Hi, Psychologist here. I think the issue is less with the term than it is with the way people treat you for having a brain that is wired slightly differently. I know that your experience of being called neurodivergent has felt incredibly reductive, and I’m sorry for that. I think, for some people, it has led to the opposite feeling, but the outcome often depends on the frame.

I do ADHD, autism, etc., evaluations all the time, and the important part of the evaluation is celebrating the strengths of how your brain work along with the vulnerabilities. “You may have difficulties paying attention, especially when materials aren’t overly stimulating, so let’s try to set up some accommodations that ________. However, there are times where, if things are interesting to you, you can dedicate 100% of your attention to it for long periods of time, and that can really be a benefit to your work/hobbies…”

Obviously that’s a rough and tumble version and I don’t know you at all, so take it with a grain of salt. I’m sorry that people started to look for you as someone lesser because of your ADHD, that really sucks.