What is Neurodivergence and How Does It Impact Stress?

March 17, 2026

Get the Gravity Point® Book: https://www.gravitypointinstitute.com/publications

For most of her life, Ashley thought everyone found it hard to fit in. That everyone felt confused by sarcasm, overwhelmed in groups, and exhausted after social situations.

It wasn't until she was 29, sitting in a conference room getting a brain scan, that someone said: "Your brain waves are showing autistic patterns." That moment changed everything, including how she understood stress.

This episode is for anyone who has ever thought "why is being normal so hard for me?" It explores what neurodivergence actually is, why so many people spend their entire lives not knowing they're neurodivergent, and why conventional stress models were never built for sensitive and neurodivergent nervous systems.

Ashley introduces the concept of neurotype, the specific operating system your brain was given at birth, and explains why society, from schools to workplaces to wellness models, was built for one particular neurotype.

And if yours doesn't match, you spend your life trying to fit into systems that were never designed for you.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

- What neurotype means and why society is built for one specific operating system

- Why neurodivergent folks detect stress earlier than most people

- How neurodivergent systems absorb other people's stress and think it's their own

- Why conventional stress models completely miss sensitive systems

- What it means to mask, and why it leads to burn out

- Why she built Gravity Point®, and why 20 stress responses matter for neurodivergent brains

If you've ever felt like the world wasn't built for your brain, this episode gives you the language to understand why, and finally, a framework that is built for you.

If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your support helps this work reach those who need it most.

🎧 FREE RESOURCE - Download the Gravity Point® Guidebook: https://www.gravitypointinstitute.com/free-guidebook?utm_source=apple-spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=007&utm_id=podcast-2026

Learn More about the Gravity Point® Paradigm here: https://www.gravitypointinstitute.com/

Gravity Point® is an educational framework for understanding stress responses. It is not a substitute for medical care, mental health treatment, or therapy.

We respectfully acknowledge that we operate within the unceded ancestral territories of the Nisenan, Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, and Patwin Wintun peoples, and the Wilton Rancheria.

