Unpacking #BlackLove and Neurodivergent Love Languages: A Personal Journey
(Black women are cis, trans, femme, and non-binary persons who identify with Black womanhood.)
In the ever-evolving labyrinth of identity, mental health, and relationships, navigating a world rife with simplifications and misconceptions becomes a profoundly empowering odyssey (Smith, 2020; Johnson, 2019). As a Black woman, this voyage has unveiled profound discoveries, unfurling the intricate tapestry of #BlackLove and the captivating world of neurodivergent love languages.
Just over a month ago, a transformative shift occurred in my life with the revelation of an ADHD diagnosis (Jones et al., 2021). It sparked a transformative journey of self-discovery, one that demanded I unravel long-held beliefs that had, for too long, shaped my existence as an introvert grappling with C-PTSD (Brown, 2018; Walker, 2017). These interconnected facets of my identity had often rendered my unique operating system undiagnosed or misunderstood, even by myself.
Questions about how I perceived and navigated the world had once been filtered through the lens of my previous diagnosis, informed by relentless trial and error. I’d find myself, from time to time, uttering phrases like, “This is just the way I’ve always been,” all the while lacking a complete understanding of the underlying…
