What if grief doesn't have an end date, and nothing is wrong with you because of it? 🌱
Autism and grief is a conversation almost no one is having, and Christopher Carazas is ready to have it with you. At 30-something, Chris finally learned he was autistic. Soon after, he lost his marriage, his home, and his sense of who he was. Later, he lost Katie, the woman who helped him heal. In this honest episode, Chris shares what grief really looks like when you process the world differently, and why he refuses to wrap his story in a tidy bow. 💛
If you've been told you should be "further along by now," this one is for you. And if you love someone who is neurodivergent and grieving, you'll leave knowing exactly how to show up for them. 🤝
In this episode, you'll discover:
✨ Why closure is a myth, and what grief looks like when it becomes part of who you are
✨ How autism and grief can collide, from masking to rumination to struggling to cry
✨ Why the "triumph over tragedy" story leaves so many of us feeling like we're failing
✨ How to grieve the future you imagined, and shift from "why me?" to "why for me?"
✨ Simple, powerful ways to support a neurodivergent friend or family member in grief
If you've ever asked...
💭 "Why am I not crying? Did I even love them?"
💭 "Why does my grief feel stuck when everyone else seems to be moving on?"
💭 "How do I support someone who processes emotions differently than I do?"
...then you're in the right place. You are not broken, and you are not behind. 💜
Chris is the author of Now That I'm Still Here: A Memoir of Ruin and Resurrection, and he writes about survival, storytelling, mental health, and hope after ruin on Substack.
Want to keep the conversation going? Read the companion article, leave a comment, and connect with me and other listeners at grief2growth.substack.com
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– – – Chapters: – – –
00:00 🌱 Close Your Eyes and Imagine
00:47 🎙️ Welcome and Meet Christopher Carazas
03:24 💔 The Ruin: A Diagnosis and a Life Fractured
09:25 🧩 What Autism Actually Is
15:27 🌀 How Grief Is Different for Neurodivergent People
23:23 💌 Katie's Hidden Notes
25:04 🚫 Why Survival Isn't a Tidy Triumph Story
29:10 🎒 The Backpack of Stones
33:39 🔮 Grieving the Future You Imagined
36:36 ✨ Religion, the Universe, and Spiritual but Not Religious
41:45 🗼 Finding Your Lighthouse: Peace
44:02 🤝 How to Support a Neurodivergent Person in Grief
49:17 🏷️ Is the Diagnosis a Gift or a Label?
51:54 💡 Sensory Sensitivities and Hidden Strengths
58:00 📚 Where to Find Chris and His Book
