How I view my identity. Thoughts?
Hiya! So, I wanted to tell a little bit about how I identify and view it from a logical standpoint (as I'm a very logical person) Because the never-ending self-doubt of "am I a therian or is it all in my head" never ceases to exist lol. I'm curious to hear any thoughts and perspectives, especially if someone here has gone through something similar.
First off, I'm a psychological therian who is 24. I grew up not knowing I was neurodivergent, or having anyone explain what that was to me, and started identifying as an animal at around 11 years old. I personally believe this was a coping mechanism, as no kid wants to feel like they are weird or odd from everyone else.
By 13, I discovered the term therian, and thus the community that came with it. It felt like a door had opened to finally have something that described how I felt. As an adult however, I am looking at my identity from a different perspective and now know the truth that I was just neurodivergent, and that's why I felt so disconnected from humans.
It is worth noting that a lot of my neurodivergent traits still make me feel "odd" compared to the majority of other neurodivergent people and their own traits and habits, so in part, I still feel non-human.
Apart from wanting to wear gear for the fun purpose of it rather than the connecting purpose, I have no interest in connecting to my animal identity. This goes the same for quads, vocals, etc. I also don't experience shifts other than ear shifts, but that can also be explained by my sensitivity to some noises as a neurodivergent person.
I'm a firm believer that therianthropy shifts with you as you grow. I went from identifying as a wolf therian, because that's naturally the animal I latched onto as a child, to now recognizing my neurodivergent traits and personality as a person overall, as matching much more with that of a coyote. (a theriotype I'm still struggling to feel connected to on an emotional level, but I suppose that will come with time.)
I guess my biggest question is: Is this a valid way to identify and view my identity in this way?
I'm curious to see any other thoughts and perspectives.