Podcasts about audhd

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.This week, Angela and Simon turn their attention to Channel 4 documentary The Great ADHD Myth and the backlash it has received from the ADHD community. They discuss its claims around diagnosis and medication, the decision to centre the experiences of a ten-year-old boy, and what happens when mainstream media tells stories about neurodivergent people without meaningfully including the communities at the centre of them.Simon also reflects on his own experience of ADHD medication, from finding the right dose to the difference it has made to his life, as Angela and Simon explore the wider narratives around overdiagnosis, masking and the idea that people must be visibly struggling for their neurodivergence to be considered legitimate.As always, we'll also take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week, including the launch of The Still Growing Up Film Club, a new Mindful Mondays, Autistic Menopause and plenty more from across the network.Plus, we head to the Community Notice Board for books, events and opportunities from across the wider Autistic community.

AuDHD brains face many challenges when it comes to projects. It's something I've put a great deal of time and learning into, both personally and professionally. This episode covers many ideas and approaches that tend to work for us.Key Takeaways:We usually learn to use what I call the Adrenaline-Anxiety Approach. While effective short-term, it can lead to burnout and other issues.A monotropic approach is more sustainable and individualized... and it can feel slow at first.Experimentation as a core toolCreating just enough structure and safety to get going, without getting bogged down (loose planning)Working with the brain states you haveManaging interruptions, inputs, and daily lifeFinding the balance that works for youThe episode also walks through the Love Your Brain course, designed to help AuDHDers understand their mind-body system, work with brain states, and navigate project challenges. The course emphasizes self-compassion, experimentation, and building processes tailored to individual needs.Repost - originally posted July 12th 2024Links mentioned:Devon Price's Laziness Does Not Exist article, and a PDF if you're not on MediumThe transcript may be especially useful for this episode! (It'll take a few seconds for the link to fully load to this episode)Love Your Brain course (and the Sep/Oct 2026 live round info) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: I'm talking about the wrong way I was doing this podcast from scheduling when to work on it, to how seriously to treat it, to realizing I need to freaking relax and come here as myself, an AuDHD perimenopausal woman. And I fell into what I think is accidental genius when I said, "Just because you have EXTRA (time, money, bandwith, etc.) doesn't mean you have to GIVE IT AWAY. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO RESERVE."  Special Patreon Offer For August - Jen's Birthday Month! Choose from one free month of Patreon or get 28% off annually! Get access to over 150 episodes, videos, transcripts, ad-free audio, and live Q&A's with Jen!  For 28% off annually use CODE 8FF13 https://www.patreon.com/cw/ALOTADHDPOD Or get one free month by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/ALOTADHDPOD/redeem/280A4 Take a somatics class with Jen! Click here. Get on the mailing list about Somatics Classes with Jen here.  See Jen on stage in NYC Aug 28th! Tickets here. Join Jen's New Co-Work Community online! I started something called ☕️The Co-Work Community. It's an online co-working (aka body doubling) space & community for neurodivergent humans! There are other online co-working spaces but where else can you do your work, tasks, or chores with other neurodivergent people and ME, every single day for ONLY $15 a month? Answer? Nowhere! You'll help yourself AND you're supporting a neurodivergent solopreneur woman-owned start-up business.** Shop Jen's Favorite ADHD Supports (with Discounts) Jen's Printables I created these printables (or write directly in them online as digital downloads) for people who love having fun little extras to add to their systems. I have journal prompts, easy mode to do lists, places to log books you've read/books to read, places to thought spiral and sort, as well as ADHD Guides filled with facts. Brain.fm — A Focus Tool I Use Every Day I listen while I work and I can feel my brain lock in. It's not AI, or binaural beats. Brain.fm is science-backed sound made by musicians and scientists for ADHD brains. I want you to try it for 30 days free, with my link! Get 25% off WisprFlow. It's a talk to text app that helps me as a person who needs to verbally write sometimes, whether it's a brain dump journal entry or composing an episode of this podcast. It types very fast and always understands my words perfectly. Little Ouchies - Self Regulation Stim Tools! I LOVE my Little Ouchies. I use them daily when I'm working, writing, thinking, and it really helps me to stay in the moment by regulating my nervous system. I tend to ruminate with Imposter Syndrome when I'm in deep work. It's also just fun and feels good, so even watching TV or other mindless activities are made more stimulating by rolling one in my hands. Get 10% off with this link and use ALOT10 at checkout! Books I Recommend I love Bookshop.org because every purchase supports your local independent bookstore, not Amazon, while still shipping directly to you. I've curated book lists on ADHD/AuDHD and mental health, and you can get 20% off everything when you shop using my link. Hugimals — Weighted Comfort for Kids/Adults. I own Hugimals, give them as gifts, and love that they're made by a neurodivergent founder who understands nervous system needs. These weighted stuffed animals and pillows help with anxiety and overwhelm, and you can get 15% off anytime using my link and code JENKIRKMAN (it never expires). The Time Timer - a Cute Visual Time Tool! I use my Time Timer every single day to help me visualize time during work blocks, and to gamify chores. There's no discount, but when you use my link I earn a percentage that goes directly into supporting this podcast. The Big A## Calendar I have the Big A## wall calendar that maps out the entire year and the Big A## personal planner with 365 days in one view, dry erase markers, color coded labels. With my unique link you can get 10% off of your order. Appointed — Planners, Notebooks and Desk Goods. Appointed notebooks are my go-to for my spiral notebooks, day planners, calendars and Le Pen pens for list-making, journaling, and planning. Save 15% off with my link and code JENKIRKMAN.

What happens when fitness stops being punishment and becomes a way of coming home to yourself?In this conversation, Kristin Walker sits down with longtime friend, fitness coach, podcaster and mental health advocate Aline Duriaud for a wide-ranging conversation about late-identified neurodivergence, menopause, strength training, Muay Thai, mental health, coercive control, unmasking, and the extraordinary experience of finally understanding the operating system you've been living inside all along.Aline talks candidly about receiving an ADHD diagnosis in midlife and more recently beginning to understand herself through an autistic lens. She and Kristin explore the grief that can accompany late identification, but also the enormous possibility that opens when years of therapy, self-knowledge and lived experience suddenly have a new organizing framework. They also talk about bodies.Aline shares how she moved into fitness professionally in her late 40s, becoming a certified personal trainer and later pursuing specialist training in menopause and mobility. What began as a desire to become physically strong during an extraordinarily difficult period of her life eventually led her into bodybuilding, coaching, mobility work and, in her 50s, Muay Thai.The conversation gets into something rarely discussed in conventional fitness culture: movement as nervous-system regulation. For neurodivergent women especially, physical training can offer a place to put enormous mental energy, reconnect with a body that may have felt unsafe or disconnected, learn complex systems through movement, and experience strength without turning exercise into another form of punishment.Aline also speaks openly about her own experiences with coercive control, difficult coaching relationships, mental health treatment, DBT, burnout and the danger of handing too much authority to someone simply because they call themselves a coach. The result is a thoughtful discussion about agency, boundaries and finding forms of movement—and relationships—that actually fit the person you are.And then there is Muay Thai. Aline describes what it is like to become a beginner again in her 50s, learning an intricate combat sport with an ADHD coach who sometimes explains body mechanics using kebabs, baseball bats and imaginary iron testicles. Somehow, it works. Because perhaps the point isn't perfect discipline. Perhaps the point is discovering the kind of movement that makes you want to return to your body.About Aline DuriaudAline Duriaud is a London-based certified personal trainer, fitness coach, mental health advocate and founder of Rise Strong Fitness Collective, where her work centers particularly on helping women over 40 build strength, mobility, confidence and sustainable relationships with movement.Her professional study includes personal training, strength and resistance training, menopause-focused coaching, mobility for strength and injury prevention, body composition and functional training. Her own evolving practice also includes bodybuilding and Muay Thai. Aline is the host of Flex and Flow with Aline, a podcast exploring the intersection of fitness and mental health through conversations with coaches, athletes, mental health professionals and people whose lives have been changed by movement. She also created Beyond the Borderline, a peer-focused mental health podcast that has accumulated more than 80,000 downloads.Her newest writing explores menopause, neurodivergence, fitness and her experience of learning Muay Thai in her 50s.Find AlineSubstack — Menopause & Muay Thaihttps://substack.com/@menopauseandmuaythaiInstagram — Aline Duriaudhttps://www.instagram.com/aline.duriaudRise Strong Fitness Collectivehttps://www.instagram.com/risestrongfitnesslondon/Flex and Flow with Aline — Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flex-and-flow-with-aline/id1788533409Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this episode, I sit down with award-winning psychiatrist Dr Asif Bachlani to explore what it really feels like to live with both ADHD and autism. We uncover 5 hidden signs of masking AuDHD, the contradictions that can make life feel exhausting, the loneliness of feeling different, and the emotional impact of receiving a diagnosis later in life. Dr Asif also shares the assessment he'll never forget, and the true cost of spending years hiding who you really are. Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:56 Why Dr Asif Bachlani Dedicated His Life to ADHD & Autism 04:22 The Patient Who Changed Everything for Dr Asif 07:02 What Neurodivergent People Can Teach Us About Being Human 08:39 The Sentence Dr Asif Hears After Almost Every Diagnosis 12:58 The Hidden Grief of a Late ADHD or Autism Diagnosis 16:47 The Contradictions of Living With AuDHD 21:04 What People With AuDHD Fear Being Judged For 24:52 Is Masking a Choice — or Does It Happen Automatically? 27:05 The AuDHD Assessment Dr Asif Will Never Forget 36:43 Why AuDHD Can Feel So Incredibly Lonely 41:21 Tiimo advert 43:05 Sign #1 You're Masking AuDHD 45:40 Sign #2 You're Masking AuDHD 48:19 Sign #3 You're Masking AuDHD 50:25 Sign #4 You're Masking AuDHD 53:29 The True Cost of Never Unmasking 01:02:11 Sign #5 You're Masking AuDHD 01:02:54 Washing Machine of Woes: Your Questions Answered 01:05:24 A Letter to My Younger Self Get 30% off an annual Tiimo subscription

