Neurodivergent chicken keepers

[HipMystic]

I am of a generation in which nobody ever got diagnosed with anything but I always felt a bit different and out of step and now wonder if I am not "on the spectrum" myself, it would explain so much. I am, for example, very sensitive to tactile sensations, so much so that I wear gloves when cooking, as I don't like the feel of raw meat on my bare hands.

Smell is a big one for me - I can’t stand the smell of any raw meat Since butchering quail around Thanksgiving I’ve noticed that even the general smell of them bothers me
And oddly enough, Brillo pads are a big no for me, the texture is wrong but the smell makes me sick

 

[Chicken poppy]

OCD and ADHD, I mask very well IRL so most people don’t believe me lol
Oh, and (mostly) seasonal depression - that’s fun

Oh wow, you have seasonal depression too?
It’s very unfortunate many people are unaware what it is! I have seen people say that it’s a fake depression because they think you can “choose” when you want to be sad. If only they knew it didn’t work that way.

I can totally relate with masking it.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Smell is a big one for me - I can’t stand the smell of any raw meat Since butchering quail around Thanksgiving I’ve noticed that even the general smell of them bothers me
And oddly enough, Brillo pads are a big no for me, the texture is wrong but the smell makes me sick

So do i but that is probably due to the fact i’m vegan!


Just in case anyone doesn’t know, the smell, thought, or looking at a certain food making you gag or react in a bad manner is called food aversion. I have strong food aversion for asparagus and just looking at it is enough to make me gag and nauseous. I had no bad experience with it, we even grew it in our garden, but suddenly i just couldn’t stomach it.

Food aversion can also be due to OCD.

 

[HipMystic]

Oh wow, you have seasonal depression too?
It’s very unfortunate many people are unaware what it is! I have seen people say that it’s a fake depression because they think you can “choose” when you want to be sad. If only they knew it didn’t work that way.

I can totally relate with masking it.

Yeah it sucks
I get depressed off and on throughout the year, almost like it’s in stages, but in the fall/winter it’s pretty much every day. It starts gradually, so I never noticed it starting in the first couple years, but it always hits really hard around Thanksgiving, and again (but not as bad) at Christmas. Then it just stays low until this time of year once springtime hits.

It’s sad but a lot of people really don’t believe that it’s a thing at all
They’ll just tell you that you just need to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise more - all great things, but most of the time that’s not going to change your brain chemistry that much

 

[HipMystic]

So do i but that is probably due to the fact i’m vegan!


Just in case anyone doesn’t know, the smell, thought, or looking at a certain food making you gag or react in a bad manner is called food aversion. I have strong food aversion for asparagus and just looking at it is enough to make me gag and nauseous. I had no bad experience with it, we even grew it in our garden, but suddenly i just couldn’t stomach it.

Food aversion can also be due to OCD.

Wow! I had no idea that was even a thing!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Yeah it sucks
I get depressed off and on throughout the year, almost like it’s in stages, but in the fall/winter it’s pretty much every day. It starts gradually, so I never noticed it starting in the first couple years, but it always hits really hard around Thanksgiving, and again (but not as bad) at Christmas. Then it just stays low until this time of year once springtime hits.

It’s sad but a lot of people really don’t believe that it’s a thing at all
They’ll just tell you that you just need to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise more - all great things, but most of the time that’s not going to change your brain chemistry that much

Mine is throughout the entire winter, but it’a much less bad in fall for me.

Yes! They tell you not to be so sad or go outside and you’ll feel better, clearly the people who say that have never had depression/seasonal depression before or else they would know they really don’t work.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Smell is a big one for me - I can’t stand the smell of any raw meat Since butchering quail around Thanksgiving I’ve noticed that even the general smell of them bothers me
And oddly enough, Brillo pads are a big no for me, the texture is wrong but the smell makes me sick

Oh yes, smells are a big time issue. My DH does not have a sensitive sniffer and bought some Irish Spring soap, which I find highly offensive. I bought him another brand!

 

[Mallards and Quail]

Hey all! I know this thread hasn't been active in a while but I just wanted to chime in and ask how you guys usually deal with your seasonal depression/ depression as mine is starting to kick in. Do you guys have any fun activities you do with your birds? Anything is welcome.

 

[NagemTX]

Hey all! I know this thread hasn't been active in a while but I just wanted to chime in and ask how you guys usually deal with your seasonal depression/ depression as mine is starting to kick in. Do you guys have any fun activities you do with your birds? Anything is welcome.

I'm chasing birds with a phone camera!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Hey all! I know this thread hasn't been active in a while but I just wanted to chime in and ask how you guys usually deal with your seasonal depression/ depression as mine is starting to kick in. Do you guys have any fun activities you do with your birds? Anything is welcome.

Hi, i like to make a list of things to do in the morning and what to do with the things, example.

Take a walk in the forest and look for 10 smooth rocks, paint the rocks different colors.
Maybe this will help you, or maybe it won’t. But it sometimes does for me.

I also like to practice showmanship with my birds by training them with a clicker and such.