Dear daughter,

I can’t protect you from every wound.
I can’t stop the world from misunderstanding you, labeling you, or trying to shrink you.
But I can make sure you never mistake any of that for love.

You will know what it feels like to trust your instincts.
To say no without explaining.
To leave without guilt.

You will know that your voice matters – even when it shakes.
That you don’t owe anyone your comfort, your body, or your silence.
That you can take up space without apologizing for it.

Because too many neurodivergent women are taught from a young age to ignore discomfort, mask their reactions, and prioritize others’ emotions above their own.

And predators notice.
Abusers notice.

Neurodivergent women are more likely to experience emotional, physical, and sexual abuse – often starting early and repeating across relationships.

Because we’re trained to be “good.”
To push through sensory overwhelm.
To stay quiet when something feels wrong.

Not here.
Not you.

I won’t raise you to be easy to love.
I’ll raise you to be impossible to harm quietly.

This ends with us.
– Mom

About this post:

Neurodivergent women – especially those with ADHD or autism – are statistically at much higher risk of abuse. Research shows they are significantly more likely to experience sexual violence, emotional manipulation, and intimate partner abuse than neurotypical women.

Why?
Because many are conditioned to ignore discomfort, mask distress, and prioritize others’ needs above their own. Traits like high empathy, sensory overload, rejection sensitivity, and difficulty reading social cues are often exploited by abusers.

This is not a weakness in us.
It’s a failure of the systems that taught us to silence ourselves.

Posts like this aren’t just gentle parenting.
They’re prevention.
They’re protection.
They’re cycle-breaking.