Assimilate or Be Punished: A NeuroDivergent, Queer Memoir of Survival and Awakening in a World That Demands Conformity A Look at the harms and traumas of NeuroDivergent Conversion "Therapy" and other methods of forced assimilation. A NeuroDivergent Rebel's Journey to Self-Acceptance In a world that demands conformity, to be NeuroDivergent and Queer is to live under the constant, crushing weight of "normal." Lyric Rivera felt this weight from a young age. Branded as rebellious, difficult, and a problem to be solved, Lyric faced a world that tried (unsuccessfully) to force them to assimilate. The Weight of Normal is a raw and powerful memoir of survival and awakening. It is an unflinching indictment of the systems of forced assimilation-the NeuroDivergent and Queer conversion "therapies"-that teach self-abandonment as a virtue. Lyric reveals the devastating trade-off at the heart of these methods, designed to force conformity-a price that nearly cost them everything. A searing look at the trauma of forced conformity and the journey back to oneself. CONTENT WARNING: This book discusses themes that may upset some readers, including Autistic and other NeuroDivergent Conversion "Therapies," forced assimilation, manipulation, coercion, abuse, and suicidal ideation. Reader discretion is advised.