NeuroRebel Podcast

Beyond Burnout: The Physics of Autistic Inertia


Listen Later

Send us a text

Autistic Inertia: Why You're Not Lazy, You're Operating by Different Physics 

Can't start tasks you desperately want to complete? Can't stop activities even when exhausted? The answer is in Newton's First Law: and it's called autistic inertia.

Research shows autistic adults identify inertia as their MOST DISABLING experience: more challenging than sensory issues or social difficulties. Yet the DSM-5 doesn't mention it once.

Host Anita examines groundbreaking 2021 research by Dr. Dora Raymaker published in Frontiers in Psychology, exploring why 32 autistic adults described inertia as more limiting than any trait psychiatry actually measures.

You'll learn:

  • What autistic inertia actually is (rest inertia vs motion inertia)
  • The neuroscience: predictive coding, interoception & monotropic attention
  • Why psychiatry keeps misdiagnosing this as depression or ADHD
  • Evidence-based strategies that help (body doubling, environmental modifications)
  • How to educate clinicians who've never heard of inertia
  • Why productivity culture pathologizes neurological difference

This isn't gentle self-help: this is rigorous neuroscience meets lived autistic experience with critical disability studies analysis.

Perfect for: Late-diagnosed autistic adults, neurodivergent people struggling with executive dysfunction, mental health professionals, educators, partners/family seeking to understand

Full show notes and citations visit: https://www.neurorebelpodcast.com/

NeuroRebel: Bilingual neurodiversity education challenging mainstream narratives. Research-informed. Autistic-led. Unapologetically honest.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Neuro Rebel — the bilingual podcast where we flip the script on what it means to think differently. I’m your host, Anita: autistic, gifted, and a retired law professor on a mission to bring rigor, empathy, and a dash of rebellion to conversations about neurodiversity.

🔍 What we do:
Each week, we blend evidence-based deep dives, solo reflections, and candid interviews with researchers and lived-experience experts. Expect English ↔ Español segments, sharp wit, real stories and actionable insights you can share with friends, colleagues, and classrooms.

🎧 Stay connected:
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen.
• 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @neurorebelpodcast for bonus clips, show notes, and community prompts.
• 💌 Join our mailing list at https://www.neurorebelpodcast.com for episode transcripts, resource guides, and early access to live Q&As.

🤝 Support the show:
If Neuro Rebel sparks new questions, challenges assumptions or simply makes you feel seen, please tell a friend or leave a rating—it means the world. You can also support us directly with a one-time donation or “buy me a coffee” at www.neurorebelpodcast.com/support Your generosity keeps this project fiercely independent, bilingual, and free of corporate agendas.

⚠️ Disclaimer:
Opinions expressed here are mine alone and do not constitute professional...

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

NeuroRebel PodcastBy NeuroRebel