What is it and why does the body do it? It seems like the mind is telling the person to do something but one cannot get themselves to actually do it.
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Even after hundreds of millions of years of evolution, our brains still rely on primitive patterns that kept us safe and alive. This is the *Fight/Flight/Freeze Response*. In neuro-divergent individuals, emotional triggers kind of hijack those responses, even when there is no danger. Paralysis effects in those with ASD and ADHD often stem from being overwhelmed, or over-stimulated. For example: you walk into your kitchen and see the sink is full of dirty dishes, the counter is a mess from all the baking done recently, and the range is covered with mixing bowls. For most people, they get annoyed and grumble, but will do something about it. To those who are neuro-divergent, the mere sight of that mess from the doorway can be enough to stop them dead in their tracks because the unpleasantness of cleaning up, sheer volume of work to do, and shame of letting the room get to such a state is enough to trigger the Freeze Response.
Folks who get counseling/coaching learn things like Pomodoro and *Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” learn strategies to overcome that. Sometimes it just takes another person being there to be a reassurance. But none of them remove them emotional sensation: they can only serve as a means to work despite it. And it takes practice, like a skill.
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