For most of my life, I didn’t know I was autistic. Growing up in the '80s and '90s, I was constantly told I was “too sensitive,” “too intense,” or “too much,” but no one ever explained why I felt so different. I became obsessed with understanding why people didn’t like me and spent years trying to fit into relationships that didn’t fit me. My mother was a narcissist, and without realizing it, I normalized emotional abuse early on. That made me a prime target for narcissistic partners. When I met my ex-husband, he seemed perfect, he mirrored everything I wanted. But after we married, he changed completely. He became emotionally abusive, dismissive, and cruel. As a neurodivergent woman, I internalized the blame. I was constantly masking, people-pleasing, and second-guessing myself. When he broke into my home and strangled me during our separation, I finally saw the truth: it wasn’t me. Since then, I’ve been reclaiming my voice and learning how to live unmasked. I now understand how my undiagnosed autism played a role in how deeply I was impacted—and how long I stayed. If you’re also neurodivergent and trying to make sense of a toxic relationship, I’d love to talk. You are not broken. You were just never given the right tools or support, and you can get there.