Lesley Logan records from the road in the final days of her tenth tour, keeping her Friday check in honest about the hard parts before the good ones. She names the boundary problem that highly communicative people run into most, then celebrates a milestone that took several years of quiet groundwork to reach. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:The challenges of dealing with people who make their emergencies hers.The internal argument a perfectionist has under deadline pressure.How eLevate teacher training paves the way for the right people.How Heidi made time for her live mat class despite everything.Recognizing that smallest wins actually count the most.Episode References/Links:Lesley on Plymouth Perspectives Podcast - https://beitpod.com/plymouthperspectiveseLevate Mentorship Program - https://lesleylogan.co/elevateupLift - xxll.co/uwsSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  It's Fuck Yeah Friday. Brad Crowell 0:01  Fuck yeah! Lesley Logan 0:02  Get ready for some wins. Lesley Logan 0:05  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:48  Hello, Be It babe. How are you? Happy Fuck Yeah Friday. Here we are. I am two days from being home, so I have another stop, and then a day off, and then our last stop on the tour. So I am coming at you. Well, I've recorded this early, but somewhere I am in the Arizona area, I feel like, and so we're wrapping up our 10th tour. Oh my God, it's insane! So I'm just so excited to be in your ears today. What was your win? That is what this episode is all about. Also, being real, getting to have a moment and sharing a win. So I hope you enjoy these quick-and-dirty episodes. I hope it helps you kind of be with what's going on because I don't always share on socials, and also I feel like it's weird when people share on socials and expect everyone to have seen it. That doesn't make any sense. It's not all about me. And the reality is, I said this on the Plymouth Perspectives podcast. I'm such a reluctant social media user. Truly, it's part of the thing you have to do to do the thing you want to do in this world, right? Okay. If you are wanting longer episodes, if you're new here, you want to check out our Tuesday and Thursday episodes. Sometimes we do an interview and a recap, and sometimes it's this new thing we're doing this last year, which is solo episodes of me just talking about a topic that you sent in. So send in your wins and your topic requests or guest requests to beitpod.com/questions. Thank you for the requests you've sent in. I will say, I too would love to interview Michelle Obama. That is probably not going to happen until we are a top 0.01% podcast. So keep them coming, keep them coming. I appreciate that you think that I'm that great, though. So if you're in some of my memberships, we have a channel where you get to have a moment, you get to have a little bitch session, and then you have to share a win. So I feel this is a great place where I can actually tell you life is not all rainbows and butterflies, and also have a win, and then share your wins. Lesley Logan 2:31  So my need-a-moment is people who make their emergencies yours. Oh my freaking goodness! I am a very organized-ish person, meaning that I have a whole team that makes sure I get everything done when it's supposed to be done, and they ask me to do it ahead of time so I can procrastinate and all the good things. But recently, I had a lot of different people send emails asking for this thing and this thing from me, and they need this description, need this bio, they need these pictures, and blah blah blah. And first of all, we probably sent it in. Second of all, I appreciate that you need those things. I'm happy to give them to you, but "I need this as soon as possible." Hold on, it's a Friday, you know? Don't you think I'm also catching up on my week? So just people who make their emergencies your emergencies, and I do the best I can.Lesley Logan 3:16  And I also am a highly communicative person, so I find myself feeling really terrible because then I'm, "Hey, I can get this to you on Monday." And, oh my god, what if they need it sooner? Well, then they should have asked sooner. But I have this whole argument. I have this AuDHD. The ADHD has that rejection sensitivity disorder. I'm like, "I need to do it now because they'll never ask me again," right? Which is not true. And then the autistic part: they should have asked earlier. I don't have the time. The conversation I have in my brain when people try to make their emergencies mine, because recovering perfectionist overachiever wants to just get it done when you ask for it, and that's just not how life works. Because then I'll get nothing done.Lesley Logan 3:54  So anyways, that's my moment. But here's my win. So last month, we opened up the doors for round eight of my eLevate program, which is my teacher-training program, which is also the only place where people can become a teacher for UpLift, my new program. It is for comprehensively trained teachers who want to get to know the method, they like the way I teach, they want to study with me. It's a small group of people, right? It's a growing group of alumni, but it's a small group of people when you're in it. And so we opened up the doors in July, and I was just like, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe we're talking 2028. I have dates for 2028." That just overwhelms me. But we had so many people want the spots, and they're so excited. And actually, while they wish they could be in 2027, they're excited about having the time to prepare, prepare their schedule, prepare their budget, all that stuff. And I'm just so pleased because of what eLevate attracts and the women and a few good men that I get to spend time with. I'm just truly grateful. And so I guess the win is just the culmination of the last several years of this program really paving the way for the right people to find it. And round seven literally is wrapping up in the next few weeks, which means that they're going to be in the alumni group by the end of September, and I'm just so stoked for them because they're just epic humans already, and I've just watched them grow and elevate so much. So this feels like a big win instead of having a small win. I mean, I've been on tour. There's probably a lot of small wins, but I haven't recorded them for you yet. So I'm going with a big win this week. Your wins can be quite small. In fact, most wins are. Sometimes, "I got a full night's sleep last night." Right? That's sometimes what the win is. Lesley Logan 5:29  So, in fact, here is a great example of a win that I want you to send in. This is from @heidi.elle.18. Heidi's an OPC member, but she sent this in. She wrote, "Getting in our 45-minute live mat class yesterday." So this is a woman who's got kids, she's got a job, she's on summer break, and she made time for the live OPC class that happened. So I'm so grateful, Heidi, that you showed up. I'm grateful that you recognize it is a win. It is not easy to make time not only for the 45-minute class, but also for the hang time afterwards, and I'm just so grateful. I love seeing your smiling face on that, and also thank you for sending it in so we can inspire people that getting your workout in that you had planned is a win. If you did the thing that you said you wanted to do, that's a massive win. In fact, that's where confidence comes from: doing the thing you said you'd do. So make the things you want to do something you can actually do, right? Don't put so much pressure on yourself. And I recognize that my need-a-moment is the whole debate in my head of not putting pressure on myself. But see? You know what? I'm working on it too, and so can you.Lesley Logan 6:27  All right, your mantra before you take on the weekend is, "I am a beacon of self-love." Oh, I'm a beacon of self-love. I'm a beacon of self-love. Have you ever heard that you have to give what you need in the world? If you're a beacon of self-love, can you imagine all the love you're gonna get? Oh my god! You will. You'll put it out there. It'll come back. It's all that good stuff. So thank you for being here. Thanks for being with our short episodes. Check out our longer-form episodes in the feed that you're listening to this on, and let us know what your takeaways are. We want to hear from you. Until next time, Be It Till You See It.Lesley Logan 6:56  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 7:39  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 7:44  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 7:48  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 7:55  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 7:59  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Andrew Coltrin, author of "The ADHD FAQ" and "ADHD Coping Skills Deck,"  joins us on the podcast this week to talk about his journey of getting diagnosed, writing for an ADHD audience, and how understanding of ADHD has changed over time.************Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosmGet the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.comMore by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.netMore by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.comSubscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6vFind us on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishingBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.socialInstagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub************

Surviving eight shots of Narcan at twelve years old is one hell of an introduction to chronic illness, and for Haylee, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Meet Haylee, a master's student living with an absolute alphabet soup of diagnoses, including Cerebral Palsy, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), ARFID, AuDHD, OCD, and a recent addition of Bipolar disorder. In this raw and intimate conversation, Haylee breaks down what life is actually like when your body and brain are constantly clashing. From surviving a 26-hour leg surgery and an accidental morphine overdose at just twelve years old, to navigating the cold, isolating reality of transitioning out of pediatric care, Haylee doesn't hold back. She opens up about the trauma of medical PTSD, getting an ableist university professor fired, navigating safe-food obsessions, and using music and song-writing to quiet her brain during manic episodes. It's an honest, eye-opening look at disability, identity, and proving everyone, including her doctors, wrong.Follow Sickboy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickboypodcastTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickboypodcastDiscord: https://discord.gg/expeUDN

