A trending topic floating around on the internet has been neurotypical and neurodivergent, and what those terms mean exactly. A lot of people understand it has something to do with ADHD or Autism, but they can be confused about the difference between the two.
When you are neurotypical, your brain processes information regularly, so you don’t have issues learning directions, understanding social cues, or processing your emotions. Whereas, when you are neurodivergent, your brain processes information differently than the average person . You may not have the same focus, social cue recognition, or capability for emotional processing as someone who is neurotypical.
To those who don’t understand neurodiversity, these differences might not seem like much. You may assume that neurodivergent people can learn to easily overcome these neurological differences and then progress as everyone else does. This is not the case; neurodivergent brains cannot just unlearn how they’re wired or change how they react to emotions.
You may be able to soften your brain differences on a surface level, which is referred to as “masking”, but it is not a permanent change within the brain. This is why specialized support can be beneficial for anyone who is neurodivergent so they can function in a world that was built with neurotypical people in mind.
What Does It Mean to Be Neurotypical vs. Neurodivergent?
Neurotypical is the “typical” way a brain will process information. Whereas being neurodivergent is a different way to process things in the brain, whether it be communicating, perceiving your environment, learning, social cues, and social preferences . Neurodivergence tends to be a spectrum, where some people have more manageable symptoms so that they can assimilate, or they might have more severe symptoms where they cannot function in everyday life, like work, school, and so on .
Neurodivergence also encompasses a few mental health diagnoses, such as:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia
- Tourette Syndrome
Given the different diagnoses, you might have varying ideas of what each means. You might believe that anyone who has ADHD is lazy or that someone who has autism cannot live independently. You might even believe that dyslexia is not valid and is something that can be unlearned.
There are many common misconceptions or stereotypes of clinically diagnosable mental health conditions that aren’t true. These are just assumptions made off of people’s perceptions of these diagnoses. These misconceptions are not only untrue, but they’re also harmful to those with these diagnoses because they exaggerate the differences between these diagnoses and neurotypical functioning.
How Is Neurodiversity Linked To Addiction Risk?
Neurodivergence can create a greater addiction risk due to the wanting to function like a neurotypical person or to ease the symptoms of neurodivergence.
Does being neurodivergent make you more vulnerable to addiction?
Most neurodivergent people are more susceptible to addiction because they tend to struggle with sensory processing. This means your brain processes sensory data like movement, touch, taste, and smell. It can normally filter out anything too overwhelming or let neurotypical people not focus on it. When you’re neurodivergent, you can’t block out anything overwhelming, instead, you might hyper-focus on it directly until it’s unbearable .
Whatever harsh sensory overload you’re facing can dysregulate your nervous system. With these symptoms, substances such as alcohol and drugs can make you feel like you are stabilized. A lot of the things that were initially overwhelming can be numbed with substances, and you may be able to interact more socially as well.
Not only can this ease some of the sensory overload issues, but using substances can bring a rush of dopamine. Someone who’s neurodivergent can lack the regular level of dopamine in their brain and may continue to repeat behaviors that gives them a rush. Substances also numb your senses, which might make loud, bright, and social experiences more bearable, causing you to develop an addiction to ease your neurodivergent symptoms.
Related: Understanding the Link Between Mental Health and Addiction
How Do Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Brains Process Information Differently?
For a neurotypical person, it’s normally not an issue if they need to complete a task, focus on doing something, listen to loud sounds, or socialize with people. When you are neurodivergent, all of these skills are more difficult to complete. It can be challenging to complete a task because focus is not consistent, so a task could be put off or never finished.
What prevents finishing a task is usually something called executive dysfunction, where there are intense difficulties with behaving, feeling, and thinking. Executive dysfunction makes completing tasks, switching tasks, initiating tasks, or following instructions extremely difficult.
Most neurodivergent people cannot focus on a task unless it provides their brain with dopamine. This means they can concentrate deeply and learn a lot in a short time as long as they are hyper-focused on something.
A common indicator of someone with neurodivergence is hyper-fixation on a specific topic, hobby, or skill. This can include a wide range of interests such as, spending a significant amount of time working out, eating well, spending all of or most of their free time playing video games, reading the entirety of a book series in a short time, learning everything there is to know about dinosaur species, making sports or a sports team their entire personality, and so on. This can lead to someone being an expert in a certain field or hobby.
