Is Neurodivergence Linked to Mental Health Diagnoses?

Alright Warrior,

This is a question I’ve been sitting with for a while now — and honestly, I keep coming back to it because I see it everywhere.

Is there a link between neurodivergence and mental health diagnoses?

Because here’s my lived experience:
I’m neurodivergent. I also live with multiple mental health diagnoses. And every neurodivergent person I know? They don’t just have one diagnosis. It’s usually one, two, or a whole sampler platter.

So… coincidence? Or something deeper going on?

Let’s talk about it.

First, a quick reality check: neurodivergence itself is not a mental illness. ADHD, autism, OCD, bipolar — these are differences in how our brains process the world. Not defects. Not failures. Not something that needs to be “fixed.”

But here’s where things get tangled.

Living in a world that isn’t built for your brain is exhausting.

When you’re constantly:
• masking to seem “normal”
• forcing yourself into systems that don’t work for you
• being misunderstood, criticized, or told you’re “too much” or “not enough”
• pushing past your limits because rest isn’t socially rewarded

…your nervous system doesn’t just shrug that off.

Over time, that chronic stress can turn into anxiety. Depression. Burnout. Trauma responses. Mood instability. Shame spirals. Emotional exhaustion so deep it feels cellular.

So is there a correlation between neurodivergence and mental health diagnoses?

Yeah. There often is.

Not because neurodivergent brains are broken — but because they’re living under constant pressure in a world that rarely accommodates them.

Another piece we don’t talk about enough? Late diagnosis.

So many of us spent decades thinking:
“I’m lazy.”
“I’m dramatic.”
“I’m bad at life.”

When in reality, we were neurodivergent and unsupported. That kind of self-blame can mess with your mental health in very real ways.

And let me be clear: having multiple diagnoses doesn’t mean you’re doomed or damaged. It often means you adapted the best you could with the tools you had at the time.

That’s not weakness. That’s survival.

I think the real question isn’t “What’s wrong with us?”
It’s “What happens to a nervous system that has to fight this hard just to exist?”

If this resonates, you’re not imagining it. You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not broken.

I’d love to hear your thoughts — do you see this connection in your own life or community too? Hit reply and tell me. This is one of those conversations we need to keep having.

Love Always,
Amy
Your Mental Health Warrior & Neurodivergent Advocate 💚

P.S. Little Brains, Big Potential is a limited-time bundle, and once it closes, these resources won’t be available together again. Check out my contribution, The Neurodivergent Parent Toolkit.