By Emily Linder, LPCC-S | Calibrations Counseling & Consultation A client came to therapy because she was having panic attacks at her desk. She was the director of operations at her company, managed her aging parents' medical care, coordinated her kids' schedules, volunteered on two nonprofit boards, and somehow kept her home running smoothly. Everyone knew her as the person who got things done. Then one Tuesday, she sat down to respond to an email and couldn't remember how t

For a lot of neurodivergent people, the world asks more than it gives back. Masking in social situations, managing sensory overload, navigating environments built for neurotypical brains, compensating for executive dysfunction. All of it requires effort that most people around you don't see and wouldn't know to account for. Over time, that effort accumulates. And at some point, it becomes too much. That's neurodivergent burnout. And it's not the kind of tired that a good week