Post by David Smith, LCSW

Neurodivergent burnout doesn't look like falling apart. It looks like the high performer who suddenly goes quiet. The reliable employee who starts missing deadlines. The person everyone described as "so capable" who one day simply stops. Here's what's actually happening: Autistic and ADHD professionals pay a hidden cost for their functioning that never shows up on a performance review — masking, sensory management, social decoding, the constant effort of operating in environments that weren't designed for them. That cost accumulates. And competence makes it worse, not better. Because competence attracts more work. And more work depletes faster. Capability and capacity are not the same thing. I just published a piece on what neurodivergent burnout actually is, why the standard interventions make it worse, and what managers, HR professionals, and neurodivergent professionals themselves can do about it. Link in the comments. #NeurodivergentBurnout #AutisticBurnout #ADHDBurnout #AuDHD #NeurodiversityAtWork #PsychologicalSafety #TraumaInformedLeadership #MentalHealthAtWork #InclusiveWorkplace #NeurodiversityAffirming #LateIdentified #ActuallyAutistic #LCSW #ThrivingFamilyTherapy