A Practical Guide

The Quiet Mind

Finding peace amidst sensory overload — a working manual for the nervous system you actually have.

Thirty-five chapters of practical language and practical tools for neurodivergence, trauma, and the daily work of recovery. Written for the adult who has spent decades feeling slightly broken in rooms designed for the average nervous system, and for the partner, parent, friend, manager, or clinician who lives or works alongside that person and would like a working translation of what is happening.

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By the numbers

What is in the book

35 Chapters

Across four parts. From recognising the noise to building a life that fits the nervous system you have.

4 Parts

Recognition. The Invisible Load. The Architecture of Safety. Living with the World.

1 Appendix

The Quiet Mind Toolkit — the practical kit pulled out of the chapters and laid down in one place.

192 Pages

5 by 8 inch trim, including Crisis Resources, further reading, and a working bibliography.

What this book covers

AutismADHDCPTSDSensory OverloadMeltdownShutdownMaskingLate DiagnosisImposter SyndromeBurnoutGroundingBoundariesRecoveryRelationshipsTranslation

If a topic is in scope for an adult living with a neurodivergent or trauma-shaped nervous system, it is in this book. The chapters are practical and unsentimental; the language is honest; the toolkit at the end is the one the author actually uses.

The aim is not perfect calm; the aim is less unnecessary war. From the Foreword

Who this book is for

The neurodivergent adult who has spent decades feeling like the wrong specification of human, and who suspects that the cost of pretending otherwise has been higher than anyone outside their head has noticed.

The partner, parent, friend, manager, colleague, or clinician who lives or works alongside that person and would like a working translation of what is happening — from the inside and from across the room.

Readers of An Atypical Life who want the practical manual the memoir grew out of.

A note on safety. This book describes overload, meltdown, shutdown, panic, and the lived experience of complex trauma. It is not a substitute for clinical care. If you are in acute distress, please contact a qualified professional or a local crisis service. A Crisis Resources section is included at the back of the book.

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