What if nothing is wrong with you because your grief hasn't "resolved"? 🌱
Autism and grief is a conversation that rarely gets space, and in this episode Christopher Carazas gives it room. Chris was diagnosed as autistic in 2020, after he had already built the life he thought he was supposed to want. Soon after, he lost his marriage, his home, and his sense of who he was. Later, he lost Katie, the woman who helped him begin to heal.
Chris doesn't tie his story up with a bow, and neither do we. You'll hear what grief looks like when you process the world differently, why the "triumph over tragedy" story can leave you feeling like you're failing, and how to carry grief without pretending it will ever be neat.
If you've been told you should be further along by now, this conversation is for you. If you love someone who is neurodivergent and grieving, you'll leave knowing how to show up for them. 💛
In this episode, you'll hear:
✨ Why closure is a myth, and what grief looks like when it becomes part of you
✨ How autism and grief can collide, from rumination to struggling to cry
✨ Why Chris pushes back on the "survival as redemption arc" story
✨ How to grieve the future you imagined, and shift from "why me?" to "why for me?"
✨ The backpack of stones, and why the weight changes even when it never leaves
✨ Katie's hidden notes, and how Chris uses them when old voices get loud
✨ What Chris's lighthouse is, and how it guides his days
✨ Simple, powerful ways to support a neurodivergent friend or family member in grief
About Christopher Carazas
Christopher Carazas is a social impact strategist and the author of Now That I'm Still Here: A Memoir of Ruin and Resurrection. Through his Substack newsletter of the same name, he writes about survival, storytelling, mental health, humor, and hope after ruin. His work lives at the intersection of grief, neurodivergence, and the long, unglamorous aftermath of psychological trauma.
Connect with Chris
📚 Website and book: https://www.chriscarazas.com
📰 Substack: https://ccarazas.substack.com
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.carazas.2025
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christophercarazas
What resonated with you?
💭 Have you ever wondered why you weren't crying, and whether that meant you didn't love them enough?
💭 What would it change if you stopped waiting for closure and started building a life around your grief?
💭 What is your lighthouse right now?
Share your thoughts in the comments on the companion article and join the conversation with me and other listeners: https://grief2growth.substack.com
💜 If this episode touched you, share it with one person who needs to hear they're not behind.
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You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.
Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.
I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.
All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.
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Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth. (https://grief2growth.com/substack)
I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.
https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons
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