Thawing Out: Surviving Functional Freeze as a Neurodivergent Black Woman
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes with living in survival mode. The kind that keeps your body moving—going to work, responding to emails, showing up for family—but your mind? It’s frozen. Numb. Stuck. That’s what they call a functional freeze, and if you’re a neurodivergent Black woman like me, chances are, you know it all too well.
But here’s what I’ve learned: functional doesn’t equal well. And you can’t heal in survival mode.
Black Brains are Wired Differently?
Recent findings by researchers have shown that Black youth are impacted by “toxic stress” as a result of poverty and other adversity at a higher rate than White youth. I have a psychology background, educationally and professionally, so I had a pretty decent familiarity with the concept of ACEs and how these adverse experiences can continue to affect the outcomes for individuals during adulthood. But as a mother, it is a devastating reality. Some of the life factors that I hope to shield my child from, are likely directly impacting her.