A Tribute to the Cultural Canaries in the Coal Mine.

This is a part 2 of sorts to “Can Sensitivity Save Us.”

I have been thinking of how to write this for some time. As a therapist of all ages, very much including children and adolescents, I feel honored, humbled and oftentimes figuratively brought to my knees by bearing witness to all of the suffering my clients have trusted me to hold with them. I have learned so much from each and every one of them. I have also been given the gift of a unique perspective on “mental health issues” having spent a great deal of time with people throughout various developmental phases, and seeing the ways we break, heal and grow throughout life. While this could branch into a multitude of topics in the world of mental health and what I have learned in my time as a therapist, I want to continue on the path of the exquisite depth, creativity, and wisdom that sensitivity lends to the world. 

So many of the people I have met in my office have walked through the door because there is some element in who they are that is irreconcilably sensitive to something in the world or themselves that makes it, at the very least, incredibly difficult to engage with life in our society on its terms. They are caught between the impossible choice of fitting into this world or following their heart. Many times I get to see these wonderful humans right when they are developmentally in the crux of this very choice–when they are teenagers. 

Almost always, these teens, as they describe their problems, hurts, and crises come to some understanding of a label that applies to them. They learn this through youtube, instagram, a doctor’s office, and me, for better or worse. I am usually the last to give them a label, but maybe the first person to actually process with them the label they think they have found. The label is usually one of these, maybe several: ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum, or bipolar disorder. All of these labels now fall under a broader label that has become a popular word…these teens are called “neurodivergent.” The term neurodivergent simply means that a person with this type of brain processes things differently than the typical brain. 

Every single teenager I have worked with over the years could probably be put under the “neurodivergent” umbrella. And, I am not exaggerating here, every single one of these teens has shown me in some way the immense pain we probably all feel at some level, but can’t always tune into. In our quest to make life work AND not have to abandon themselves, my clients have shown me solutions and new ways to do things that I wish the entire planet could adopt, not just those who are viewed as outside of typical. In short, what my clients’ neurodivergence has led me to over and over again is wisdom for this planet. Their problems are not in their brains; instead they feel like a mirror for what is wrong in our systems. Often, the way their brains work demand better educational and work environments that are humanzing. They know what a healthy relationship looks like even if they haven’t had it. Their imaginations astound me. In trying to become more typical, they often feel worse. But, when given the freedom to create a situation (usually unconventional), that works for them, they flourish–and they give back amazing things to the world. 

For these reasons, my perception of these teens is not about mental illness or being broken, but rather they are our cultural canaries in the coal mine, and they have wise things to impart if only we can learn how to listen and shift. While it’s a common phrase, the origin of these words deserves explanation because the metaphor fits so poetically. Historically, miners brought canaries into the coal mine with them because if poisonous gas filled the air, canaries would breath in twice as much and if the canaries began to act strangely or lost consciousness, miners knew to get out fast. The miners would not have felt the effects of the gas until too late, so essentially, the canaries saved their lives. The canaries were not considered sick for their sensitivity, they were helpful. The canaries also weren’t seen as defective because they were affected by the gas sooner. They saved lives. Wikipedia’s definition for this expression, “the canary in the coal mine” is this:

Something whose sensitivity to adverse conditions makes it a useful early indicator of such conditions; something which warns of the coming of greater danger or trouble by a deterioration in its health or welfare.

Neurodivergence is not the problem. Humans who are neurodivergent are actually picking up on the adverse conditions we are all living in, and many of these humans, in my experience, point to a better way for all types of people. 

This article is dedicated to my teenage clients over the years. I can’t say this more sincerely or emphatically. I absolutely adore every single “neurodivergent” teenager that has walked through my door. I have such deep gratitude for all the hours I have spent with them, the worlds they have opened to me, and the trust they have given to me over the years.

Thank you.