Episode Transcript

FOR MOST OF MY LIFE
I THOUGHT BEING NORMAL AND FITTING IN WAS HARD FOR EVERYONE
LIKE I THOUGHT
EVERYONE ELSE WAS ALSO CENSORING AND PRETENDING ALL THE TIME
I THOUGHT EVERYONE WENT HOME FROM SOCIAL SITUATIONS AND COLLAPSED
FOR A FEW DAYS
AND EVERYONE FELT CONFUSED BY SARCASM OR DISORIENTED BY TEASING
WHEN I BECAME A TEENAGER
I THOUGHT LIKE THE CONSTANT DREAD AND THE INSOMNIA
THE REALLY LIKE TERRIBLE ANXIETY ABOUT GOING TO SCHOOL
THE INABILITY ABOUT GETTING OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING
LIKE I THOUGHT THAT'S JUST
WHAT LIFE WAS ALL ABOUT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE MADE LIFE LOOK EASY
SO EVEN THOUGH IT FELT HARD
I TRIED REALLY HARD TO MAKE MY LIFE LOOK EASY TOO
I WORKED HARDER I OVER FUNCTIONED
I STRAIGHTENED MY HAIR I WORE UNCOMFORTABLE CLOTHES
I BECAME AN A STUDENT WITH LIKE
A GREAT SOCIAL LIFE AND A BOYFRIEND AND LIKE A PERFECT REPUTATION
SO ON THE OUTSIDE I PROBABLY LOOKED LIKE I HAD IT ALL TOGETHER
BUT ON THE INSIDE I WAS A MESS
STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF BED
RECOVERING FROM EACH DAY LIKE SPENDING THE NIGHT
WATCHING HOURS OF TV WHILE MY FAMILY WENT ON WITH THEIR EVENINGS AND
REALLY I REMEMBER THE WHOLE TIME NOT CONSCIOUSLY DOING IT
BUT WHEN I LOOK BACK LIKE IT WAS VERY
VERY IMPORTANT THAT NO ONE EVER SAW ME STRUGGLE
SO I WAS A MESS INSIDE BUT I NEVER SHOWED IT
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS 29 YEARS OLD
SITTING IN A CONFERENCE ROOM IN FLORIDA GETTING A BRAIN SCAN
THAT SOMEONE FINALLY SAID
YOUR BRAIN WAVES ARE SHOWING AUTISTIC PATTERNS
AND EVER SINCE THEN THAT MOMENT
HAS REALLY INFORMED THE WAY I'VE LOOKED AT THE RESEARCH ON STRESS
AND TRAUMA AND QUITE FRANKLY
HOW I LIVE MY LIFE SO IN THIS EPISODE
WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT NEURODIVERGENCE
WHAT IT IS WHY IT MATTERS FOR STRESS AND TRAUMA RESOLUTION
AND WHY SO MANY OF US SPEND OUR ENTIRE LIVES NOT KNOWING WE'RE
NEURODIVERGENT BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE REALLY GOOD AT MASKING
SO GOOD THAT EVEN WE CAN'T SEE IT FOR OURSELVES
SO IF YOU'VE EVER THOUGHT
WHY IS BEING NORMAL SO HARD
OR IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO FEELS THAT WAY
AND YOU'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEM
THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU
WELCOME TO THE GRAVITY POINT PODCAST
I'M YOUR HOST DR. ASHLEY ANNE
I USED TO BE A LICENSED TRAUMA THERAPIST AND UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
BUT EVENTUALLY
I LEFT BOTH BEHIND BECAUSE I REALIZED I DIDN'T WANT TO TREAT ILLNESS
I WANTED TO PREVENT IT
THAT'S WHAT WE'LL EXPLORE TOGETHER ON THIS PODCAST
HOW TO RESOLVE STRESS AND TRAUMA BEFORE IT MAKES YOU SICK
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN THE COMPLETE METHOD TO RESOLVE STRESS AND TRAUMA
IN ANY TRIGGERING SITUATION
CLICK THE LINK IN THE DESCRIPTION
TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE GRAVITY POINT GUIDEBOOK TODAY
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT TOGETHER ALREADY
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT STRESS ACTUALLY IS
HOW TRAUMA HAPPENS THE 20 GRAVITY POINTS OR STRESS RESPONSES
AND HOW HEALING YOURSELF REALLY CONTRIBUTES TO HEALING THE WORLD
TODAY WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SLIGHT DETOUR THOUGH
NOT REALLY BECAUSE THIS CONNECTS TO EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN BUILDING
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT NEUROTYPE
PARTICULARLY NEURODIVERGENCE
