emovtypical/emovatypical

Emovtypical is a new word¹, meaning those with emotions and moods which fall into the range which society expects. It is based on the use, largely in Autism circles but in other “mental disability” circles as well, of “neurotypical”, to contrast with the neurodivergent or neuroatypical, that is, those whose brains do not conform to society’s expectations.²

Emovatypical is the opposite: those with emotions and moods which exist outside the range society expects. As someone with bipolar disorder, I am emovatypical, whether or not I am stable (that is, exhibiting emotions within a societally expected and acceptable range) at any given time. The Man is emovtypical, even when he is exhibiting emotions society discourages in men, because while they are supposed to be prohibited to him, they are still a part of the range society generally expects.

In other words, it’s a way of talking about those with and without “mood disorders” in such a way that does not rely on the insulting concept of “disorder”. (Someone emovatypical may indeed identify as having a mood disorder; the point is not to prohibit that identity, but rather to not force it upon anyone.)