Additionally, this great hyperfixation can also negatively affect someone who is neurodivergent if the thing they focus on is not a good influence such as drug or alcohol abuse, porn addiction, gambling addiction, and more.
What Challenges Do Neurodivergent Individuals Face in Recovering From Drugs and Alcohol?
When someone who is neurodivergent enters a recovery program for substance abuse, it can be more difficult for them compared to neurotypical individuals. For some, the structure might be beneficial, but for many, it hinders them due to having to follow instructions and rules.
Living in a shared space with a lot of other people can also be overwhelming. There can be communication barriers in group settings due to not understanding social cues, which might make group therapy sessions less beneficial. Certain treatment environments might give you sensory overload, and executive dysfunction can prevent you from properly following the rules or schedules in the program.
How Does New Life House Accommodate Different Neurotypes?
New Life House Recovery Home in Los Angeles, CA is an all-accepting program that will work with you to understand your individual needs, make any necessary accommodations, and get you involved in our treatment environment at your own pace.
Understanding Individual Needs
When you enter New Life House, we will accommodate neurodivergent minds much better than any other recovery program. We utilize a detailed, comprehensive assessment process so your treatment plan is personalized to your specific needs.
Having professional mental health support is a huge plus for anyone going through the program, but especially for people who are neurodivergent, so they can access neurodiversity affirming therapy, work through mental health challenges, and learn proper coping tools and life skills for how their brain processes things.
Creating an Inclusive Community Environment
At New Life House, the age range is specifically for young men, which fosters important and long-lasting relationships. They can share their experiences, which will bring them closer together and the community supports different types of communication styles.
When different communication styles are accepted and used, it creates a more comfortable space for anyone to share. This results in an inclusive environment where neurodivergent people will feel comfortable sharing and learning.
Related: Gender-Specific Treatment in Addiction Recovery
What Makes Our Treatment Approach Effective for All Neurotypes?
Our treatment approach is tailored with the neurotypical and neurodivergent person in mind. Embracing neurodiversity while providing specialized support services and offering flexibility allows us to help all who come through our doors.
Related: When Every Rehab Program and Sober Living Has Let You Down, Try This
Specialized Support Services
In our recovery house, you’re able to have different kinds of therapy that target different difficulties. One-on-one therapy is utilized to work on your substance use history, mental health conditions, and primary concerns and to develop proper coping skills. You’ll attend group therapy so you can learn how to foster social skills and build community, and family therapy so your family can learn more about your substance use issues along with your neurodivergence. There is also psychiatric support for any medication management that may be needed.
Structured Environment with Flexibility
Although our sober living is a structured environment, there is flexibility with the routine. It’s adaptable due to its being centered on independent living. Learning how to cook, clean, and have a daily schedule helps neurotypical and neurodivergent people develop fundamental life skills that they can carry into the rest of their lives, and each accommodation is highly individualized so that it works for each person.
New Life House Can Help
Our commitment to inclusive recovery will bring you success on your sobriety journey. Being able to truly understand how neurodivergent brains process information differently and being accommodating to those differences brings progress to your daily functioning. New Life House has successful outcomes because we tailor the support offered to each resident.
If you are neurodivergent and the idea of recovery seems daunting, consider New Life House. We are willing and ready to tailor your recovery to you, and we want you to succeed. Call us now to learn more about our sober living in Los Angeles, CA, and get your sobriety journey started.
References:
- Charity, B. (2023, June 21). Neurodivergent, neurodiversity and neurotypical: a guide to the terms. Support for Neurological Conditions | the Brain Charity. https://www.thebraincharity.org.uk/neurodivergent-neurodiversity-neurotypical-explained/
- MEd, N. B. M. (2021, November 23). What is neurodiversity? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-neurodiversity-202111232645
- What do “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” mean? | DO-IT. (n.d.). https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-do-%E2%80%9Cneurodiverse%E2%80%9D-and-%E2%80%9Cneurodivergent%E2%80%9D-mean
- Dwyer, P. (2022). The Neurodiversity Approach(es): What Are They and What Do They Mean for Researchers? Human Development, 66(2), 73–92. https://doi.org/10.1159/000523723
Last Updated on April 4, 2025