In part one of the Regulation Series, Lesley Logan reframes a belief many high achievers cling to: that success comes from more discipline. She explains why feeling stuck is often a biological state rather than a character flaw, and how learning your regulated and dysregulated patterns can affect your decisions. Drawing on perimenopause, late-diagnosed ADHD, and her own overachiever tendencies, she shows how guarding what you let in, from your feed to other people's chaos, keeps you steady. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Why chasing more discipline can keep you stuck in the shame cycle.The real challenges with ADHD and how it affects your regulation.The importance of self-awareness and the need to redefine success.The gateway effect and why a racing brain blocks creativity and confidence.A simple daily noticing practice that shortens your recovery time.Episode References/Links:Ep 400 ft Gay Hendricks - https://beitpod.com/ep400The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks - https://a.co/d/0aNfSwP7Submit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  What if success isn't about discipline? What if we didn't actually need to get more discipline and buckle down and get everything right? What if that wasn't what we needed? What if actually what we needed is just some more regulation? Lesley Logan 0:17  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.  Lesley Logan 1:00  Hey, Be It babe. What if success isn't about discipline? What if we didn't actually need to get more discipline and just buckle down and get everything right? What if that wasn't what we needed? What if actually what we needed is just some more regulation?Lesley Logan 1:21  Hi, I'm Lesley Logan. Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast. I am doing a solo episode this week, and it's about regulation. And this comes actually because we've got some great episodes coming out where we're talking about midlife, perimenopause, just all the things that make life life. But I'm increasingly aware of all the podcasts I've done where people ask me what success means to me, and it's really funny because whenever I answer, I'm like, "Oh, I'm doing that right now. Success is being in control of my own schedule." And really, if we think about it, success is just being aware of how we feel, right? And so, look, I will say I was a hustler. I've been someone who's been busy my whole life. As a kid, I remember when my speech therapist met with me, and they were like, "Okay, we want to work with you." I was like, "Oh, I couldn't possibly work with you. I have sewing classes on these days. I have dance class on these days. I have gymnastics on these days. I have softball on these days, I have church." All the things, right? This was the second grade. What are you, about eight years old? And I was so in control of my schedule. And then in high school, I had a job as soon as they let me have a work permit. So I was in sports, I had a job, and I was taking AP classes. Always been a busy person. And what happens is you go through your life, and then systems don't work anymore. The thing is that what we know is that after 36, you're probably in some perimenopausal state. So my lovelies who are younger, yes, it's coming. Those of you who are on the other side, hey, way to go! But things change, and we have an episode on astrologically about how things change, too. And the thing that's so weird about being at a certain age is that you can have achieved so much, and then you can still blame yourself for having not enough discipline, or lacking discipline, or lacking organization, willpower, or motivation when you feel stuck, or hit a wall, or feel overwhelmed. And then what happens is we want to go buy another planner, or we sign up for another course, or we think we just need to wake up earlier, or we go into this weird shame cycle. And then that kind of feels good. I remember someone showed me a meme: "I'm amazing," and then it goes, "I suck. This sucks. I can't do this. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm amazing," right? It's like this creative's cycle. And the reality is sometimes we do that. "Okay, all this stuff is going wrong. I just lack discipline. I'm gonna get another planner. I'm going to sign up for these things.Lesley Logan 4:02  I'm going to do this," and, "Okay, now I feel better," because we took some action, and action always brings clarity, so it does make things feel better. But it doesn't actually, it just becomes part of this cycle that will just keep repeating itself because it's not about the discipline, right? This is not a character flaw you have. When we go into these spirals, it's often just a biological state. It's a dysregulated state, right? And I wanted to say, we will talk about this more, but I am not suggesting that I am regulated all the time. I would not say that, but I do want to acknowledge that awareness is key, and being aware of when these things are happening is the first thing you can do, right? So I'm teaching people how to teach Pilates for the first time, and some people already have been teaching a little bit, but now they're going through comprehensive training with me, and you can't know all that stuff, I mean, I can talk to you about it, but first you just have to be aware that that is the sidekicks and what you're seeing happen. You have to start there, right? So that's where we're gonna start. Lesley Logan 5:09  There are two versions of you, my love. There is a regulated you, and that you, you know that you, that's the you that is calm and decisive, that does take the messy action or the first next step. And it's almost like people are throwing tennis balls at you and you're whacking them back, right? Whacking them back. I love a regulated me. I'm like, "Woo! My inbox is at zero. You need that? I'll get that to you, no problem." I don't go, "Oh my god, I need that thing right now." I'm like, "Oh yeah, no problem. Here you go. Here's this. How about I get you these things?" The regulated me is not delulu, but definitely at ease, able to take on hard things, excited by what I'm saying yes to, not annoyed by requests from people that are last fucking minute. The regulated me is like, "Oh, you want this? I can take this on. Oh yeah, no, I'll go do that. Oh, I'll do seven more new things." The regulated me just feels at ease with things and doesn't have this like "what the fuck," right? It's so funny when my husband freaks out about the internet in his office, and I'm like, "Oh my god, can you calm down? I can hear it across the house." And then of course there's the other side, right? There's a dysregulated you. There's a dysregulated me. The one that gets overwhelmed, trapped in task paralysis, mindlessly scrolling, or oversnacking, or doing seven other things besides the thing you need to do, or I'm the one yelling, "Why is this computer not working?" And so, can you think about a time like that? I'll just say, when I get dysregulated, a few things happen all at the same time: my sleep goes bad, and then because my sleep goes bad, I don't really feel good in my movement, and so I tell myself, "Oh, I don't need to move because I didn't sleep very well." That's probably true, but then I'll just start work early. Wrong, wrong, always the wrong answer. I should not do that. I should do something else that is for me to regulate myself so that when I do go to work at the normal time, I would actually see all the things as the regulated version of me, right? But of course, now we're tired. Now we didn't fill our cup, and now we're seeing things and it's like, "Why doesn't this person understand that? Why is this why it's gone?" When you feel yourself like, "Why are they? Why is that person? Why is this person?" When you're upset in the car in traffic, it's a dysregulated you, babe, right? And it's not that you need more discipline.Lesley Logan 7:30  No, it's a biological state, and what we need is to figure out what our regulated and dysregulated states look like, feel like, sound like, smell like, just noting the things, right, so that we can be aware. Because until we are aware, we can't change anything, right? And I just want to also add, my loves who are getting late diagnosed ADHD: hello, I see you. Late diagnosed auDHD. The reality is I thought I was going crazy. I was like, "Why all of a sudden so frustrated by all these things? Why am I getting irritated about this thing? Is this perimenopause? Because this sucks." And when I found out, it's like, "No, this is my brain's operating system." My ADHD people, you will just go buy another journal. That is not the next thing you should do because you've got a stack of them you don't use, but you're like, "Oh, what a pretty journal that is." I have pretty journals that are just for decor, I don't even try to write in them anymore. I am aware that I'm buying them just for the look of it. But our nervous system is functioning differently and it does things outside of what we often desire, like a dopamine high. I will tell you right now, there's a lot of things that I do just for the dopamine of it all, and having awareness around that really does help. But our brain is also three steps ahead of everyone, right? Like my psychiatrist said, "I can help you focus, but I can't keep you from saying yes to things you don't have time for." And so, really understanding yourself is one of the most important things I could say you need to do in order to feel successful, right? Because again, we could define success as whatever it is. But if you are dysregulated, you're always going to feel like you're not successful, right? If you're unaware of how you operate and what you need, right? So systems really, really work, my ADHD people. I know you don't want them, but they really, really work.Lesley Logan 9:24  But also, even if you don't have ADHD, if you are balancing perimenopause with kids and your aging parents, and you run your own business, or you work for a high-stress business, or all of us in this life, there's a lot of life going on. And I just want to say, I don't have children, and my parents are independent right now, so I have more time than my friends who are older than me who don't have kids, but their parents are aging and have more needs. My friends are in a different place in their life about what they're thinking about and planning for versus me. They are getting ready for retirement; I am still building that. So we often compare ourselves to other people in our life, and we have to be really mindful of that, right? I also don't get to blame myself, "Well, you don't have kids, so you should have time for this." That's not healthy either, my loves who don't have children. We have to be honest, all of us have so many different responsibilities, and if we are operating from a regulated state when we're answering questions or answering requests, we will actually give a better answer to those things so that we actually can stay regulated. But when we are in dysregulation and trying to do all these things, one, we're not doing it out of a place of love. That is for sure not happening. There is no love in a dysregulated state, and we start to just get overwhelmed by the mundane, the things that we have to do every day anyway, right? So I just want to say that because I know that there's a lot of people who just have a lot, and they're like, "Okay, I just need one more thing that will make this easier." There probably isn't, but if you can be aware of what you need to do to feel like you're coming from a regulated state, then you are going to be able to make decisions from a better place. And sometimes those decisions are to say no, right?Lesley Logan 11:11  And then those of you who love Pilates, I do want to bring a little Pilates analogy here. When we do our Pilates, if we are just doing choreography, that will be like a dysregulated state. For example, you're doing the 100 and the carriage is bouncing everywhere, or you're on the mat and your head is bouncing everywhere. That is not regulated. That is not connected. But you're doing the 100 and the carriage doesn't move, or you're doing the 100 and everything feels strong. It's hard. Life is hard, but it feels possible, and I think that that is where I'm hoping we can all wrap our brains around. Life isn't going to feel easy and then hard and then easy and hard. It can actually feel hard all the time, but possible, like you're in control of how you feel and how you operate in that, right? So I've been mentioning regulate and dysregulate, but maybe we need to talk about what it looks like. A lot of people might think dysregulated is just a temper tantrum, and I have those. Sometimes I'm like, "I just want to have a temper tantrum like a three-year-old. There's something that feels really good about screaming right now." But it also can be hyperarousal, like fight or flight, right? Compulsively overworking or micromanaging people, or having this invisible clock of anxiety, you're feeling rushed to do things, but you made up the deadline, or there is no deadline. I will also say, if you read The Big Leap, we talk about that book a lot on this podcast, Episode 400 is the author, when I am dysregulated, I will tend to worry about things I have no control over, and then I will also look for all the things that haven't been done. These are all bad, by the way: "That's all going to happen, and none of this is done." None of those things are done, but that doesn't have anything to do with what could go wrong here, and has nothing to do with the thing we need to work on, right? But I will just pile it on. You could have hypoarousal, though, that's a freeze or fawn state. Procrastination disguised as researching, or people-pleasing to avoid conflict, or taking up a couch state, right, and going, "Oh, I'm just percolating." So you can be dysregulated and look calm, but really you're not working on the thing you want to be doing, right? Does that make sense?Lesley Logan 13:31  So I sometimes will play a video game when I am feeling out of sorts because there's something about moving these colors around that helps bring my heart rate down and bring me into a different place, and then I can go, "Okay, hold on. What am I avoiding?" So I just want to say it's okay to end up doing those things, but being aware that what you're doing is what you're doing is really, really important. I think a lot of times we go through life very unaware, right? In Pilates, if I tell someone to pull their shoulders back and they're as far back as they can go, that person is unaware that their shoulders are very much forward, and they don't have the ability to pull them back. So I have to first make them aware of what back means because they think back is what they're doing, but it's not. And then I have to help them, right? And there's a perfectionist shutdown cycle that also happens, right? You set some impossible standard, hi, I see you, it's this all-or-nothing mindset, then you can't meet it, then you panic, and then you just shut down and give up. And you often don't tell anybody about that thing that you're going to do, because then you can go through the cycle and you don't have to let anyone know. Yeah, I see you. I've been there. I understand. "I'm gonna go to the gym every single day." Then the first day you hit traffic, there's a new construction site, you get there and you forgot your pants, so now you can't do anything, and you're like, "This didn't work at all."Lesley Logan 15:11  And then you shame and blame yourself, then you have a shit day, and you didn't do enough reflection on how to solve the problem for tomorrow. So then tomorrow comes, and you're like, "I can't do it. It's not fun." So here's what we have to do: we actually have to redefine the goal of what we're trying to achieve in regulation, and also probably what success is for us, right? So I wanted to say that being regulated does not mean that we are a monk who never gets upset, that is crazy and unattainable. It's unattainable. Come on, unattainable, right? I have seen monks, and I am impressed by them, but you guys, they have nothing else to do but be regulated and calm as fuck. They have nothing else to do. Someone else makes sure that they are fed. Someone makes sure that they have clothing. Someone makes sure that they have a roof overhead. They have nothing to do but pray and meditate. You, my love, are not a monk. You have so many things to do on top of it. So it's not about being someone who never gets upset. Lesley Logan 16:14  And it's also important that we talk about success and being regulated as not the absence of triggers. I don't like when people say, "You triggered me," because that's not real unless someone actually knows what your triggers are and does it on purpose. But yes, you can be activated. That's how my therapist would call it:, activated over triggered. But you can be activated by something I say or do, and that doesn't mean you are unsuccessful or that you're not a regulated person. No, it's actually the speed at which you acknowledge it and then recover, right? Today I had some bad news that came before I hit record on this, and it really sent me into a state, and I saw myself wanting to spiral worse than the thing that I was made aware of, right? And I was like, "Hold on, hold on, we don't have to go there. That has nothing to do with the thing that's making us sad right now, and we can feel those feelings, take a moment, and think of all the things we can do to maybe be part of solving that problem." And also, it wasn't my problem to solve, so I really actually just have to feel my feelings and send some good hope, and then I have to go back to the thing, right? Because if I let this thing derail my whole day, then I'm even more behind. And then what am I going to do? Probably go through that shame perfectionist cycle, right? Now, if, what was going on, I had control of taking action and taking action would be the step to take. And I might still be behind, but I actually can acknowledge that was because I was taking action to solve the problem. But it's the speed at which you actually acknowledge the difference, right? I have somebody in my mentorship program who's like, "I want to stop negative self-talk." You're probably not going to stop that, but what you can do is get faster at catching that you are doing it, right? So how long does it take you? Right now, is it taking you 20 minutes, 10 minutes to realize you're doing some negative self-talk? Okay, can we get that to be a little shorter, and then a little shorter, and then eventually you say the first line and you're like, "Shut up!" Right, that kind of thing. How quickly can you recover if you know what your activators are? What boundaries can you put in place? Can't put boundaries in place? That person or that thing is going to activate you. Okay, how quickly can you acknowledge that and go through recovery so that it doesn't derail you, so it doesn't put you in a dysregulated state? It can still upset you, can still frustrate you, you can still feel your feelings. But to literally take you off your course, my love, that's such a bummer, right? That'd be such a bummer because then the things that you're here on this planet to do, you won't be able to do, right? Lesley Logan 18:44  There's another way to redefine the goal. It's called the gateway effect. You cannot access creativity, strategic decision making, or genuine confidence when your body thinks a tiger is chasing it. Our lizard brain goes into flight or fight, or is searching out for a tiger that's gonna eat it. When that's where your brain is at, you can't be creative. Impossible! You're trying to survive, trying to survive. So I see this a lot. At the time that I'm recording this, there's a lot of people who are upset in my industry about something that was posted that I know nothing about, nor did I seek out because I do not care, because going and seeking that out would just dysregulate me. Of course I would get upset by what I saw, and then it would make me sad about people, and then it would make me worry about how this could negatively affect my business, and then it would make me worry about my financials, and then it would make me worry about my future, and then it would make me go, "Why am I even trying this new thing when people could be so shitty about it?" So I don't go look at that stuff, but I was made aware. And the thing that I found was that so many people were fighting me on seeing the thing because I wrote this post about being in a state of practice and not judgment, knowing why you teach and not caring who is the person who trained you. And I noticed how many people wanted to fight me on how it needs to be louder for those people who need to hear it. I'm like, "Well, they don't want to hear it. They're in a state the don't want to hear. Why would they listen to me? They don't want to be there. They want to be in their awful world." And it's interesting that you want to be in that awful world with them. You're letting them do that to you when you could just put blinders on and go, "That's for those people over there." That seems so crazy. Why would I even give them any attention when I have an impact to make over here?Lesley Logan 20:32  So if you keep opening up your socials and the things that you see are causing your brain to go into "a tiger is chasing me," you've got to change your algorithm, my love. That world is shit, right? I get that, and you know what? I really struggled in the last couple of years with promoting things that will help people because there are people dying, there's genocides happening all the time, and so every time I open my phone, "This person fucking did this. These people died." It's not that I don't care about that stuff; it's that I have to make sure I only see that stuff after I've done the things that I can do, because I actually don't get to decide who the leaders are in those cases, because I voted as hard as I could, you know, and I have to go, "What can I do?" So I walk dogs for a shelter. I stay informed in politics, but before and after work only, so that I do not feel like a tiger is chasing me, right? I think it's just really important to understand, babe: I don't think you need more discipline. I think you need to be aware of when you're being dysregulated and what's dysregulating you, so that you can do the things you want to do. Lesley Logan 21:46  So on our next episode, we are going to do some practical regulation and some self-trust. You know I always like to do information and then strategy, so that's what I'm gonna do. So my love, until Thursday, can you do me a favor and just notice your states throughout the day? Notice when you feel it's so easy to tackle that inbox, and when it feels so hard. Just notice. Don't do anything about it, just notice. My love, that's your practice on being a recovering overachiever. All right. Please do me a huge favor: if our episodes are helping you in any way, can you please share them with a friend who needs to hear it?Lesley Logan 22:23  Leave a review, tag me in sharing it so I can see what you loved about it. Whatever it is, it would really mean the world to me. And if you want to support this podcast in any way aside from leaving a review or sharing with a friend, you can be an OPC member. Yep, that's one of the best things you could do, because at OPC, we are a place where you get to practice moving your body, pouring into yourself, listening to it, understanding when you feel great, and just getting to know yourself so much, being curious, being in community, having some accountability, not more discipline, having fun, finishing optional. So go to onlinepilatesclasses.com to check out our membership options. And if that doesn't work for you, then thanks for being here. Thanks for being you. Thanks for downloading this episode. Thanks for listening all the way through. You're amazing. Until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 23:13  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 23:55  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 24:00  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 24:05  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 24:12  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals. Brad Crowell 24:15  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tamala Takahashi is currently the Mayor in Burbank, California. Tamala is the first openly AuDHD mayor in the country, and the first openly female autistic city councilmember. Tamala is an associate MFT and PCC in the state of California, and specializes in working with neurodivergent adults, relationship trauma, and high conflict in couples.  #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #autism #disabilities #podcast #podcasts #diagnosis #pathology #ASD #ADHD #AuDHD #latediagnosis #relationships #trauma #couples  www.autismresourceproject.org/podcast

