High-control environments try to fit everyone into a neat box of identity and behavior. This focus on compliance can have several impacts on neurodivergent folks. From seeking to conform to the group’s standards, to being punished for asking questions about why the box is so restrictive, to longing for a place to feel welcome for all the reasons they don’t fit inside the prescribed box – there are layers of complexity when high-control meets neurodivergence.
I recently had the opportunity to write a guest blog for Neuron & Rose Psychological Services on this very topic. Neuron & Rose offers therapy and psychological evaluations, with a focus on neurodivergent-affirming processes, in CA, MN, and WA.
In this post, I share:
“High-control groups include any group of people where those in leadership exert a great deal of influence over the lives of the group members. This influence can include limits on autonomy and decision-making options, as well as using manipulation or coercion to gain / maintain control.
High-control groups can include families, political groups, religious groups, wellness-based groups, or work environments. High-control religious groups include a shared belief system as the basis for the leadership structure, as well as for the treatment of members and non-members.
High-control groups can offer a complex mix of comfort and distress for the neurodivergent person. The offer of clear expectations, routine schedules, and opportunities to engage in special interests can feel welcoming and soothing. The presence of intense pressure to perform or behave in certain ways can feel stifling and contribute to uneasiness.”
Wanna learn more about the intersections of high-control environments and neurodivergence?
Read the full post here.
Michelle F. Moseley (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in NC (#12491). She believes ALL people deserve respect, compassion, and access to mental and physical healthcare. Michelle specializes in working with survivors of religious trauma, and with those who have body image concerns, finding there is frequent overlap in these areas. She also frequently supports late-identified neurodivergent individuals as they navigate the grief and relief of a new understanding of self. You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her website at MichelleFMoseley.com or following her on Instagram – @therapy_with_michelle
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