AND ABOUT WHY
CONVENTIONAL STRESS MODELS COMPLETELY MISS PEOPLE LIKE ME
AND MAYBE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
FIRST LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT NEUROTYPE ACTUALLY MEANS
AND WHY IT MATTERS FOR STRESS
NEUROTYPE REFERS TO A SPECIFIC WAY THE BRAIN FUNCTIONS
PARTICULARLY IN HOW IT INTERPRETS AND RESPONDS TO SOCIAL CUES
AND OTHER STIMULI AND CERTAIN SITUATIONS
SO YOUR NEUROTYPE IS SIMPLY THE WAY YOUR BRAIN IS WIRED
AND WHEN I SAY BRAIN
I DON'T JUST MEAN THE ORGAN THAT LIVES IN YOUR SKULL
YOUR BRAIN INCLUDES YOUR ENTIRE NERVOUS SYSTEM
ESPECIALLY THE PART OF IT THAT LIVES IN YOUR GUT
WHICH IS WHY WE OFTEN CALL YOUR GUT THE SECOND BRAIN
YOUR BRAIN IS YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM'S OPERATING SYSTEM
LIKE YOUR OS IT'S THE SOFTWARE THAT RUNS EVERYTHING
HOW YOU PROCESS SENSORY INFORMATION
HOW YOU INTERPRET SOCIAL CUES
HOW YOU RESPOND TO STRESS
HOW YOU REGULATE YOUR EMOTIONS
HOW YOU EXPERIENCE THE WORLD
ETCETERA ETCETERA
SO YOUR NEUROTYPE IS THIS SPECIFIC OPERATING SYSTEM
YOU ARE GIVEN TO KIND OF WORK WITH WHEN YOU'RE BORN
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE NEUROTYPICAL
WHICH MEANS THEIR BRAIN PROCESSES INFORMATION AND SENSORY INPUT
SOCIAL CUES AND STRESS IN WAYS THAT ALIGN WITH WHAT SOCIETY CONSIDERS
QUOTE NORMAL OR QUOTE STANDARD
NOW DOES NORMAL OR STANDARD ACTUALLY EXIST
PROBABLY NOT BUT WHAT DOES EXIST IS THIS
SOCIETY
HAS LARGELY BEEN DESIGNED
AROUND ONE PARTICULAR WAY OF PROCESSING THE WORLD
SO AROUND A CERTAIN NEUROTYPE
FROM SCHOOLS WITH FLUORESCENT LIGHTS AND OPEN CLASSROOMS
TO WORKPLACES THAT NORMALIZE INTERRUPTIONS AND MANDATORY MEETINGS
TO HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS THAT RUSH YOU THROUGH APPOINTMENTS
IN OVERSTIMULATING WAITING ROOMS
LIKE SCHOOLS ARE BUILT FOR IT
WORKPLACES ASSUME IT
PUBLIC SPACES USE NEUROTYPICAL FUNCTIONING AS THE DEFAULT
WELLNESS MODELS ARE CREATED AROUND IT
AND EVEN THE RESEARCH ON STRESS IS LARGELY BASED ON IT
SO WHETHER OR NOT QUOTE
NORMAL IS REAL
THERE'S STILL A DOMINANT NEUROTYPE THAT EVERYTHING IS OPTIMIZED FOR
AND IF YOUR BRAIN DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THAT DOMINANT NEUROTYPE
YOU CAN SPEND YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TRYING TO FIT INTO SYSTEMS
THAT WERE NEVER BUILT FOR YOU
THAT'S WHAT NEURODIVERGENCE MEANS
TO DIVERGE FROM BEING OR REALLY TO NOT BE NEUROTYPICAL RIGHT
YOU'RE NOT NEUROTYPICAL
MANY OF US ARE ACTUALLY NEURODIVERGENT
WHICH MEANS OUR BRAINS ARE WIRED DIFFERENTLY
WE PROCESS THE WORLD IN WAYS THAT DON'T MATCH THE NEUROTYPICAL
TEMPLATE NOW
NEURODIVERGENCE IS ACTUALLY AN UMBRELLA TERM
THAT INCLUDES MANY DIFFERENT NEUROTYPES
FOR EXAMPLE AUTISM INVOLVES DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
SENSORY PROCESSING AND HOW WE
EXPERIENCE THE WORLD THERE ARE ALSO VARIANTS IN ATTENTION
LIKE WHAT'S CLINICALLY CALLED ADHD OR ADD
WHICH AFFECT ATTENTION EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
AND YOUR ABILITY TO REGULATE YOUR IMPULSES
DYSLEXIA IMPACTS HOW THE BRAIN PROCESSES WRITTEN LANGUAGE
DYSPRAXIA AFFECTS MOVEMENT AND COORDINATION
AND THERE ARE MANY MANY OTHERS LIKE TOURETTE SYNDROME
WILLIAMS SYNDROME SENSORY PROCESSING VARIANTS AND MORE
EACH REPRESENTING A DIFFERENT WAY THE BRAIN CAN BE WIRED
NOW I NEED TO PAUSE HERE AND ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING IMPORTANT
MANY OF THESE TERMS EXIST IN MEDICAL LITERATURE
AS DIAGNOSABLE DISORDERS AND FOR SOME PEOPLE
GETTING A FORMAL DIAGNOSIS IS INCREDIBLY VALIDATING