This show has been flagged as Explicit by the host. Overview: Elroy sits down with Elsbeth to unpack her perspective on AI ethics — where the technology helps, where it risks harm, and what responsible use actually looks like in practice. Topics covered (In no particular order, as the rabid squirrels of Elsbeth's AuDHD brain don't do "order"): Elsbeth's path into AI evaluation and content moderation, and how that shaped her thinking on ethics in practice What "ethical use" of AI means day-to-day, not just in the abstract Respecting intellectual property — the case for protecting artists and creators as AI tools become more capable and widespread Finding the balance: supporting AI's genuine benefits without letting them come at creators' expense AI as an accessibility tool — its particular promise for neurodivergent people, and where it can lower barriers others don't face Where the conversation is heading next, and what listeners should watch for Closing thoughts: Elsbeth's take is one of cautious optimism — a call to hold both truths at once: AI can do real good, and that good has to be built on respect for the people whose work made it possible. Further Reading & Resources On AI, Ethics, and Intellectual Property AI and Intellectual Property in 2026: why transparency and court rulings will define the next phase of governance — The AI Journal https://aijourn.com/ai-and-intellectual-property-in-2026-why-transparency-and-court-rulings-will-define-the-next-phase-of-governance/ Global laws governing intellectual property rights for AI-generated works — Discover Artificial Intelligence, Springer Nature Link https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44163-026-01165-8 AI and IP laws 2026: Understanding Authorship and Ownership legalities — AnalystIP https://analystip.com/ai-and-ip-laws-2026-authorship-ownership-explained/ AI Art in 2026: The Ethics, Law, and What Artists Should Know — UrduPure https://www.urdupure.com/blog/ai-art-in-2026-the-ethics-law-and-what-artists-should-know On AI and Neurodivergent Accessibility Navigating Neurodivergence with AI Chatbots: Benefits, Tensions, and Implications for HCI — CHI 2026 Conference Proceedings https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3772318.3791334 Is AI making work more accessible for neurodiverse people? — Everway https://www.everway.com/en-gb/blog/is-ai-making-work-more-accessible-for-neurodiverse-people/ Autoethnographic Insights from Neurodivergent GAI "Power Users" — NCBI/PMC https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12645485/ A scoping review of inclusive and adaptive human–AI interaction design for neurodivergent users — Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17483107.2025.2579822 Show rated *explicit* for possible course language and strong opinions. Provide feedback on this episode.

On this episode of the State of Mind Mental Health Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Bryan Gastelle, a clinical psychologist and the founder of Empower Psychotherapy, a fully remote practice serving clients across multiple states. Bryan works primarily with neurodivergence — ADHD and autism — along with couples, trauma, anxiety, and depression. We get into the stuff that usually gets skipped. Why autism flies under the radar for decades, and how masking actually forms. Whether people on the spectrum really lack empathy (the answer is more interesting than you'd think). What sensory overload feels like, and the small adjustments that take the edge off. Where ADHD and autism overlap around executive function, and what AuDHD means. Why ADHD gets missed in girls so often. And whether the rise in diagnoses is a real increase or just better recognition. Then we go practical. Exercise and the neurotransmitter cocktail it releases. Meditation as attention training — treating focus like a muscle that starts out weak. The do-it-now rule for short tasks. Building SMART goals so a vague plan stops feeling impossible. And how ADHD shows up in relationships through forgotten texts and undone dishes, plus how both partners can meet in the middle without it becoming an excuse. We close on shame — the self-blame that piles up after years of being told you're lazy — and how Bryan dismantles that in CBT. Live with courage, clarity, and compassion. Practice inner strength, and develop within. Chapters: [00:00:00] Cold Open: When ADHD Looks Like "You Don't Care" [00:01:04] Welcome and Meet Dr. Bryan Gastelle [00:05:11] Obvious Cases vs. Flying Under the Radar: How Autism Gets Missed [00:09:50] Do People on the Spectrum Lack Empathy? And How Therapy Actually Helps [00:14:31] Sensory Overload: Eye Contact, Crowds, and What Takes the Edge Off [00:19:12] AuDHD, Executive Function, and Why Diagnoses Are Rising [00:23:21] Why ADHD Looks Different in Boys and Girls [00:27:44] Exercise, Meditation, and Training Attention Like a Muscle [00:32:00] ADHD in Relationships: Texting, Chores, and Real Compromise [00:36:05] Do It Now: SMART Goals and Offloading Working Memory [00:40:12] Shame, Self-Blame, and Why It's Not a Character Flaw [00:44:31] Final Advice and Where to Find Bryan Learn more about Bryan's work: https://www.empowermytherapy.com/ Free 1-month of the Meditation App - Waking Up https://dynamic.wakingup.com/guestpass/SC58BD912 Please Subscribe to my YouTube - YouTube Subscription Link Disclaimer Professional medical care and psychotherapeutic services are not offered on this Youtube channel. It is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such condition. Seeking professional support is encouraged if you think you have an issue and that you want help.

Does it matter whether your eating disorder therapist has personally recovered from anorexia or bulimia? In this solo episode of Dr. Marianne-Land, I explore that question from two perspectives: as an eating disorder therapist and as someone who spent about 25 years navigating anorexia, binge eating, orthorexia, bulimia, compulsive exercise, and the long road to recovery. Lived experience does not replace professional training, and professional training does not require lived experience. Both forms of knowledge have value. In this episode, I share how my personal recovery has shaped my clinical work and why that perspective can be especially meaningful for autistic people, ADHDers, AuDHDers, and other neurodivergent adults recovering from anorexia and bulimia. What You'll Learn You'll hear five lessons that have transformed the way I understand eating disorder recovery. We discuss why what appears to be resistance is often nervous system overwhelm, how to tell the difference between neurodivergent traits and eating disorder symptoms, why shame rarely creates lasting recovery, how safety supports sustainable healing, and why recovery ultimately becomes about building a meaningful life instead of simply eliminating symptoms. Why Neurodivergent People Often Need a Different Recovery Conversation Traditional eating disorder treatment does not always account for sensory processing differences, executive functioning challenges, autistic burnout, ADHD, interoceptive differences, or the ways trauma and neurodivergence can intersect with anorexia and bulimia. In this episode, I explain why understanding your nervous system can make recovery feel more compassionate, more realistic, and more sustainable. Rather than forcing yourself to fit a rigid recovery model, you can begin building an approach that respects both your neurodivergence and your recovery goals. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for adults recovering from anorexia nervosa, atypical anorexia, bulimia nervosa, chronic eating disorders, or long-term restrictive eating. It's also for autistic adults, ADHDers, AuDHD adults, highly sensitive people, therapists, dietitians, parents, caregivers, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment. Mentioned in This Episode If you want to learn more about sensory processing, autonomy, nervous system regulation, and neurodivergent-affirming approaches to eating, check out my ARFID and Selective Eating Course. Although the course focuses on ARFID, many of the concepts also apply to neurodivergent people recovering from anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. Related Episodes Harm Reduction for Eating Disorders: How Lived Experience Shapes Recovery, Support, & Long-Term Healing on Apple & Spotify. Lived Experience of ARFID in Autistics & ADHDers: Sensory Survival & Misunderstandings With Dr. Panicha McGuire, LMFT, RPT on Apple & Spotify. Unmasking in Eating Disorder Recovery: What Neurodivergent People Need to Know About Safety & Healing via Apple & Spotify. Connect With Dr. Marianne Miller If you're looking for eating disorder therapy in California or Washington, D.C., or eating disorder coaching from anywhere in the world, I'd love to help. I specialize in anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, autism, ADHD, AuDHD, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder treatment. Visit www.drmariannemiller.com to learn more about working with me, explore my ARFID course, and listen to more episodes of Dr. Marianne-Land. If you found this episode helpful, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and share it with someone who could benefit from hearing that recovery does not have to look the same for everyone.

