Dr. Gail Saltz ‘84, a psychiatrist, author and media contributor, visited Lehigh University on Wednesday (Oct. 29) to speak on the stigma surrounding mental illness and emphasized that the same traits that cause suffering can also fuel creativity, empathy and leadership.
Saltz, a Lehigh alum who delivered a talk on “Neurodiversity & Strengths,” said those with learning disorders and mental health issues deserve recognition, treatment and intervention.
“There's a whole body of work about ‘we as humans,’” she said. “We have fragile brains, and we can be born, essentially, either dandelions or orchids—dandelions being the weed…It's going to grow (no matter what). But some of us are orchids, and we need more care, more watering. But when we do that, we can flourish and express …extreme beauty and extreme success.”
The message, she said, is that it’s important to explore the strengths of those who may be struggling and help harness those strengths.
Saltz has spent a lot of her career in public education.
"It became painfully aware to me, and actually, research has borne this out, that the number one reason that people do not seek treatment for mental health issues or learning differences is due to stigma, and that has been the case for many decades, and it simply continues to be the case, although it has improved,” she said.
Her talk, hosted by the College of Health, drew about 150 students, faculty and community members. Copies of her book, “The Power of DIFFERENT: The Link Between Disorder and Genius,” was available to attendees.
Saltz explained that “the neurobiology behind mental health issues doesn’t only confer weakness—it also carries potential strengths that drive originality and problem-solving.”
She described how people with dyslexia, for example, often excel at pattern recognition and visual-spatial reasoning. She cited the case of a dyslexic radiologist who pioneered the use of ultrasound in diagnosing Down Syndrome.
“Resilience isn’t about sailing through life," Saltz told the audience. “It’s about learning to struggle and persist.”
She also said that those with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can display “hyper-focus” when passionate, and individuals with anxiety tend to be highly alert and empathic.
Saltz described ADHD not as an inability to focus, but as “a problem with regulating focus.” She explained how the condition’s dopamine-driven reward system can make individuals “hyper-focused” on passions, which fuels creativity and drive.
She noted that a lot of startup founders have ADHD, and they act on their ideas without fear, and that can lead to innovation.
Saltz also addressed bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She cautioned that these severe illnesses demand careful treatment but can coexist with extraordinary creativity.
“History is full of composers, poets and mathematicians whose genius was inseparable from their wiring differences," Saltz said, referencing John Nash, an American mathematician and Nobel laureate who suffered from schizophrenia, and others, as an example. “The goal isn’t to romanticize illness, but to understand it."
Saltz emphasized the importance of early intervention and education tailored to individual learning styles.
“Every brain is wired differently,” she said. “Our education systems can’t assume everyone jumps in the same pool at the same level. We need to teach and hire for strengths, not just shore up weaknesses.”
Her closing message centered on compassion and advocacy.
“We need to stop stigmatizing and start understanding,” she said. “Shame is the number-one driver of suicide in this country.”
Several students in attendance said the lecture changed how they viewed the relationship between mental health and achievement.
“Hearing Dr. Saltz explain the science behind these conditions—and how they can actually shape success—made me see diagnosis as difference, not deficiency,” student Shayna Klingberg ‘28 said.
