Love on the Autism Spectrum - Navigating Neurodivergence in Relationships

Episode 009 Apologizing for Existing: Healing the Hurt Beneath the Shutdowns in Neurodiverse Relationships.mp3


Listen Later

Have you ever apologized just for being you?


In neurodiverse relationships, shutdowns and self-blame can quietly erode emotional safety, but they often come from deeper survival strategies.


In this episode of Love on the Autism Spectrum, Blaze explores what’s really happening when one or both partners begin to apologize for existing, whether through words, silence, or emotional withdrawal. You’ll hear the story of a couple navigating this dynamic and how they learned to slow down, name their patterns, and reconnect without shame. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on healing in relationships


This episode is for both of you—the partner who shuts down and the partner who feels abandoned. You’ll learn how trauma, masking, and emotional overwhelm contribute to this pattern, and how to begin healing it through small, honest shifts in communication and pacing.


✨ Includes a reflective Home Play exercise to help both partners recognize when the urge to apologize is a signal for support.


🎧 Listen now to understand how to stop apologizing for who you are and start building a relationship that allows you to express your full humanity.


#LoveOnTheAutismSpectrum #NeurodiverseCouples #EmotionalShutdown #NeurodivergentHealing #AutismAndLove #ADHDCouples #TraumaInRelationships #RelationshipRepair

Visit https://www.loveontheautismspectrum.com/ or on Instagram @BlazeLazarony

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

Love on the Autism Spectrum - Navigating Neurodivergence in RelationshipsBy Barbara (Blaze) Lazarony, LMFT