Back-to-school season is often presented as an exciting fresh start—but for neurodivergent children, AuDHD families, parents, and educators, the first bell can feel more like a full-body nervous-system event.In this episode of Authentically ADHD, Carmen explores how the transition back to school can affect autistic and ADHD children through sensory overload, executive dysfunction, anxiety, disrupted sleep, social demands, changing routines, and emotional dysregulation. A child may be excited about school while also feeling overwhelmed by unfamiliar teachers, noisy cafeterias, uncomfortable clothing, abrupt transitions, new expectations, and the pressure to appear calm and compliant.Carmen explains why intelligence and access are not the same thing, why children may successfully complete a task one day but struggle with it the next, and why behavior that looks like defiance, refusal, or attention-seeking may actually be communication from an overloaded nervous system.Listeners will learn the RAMP framework for supporting neurodivergent students:* Reduce uncertainty* Adjust the demand* Make support visible* Plan for recoveryThe episode includes realistic back-to-school examples, practical classroom accommodations, sensory regulation strategies, visual supports, transition tools, after-school decompression ideas, and communication scripts for parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and school administrators.It also addresses autistic masking, after-school restraint collapse, school refusal, sensory processing differences, working-memory overload, emotional regulation, teacher burnout, parent-school communication, and the importance of repairing with children when adults misunderstand their behavior.Because a successful school year is not one where a neurodivergent child causes the least disruption. It is one where the child feels safe, supported, understood, and able to learn without abandoning themselves.Children should not have to fall apart before adults believe that something is difficult. They should not have to hide their disability, suppress their sensory needs, or perform calmness to earn belonging.Sometimes the child does not need another consequence, sticker chart, or lecture about making good choices.Sometimes they need adults willing to get curious, reduce the barriers, and build the damn ramp.Thank you for tuning in! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe

Steve Biddulph spent decades working to understand what children need as they grow, but then in his mid-50s, Steve gained an insight that shifted almost everything about how he saw himself.Steve likes to remind us that humans are 'big sensitive mammals' with needs for connection and self awareness.As a psychologist (now retired) and parent educator, he has been at the forefront of an evolving conversation about masculinity, emotional intelligence, caring for our children and making sense of our own childhoods.His best-selling books include The Secret of Happy Children, Raising Boys, Raising Girls and Manhood.But it wasn't until he was in his mid-50s that Steve gained an insight into a huge facet of his own story.He was having a lunch with a friend, a psychiatrist, who began asking him a series of pointed questions.That conversation shifted almost everything about how Steve saw himself.This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2021 The producer was Nicola Harrison and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.Further informationFully Human: A New Way of Using Your Mind is published by Pan Macmillan

Everybody is back together, and we've got questions on neuroscience vs psychotherapy, identify as and being assessed for autism and adhd, and developing healthy morning and evening routinesListen to the show on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@podtherapyguysJoin our patreon!Listen ad-free, get the show a day early and enjoy the pre-show hang out on the same app you're using RIGHT NOW at www.Patreon.com/Therapy where you can also access our vast library of deep dives, interviews, skill shares, reviews and rants as well as our live discord chat!If you are an Apple user please rate us!If you are a Spotify user, please rate us!Submit a question to the show!Help us reach #1 on Goodpods!Interested in Nick's mental health approach to fitness? Check out www.MentalFitPersonalTraining.comCheck out Dr. Jim's book "Dadvice: 50 Fatherly Life Lessons" at www.DadviceBook.comGrab some swag at our store, www.PodTherapyBaitShop.comPlay Jim's Neurotic Bingo at home while you listen to the show, or don't, I'm not your supervisor.Submit questions to:www.PodTherapy.netPodTherapyGuys@gmail.comFollow us on Social Media:FacebookInstagramTwitterResources:Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255.Veterans Crisis Line - 1-800-273-8255.Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline - (1-800-662-HELP (4357)OK2Talk Helpline Teen Helpline - 1 (800) 273-TALKU.S. Mental Health Resources Hotline - 211

In this episode, Vicki sits down with Marissa Mosunich — neuro complex career coach, founder of Operate Well Consulting and Brave Zebra Work Coaching, and someone who is living the same questions on a slightly different timeline.Marissa was diagnosed AuDHD at 34, just last year. She's taken her background in organizational management and her own lived experience and built a coaching practice that helps neurocomplex people navigate career pivots, workplace challenges, and the slow, practical work of building a professional life that actually fits.They talk about why high-achieving women are so chronically late-diagnosed, what high masking costs over a lifetime, and what it looks like to start recognizing your own needs after decades of performing competence. Marissa also reads a poem she wrote called Outcomes — about the experience of unmasking, layer by layer, the spine finally understanding what it carries.ABOUT MARISSAMarissa Mosunich is a neuro affirming work coach and organizational consultant based on California's Central Coast. She founded Operate Well Consulting and Brave Zebra Work Coaching to support neurocomplex professionals in building sustainable careers that honor how their brains actually work.Operate Well Consulting: https://operate-well.ghost.io/Brave Zebra Work Coaching: https://operate-well.ghost.io/brave-zebra-work-coaching/Instagram: @brave.zebraMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODELindsey Mackereth — therapist, researcher, and founder of the neurocomplexity framework.Lindsey's Substack: https://lindseymackereth.substack.com/SUPPORT THE SHOWIf this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might need it.Hat on a Hat on a Hat (Substack): https://ahatonahatonahat.substack.com/Donations are gratefully accepted and help keep this show going at whatever pace is sustainable.Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/vickipeterson✍️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.

Many people with eating disorders get labeled as perfectionists. Sometimes that's accurate. Sometimes it's only part of the story. In this episode of the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast, I explore the overlap between OCD and eating disorders, perfectionism, anxiety, autism, ADHD, and the cognitive effects of malnutrition. I explain why similar behaviors can have very different underlying causes and why understanding those differences can change the course of eating disorder treatment and recovery. If you've ever found yourself stuck in food rules, body checking, repetitive thoughts, calorie calculations, reassurance-seeking, or endless self-doubt, this episode offers a more nuanced way to understand what's happening beneath the surface. Rather than focusing only on what behaviors look like, I discuss why identifying their function leads to more effective and compassionate care. What You'll Learn In this episode, you'll learn how perfectionism differs from OCD in eating disorder recovery and why the distinction matters. I discuss why intrusive thoughts, compulsive checking, and reassurance-seeking are often mistaken for perfectionism, how anorexia nervosa and other restrictive eating disorders can increase obsessive thinking, and why starvation affects cognitive flexibility and mental rigidity. I also explain how autism, ADHD, sensory needs, and routine dependence can sometimes resemble OCD while reflecting very different underlying experiences. Finally, I share why understanding the function of eating disorder behaviors helps clinicians, individuals, and families choose more effective treatment approaches. OCD, Perfectionism, and Eating Disorders Perfectionism has long been associated with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other eating disorders. At the same time, many people who believe they're simply perfectionists may also experience OCD, significant anxiety, or both. Looking only at outward behaviors can miss what is actually maintaining the cycle of restriction, compulsions, fear, and distress. In this episode, I discuss why food-related rituals, repeated checking, body checking, calorie counting, and reassurance-seeking may look similar across different conditions while serving very different purposes. Understanding those differences helps people receive more individualized, neurodivergent-affirming care instead of one-size-fits-all treatment. Why Neurodivergence Makes the Picture More Complex Autism, ADHD, ARFID, sensory processing differences, and nervous system regulation can all influence eating behaviors, routines, and food preferences. Predictability and consistency often help neurodivergent people reduce overwhelm and make eating feel safer. Those experiences are not automatically signs of OCD or perfectionism. I explain why clinicians need to understand the role of sensory processing, cognitive load, executive functioning, and nervous system regulation before drawing conclusions about repetitive eating behaviors. This perspective supports more accurate assessment and more compassionate eating disorder treatment. Why This Matters for Recovery Recovery looks different depending on what's driving the behavior. Someone whose eating disorder is fueled primarily by perfectionism may need different interventions than someone struggling with OCD, autism, or multiple overlapping conditions. When treatment targets the underlying process instead of the surface behavior alone, recovery often becomes more individualized, effective, and sustainable. Understanding the "why" behind eating disorder behaviors creates opportunities for greater self-compassion and more meaningful healing. This Episode Is For You If... This episode is for anyone recovering from anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, or another eating disorder who has wondered whether perfectionism tells the whole story. It's also for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD individuals, parents, caregivers, therapists, dietitians, physicians, and other professionals who want a more nuanced understanding of OCD, perfectionism, neurodivergence, and eating disorder recovery. Related Episodes OCD & Eating Disorders: Why Food Rules, Rituals, & “Not Feeling Right” Take Over on Apple & Spotify. When Eating Disorders Meet Anxiety, OCD, or Depression: Co-Occurring Challenges & Recovery Strategies on Apple & Spotify. Obsessions, Compulsions, and Control: How OCD Intertwines With Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Food, Fear, & Fixation: How OCD Shapes Eating Disorders on Apple & Spotify. Work With Dr. Marianne Miller If you're looking for a neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder therapist, I provide therapy for adults and adolescents throughout California and Washington, D.C. I also offer parent consultation and eating disorder coaching worldwide. My practice specializes in ARFID therapy, anorexia treatment, bulimia treatment, binge eating disorder therapy, autism and ADHD, and neurodivergent-affirming eating disorder care. I use a sensory-attuned, trauma-informed, autonomy-supportive approach that honors each person's unique nervous system and lived experience. Learn more about therapy, consultation, my ARFID & Selective Eating Course, and additional resources at www.drmariannemiller.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the Dr. Marianne-Land Podcast, leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and share this episode with someone who may benefit from a more compassionate understanding of OCD, perfectionism, and eating disorder recovery.

Military families are often trained to be exceptionally adaptable. Between PCS moves, deployments, changing routines, and new bases, constant movement becomes the norm. But if you are raising a neurodivergent child or if you are neurodivergent yourself, that constant change isn't just neutral—it can be incredibly expensive for your nervous system. Have you ever wondered why military life feels harder for your family than it seems to be for others? You are definitely not alone. In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky sits down with Priscilla Corson—a military spouse, AuDHD-er, therapist, and researcher—to talk about neurodivergent families inside military systems. They discuss what gets destabilized, what gets misunderstood, and how to build sustainable emotional safety inside a life that isn't always built for sustainability. >>> Read the show notes for this episode here.   Are you having the same conversation over and over? Many couples assume they have a communication problem when they're actually stuck in a relationship pattern that keeps creating the same conflict. >>> Take the free Relationship Pattern Assessment to identify the pattern that may be keeping you disconnected and learn what to focus on next .