IT FINALLY GIVES THEM LANGUAGE
FOR WHAT THEY'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THEIR WHOLE LIVES
AND IT OPENS DOORS TO SUPPORT
ACCOMMODATIONS AND COMMUNITIES
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A DIAGNOSIS
THINGS LIKE INSURANCE COMPANIES OR EDUCATION SYSTEMS
OR EVEN YOUR WORKPLACE
SORT OF HAVE THAT TICKET TO GIVE YOU ACCESS TO CERTAIN THINGS
LIKE YOU NEED THE DIAGNOSIS BEFORE YOU GET ACCESS TO THOSE
BUT THERE'S A GROWING MOVEMENT WITHIN NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNITIES
THAT REJECTS THE PATHOLOGIZING FRAMEWORK
RIGHT AND THE IDEA THAT WE'RE DISORDERED OR BROKEN OR NEED TO BE FIXED
THIS MOVEMENT ALSO RECOGNIZES THAT REQUIRING A FORMAL DIAGNOSIS
CAN ACTUALLY CREATE BARRIERS
IT BECOMES SORT OF A FORM OF GATEKEEPING
MANY ACCOMMODATIONS AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT
LIKE I WAS SAYING LIKE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
ADAPTATIONS IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS OR ACCESS TO CAREGIVERS
LIKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS
REQUIRE A FORMAL DIAGNOSIS BEFORE INSURANCE WILL PAY FOR THEM
BUT GETTING A DIAGNOSIS
ITSELF OFTEN COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND REQUIRES HOURS OF TESTING
AND EVEN AFTER THAT SCHOOLS
HOSPITALS WORKPLACES
AGENCIES LIKE THEY STILL MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUESTED SUPPORT
SO INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR PERMISSION FROM SYSTEMS
THAT MAY NEVER GRANT IT
MANY OF US CLAIM OUR NEURODIVERGENT IDENTITIES OURSELVES
WE SEE THESE TRAITS AS IDENTIFIERS
SIMPLY DIFFERENT WAYS OF BEING HUMAN
FOR MYSELF FOR EXAMPLE
I DON'T SAY I HAVE AUTISM
I SAY I AM AUTISTIC THAT'S WHAT'S CALLED IDENTITY FIRST LANGUAGE
AND IT MATTERS TO ME BECAUSE MY AUTISM ISN'T A CONDITION THAT I CARRY
IT'S MY NEUROTYPE
IT'S HOW MY BRAIN WAS BORN TO BE AND IT'S PART OF WHO I NATURALLY AM
SO FOR OTHER PEOPLE HAVING A DIAGNOSIS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE RESONANT
AND THAT'S OKAY TOO
WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THAT WHETHER YOU HAVE A FORMAL DIAGNOSIS OR NOT
WHETHER YOU USE MEDICAL LANGUAGE OR IDENTITY LANGUAGE
IF YOU'RE SOMEONE WHOSE NEURODIVERGENCE INVOLVES
DIFFERENCES IN EXECUTIVE AND SENSORY FUNCTIONING
PARTICULARLY FOR THIS PODCAST
THE ONES THAT MAKE YOU MORE SENSITIVE
INTUITIVE AND EASILY OVERWHELMED BY EMPATHY
LIKE THE WAY YOU RESPOND TO STRESS
IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S UNIQUE
SO I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ABSORB OTHER PEOPLE'S EMOTIONS
WHO GET OVERWHELMED IN GROUPS
WHO PICK UP ON EVERYTHING
AND WHOSE WELL BEING IS MORE EASILY INTERRUPTED
BY TOXICITY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT AND TRAUMA
SO SOME OF US WITH THOSE KIND OF SENSITIVITIES IDENTIFY AS AUTISTIC
OR WITH ADHD OTHERS MIGHT IDENTIFY AS HIGHLY SENSITIVE
PERSONS OR EMPATHS AND HONESTLY
SOME OF US MIGHT NOT HAVE LANGUAGE AT ALL FOR OUR NEURODIVERGENCE
WE JUST KNOW WE EXPERIENCE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY THAN MOST PEOPLE
SO IF THAT'S YOU THIS IS THE CONVERSATION WE ARE HAVING HERE
BECAUSE IN MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
THE STRESS MODELS THAT EXIST NOW
SORT OF IN CONVENTIONAL WAYS THAT WE COMMONLY KNOW
THEY WEREN'T BUILT FOR HOW YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM WORKS
AND IN FACT FOR MOST OF HISTORY
SENSITIVITY AND NEURODIVERGENCE HAS BEEN PATHOLOGIZED
SO BEING SICK IS THE ONLY WAY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PERCEIVE OURSELVES
