Burden Trauma

 🌿 Burden Trauma: A Nuanced Struggle in the Autistic and Disabled Experience 🌿

A couple of days ago, while out at a restaurant with my husband, I spilled my drink. A familiar wave of annoyance and shame washed over me as I scrambled to clean up, wishing I didn’t have to burden the waiter. This shame isn’t new to me. In fact, I feel it often—especially when I have to ask for help, whether it’s from my husband or even my professors as I navigate my PhD work (something I’m actively trying to overcome).

The feeling of being a burden can be heavy, almost paralyzing at times. And I know I’m not alone. Recently, while working with a client, we discussed similar feelings she had been grappling with. That’s when I introduced the concept of burden trauma—a term I coined to describe the weight that many autistic and disabled individuals carry when they internalize the belief that they are a burden to others. This feeling can arise from societal expectations, ableism, or the pressure to fit into a world that wasn’t designed with our needs in mind.

Burden trauma adds an extra layer of emotional pain to the many challenges autistic and disabled individuals already face—whether it’s sensory overwhelm, social misunderstandings, or day-to-day struggles. It can deeply impact our mental health, self-worth, and relationships.

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where everyone could just be without feeling like they’re “too much” for others? 💙 Maybe. One. Day.

#Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaInformedCare #BurdenTrauma #InclusiveTherapy #DisabledAdvocacy #HealingTogether