Trauma Therapy That Works With Your Brain: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to PTSD treatment for Adults with Autism and/or ADHD
PTSD is treatable. Cognitive Processing Therapy is one of the best-supported treatments in existence, with strong evidence across decades of research. It works by helping people identify and gently examine the "stuck points" — the rigid, painful beliefs a trauma can leave behind, like "it was my fault" or "I can't trust anyone". But the standard delivery of CPT leans heavily on abstract language, written worksheets, and a fairly fixed structure. For someone who thinks concretely, experiences executive functioning differences, or processes the world through heightened senses, those features can become barriers — not because the person can't do the work, but because the format gets in the way. PTSD can also be missed entirely in neurodivergent adults. Trauma responses — withdrawing, becoming more rigid in routines, shutting down — can be mistaken for "just autism" and overlooked. Differences in identifying and naming emotions (alexithymia) and the habit of camouflaging — masking your authentic self to fit in, which research links to stress and poorer mental health — can hide what's really going on.