Neurodivergence, Trauma and Recovery (Part 1/3) — Connecting Back to Nature and Cyclical Living
In this three-part series of blogs, NdC Development Lead Kay Aldred examines the complex entanglement of Neurodivergence and trauma, and the implications this has for the concept of “recovery”. In this first part, Kay explores how natural rhythms, such as the seasons, can illuminate an understanding of trauma and recovery.
The link between Neurodivergence and trauma, the impact on Neurodivergent people’s lives and if or how recovery is possible or accessible is complex and yet not fully researched. As Dr Amy Pearson and Kieran Rose write, “recently there has been a shift towards recognising that trauma is incredibly subjective and is also an intersectional issue that can be driven by prolonged exposure to living within an oppressive system (Nadal et al., 2019)”1.
For Neurodivergent individuals, the allistic2 built and neuronormative designed structures and systems of society are oppressive (and therefore traumatic). We have an increased vulnerability to trauma due to living in environments and operating in systems which are not designed to meet our needs and accommodate differences, thereby blocking our access to social participation and community support. This leads to chronic stress, overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation, social isolation, othering and bullying, and often frequent conflicts and misunderstandings.
We are dehumanised, pathologised and stigmatised. The world can feel very unsafe, which increases trauma and the increased need for masking leads to burnout, anxiety, low self-worth, and therefore, cumulatively, more trauma.
For me personally, the sensory and environmental trauma, due to heightened sensory sensitivities, has been acute and most debilitating. I experience most environments that others find tolerable as overwhelming and often traumatic – in the sense that they are too much, too soon, and too fast for my nervous system to process and therefore highly dysregulating. Loud noises, bright lights, crowded spaces, strong scents, or unexpected changes can trigger intense stress responses, contributing to trauma over time.
Our already dysregulated and stretched nervous systems mean our windows of tolerance get smaller and smaller, our emotional regulation and nervous system capacity reduce, and quickly it gets increasingly harder to complete and discharge the survival and stress energies as we are constantly being triggered by sensory overload and neuronormative interactions. More undigested trauma ensues.
So how can we start to recover and heal in what feels and seems liked a closed feedback loop of retraumatisation?
In the Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach course, I talk about the importance of connecting to and eventually honouring and structuring our life around our unique energy rhythms, through observing, being mentored by, and communing with nature’s rhythms. These cyclical rhythms include the seasons and the lunar cycles.
It is well-researched that the seasonal changes, and the amount of sunlight we can access impact our mood and wellbeing. Nature teaches us that everyone needs to connect with the outdoors, daylight, and green spaces. Living coordinated with our inner seasons leads to better nervous system regulation and more sustainable living habits. This is especially important for Neurodivergent individuals who may ‘buck the trend’ (as I do) of being most energised and uplifted in summer. My seasonal adjustment disorder kicks in as daylight increases - spring and summer are where my mood and energy are lowest. The sensory experience of heat, insect bites, hay fever, BBQs, outdoor gatherings, and unpredictable alcohol fuelled behaviour is just so overwhelming. I have summer SAD3 and my best months are October, November, and January. I am happy, and productive, and enjoy being outdoors then.
Whatever our rhythms, connecting to nature shows us that just as the seasons turn and the trees bud, bloom, shed and rest, and the sun rises, shines, sets and disappears, and the moon waxes to fullness, and wanes to darkness, so do we need to find our unique rhythm, which is our best season and do our utmost to find out which environments echo that to support us be most regulated.
I’m talking about connecting to nature to be educated here not just in the traditional ways that we know about – that forest walking, being in green spaces, gardening and wild swimming (if that’s your thing, it's not mine!) can all help us to regulate our nervous system, accessing sensory input in a less overwhelming and titrated way and receive non-verbal, non-demanding, less structured healing connection.
Trauma is healed through connection and nature offers us connection in a gentle and comforting way. It reassures us that we can be a wild, non-conformist, fast-growing climber (think some types of clematis) which can’t/won’t be tamed and flourishes in peak heat or a sturdy, reliable, prickly holly bush which dependably produces red berries, nourishing the birds in the hardest, coldest winter.
Everything is welcome; there's space for all ways of being a plant, tree, or flower. Seasons remind us that we, as living beings, need to figure out how long it takes and what we need to bud, bloom, harvest, and rest. That is why I advocate for cyclical living education in schools, mental health care, and therapeutic intervention within the Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach training.
Want to learn more?
Our Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach training course starts 1st October, as eight 90-minute evening sessions.
The NdWA curriculum can also be commissioned to be delivered privately.
