Illustrated by Joana Baldaia Moreira Special thanks to Tânia Almeida & E. Ortiz
neu . ro . typical
[noo r-oh-tip-i-kuh l]
N
eurotypical is a word used to describe a person who has a typical brain. This not only includes non-autistic people, but also people without mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities or any other neurological illness or disorder such as epilepsy or brain tumours. It is the opposite of neurodivergent. So whether you have a neurotypical or a neurodivergent brain, I hope you enjoy it.
THE RISKS OF SELF MEDICATION
I know it’s all fun and games while you surprisingly feel better and unstoppable with a few pills on your pocket and a couple on your mouth, but do you really know what you’re getting yourself into? The culprit: Innacurate diagnosis. Simple as simple can get. You’re using innapropriate medications that cause funky side effects. You’re accidentally masking the symptoms of a serious condition. Did you ever stop to think that innacurate dosage can lead to an accidental overdose? You may be mixing medications that are not safe to mix, which can result in legal costs or health concerns. Nope, drugs are not like strawberries and peaches like Edie Sedgwick once said. You may find yourself abusing substances just for the sake of getting that kick you got the first time you ever took the genius decision to take unprescribed meds. Pathetic. You’re at risk of developing an addiction, which makes you a junkie, so so glamorous, right? In the worst case scenario, self medication can result in severe health conditions or even death. Watch your step and if you’re feeling ill, go see an actual doctor which surname doesn’t start on G and ends on Oogle.
Joana Baldaia Moreira
Hello. For sleeping pills, press one. For hedonistic habits that will eventually make you feel worse, press two. And to skip to following mental breakdown, please press three. Tânia Almeida
WITH THE LIGHTS OUT IT’S LESS DANGEROUS
My breakdowns used to last for weeks Now I’ve managed to fit them in a day, or three Drinking, running the streets, smoking extra heavy Sexy lil mischievous thing, up in every party New body art by day, my night’s spent swimming in pussy Fighting men & women, fear ain’t know me Wanted to reward my pleasure center with chaos and promiscuity I learned a lot of things the hard way, unfortunately Empires ain’t built in a day & they burn quickly Now I work hard at disciplining myself, ain’t always easy It made me stronger & I can rebuild more swiftly I can take scorched ground in the afternoon, after dinner I have a city Years of practice, this ain’t nothing new for me So what once took me a month, now only takes me a day or three
E. Ortiz
It is a terrible thing to be so open: it is as if my heart put on a face and walked into the world Sylvia Plath