Divergent Mind

Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed For You

By: Jenara Nerenberg

Narrated by: Tegan Ashton Cohan

A paradigm-shifting study of neurodivergent women—those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder—exploring why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from allowing their unique strengths to flourish.

As a successful Harvard and Berkeley-educated writer, entrepreneur, and devoted mother, Jenara Nerenberg was shocked to discover that her “symptoms”--only ever labeled as anxiety-- were considered autistic and ADHD. Being a journalist, she dove into the research and uncovered neurodiversity—a framework that moves away from pathologizing “abnormal” versus “normal” brains and instead recognizes the vast diversity of our mental makeups.

When it comes to women, sensory processing differences are often overlooked, masked, or mistaken for something else entirely. Between a flawed system that focuses on diagnosing younger, male populations, and the fact that girls are conditioned from a young age to blend in and conform to gender expectations, women often don’t learn about their neurological differences until they are adults, if at all. As a result, potentially millions live with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed neurodivergences, and the misidentification leads to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and shame. Meanwhile, we all miss out on the gifts their neurodivergent minds have to offer.

Divergent Mind is a long-overdue, much-needed answer for women who have a deep sense that they are “different.” Sharing real stories from women with high sensitivity, ADHD, autism, misophonia, dyslexia, SPD and more, Nerenberg explores how these brain variances present differently in women and dispels widely-held misconceptions (for example, it’s not that autistic people lack sensitivity and empathy, they have an overwhelming excess of it).

Nerenberg also offers us a path forward, describing practical changes in how we communicate, how we design our surroundings, and how we can better support divergent minds. When we allow our wide variety of brain makeups to flourish, we create a better tomorrow for us all.

Gave me a whole new perspective

Absolutely worth a read. Was suggested by my therapist, and this was so eye opening for a lot of unexplained behaviors I have exhibited my whole life and did not have a name for. A great perspective to understand how some loved ones, coworkers and others also move through the world.

This book has taught me so much about myself

I have had trouble with being overstimulated and overwhelmed and I just thought I was wierd. this book helped me better understand why I interact in the world the way I do. phenomperfly written.

important book to many people

very interesting and educational but ironically I found the narrator's voice incredibly hard to listen to. very monotone and robotic. I imagine maybe that was done on purpose but it's not great.

A hope filled listen for women who feel “different”

Omg. My life won’t be the same after listening. I am looking forward with hope at the potential my life has before me :)

straightforward

perfect for those of uss who just want answers and stories of others to help us move forward.