What Masking Actually Does to the Brain | Late Diagnosis, Burnout & Autism in Women with Michelle Karth

This week on The NeuroSpicy MomPod, I’m joined by neuroscientist and late-diagnosed autistic adult Michelle Karth for an incredibly validating conversation about autistic masking, late diagnosis, nervous system burnout, chronic stress, sensory overwhelm, and why so many neurodivergent women were completely missed growing up.

We dive into the neuroscience behind masking, why burnout can feel physically debilitating, how trauma and neurodivergence overlap, and the emotional process of realizing you were never “too sensitive” or “bad at life” ...your brain was just trying to survive in environments that didn’t support it. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from performing normalcy, struggled with people pleasing, or wondered why life seems harder for you than everyone else, this episode is going to hit deep.

Michelle shares both the science and lived experience behind autism, ADHD traits, sensory processing, identity loss after burnout, and what healing can actually look like when you stop forcing yourself to function like a neurotypical person.

You can connect with Michelle here:
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Threads: @adult_autism_assessment
YouTube: @AdultAutismAssessmentCenter
Website: newpathfamily.com

🎧 Listen on Patreon, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio & YouTube.
💖 Full video episodes, bonus content, community discussions, and direct support for the show are available on Patreon.

And truly, thank you for being here. I’m a single neurodivergent mama still recovering from dv, autistic burnout, and rebuilding life from the ground up while trying to create a space that helps people feel less alone. Every subscription, share, review, and episode download genuinely helps support both this podcast and my little family more than you know. 💖

#Autism #ADHD #LateDiagnosis #AutisticBurnout #NeurodivergentWomen #AuDHD #MentalHealthPodcast #NervousSystemHealing #TraumaHealing #theNeuroSpicyMomPod

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