In this episode of The Motherwhelm, I sit down with Sarah to talk about severe preeclampsia, birth trauma, and being diagnosed with autism and ADHD after becoming a mother.Sarah shares her experience of a high-risk pregnancy that ended in a traumatic emergency caesarean birth at 35 weeks, a stay in ICU, and a long physical and emotional recovery. Together, we explore what it was like to begin motherhood while recovering from a near-death experience, navigating postpartum PTSD, and learning to bond with her baby while fighting to recover herself.We also discuss the guilt of not loving stay-at-home motherhood in the way she expected, the importance of having an identity beyond motherhood, and why advocating for yourself during pregnancy can be lifesaving. Sarah speaks candidly about missed warning signs, weight bias in healthcare, recognising the symptoms of preeclampsia, and the lasting impact pregnancy complications can have long after birth.Later in the conversation, Sarah shares how motherhood led her to seek an assessment for autism and ADHD, opening the door to a completely new understanding of herself. We explore sensory overwhelm, masking, late diagnosis in women, and why so many mothers discover their neurodivergence after having children.This is an honest conversation about surviving birth trauma, rebuilding after medical complications, embracing neurodivergence, and learning that motherhood can reveal parts of ourselves we never knew existed.If you've experienced preeclampsia, birth trauma, postpartum PTSD, or you've found yourself questioning your own neurodivergence since becoming a mother, I hope Sarah's story helps you feel seen and reminds you that you're not alone.Resources mentionedSay HoorayPerinatal mental health supportTopics discussed: preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, pregnancy complications, emergency caesarean, birth trauma, ICU, postpartum PTSD, postpartum recovery, premature birth, advocacy in pregnancy, medical bias, maternal mental health, motherhood identity, returning to work, autism in women, ADHD in women, AuDHD, late diagnosis, sensory overwhelm, masking, neurodivergent motherhood.

My cats Mac & Cheese (see episode pic) have been having a hard time. I've learned a lot observing their reactive nervous systems because it's so easy to feel compassion for them.This episode uses that extended metaphor to also talk about when AuDHD nervous systems feel reactive, including with meltdowns that can include anger or violence. Depending on how much reactivity is affecting your life, it may require professional help. No matter what, you deserve compassion

Why can an AuDHD brain create an elaborate plan, color-code the entire week, and still have absolutely no idea what to do first?In this episode of Authentically ADHD, Carmen explores the complicated relationship between AuDHD, executive dysfunction, planning, and prioritizing. For adults with both autism and ADHD, planning is rarely as simple as “make a list” or “choose what is most important.” ADHD may crave novelty, urgency, interest, and immediate rewards, while the autistic brain may need structure, predictability, clarity, and enough time to prepare. The result can feel like two nervous systems arguing over the same calendar while your laundry quietly becomes sentient.Using research and neuroscience, this episode explains how working memory challenges, time blindness, task initiation difficulties, cognitive flexibility, sensory overload, emotional regulation, and nervous-system capacity can make everyday planning feel overwhelming. Carmen also breaks down why AuDHD adults may understand exactly what needs to happen but still struggle to organize the steps, choose a priority, transition into action, or recover when the original plan changes.You'll hear relatable real-life examples, including productive side quests that replace the actual priority, appointments that trigger all-day waiting mode, and perfectly organized schedules that collapse after one small interruption.Most importantly, this episode offers four realistic, neurodivergent-friendly planning strategies: choosing one anchor task, one maintenance task, and one bonus task; turning vague goals into visible next actions; planning around energy, sensory load, and transition costs; and using external supports such as timers, visual reminders, checklists, and body doubling.This episode is for late-diagnosed AuDHD adults, autistic adults with ADHD, neurodivergent people struggling with productivity, and anyone tired of being told that a planner will magically fix their brain.You are not lazy, careless, or failing adulthood. Your brain may simply need planning systems built around its actual wiring—not systems designed for a fictional person with unlimited energy, perfect time awareness, and matching storage containers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe

Send us Fan MailFreya Maberley's family are all neurodivergent. Her siblings/parents and grand parents were all undiagnosed. She was diagnosed ADHD at 53, and she is Autistic too, and proud! Her brother is undiagnosed AuDHD and her home growing up was dictated by anger and violence. She was always considered the 'normal" child in the family, but her high sensitivity meant that she became the responsible one, taking on the people pleaser role of the family dynamic.Freya's son is diagnosed AuDHD, dyslexic, dysgraphic. Her daughter undiagnosed AuDHD. Raising them was a constant battle of advocacy, being gaslit by the system, her own struggle to accept the diagnosis.Freya has created a technique called The White Room. A visualization that helps a person reclaim what was lost in interactions with others.  It's a kind of soul retrieval, without needing to be spiritual. It's a very grounded exercise, that once a person knows how to do it, they can do the visualization by themselves. Freya is working as a Therapist (Psychology, Social Work, Counseling and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy) in Victoria, Australia.Insta: @freyas_farm_ballaratFacebook: Freya's Farm: Animal Assisted TherapyTiktok: @freyas_farmSupport the show

This week on Coppuccino, we're pouring a conversation that hits heart, science, and humanity all at once. My guest is Nicola Knoble— researcher, safety leader, legal mind, and one of Aotearoa's strongest voices for neurodiversity done right in the workplace. Nicola doesn't just talk about ADHD, autism, and AuDHD — she dismantles myths, reframes support, and brings clarity to the messy, beautiful reality of how different brains thrive. We dive into her TEDx message, her research, her lived experience, and the practical changes every organisation needs to make if they truly want people to flourish. If you care about people, leadership, wellbeing, or creating workplaces where humans can be humans… this episode is your next cup. Tune in, take a sip, and let Nicola shift the way you see the world.

Most autism research still isn't about autistic adults. It's about children, and causes, and where autism comes from. But every so often, research surfaces that's actually about us — our health as we age, our burnout, our bodies in midlife, and even the question of why autism has been part of the human story all along. This is the first of my roundup episodes, where I bring you several of the most interesting recent findings in autism research, all in one place.In this episode, I cover five recent findings: a Swedish study linking autism to a higher risk of early-onset Parkinson's disease; a hard look at where NIH autism research money goes, and how little of it reaches adults; a new qualitative study on what autistic burnout feels like, and why being late-diagnosed makes it worse; the emerging science of menopause and autism, and what happens when a lifetime of coping strategies stops working; and the compelling question of whether the same genetic changes that shaped the human brain also made us more neurodiverse.If you'd like to read the research yourself, here are the sources:The autism and Parkinson's study, "Risk of Parkinson Disease in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder," by Weiyao Yin et al. in JAMA Neurology (2025) and the Karolinska Institutet summaryThe NIH autism research funding analysis from Autism Speaks (2026)The autistic burnout study, "How Does 'Autistic Burnout' Feel? A Qualitative Study Exploring Experiences of Earlier and Later-Diagnosed Autistic Adults," by Dorota Ali, Will Mandy, and Francesca Happé in Autism (2026)The autism and menopause study, "Common and Unique Menopause Experiences Among Autistic and Non-Autistic People: A Qualitative Study," by Martha A. Piper and Rebecca A. Charlton in the Journal of Health Psychology (2025)On autism and evolution, "A General Principle of Neuronal Evolution Reveals a Human-Accelerated Neuron Type Potentially Underlying the High Prevalence of Autism in Humans," by Alexander L. Starr and Hunter B. Fraser in Molecular Biology and Evolution (2025), and the earlier "Widespread Signatures of Positive Selection in Common Risk Alleles Associated to Autism Spectrum Disorder," by Renato Polimanti and Joel Gelernter in PLOS Genetics (2017)All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.Send in your questions to otherautism@gmail.com Buy me a coffee!Book a life-coaching session with me!The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness. 

Looking for further guidance and support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my resource library here or search for any topic you need on the Podcast here.Whether you've been with your partner for years or you're navigating dating after a late diagnosis, ADHD changes how we love, connect and show up in relationships, and this episode is entirely about that.Welcome to this week's summer compilation episode. Rather than a single conversation, I've pulled together some of the most resonant clips from three different episodes on ADHD, love, intimacy and relationships, because I wanted to bring all of this into one place for you.We begin with Lisa Rabinowitz, couples counsellor, certified Gottman and PACT therapist and author of Why Won't You Stop Interrupting Me? Lisa talks about how blame rarely helps either partner, why neurodivergence is often present on both sides of a relationship, and how working as a team rather than against each other can genuinely turn things around.Then we hear from Sara-Louise Ackrill and Bontle Senne, AuDHD therapists, writers, and advocates and co-authors of The ND Lovers Club. They talk about psychological safety, masking in relationships, self-disclosure, and why understanding yourself is always the foundation before you can truly connect with someone else.And we close with Dr Angela Wright, a trauma-trained clinical sexologist, sex medicine practitioner and menopause clinician, who talks honestly about how hormones, the nervous system and ADHD all intersect when it comes to desire, intimacy and what changes in midlife.In this episode, we cover:Why neurodivergence is often present in both partners, even when only one has a diagnosisHow to move from blame to teamwork in a neurodiverse relationshipLisa's concept of the "talk nook" and why having a dedicated space for connection mattersWhy psychological safety is the foundation of intimacy for neurodivergent peopleHow masking and people pleasing quietly erode intimacy over timeWhat self-disclosure in relationships and dating really looks like for ND womenWhy so many neurodivergent women are reconsidering traditional relationship structuresHow hormones and perimenopause affect desire, arousal and connectionWhy the ADHD brain's need for novelty and dopamine can complicate long term relationshipsHow the nervous system underpins sexual arousal, and why feeling safe comes firstTimestamps:00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's compilation episode03:30 - Lisa Rabinowitz: why both partners are often neurodivergent05:47 - Moving from blame to understanding in a neurodiverse relationship08:00 - How couples come back from the brink with awareness and teamwork10:15 - The three legged race: working toward the finish line together14:48 - Focusing on strengths and creating the talk nook16:29 - Sara-Louise Ackrill and Bontle Senne: psychological safety in relationships20:53 - Why masking is survival, not a quirky personality trait23:27 - Self-disclosure: what to share, when and why28:27 - How perimenopause and diagnosis collide in midlife relationships33:04 - Celebrating the traits neurodivergent women bring to relationships34:33 - Dr Angela Wright: dopamine, novelty and desire in long term relationships37:00 - How hormones affect arousal and what changes in perimenopause41:22 - The nervous system, safety and why emergency mode kills desireLinks and Resources:Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website here.Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_podGet my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) hereJoin the More Yourself membership community hereVisit Lisa's website: counselorforcouples.comConnect with Lisa on Instagram: @rabinowitzcounselingGet Lisa's book: Why Won't You Stop Interrupting Me? Simple Solutions for ADHD CouplesVisit Sara-Louise and Bontle's website: builttodiverge.comGet their book: The ND Lovers Club: How Neurodivergent Women Lust, Like and LoveVisit Dr Angela Wright's website: spicedpearhealth.co.ukKate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach, author and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

Ask Flora Funga Podcast anything OR Leave a ReviewPatricia Stellamares is the founder of Invocation Healing Arts & Retreats — an artist, writer, clairvoyant, and retreat guide rooted in the ancestral medicine traditions of her Northern New Mexico grandmothers, her Thai teachers, and years of exploration across spiritual and healing practices.In this podcast, Patricia speaks openly about late-diagnosed AuDHD, religious trauma, Catholic school, ableism within faith communities, surviving abuse, and the role psilocybin played in her deprogramming and healing journey. Through storytelling, spirituality, art, and raw conversation, this is a space for neurodivergence, liberation, and healing.HER AUG 7th RETREAT INFO BELOWInvocationhealingarts.com@invocationretreats@invocationhealingartsI got a new phone number to text in with any questions, comments, or photos!727-477-5974 Support the showText (727) 477-5974 Flora Funga Phone with your questions, comments, concerns, and IDs Flora Funga: Calm & Collected Tincture — Flora Funga PodcastGoFundMEIf you like the podcast please think of donating to Keep the show happening  $keenie19 on Cash AppFollow my other social media sites to interact and engage with me:Email me to be on the podcast or inperson Interview: floraandfungapodcast@gmail.comFacebookInstagramTwitterTikTokYouTubePatreon---------------------------------------------------------------------------Zbiotics: "FLORA10"Drink ZBiotics before drinking alcohol-Alcohol produces acetaldehyde, a byproduct that your next day...