SO IF YOU'RE NEURODIVERGENT
YOU PROBABLY HAVE BEEN TOLD YOU'RE TOO SENSITIVE
THAT YOU NEED TO TOUGHEN UP OR GET OVER IT
OR THAT YOU NEED TO QUOTE
LEARN LIFE SKILLS SO YOU CAN ACT AND INTERACT WITH OTHERS IN A MORE
QUOTE NORMAL WAY RIGHT
WHATEVER NORMAL IS
THE ENTIRE FRAMEWORK OF CONVENTIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
IS BUILT AROUND THE NEUROTYPICAL EXPERIENCE
WHICH MEANS IF YOUR BRAIN WORKS DIFFERENTLY
YOU'RE CONSTANTLY BEING MEASURED AGAINST A STANDARD THAT WAS NEVER
DESIGNED FOR YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE
AND WHEN YOU INEVITABLY DON'T FIT THAT STANDARD
THE MESSAGE YOU OFTEN RECEIVE
EVEN FROM PEOPLE WHO TRULY WANT TO HELP YOU IS THIS
SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU
AND IF WE TRY HARD ENOUGH
BY LEARNING THE RIGHT SKILLS AND CHANGING YOUR HABITS
OR COMMUNICATING IN JUST THE RIGHT WAY
ALL WILL BE WELL
OR YOU MIGHT HEAR THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM
WHICH IS YOU WERE BROKEN AND SICK FROM THE BEGINNING
AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO
RIGHT LIKE NEITHER ONE OF THEM IS REALLY HELPFUL
FOR ME PERSONALLY I REALLY BELIEVED THAT I COULD FIX MYSELF
AND LET ME JUST KIND OF TAKE A SECOND TO SHARE THAT
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT MY AUTISTIC IDENTITY
BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH PRIVILEGE
I AM A WHITE PERSON I'M RELATIVELY THIN
I KEEP MY HAIR BLONDE I'VE GOT BLUE EYES
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN A CHRISTIAN FAMILY
I HAVE A WONDERFUL LOVING FAMILY
WE HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES RIGHT
I HAVE SO MUCH PRIVILEGE
AND I THINK PART OF THAT
SORT OF DELAY I HAD IN RECOGNIZING MY AUTISTIC IDENTITY
CAME FROM THE IMMENSE GUILT OF BEING LIKE
I CAN'T CLAIM THIS AND THEN AT SOME POINT
I REALIZED THAT IF SOMEBODY WITH AS MUCH PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE
IS EXPERIENCING AS MANY STRUGGLES AS I DO
THEN PERHAPS I AM EXACTLY THE PERSON WHO SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT
BECAUSE I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO DO SO
SO FOR ME AND I'M GONNA SHARE MORE ABOUT MY AUTISTIC
UM JOURNEY IN THE NEXT EPISODE
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW I JUST WANNA SAY THAT FOR ME
FOR A VERY LONG TIME I FELT LIKE I COULD REALLY FIX MYSELF
AND ACTUALLY I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT I BELIEVED THAT
BUT AS IT TURNS OUT
I'VE SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE PLACING IMMENSE PRESSURE ON MYSELF
TO BE BETTER DO BETTER AND JUST BE NORMAL
LIKE TO BE RIGHT AND TO FIT IN AND TO BE COOL
AND LIKE IT WASN'T UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN I FINALLY BURNT OUT FROM LIKE
MASKING MY AUTISTIC IDENTITY FOR SO LONG
THAT I BECAME AWARE OF JUST HOW HARD I HAVE BEEN WORKING TO TRY AND
QUOTE FIX TRAITS WITHIN MYSELF THAT ARE ACTUALLY UNFIXABLE
BECAUSE THEY'RE AN INHERENT PART OF MY NEUROTYPE
LIKE AS IT TURNS OUT
THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE MODELS I WAS USING TO RUN MY LIFE RIGHT
TO THINK ABOUT MY WORK TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS
TO CONNECT IN MY ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS
TO MAINTAIN MY FRIENDSHIPS
TO NAVIGATE THE GROCERY STORE
TO EXERCISE TO CONNECT ON ONLINE
LIKE THAT'S THE THING ABOUT YOUR NEUROTYPE IS LIKE
YOU MIGHT NOT WEAR IT OUTSIDE YOUR BODY
ALTHOUGH SOME OF US DO
IT IMPACTS EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE
