About this episode

This episode explores the differences between Freeze trauma response, autistic Shutdown, and Dissociation in autistic women recovering from trauma.

Here we explore the difference between * the Freeze trauma response, * autistic Shutdown, and* Dissociation in autistic women in trauma recovery. Welcome back to Season 3 of Light in the Battle:Inner Stability — a podcast for autistic women healing from narcissistic abuse, where we become clearer, calmer, and spiritually and legally harder to mess with.Find me on Facebook .In Episode 32, we explored why high-conflict co-parentingis such a uniquely dysregulating environment for autistic women. In Episode 33, we looked at what happens when trauma teaches the autistic nervous system to expect danger.Now we're looking at what can happen when that systemreaches capacity.Freeze. Shutdown. Dissociation.They aren't the same thing, although they can overlap — and when you're an autistic single mother navigating trauma recovery, CPTSD, PTSD, sensory overwhelm, executive dysfunction and high-conflict situations, figuring out exactly what's happening inside your brain and body can be complicated.Sometimes you know exactly what needs to be done... but you can't do it.You stare at the email for three hours.You can't make the phone call.Someone asks you an unexpected question, and suddenly…

More episodes of Light in the Battle

• 33. Autism, Trauma, Neuroplasticity & the Nervous System: Why Your Brain Stays in Survival Mode After Narcissistic Abuse (ASD, Trauma, Legal · June 29, 2026 · 15 min
• 32. Why Autistic Women's Nervous Systems get so Dysregulated in High-Conflict Co-Parenting (ASD, Trauma, Legal Abuse, Post-Separation Abuse · June 15, 2026 · 20 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Light in the Battle podcast page.