In this episode of Regulation Station, Becca Engle is joined by psychotherapist and Clinically Awkward host Alyssa Zimmerman for a conversation about therapy, neurodivergence, relationships, and what it means to build a life that works with your brain rather than against it.Together they explore the realities of being an AuDHD therapist, the impact of masking and burnout, and the importance of creating environments that support neurodivergent needs. Alyssa shares insights from both her professional practice and personal experiences, discussing everything from executive dysfunction and special interests to dating, boundaries, and self-acceptance. In this episode: Being an AuDHD therapist Creating neurodivergent-friendly work environments Masking, burnout, and identity Executive dysfunction and reducing shame Special interests and hyperfixations Neurodivergence, dating, and relationships Boundaries, communication, and emotional safety Why humour can be an important regulation tool Guest:Alyssa Zimmerman is a New York City-based psychotherapist and the host of Clinically Awkward, a podcast for neurodivergent women, femmes, and thems exploring hyperfixations, identity, and everyday life.Clinically Awkward Podcast

The Messy Thoughts podcast (BJ and LeBron) has returned to the show for an in-depth look at frequent flyer benefits when it comes to bathhouses. More things were covered, of course, travel, fisting and trade were only a few other topics up for discussion. So please enjoy the AuDHD chaos! Thanks, as always, for following and supporting the show, we love you! #bathhouse #messythoughts #trade   Support the show and our sponsors:   https://kold.us/?ref=mdu3odh And https://mswnutrition.com/?ref=SOTIB   Promo Code: SOTIB   Call or Text the "Some Of This Is Good" Hotline ANYTIME 512-981-6725   Go watch Waitresses: Episode 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ZE7IwHpe U&t=124s Episode 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XImD8WFQh Y&t=11s   subscribe here and follow the show: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0rIdFG1tD5NP Dm9bwgd0B5 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/someofthisisbad/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@someofthisisbad Patreon - https://patreon.com/SomeofThisisBad   Follow our guests- @snaps4bj @nugins @messythoughtspod   Follow Maxine- @theonlymaxine   Follow Colton: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coltondowling/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/colton_dowling TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@coltondowling

Neurodivergent students can know the answer, understand the lesson, and still be unable to access learning in a classroom that feels loud, unpredictable, overwhelming, or emotionally unsafeIn this episode of Authentically ADHD, Carmen explores what autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD students may need before their brains can fully engage with instruction. We break down the neuroscience behind sensory overload, working-memory challenges, stress responses, executive dysfunction, and co-regulation—and why behaviors that look like avoidance, laziness, defiance, or inattention are often signs that a student's nervous system is working overtime.You'll learn practical ways to create more accessible learning environments through visual supports, predictable routines, movement, sensory accommodations, meaningful choices, smaller task-entry points, and connection before correction.Because support is not coddling. Regulation is not the same as compliance. And a student should not have to prove they can survive the classroom before they are allowed to learn in it.Thank you for tuning in!Follow me!This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Guide for Parents and TeachersThe Ready To Learn Guide For ND StudentsFirst we reframe the behavior, then check access barriers, then build supports, scripts, and a one-week action plan.It includes:* A ready-to-learn access ladder* Behavior-reframing chart* Sensory and environmental access scan* Predictability and transition planner* Working-memory and task-entry supports* Movement, choice, and flexible participation tools* Co-regulation scripts* A response plan for overload, shutdowns, or escalation* Home-school communication tracker* One-page student learning access profile* Seven-day support experiment* Quick-reference page for adults* Research and resource notesThe strategies are grounded in current classroom accommodation guidance, Universal Design for Learning, executive-function and stress-response science, co-regulation research, and studies examining sensory access in autistic students. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe

The skill no one knew you needed: how to emotionally regulate while doing a task. It's simple yet difficult. And undiagnosed neurodivergent parents were even less likely to be able to help on some fronts, if they never learned how either.This is a skill you can practice (which the end of the episode covers), and there are many AuDHD factors complicating it for us. Even with different emotional processing or experience, it's still possible to take care of yourself during an activity.But it requires slowing down and being willing to stop if your brain or body are too triggered.Over time, this builds to being able to do more, more easily, with less stress. It is very, very worth it p.s. the "facilitator" example was MY experience in groups, not how I want people to think about me leading groups ;)Mentioned in episode:2 short vids explaining the Wall of Awful & strategies for going through & over it by Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD150 The Wall of Awful with Brendan MahanAuDHD Flourishing resources:Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)Mattia's NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why can you care deeply about a task, fully understand what needs to be done, and still feel physically unable to begin? In this episode of Authentically ADHD, Carmen explores the AuDHD freeze response—the frustrating gap between intention and action shaped by task-initiation struggles, autistic inertia, cognitive disengagement, transition friction, overwhelm, and nervous-system protection.We break down why this is not laziness, defiance, or a lack of discipline, and why shame often makes the freeze even worse. You'll learn how to identify what kind of “stuck” you are experiencing, reduce invisible steps, create gentler transition ramps, use body doubling and external cues, and choose a first step small enough to actually access.Because sometimes your brain is not refusing to cross the bridge. The bridge simply has no ramp, no lighting, no signs, and one deeply unqualified raccoon in a hard hat yelling, “Figure it out.”This episode is for every AuDHDer who has ever spent an hour thinking about standing up—and then blamed themselves for still sitting.Research and Show-Notes References* Buckle, K. L., Leadbitter, K., Poliakoff, E., & Gowen, E. First-Hand Accounts of Autistic Inertia. Frontiers in Psychology, 2021.* Rapaport, H. et al. “I live in extremes”: A qualitative investigation of autistic adults' experiences of inertia. Autism, 2023/2024.* Lage, C., Smith, E. S., & Lawson, R. P. A meta-analysis of cognitive flexibility in autism spectrum disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2024.* Hoofs, V. et al. Task switching in autism: An EEG study on intentions and actions. Neuropsychologia, 2018.* Willcutt, E. G. et al. Validity of the executive function theory of ADHD: A meta-analytic review. Biological Psychiatry, 2005.* Diamond, A. Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 2013.* Becker, S. P. et al. Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome–Clinical Interview. 2024.* Yücens, B. et al. Examining cognitive disengagement syndrome in an adult ADHD evaluation sample. 2024.* Roelofs, K. Freeze for action: Neurobiological mechanisms in animal and human freezing. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2017.* Arnsten, A. F. T. Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2009. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe

It's not uncommon for highly sensitive people to push against their inherent traits when they feel too much or too needy. But what does this pushing against and away really do? It can breed internal shame and blame while leaving your sensitivity lacking in what it most needs: nurture and respect. In this episode of SelfKind - a podcast for highly sensitive people - I'm talking about why respecting your sensitivity is the way to go. I also share more details about my upcoming program, SelfKind Nurture. If you'd like to join me for this round, be sure to get your application in asap. You can learn more and apply here:  https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureMentioned in this episode: SelfKind Nurture - my brand new 12 week small group program for highly sensitive people - is open for applications now! We start on Sunday 2nd August 2026, and you can learn more and apply here: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureAbout your host, Erica WebbErica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach, yoga teacher and highly sensitive person (also diagnosed AuDHD). She supports other highly sensitive and neurodivergent people to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world.About the Podcast, SelfKindSelfKind is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who want to navigate the tricky bits of their sensitivity with more ease while finding their sensitivity superpowers. Here, we're all about being, living and moving through a lens of self-compassion and kindness.

In Episode 209 of Wild & Waking, I'm joined by Jack Thomas, a self-taught regenerative farmsteader, food and homesteading educator, printmaker, writer, and founder of ACRE, the Agrarian Co-Learning & Resiliency Exchange. Together, we explore what it means to build a resilient, politically conscious agrarian life beyond the tradwife fantasy - and why growing food, raising animals, baking bread, caring for the land, and creating a softer life do not have to come packaged with right-wing politics, patriarchy, or religious fundamentalism.Our conversation digs into the tradwife pipeline, political identity in rural America, class consciousness, white privilege, vibes-based voting, and the contradictions between the policies many rural voters support and the values they practice in their own communities. Jack offers a compelling leftist alternative to tradwife culture: a life rooted in food resiliency, domestic meaning, agrarian skills, mutual aid, political freedom, and interdependence. We also talk about why farmers need healthcare and economic security, how political messaging shapes rural identity, and what it really takes to change hearts and minds without abandoning nuance, safety, or personal boundaries.We also explore the loneliness of being queer, progressive, liberal, or leftist in agricultural and rural spaces and the importance of creating politically aligned communities both online and in real life. Jack shares the vision behind ACRE (Agrarian Co-Learning & Resiliency Exchange), their upcoming UnTrad podcast, and the possibility of building rural communities centered on co-learning, preparedness, food sovereignty, creativity, and collective resilience. This episode is an invitation to stay open, resist becoming calcified in our beliefs, hold both sacred rage and whimsy, and keep building the world we actually want to live in - one garden, conversation, community, and tiny tomato at a time.In this episode, we explore:Jack's evolution from a conservative upbringing in rural Georgia to life as a queer, AuDHD leftist farmsteader in VermontCareer reinvention, identity evolution, and the “career ego deaths” that helped Jack connect art, education, regenerative agriculture, and community buildingHow COVID disrupted the cultural checklist and sparked personal, political, and professional awakeningThe rise of the tradwife movement and why its promise of softness, certainty, domesticity, and belonging can feel so seductiveReclaiming homemaking, food production, homesteading, and slower living without embracing patriarchy or right-wing politicsThe anti-tradwife alternative: food sovereignty, mutual aid, political agency, interdependence, and agrarian resilienceHow class identity, poverty, grit, white privilege, and rural culture shape political beliefsThe disconnect between rural values, voting patterns, and policies affecting farmers, healthcare, labor, and economic securityThe loneliness of being queer, progressive, liberal, or leftist in rural and agricultural spacesWhy politically aligned community can create safety, belonging, and more honest connectionThe vision behind ACRE, the Agrarian Co-Learning & Resiliency ExchangeBuilding online communities that lead to real-life relationships, regional gatherings, and mutual supportJack's experience with political de-radicalization and helping people question inherited belief systemsJack's upcoming UnTrad podcast and its vision for a more inclusive, resilient agrarian futureResisting ideological calcification and staying open to growth, change, and small ego deathsHolding sacred rage and whimsy at the same timeBe sure to hit subscribe so you never miss the latest episode!Connect with Jack:Learn more about Jack's work, writing, and agrarian community:Join ACRE, the Agrarian Co-Learning & Resiliency ExchangeUse code WILDANDWAKING20 to receive 20% off an annual ACRE membershipRead Jack's writing on SubstackFollow Jack on InstagramConnect with Jack on ThreadsConnect with Emily:Website: www.EmilyReuschel.comInstagram: @emilyreuschelFacebook: Emily ReuschelLinkedIn: Emily ReuschelJoin my Book Insiders List: Sign up here!Resources and Links:Sign up here to get the inside scoop to my book writing journey!Book me as a speaker for your next event - email inquiries to emilyreuschel@gmail.com or schedule a call hereWild & Waking – Produced by Jill Carr Podcasting | Learn More