SO
WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT NONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT I WAS EXISTING IN
NONE OF THEM WERE BUILT FOR MY BRAIN
SO I DIDN'T KNOW MYSELF ENOUGH TO REGULATE MYSELF
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MY BRAIN'S UNIQUE WAY OF MOVING THROUGH TIME
OR I TOTALLY OVERLOOKED THAT MY BRAIN NEEDS TO DO ONE THING AT A TIME
AND FOR THE LONGEST TIME I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT
ONE OF THE REASONS NEUROTYPICAL PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE ME
WHEN I CLEARLY COMMUNICATE
IS THAT
MOST NEUROTYPICAL PEOPLE ARE TAUGHT TO CONSTANTLY LOOK FOR SUBTEXT
AND I DON'T SPEAK WITH SUBTEXT
SO LIKE FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS OF MY LIFE
I WAS JUST FRUSTRATED TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE
AND THEY'D BE LIKE WELL
WHY DON'T YOU SAY IT LIKE THIS
AND I'D BE LIKE THOSE ARE THE EXACT WORDS THAT I SAID
BUT THEY DIDN'T HEAR ME
AND IT WAS SUCH A LIKE ENLIGHTENING
LIBERATING EXPERIENCE TO BE LIKE
OH WE'RE NOT SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE THINGS I'M NOT SAYING
SO HAHA
LIKE FOR ME AND MY NEURODIVERGENCE
AND I SEE THIS IN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE VARYING FORMS
OF NEURODIVERGENCE LIKE
THE CORE PROBLEM THAT I REALIZED
IS THAT THE WORLD I WAS FORCED TO LIVE IN WAS NOT BUILT FOR MY BRAIN
LIKE I SAID AND I'M GONNA MENTION MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEK
BUT I'M SAYING ALL OF THIS NOW
BECAUSE AS I'VE CONNECTED WITH MORE FOLKS WHO ARE NEURODIVERGENT
MANY OF THEM ARE OFTEN REALIZING NEURODIVERGENT LATE IN LIFE
I'M REALIZING THAT I'M NOT ALONE
SO LIKE SO MANY OTHER FOLKS
FORCING MYSELF TO LIVE IN THAT NEUROTYPICAL WORLD
BURNT ME OUT SO BADLY THAT NEAR MY 30TH BIRTHDAY
I BASICALLY ABANDONED IT HAHAHA
TO GO AND BUILD MY OWN
SO WITH TIME AND A WHOLE LOT OF RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION
I EVENTUALLY REALIZED THAT ONE
I AM AUTISTIC
AND I'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF SENSITIVE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
EVEN CONNECTIVE TISSUE VARIANTS TO SUPPORT IT
AND 2 NEURODIVERGENT NERVOUS SYSTEMS
PARTICULARLY THE SENSITIVE ONES
RESPOND TO STRESS DIFFERENTLY THAN WHAT'S DESCRIBED
IN NEUROTYPICAL SYSTEMS SO WE DON'T RESPOND WORSE FOLKS OR WRONG
WE JUST RESPOND DIFFERENTLY
SO LET ME TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENCES
ONE NEURODIVERGENT FOLKS OFTEN
THOUGH NOT ALWAYS WE DETECT STRESS EARLIER
NOW DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE ALWAYS AWARE OF THAT STRESS EARLIER
NO BECAUSE A LOT OF US TURN OUR BODIES DOWN AND LIKE LEARN TO NUMB OUT
BUT OUR BODIES ARE ACTUALLY DESIGNED TO DETECT STRESS EARLIER
SO WHERE A NEUROTYPICAL PERSON MIGHT NOT NOTICE DISCOMFORT
UNTIL IT BECOMES OVERWHELMING
NEURODIVERGENT FOLKS OFTEN DETECT THE EARLIEST SIGNS
SO THE SHIFT IN TEMPERATURE WHEN SOMEONE OPENS A DOOR
OR THE TEXTURE OF A FABRIC THAT FEELS WRONG AGAINST THE SKIN OR
YOU KNOW THE FLICKERING OF FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
THAT MOST NEUROTYPICAL PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REGISTER
SO NOTICING THESE THINGS ISN'T WEAKNESS
IT'S JUST EARLY SIGNS RIGHT
THEY'RE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
LETTING US KNOW THAT SOMETHING HAS CHANGED
SO TWO HERE'S ANOTHER THING
BECAUSE WE ARE SENSITIVE
NEURODIVERGENT FOLKS ALSO HAVE A GREATER SPECTRUM OF EXPERIENCES
WHEN IT COMES TO STRESS OUR RESPONSES ARE VERY NUANCED RIGHT
