Severity isn’t baked into a neurotype. Autism or ADHD may be the baseline but trauma, environment, and other factors amplify challenges. What we call 'severe' often says more about the world’s wounds than about the person’s brain.
Normality wasn’t discovered - it was invented. From hunter–gatherer variation to the 1800s 'average man' and the Industrial Revolution, society created the idea of normal to produce compliant workers and pathologise difference.
Neurotypical doesn’t exist. It never did. The whole idea of 'normal' was invented and it’s destroying far more than our mental health. It shapes how we’re educated, how we work, how we see ourselves, and who gets pushed to the edges of society.
A lot of people have heard of attachment styles – but what do they actually mean? Attachment theory was developed by psychologist John Bowlby, who believed that we learn how to attach through our early caregiving relationships. The way those early bonds play out tends to shape the way we relate
There’s a lot that goes into compromising with people, especially in close relationships. It’s not just about meeting in the middle. It’s about learning to really listen to each other’s boundaries, finding ways to communicate where both people feel heard, and working through conflict without slipping
You can’t bring up a child completely free from hardship. And honestly, if you somehow managed it, it wouldn’t necessarily serve them well. Children need to learn how to move through challenge, how to regulate in the face of difficulty, and how to cope when life doesn’t
Looking back, there are things I wish someone had told me when I first started working through my own pain. It’s Not About Getting Back to Who You Were Healing isn’t about returning to an old version of yourself - it’s about becoming someone new, shaped by
Sometimes life doesn’t just hand you one challenge - it piles them on. In those moments, even getting through the day can feel impossible. Step One: Pause When everything feels urgent, your body can stay in high alert. Taking even 30 seconds to pause - with a breath, a
One of the quieter challenges of healing is that it can shift your relationships, sometimes in ways you didn’t expect. Why Friendships Change As you grow, your priorities, boundaries, and values may shift. Some friends will celebrate that growth with you; others may feel uncomfortable or left behind. It’
Attachment theory helps explain why we connect the way we do - in friendships, romantic relationships, and even at work. Where It Starts Your attachment style forms in early life, based on how your caregivers responded to your needs. While these patterns start in childhood, they can show up throughout
Healthy relationships require give and take, but there’s a difference between compromising and abandoning yourself. What Healthy Compromise Looks Like * Both people’s needs are acknowledged and valued * Each person sometimes bends, but neither breaks * The solution feels fair and sustainable * Boundaries are respected even when they differ The
In a world that rewards constant productivity, rest can feel like a guilty pleasure. But rest isn’t laziness - it’s a biological and emotional necessity. Why We Resist Rest Many of us learned early on that our worth is tied to how much we do. Slowing down can
When emotions feel overwhelming, it’s tempting to shut them down or get stuck analysing them. My Feel–Understand–Nurture approach is a gentle, three-step way to work through feelings without getting lost in them. Step One: Feel Start with the body. Ask yourself: What do I feel physically? Is
We’re told to listen to our bodies all the time, but what does that really mean? For many of us, especially if we’ve been through trauma, our connection with our body can feel distant or confusing. Why It Can Be Hard to Tune In If you’ve learned
When your heart’s racing, your chest feels tight, or you can’t stop overthinking, it can feel like your body is working against you. But your nervous system isn’t trying to ruin your day, it’s trying to protect you. Why It Reacts the Way It Does Your
If you’ve ever thought, I should be over this by now, you’re not alone. Many people believe healing is a straight path from broken to fixed. In reality, it’s a winding journey with progress, pauses, and unexpected turns. The Myth of the Straight Line We live in
Self-abandonment is one of those patterns that’s easy to miss because it often looks like being helpful, flexible, or easy-going. On the surface, you might seem like you’ve got it all together. Inside, you may feel disconnected, resentful, or exhausted. What Is Self-Abandonment? At its core, self-abandonment means
trauma
When people think of trauma, they often imagine something big and obvious: an accident, abuse, war, loss. And while those experiences can be deeply traumatic, they’re only part of the picture. Trauma isn’t always loud or visible, sometimes it’s quiet, subtle, and woven into the everyday moments