About The Cassandra Complex
The Cassandra Complex is a blog primarily about neurodiversity, psychology, brain development, parenting, Western history (as it relates to the aforementioned topics), and psychedelics.
A “Cassandra Complex” is a reference to the Cassandra of Greek mythology, who was blessed with the ability to foresee the future and cursed so that no one would believe her. I’ve liked Cassandra since I was a child and read Clemence McLaren’s Inside the Walls of Troy, and have come to relate to her more as I procrastinated on starting this blog, and continued to obsessively research and take notes and accumulate evidence for various essay topics. It is a nod to the fact that I while I have never been one to hold my tongue, I have been holding my fingers, and I regret this. I have been guilty of conflict-avoidance, and, as Mother Ayahuasca told me in December 2022, of letting my desire to be seen as good get in the way of doing and saying what I believe is right.
The Cassandra Complex is also a reference to “Cassandra Syndrome”, a controversial folk diagnosis used to describe the relational trauma of spouses and children of autistic people, in particular autistic men. (The term is controversial because many women who identify with Cassandra Syndrome over-generalize and imply all autistic people are abusive, while many of their autistic critics broadly paint all the Cassandras as “ableist” and a “hate group”, and ironically tend to demonstrate the lack of empathy, DARVO tactics, and utter lack of self-awareness that the Cassandras complain about).
It is also an acknowledgement that, like Cassandra, I am somewhat of a mad princess. Traits of ADHD, high functioning autism, bipolar disorder, addictions, and depressive and anxiety disorders run in both me and my family, and I experienced a traumatic brain injury at age one from falling off a staircase and cracking my skull over the right parietal lobe. The first label I received was “gifted”, at age 10, following by “generalized anxiety disorder” at 19 and “ADHD” at 31. I don’t think any of these labels are particularly accurate.
I am a writer, researcher, and mother from Vancouver, Canada, and a former staff member and editorial board member at a feminist literary journal and festival. My essays, fiction, and poetry have appeared in a variety of publications, including The Walrus and multiple literary journals. I published a short story collection in 2021, which was nominated for three awards, including the Vancouver Book Prize. I have a bachelors of science with honours in psychology and a BA and MFA in creative writing, and have worked a variety of jobs in the arts (in marketing and grant writing) and in youth development (e.g. daycare centre, centre for youth research).
Just because I cite someone positively or subscribe or follow them on Substack does not mean I endorse all or even the bulk of their ideas; just because I criticize someone doesn’t mean I disagree with all or even the bulk of their ideas.
To learn more about this project, what inspired it, and my research approach, please read the essay “Particles and Waves: On Changing Your Mind.”
You can learn more about me (or at least who I was before Covid, magic mushrooms, marriage, and motherhood) at meghanbell.com.
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Currently, all content on this blog will be un-paywalled and available to everyone. I will give subscribers a heads up if this changes.
I post about once or twice a month; many posts are heavily researched and take a while to put together and I have a toddler and am expecting a second child in the fall of 2024.