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIATIONS AND WE NOTICE THEM
SO WE VALUE SYSTEMS THAT NAME THAT NUANCE
SO FIGHT FLIGHT FREEZE
FAWN TEND AND BEFRIEND
THAT MODEL
DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO DESCRIBING WHAT WE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE
ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS
AND 3 THE OTHER PIECE THAT CONVENTIONAL MODELS
AND I'VE SAID THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN
IS THAT THEY MISS THAT SENSITIVE AND NEURODIVERGENT SYSTEMS ARE
MORE VULNERABLE TO VICARIOUS STRESS RIGHT
REMEMBER IN EARLIER EPISODES WHEN I TALKED ABOUT MIRROR NEURONS
THOSE
SPECIALIZED CELLS IN YOUR BRAIN
THAT PICK UP INFORMATION FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S NERVOUS SYSTEMS
AND CREATE SIMILAR SENSATIONS IN YOUR OWN BODY
WELL THOSE ARE MIRROR NEURONS
AND EVERYONE HAS THEM
BUT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE OR NEURODIVERGENT
THAT MIRRORING SYSTEM LIKE
TENDS TO BE TURNED UP HIGHER
WHICH MEANS THAT WE DON'T JUST RESPOND TO OUR OWN
DIRECT EXPERIENCES OF STRESS
WE ABSORB THE STRESS OF EVERYONE AROUND US
SO IN THAT WAY IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE LAST EPISODE
WE'RE VERY PLUGGED INTO THE SUPER ORGANISM
WE ARE OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL ORGANISM
BUT SOME OF OUR NEURODIVERGENT TRAITS ALLOW US TO
INHERENTLY BE PLUGGED INTO THE SUPER ORGANISM
AT THE SAME TIME
AND THEN FINALLY NO. 4
BECAUSE WE DETECT STRESS EARLY
NOTICE A MORE NUANCED SPECTRUM OF RESPONSES
AND PICK UP ON OTHER PEOPLE'S STRESS
AND WE DON'T HAVE A MODEL THAT HELPS US WITH ALL OF THAT
WE ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO BEING OVERWHELMED BY SITUATIONS
AND THIS PLACES US ALL AT A HIGHER RISK FOR TRAUMA
WHICH MEANS THAT NEURODIVERGENT FOLKS
OFTEN GET SICK MORE EASILY THAN NEUROTYPICAL FOLKS
SO FOR ME IT'S NOT THAT BEING AUTISTIC IS A SICKNESS
BUT BEING AUTISTIC AND BEING FORCED TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE
YOU KNOW MOLD TOXICITY IS PRETTY COMMON
WHERE OUR FOOD IS FILLED WITH ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS
AND WHERE SOCIAL EVENTS ARE USUALLY LOUD
AND THEY INVOLVE A LOT OF TALKING AND THEY REQUIRE A LOT OF SMILING
LIKE IT'S LIVING IN A NEUROTYPICAL WORLD WITH A NEURODIVERGENT BRAIN
LIKE THAT IS WHAT MAKES ME SICK
SO THE BIG TAKEAWAY HERE IS THIS BECAUSE OUR BRAINS
ARE NEURODIVERGENT
WE NEED A DIVERGENT MODEL OF STRESS TO COPE WITH IT
RIGHT SO ONE THAT REWARDS US FOR DETECTING STRESS EARLY
ONE THAT
GIVES US MORE LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE THE SENSITIVITY OF OUR EXPERIENCES
AND
AND RECOGNIZES THAT OTHER PEOPLE'S STRESS REALLY DOES BECOME OUR OWN
AND THAT'S WHAT THE GRAVITY POINT MODEL DOES
AND YOU CAN OF COURSE
I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME ACCESS IT FOR FREE THE ENTIRE THING
RIGHT BY DOWNLOADING THE GUIDEBOOK IN THE DESCRIPTION
SO GETTING BACK TO THE TITLE OF THIS PODCAST
WHAT IS NEURODIVERGENCE WELL
NEURODIVERGENCE IS A WAY OF FEELING
THINKING AND ACTING IN THE WORLD THAT DIVERGES
FROM THE WAY THIS WORLD WAS BUILT
NEURODIVERGENT FOLKS ARE NOT ABNORMAL OR BROKEN OR SICK
IT'S JUST THAT THIS WORLD WAS BUILT BY A CERTAIN NEUROTYPE
SO IT WASN'T BUILT WITH OUR BRAINS IN MIND
BUT I DID BUILD THE GRAVITY POINT WORLD WITH US IN MIND
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY
UNDERSTANDING YOUR NEUROTYPE MATTERS FOR STRESS
SO TO RECAP
IF YOU'RE NEURODIVERGENT THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR THINGS
YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING STRESS ONE
YOU'RE LIKELY DETECTING STRESS EARLIER THAN THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU
AND THAT IS NOT A LIABILITY
LIKE IT'S NOT A FLAW IT'S JUST VALUABLE INFORMATION
SO YOU NEED TO USE IT
SO CUT OFF THE TAG ON YOUR SHIRT THAT'S REALLY DRIVING YOU NUTS RIGHT
STOP EATING ANYTHING THAT HAS ADDED FLAVORING UH
WEAR SUNGLASSES UNDER FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
I KNOW THAT WHEN I GO TO LIKE WATCH A SPORTING EVENT IN A SCHOOL GYM
I SHOW UP WITH A BASEBALL CAP
SUNGLASSES AND EARPLUGS HAHAHA
SO JUST YOU KNOW
DON'T IGNORE THOSE EARLY SIGNALS
LIKE HONOR IT OWN IT
AND JUST BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE SEEMS BOTHERED
DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO PRETEND THAT YOU'RE NOT
NUMBER TWO
YOU NEED MORE LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCES
YOUR STRESS RESPONSES ARE NUANCED AND COMPLEX
THREE RESPONSES OR EVEN SIX ARE NOT GONNA CUT IT
SO YOU NEED A FRAMEWORK THAT HONORS THE FULL SPECTRUM
OF WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING
SO PLEASE DOWNLOAD THAT GUIDEBOOK I KEEP TALKING ABOUT
SO YOU CAN START USING THAT LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW
3 YOU NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR VICARIOUS STRESS RIGHT
LIKE THE STRESS YOU ABSORB FROM OTHERS
IS JUST AS REAL AS THE STRESS HAPPENING DIRECTLY TO YOU
YOU CAN'T IGNORE HALF OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR SYSTEM
AND EXPECT TO STAY REGULATED RIGHT
LIKE SO IF BEING AROUND CERTAIN FOLKS DRAINS YOU
TRY SPENDING LESS TIME WITH THEM AND FIND THE PEOPLE WHO LIGHT YOU UP
AND YES YOUR DOGS AND PLANTS TOTALLY COUNT
AND FINALLY FOUR
BECAUSE YOU DETECT STRESS EARLIER
AND YOU HAVE THAT MORE NUANCED SPECTRUM
OF RESPONSES AND YOU PICK UP ON OTHER PEOPLE'S STRESS MORE EASILY
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO BEING OVERWHELMED
WHICH MEANS YOU'RE AT A HIGHER RISK FOR TRAUMA
BURNOUT AND GETTING SICK SO AGAIN
I THINK I'VE SAID IT 3 TIMES
BUT SERIOUSLY DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDEBOOK AND START USING THOSE STEPS
THEY WILL HELP
AND FINALLY
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NOT BROKEN
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL
AND YOU ARE BORN EXACTLY AS THIS PLANET NEEDS YOU TO BE
YOUR BRAIN JUST OPERATES DIFFERENTLY
SO THE SOLUTION TO YOUR STRESS ISN'T THAT YOU FIX YOURSELF
THE SOLUTION IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOURSELF
AND I HOPE THAT THIS EPISODE HELPED YOU DO THAT TODAY
THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME WITH ME TODAY
WHETHER YOU'RE NEURO DIVERGENT OR NOT
IF THIS EPISODE WAS HELPFUL TO YOU
PLEASE SHARE IT WITH SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM IT
AND IF YOU CAN TAKE A MOMENT TO RATE AND REVIEW THE PODCAST
IT REALLY HELPS US GET THIS WORK OUT INTO THE WORLD
SO WE'D BE EVER SO GRATEFUL
UNTIL NEXT TIME TAKE CARE OF YOU
LIKE I MENTIONED
IF YOU WANT TO START RESOLVING STRESS AND TRAUMA RIGHT NOW
CLICK THE LINK IN THE DESCRIPTION TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE
GRAVITY POINT GUIDEBOOK
THE GRAVITY POINT PODCAST IS WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ASHLEY ANNE
AND PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY PRESENCE MEDIA
LEARN MORE AT GRAVITY POINT INSTITUTE.COM

What is Neurodivergence and How Does It Impact Stress?

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