Why Neurodivergent Burnout is a Metabolic Issue (Not Just a "Masking" Problem)

Dear fellow neurodivergent woman,

I have a confession to make. For years, whenever a fellow neurodivergent woman came to me completely shattered—scraping herself off the floor, unable to function, deep in the throes of burnout—I would nod and say:

"It’s the masking. It’s the exhaustion of trying to be neurotypical in a neurotypical world."

And I wasn’t wrong. Masking is exhausting. We know the psychological toll of suppressing who we are, manually regulating our tone of voice, and forcing eye contact.

But recently, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of research that has completely changed my life—and my view of our exhaustion. I’ve realised that blaming "masking" is only telling half the story. It explains the software problem, but it ignores the hardware.

The more I dig into the science, the more I realise: Our batteries aren’t just running low because we’re using them too much. They are fundamentally struggling to hold a charge.

This is the new science of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the neurodivergent brain. And once you understand it, you stop blaming your willpower, and you start healing your biology.

Let me nerd out for a moment, because this changes everything.

The Ferrari Brain in a Clapped-Out Ford

To understand why we crash so hard, we have to look at the energy demands of the brain.

The average human brain is an energy hog. It weighs about 2% of your body mass but consumes 20% of your body’s total energy. It is expensive to run.

Now, consider the neurodivergent brain.

Whether you are Autistic, ADHD, or the spicy combo of both (like me), your brain is a hyper-connector. Studies suggest that neurodivergent brains have more synaptic connections and higher "neural noise." We are processing everything. The hum of the fridge, the texture of our socks, the micro-expression on a colleague's face, and the three different songs playing in our heads simultaneously.

While a neurotypical brain creates efficiency by filtering out "irrelevant" data, our brains tend to let it all in.

We are running a high-performance gaming PC with 400 tabs open.

This means our baseline energy requirement isn't just standard; it is massive. We don't just need some energy; we need a surplus just to reach a baseline of functioning.

And where does that energy come from? The mitochondria.

Meet Your Tiny, Overwhelmed Power Plants

You probably remember from school that mitochondria are the "powerhouses of the cell." They take fuel (glucose/fats) and oxygen, and they churn out ATP (energy).

But here is the piece of science that nobody told us, and it is the key to understanding neurodivergent fatigue: Mitochondria are not just power plants. They are environmental sensors.

Their job is to scan the environment and ask: Is it safe?

When the environment is safe, they pump out energy. They help your brain focus, your muscles move, and your digestion flow.

But—and this is the critical part—when they sense a threat, they stop making energy and switch into defense mode. This is a biological state known as the Cell Danger Response (CDR).

When the CDR is activated, the mitochondria essentially say: "Shut down the factory! We are under attack! Divert all resources to inflammation and defense!"

The "Danger" Signal: Why We Are Stuck in Defense Mode

In a neurotypical person, the CDR might be triggered by a virus or a physical injury. The threat passes, the mitochondria get the "all clear," and energy production resumes.

But for us?

Think about what triggers the "danger" signal to a sensitive nervous system:

* Sensory overload (loud noises, bright lights).

* Sleep deprivation (common in ADHD).

* Gut inflammation (common in Autism).

* Chronic stress (the anxiety of existing in a confusing world).

For a neurodivergent woman, life itself is the danger signal.

Our mitochondria are constantly picking up on the fact that we are overwhelmed. They are receiving a 24/7 signal that the environment is "unsafe." So, what do they do? They stay in the Cell Danger Response.

They stop producing the ATP we desperately need for our high-demand brains and instead pump out inflammation.

This is why you can sleep for 12 hours and still wake up exhausted. It’s not a lack of sleep; it’s a lack of cellular energy production. Your factory is on strike.

It’s Not Just In Your Head—It’s In Your Muscles

For my entire life, I have struggled with what I now look back on as "physical weakness." I was the kid who couldn’t do monkey bars. I’m the woman who leans on walls, sits with legs always crossed up (because holding a core upright is too much effort), and feels like my limbs are made of lead.

We often call this "low muscle tone" or hypotonia, and it is incredibly prevalent in the neurodivergent community.

But why?

Muscles, like the brain, are incredibly dense with mitochondria. If your mitochondria are dysfunctional—if they are stuck in defense mode—they cannot fuel sustained muscle contraction.

That feeling of heaviness? That "gravity feels stronger today" sensation? That is literally your cells failing to produce the voltage required to hold you up.

For 48 years, I thought I was just "unfit" or "lazy." I now know that my muscles were starving for energy.

The Cycle of Oxidative Stress

To add insult to injury, when mitochondria are overworked and malfunctioning, they produce "exhaust fumes" called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). This creates oxidative stress.

Neurodivergent brains are already prone to higher levels of oxidative stress. It’s like a car engine that runs hot. If you don't have enough coolant (antioxidants) and you keep revving the engine (sensory overload/masking), the engine starts to smoke.

This damage further impairs the mitochondria, creating a vicious cycle:

Low Energy → Harder to Cope with Stress → More Stress Signals → Mitochondria Shut Down Further → Even Lower Energy.

This is the biology of burnout. It’s not just a mood; it’s a metabolic collapse.

Why I Finally Stopped Fighting the Science

I’ll be honest. I resisted retraining in Metabolic Health for a while.

I didn’t want to be a "biohacker." The world of health is full of "bros" talking about ice baths, intermittent fasting, and rigid ketogenic diets.

For a neurodivergent woman, some of this can be a nightmare.

* Fasting? My ADHD brain panics if it doesn’t get dopamine regularly by eating.

* Ice baths? My sensory processing would send me into a meltdown.

* Rigid tracking? My demand avoidance says, "Absolutely not."

But after healing from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and recurring burnout by repairing, rebuilding, and recharging my mitochondria—a key feature of metabolic health— I felt a responsibility to pass the information on. So many in our comunity our struggling with energetic challenges, and I want to help change that.

The Pivot: Healing the Batteries (Our Way)

Here is the good news. The sparkly, hopeful news.

Mitochondria are dynamic. They can change. They can heal.

I am living proof of this. I have gone from using a walking stick on the rare days I could get out of bed to kayaking and dancing. I have strength in my muscles for the first time in 48 years. I have brain clarity that I didn't think was possible for someone with my neurology.

But—and this is crucial—we cannot heal our mitochondria using neurotypical strategies. We cannot "shock" our bodies into health. Our bodies are already in shock; that’s the problem.

We have to coax our cells out of the Cell Danger Response. We have to signal safety.

This means we need a new approach. One that looks at:

* Fuel: Stabilising blood sugar so the brain has a steady supply of energy, stopping the rollercoaster that triggers anxiety.

* Nutrients: Flooding the body with the specific minerals our "hot engines" burn through faster than other people.

* Nervous System Regulation: Not just "relaxing," but actively toning the Vagus nerve to tell the mitochondria, “The war is over. You can start making energy again.”

Mitochondria is the New Black

I am traning to be a Mitochondria Coach specifically for neurodivergent women.

Because we deserve this knowledge. We deserve to know that our exhaustion isn't a character flaw. We deserve to know that our burnout is real, biological, and deep in our cells.

And most importantly, we deserve to know that we can fix it.

We don't have to live with flat batteries forever. We can repair the machinery. We can get the power back.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re dragging a concrete body through the world while your brain spins at 100mph, stay tuned. I’m going to teach you exactly how to charge back up—without the ice baths.