comfortable for you.

There will be a maximum of 15 people taking part in the workshop with 3 facilitators who are all neurodivergent themselves.

If you have any access requirements to enable you to attend this workshop, please let us know by contacting us at hello@plymouthreg.com.

If you don’t manage to get a place on this workshop don’t worry, we will be running it again. You can sign up to our mailing list to find out about future workshop dates by visiting our website at www.plymouthreg.com