The Connection Between Body Acceptance and Neurodivergence
You may have noticed some shifts in my content lately. I’m talking more about neurodivergence, and maybe a little less about body acceptance. My practice has expanded and shifted, so that I’m focusing more on this intersection between accepting our brains and accepting our bodies.
This is how I see both body liberation and neurodivergence as linked together.
Folks who are neurodivergent have a high likelihood of being in a bigger body (people with ADHD have a 70% higher rate of being in a bigger body, and children with autism are in larger bodies than their peers starting as young as age 2) and of having an eating disorder (ADHD has 4x the likelihood of having an ED.).
Interoception issues show up with histories of dieting and with neurodivergence. So being able to feel your internal sensations, like hunger and fullness, is difficult in both experiences.
They both are about trying to adapt to and fit into a world that was built to intentionally exclude us. Our environment has been designed to gatekeep (and to maximize profits, but that’s maybe a different blog…), so the experience we have at the airport is not neuro-affirming or body inclusive. The experience we have at school is shaming about neurotype differences and body differences. And we are both trying to adapt to and fit into these limiting environments so that we can belong.
It’s all about shame. Shame is a common theme in body work and neuro-affirming work.
Disability justice frames my approach to both. Period.
Traditional methods for treating eating disorders leave out neurodivergence. Even intuitive eating is not always adaptable for neurodivergent folks.
Both include getting to know your authentic rhythms, wants, desires, and needs.
People pleasing is rampant. I see common themes of swallowing of yourself for the sake of others, over-prioritizing the opinions of others, and trying to ignore your own needs.
It’s all about liberation for all people, in all ways. How can my therapy practice be of service to the larger goal of freeing people from internal criticism, of externalizing anger at systems of oppression, and of reconnecting ourselves with our bodies with respect and kindness? How can I help increase self acceptance and help the world become more accommodating to all kinds of bodies and brains?
You’ll see more from me in the coming months about how I’m incorporating neuro-affirming practices into my work, and you’ll see more offerings that speak to this intersection of body and brain acceptance.
I’d love to hear from you how you see the two connected! Comment below to share your thoughts!
