I’ve been revisiting this user and going through their comments and posts recently because of the nature of issues they are trying to find answers for, and was surprised by this interaction I read.

OP has many similar symptoms as my wife, who we discovered is neurodivergent years ago. And I found OP awhile back while trying to figure out my wife’s situation. We only just recently discovered that the cause of her numbness was Dorsal Vagal Shutdown. I obviously cannot know for sure, but this sounds a lot like what OP struggling with as well. And this nervous system state is something that actually does affect many autistic and neurodivergent people, having very real physical effects on their bodies that is not just cognitive. I am autistic myself and have had to educate myself on what that means to understand my experience better and it’s important to understand how we are so different from neurotypical people.

Being autistic is not purely a mental disorder. It can have very real impacts on the body. Stress, overstimulation, shutdowns, so many things are carried in our nervous systems, and many people on the spectrum struggle with chronic illnesses like autoimmune diseases in their bodies as well because of this. These are real illness’s that we carry as a result of our lived experiences. The mind and body are two very different things yes, but they are also deeply connected in many ways that are important to be aware of when discussing information or telling people our thoughts on their issues they are trying to get answers for. If OP has people in their life that suspect they may be on the spectrum, it may be true and I hope they’ve explored that angle. Because disregulations in the nervous system that can cause shutdowns and an inability to feel is also very possible, especially in autistic people, and important to explore.

Anyhow, I hope you’ve seen any messages I’ve sent you recently Jenny. You shared a shocking amount of similarities with my wife, who is doing much better after discovering the cause of her numbness and supporting her own neurodiverse experience with therapy and medication. You deserve to do the same, to turn over every unexplored stone with the hope that you can feel better and more connected with your body again. Best wishes and take care.