Serotonin is the “I’m OK” molecule—it’s critical for stable moods and a sense of security and wellbeing. When serotonin gets dysregulated, the world becomes a threatening place, even when nothing has changed. We’ll explore how serotonin regulation relates to neurodivergence.

We then examine diagnosis through an anthropological lens, investigating how labels function as cultural categories that can gatekeep resources, shape identity, and build community, while also questioning when and why they are necessary. We contrast M. Remi Yergeau’s Authoring Autism: On Rhetoric and Neurological Queerness with Cole Cohen’s Head Case: My Brain and Other Wonders.