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The Hidden Ways We Try to Escape Our Trauma
How ‘disappearing’ becomes a way to survive.
Trigger Warning: The following content includes personal experiences and discussions around difficult topics such as trauma, emotional challenges, childhood maltreatment, or abusive relationships. While my intent is to educate and share personal insights, some readers may find certain content emotionally distressing. This article is for informational purposes only.
I recall being at Costco years ago and seeing a mother having a difficult time with her two young children who were climbing out of the cart and trying to climb the shelves. I also saw another young woman there helping out who carried a binder with her. Because I had worked in the field of autism years before that, I put two-and-two together and realized that this was likely an outing where the young woman was working on socialization skills with the children while providing the parent support. The prevalence of autism had been gaining speed back then, along with how to best support individual differences within families. Yet, many organizations were still learning the ropes when it came to things like outings and with what worked best for families.
Anyone who is familiar with neurodivergence knows that Costco and Walmart are two of the most overstimulating places ever for a kid…
