Review: Climbing the Walls

I wonder if the rise in “mental illness” is a symptom of modern society and all of its trappings, and not people. I say this because since the industrial revolution, society has changed. Structures have changed. Lives are dictated by coroporations and classifications, not the schedule of the sky.

I'm not saying that modern life isn't worth it, per say. I’m extremely grateful for vaccines and antibiotics. We wouldn’t be able to have them without the structure of modern society. We wouldn’t have so much of today's advancements if not for the ability to focus singularly on a thing. You can spend hours in a lab if someone else is farming your food or fixing your clothes. I have to question, though, the rise of mental classificationspecfically in a world that doesn’t want people to be as different as they are. 

I say this, not because I don’t believe in mental illness. I do believe in it. I have it. I benefit from the identification of how my brain works. I would be suffering without past treatment and a very, very large mental health toolbox. I believe our brains are different from each other, but that it is a good thing. Seeing these things as divergence rather than illness is a shift I sense happening in some parts of the discussion.

I don’t think nuerotypicality exists as many of us think it does. There is a survival tactic just find what fits, or to find a way to fit into the world - making as small of a ripple as possible. Some people can’t do that, or they spend so much of their energy trying to make their ripple as small as possible through fighting themselves rather than learning about themselves. The world wasn't built for differences, but the differences are what makes the world.

These thoughts are all brought on by the new podcast Climbing the Walls. Out today, this podcast looks at the rise in ADHD diagnoses in adult women since the pandemic. Produced by understood.org , I found this podcast in Earbuds Podcast Collective and through the beauty of the internet and asking questions - I got early episodes. 

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The most beautiful thing about this podcast is the way it highlights the women involved by letting them be themselves. Hosted by science journalist, Danielle Elliot, this show explores the history of ADHD diagnosis, and why women across the board have been left in the dark for so long. The narrative around the voices is good, if a little choppy at times. The podcast hits its stride in the second episode, and by the third it's in a full stride. Elliot is creating a fantastic tapestry of people who are experts, people with diagnoses from decades past, and diagnoses of now. All of these stories weave together to paint a clear picture. We need to talk about our lives, openly, and with less shame. While this podcast focuses on ADHD, the through line is that we wouldn’t know and realize so much about this if people didn’t take the time to talk about struggling, or fighting so hard to struggle less.

During lockdown, the world came to a standstill. We had our routines thrown out the door, and structures changed. Women in particular struggled to balance everything and not feel like something was wrong. First of all, things were wrong. We need to be nicer to ourselves about what we all went through. However, the drastic changes highlighted things that were there, bubbling in the background. Mental healthcare became crucial for survival and became more accessible. Not just because of Telehealth, but because of social media. 

People started talking about mental health more openly, and it became a whirlwind of people having language to describe themselves and how they walk through the world. It’s possible that they had this for the first time in their lives. Women were given the ability in this seemingly perfect storm of circumstances to figure some things out about their brains, and the world around them. 

From the chat rooms of the 90s to the boom of TikTok, the through line is clear. Social media created a funnel. There are a lot of conversations to be had around this neurodivergence. I’m glad that they’re being started. People should have language to discuss what they experience, and how they experience it. It is comforting to know that we’re not done learning about it, but that we have outlines started.

People should be able to connect, and even if you don’t have an ADHD diagnosis, maybe things that people with ADHD do can help you. These conversations will help you understand your friends better, your coworkers, your neighbor. It’s not a secret club situation when it comes to talking about mental health. It’s learning about each other so that we can make the best of our lives, and the lives of others.

Climbing the Walls opens the door. It breaks down what has been happening, and for the better. It gives clear context, it reminds us that this isn’t actually as new as it seems, and it hands us power of information. After three episodes, I’m excited to see what more it’s going to teach me, and what more it will give others to learn. There will be six episodes total, and they seem to be sitting at a nice 30 minutes or so.

Mental health is important, and even if it’s not an illness - it’s a reality. We’re all a little different in good ways, and the more we understand it, and the more we can harness the powers of these differences - I think the better off we’ll be. 

Out today, start listening to Climbing the Walls. Remember to talk to your friends and family about it, too. If there’s anything I’ve learned from the last few podcasts I have reviewed, it’s that we all need to get better at talking to each other. 

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