Cold openWelcome to the Treatment Funhouse…First room. Guy in a jumpsuit, “We gotta strap ya in.” He waves at a chair. “Safety,” he says in a bored voice.So you sit. You really want… something… different in your miserable life.[Brief music]Suddenly he snaps manacles on your wrists. Then behind you he grabs a blowtorch…[music]IntroThis is AutisticAF Out Loud, Season 7, episode 1. Today, I find moments of joy… after some brutal ones.Like Leonard Cohen sang in Suzanne, “among the garbage and the flowers.”I'm Johnny Profane. Startled awake. Taking a new direction. And writing a neurodivergent autobiography… out loud.Content note: Mentions abuse, trauma, suicidality... and dark humor.Just one autistic elder's voice. Raw.3 fragments from my free archive, autisticaf.me… I'll tell you more at the break.[music]Welcome to the Treatment FunhouseBeing trapped in the medical model of autism for decades?Imagine an elaborate carnival funhouse… the kind that's a maze. You gotta find your way out. But…This one's got a horror theme.The sign outside… “23 Mirrored Rooms That Will Change Your Life… Forever!”Never saw that before.So you stand in the long wait line. That, naturally, doubles back on itself. Many times.Finally, you belly up to the barker's ticket window. Start to scan the price board.“125 bucks?” You cry out.“You wanna change yer life, kid? Whatchya think it would cost?”So you sigh. You think…You need… different. You fork over.First room. Guy in a jumpsuit, “We gotta strap ya in.” He waves at the chair. “Safety,” he says in a bored voice.So you sit. You really want… well, something… different in your miserable life.Suddenly, he snaps manacles on your wrists. Then behind you, he grabs a blowtorch.You see this scene reflected in all the mirrors. In detail. Enhanced by all your grisly memories.You protest. “What the actual fuck.”“Trust me. This is the latest research. Sure as hell gonna change your life.” That smile. Thin. Cold. Professional. “We got paying customers outside. Lined up. Waiting to get inside. You in… or out.”You reflect on your miserable life. You nod.Then he slowly, methodically works you over. A light burn here. Another there. Starting at your feet. Working upwards.You scream. You cry. You plead. You evade. You bargain. Not a word out of Jumpsuit Guy.And… the only way you can block out the terror reflected in those mirrors?Close your eyes…He finishes. He unshackles you. Helps you up as you tremble. Guides you efficiently to the door.“Next room. Room of Knives. Yer gonna love it,” he laughs.“Just 22 to go.” Leans in… conspiratorially. Whispers in my ear…“Wait til the Meds room. Everybody talks about the Meds Room.”Beat.“If you make it there.”musicInterludeOkay, then. A fun little… metaphor. Now… some dark reality. Family… and professionals… tossed off what I was going through in my late teens as “immaturity.” Something I'd age out of. Totally ignoring all the red danger flags of the coming disaster.Quick side note. Some folks wrote you couldn't read articles. Multiple platform problems… demands you subscribe… pestering friends, even if they used a“free” link.I heard ya . So, I built my free personal archive at autisticaf.me. No paywall. No ads to piss ya off. All free & shareable… on me.You'll find more pieces like this next one… there. — The Autistic Treatment Funhouse, Room of ExamsThey Called It Immaturity. They Missed Everything.Content note: This is the tough one I mentioned. With the brutal flowers.Look, first of all… This is not the beginning of a poor-me story.This is a story of how I found moments of joy… and darkness… in my autistic life. Like Leonard Cohen sang in Suzanne, “among the garbage and the flowers.”But I found dark humor... every where.1972 was a hell of a summer… Room 1I first sought a diagnosis at 19. Following suicide attempt #1.I was driving after dark. Which I wasn't supposed to do… new family rule.See, I'd damaged our car the week before, making a hasty turn into our driveway near Jumping Deer Road in Katonah. Hit the damn stone wall on the way in.This was Westchester County, NY. Local code only allowed a nano break between the 18th-Century stones guarding our yard. Colonial heritage or something… masking slave labor.I'm in the doghouse. With parents already skeptical about letting me go to college. Not “mature” enough.Yet, when the hood and fender are finally fixed? They drop me off on a muggy, hazy June night. Out in the boonies at the old Amawak Service Center on Route 202.“Pick it up and bring it home. No side stops.” Then they instruct me, “Be… careful.” Rolling their collective 4 eyes.I pull out, then wait. The light's gotta change at the 4-lane intersection with Route 35 before I can head home.The light turns green. I go into a weird space in my head. There's… there's some reason I shouldn't turn left… yet… But I watch myself shrug, flick my signal switch, and turn. Right into two lanes of accelerating traffic coming right at me.Don't remember much more. Just the red, don't-turn-yet-idiot arrow. Staring at me brightly… through the windshield that used to be there.I survived. That classic, white 1965 Mustang… didn't. Barely street legal, 271-horse V8 under the hood. Maybe the most collectible American car of all time.A hand-me-down gift to our family from my father's father. Who bragged, “I had to jew the dealer down from 5 grand,” back when he bought it new in '65. A lot of money then.Um, things got tense at home.“You are responsible for your own actions. You are the cause here.”Parental meeting time.“Uh, I don't know what happened.” I couldn't stand these “meetings.” So many in my childhood. This was maybe the worst of all.“I don't know. It… it... just happened.”Making my parents even more furious. These were avid Ayn Rand readers. And my grandfather? He slept beside an orderly nightstand. Mein Kampf tucked tightly in its tidy drawer. My dead father's voice echoes coldly in my mind still. “You are responsible for your own actions. You are the cause here.” But, I stumble on. Making things worse… in my way.“Something's wrong. I don't know what. I'm having horrible visions. Hitting people with the car as I drive by. Hitting their bodies… bones…” I trail off. Into stony silence, I say, “And now something weird happened. I think… I think… maybe I should see a doctor…”Next thing I know, I'm sitting in front of a Westchester County caseworker. Cuz my parents felt a psychologist or private therapist cost too much.I had no idea what I was feeling… much less why.The intake experience was horrific.I felt… badgered.She called it… delicately. “Maybe the accident looked like an attempt to… maybe… harm yourself?” But she continued with a sledgehammer.“I know you have a secret you want to tell me.” Rinse, repeat… Rinse, repeat…I wanted so badly to please her. But had no idea what I was feeling… much less why.Worse yet? There were things I didn't want to tell her. Darker than the physical or sexual abuse she was probably check-listing. Things a traumatized kid might do… himself.I never went back. I told my parents I was uncomfortable talking to her.My dad rocked back in his dark, maple, Early American dining room chair. “Fine. That's your choice.”He paused. Looking directly at my mother as he said to me, “I can see you won't speak to this counselor. I see no reason to look for another for you to talk to. Your decision.”And that was that.We were all dying for freedom.Finally at 63, a psychologist specializing in autism gave me another name, Alexithymia.He said a lot of autistics can know something is wrong. But not know what. And baptized me, Autism Spectrum Disorder… with a side of ADHD.2016 was a good year. A damn fine year.But 1972 was a summer from hell.The last US troops shipped home, fleeing Viet Nam. Palestinians massacred Israelis at the Olympics. My father died that August. The week after he molested me for the last time.We were all dying for freedom.[music]Cuz… if you don't know us… how ya gonna love us.InterludeOkay. Here's the last frag I toss… today. Let's end with joyful moments. Among the dark. Let's end with survival.See, I'm giving you these fragments of my life…Cuz… if you don't know us… how ya gonna love us.And this is part of me, too…[music]I Don't Think I Had a “Personality” as a KidI was busy finding Infinity in a burnt-off ant leg…This one brings home the stakes.The moments of joy along the way… that drew a line under what could have been. Not if they fixed me. But maybe what all of our children could be.If we just listen to them. And support what they say they need.“What are you doing…?”My mother's voice was sharp.I'm lying spreadeagled on the backyard grass, face down.“I've called you three times.” Annoyed. “WHAT are you doing…?”I don't know it in Second Grade… But I have difficulties shifting attention when I'm lost in thought…I try to focus my ears…Then think back,review my short-term memory,and replay the last few moments.Trying to hear and translate anything she might have said while I'm in my private thought bubble…Already at 7, this process of “rehearsing” or “rewinding the tape” to interpret what's going on? It's an automatic, constant routine when I'm around… well, people.Checking for verbal mistakes, missed cues… Just trying to understand, what's going on…?So I'm still trying to sort it out,choose words carefully to explain,clearing my throat,moving my sleeping tongue,loosening my jaw,getting ready to speak…“HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”“Umm… Nothing…?” Close as I come to a lie at that age.I've been lying in the grass for an hour or so, exploring with my new magnifying glass.See, there was this great hobby shop in Johnson City. It had all kinds of cool science “toys.” And I had saved my 50-cent allowance for weeks to buy a “Real, hand-held, magnifying glass  —  made with ALL-METAL handle!!”I was entranced.Examining grass leaves, dew drops, and…Ants.Dozens of ants. One after another.Legs.Antennae.Mandibles.Eyes.Guiltily burning off the occasional leg with focused sunlight…Endless fascination…I was in the flow…“Okay. Whatever you are doing…” I wait for the command I know will end my timeless bliss… “Stop doing it. It's time for lunch.”I sigh. Roll over.And. Trudge. In.Hardly sounds like abuse, right…..??Imagine that last, delicious dream you're enjoying as you drowse in a warm snuggly bed… when you don't have to get up…My autistic joys are hard to explain to another person.Pretty much ANY non-autistic person.And trying to… drags me into Deep Philosophical Waters…Imagine that last, delicious dream you're enjoying as you drowse in a warm snuggly bed on a lazy Saturday morning when you don't have to get up…And someone screams, “GET UP!”Eyes pop open. Instantly. You're so startled, for a minute… you have no idea where you are, what you're doing, the time of day, the season…Now… imagine that… if you can…Every. Damn. Day. Many, many, MANY times a day… Every single day of your childhood.Torture.Being startled out of the flow? It's like that.Capisce? Ya dig? Feel me?That's as close as I can think of to explain my moments of autistic flow.Or, better yet, my autistic joys.That same joy you seeon an autistic kid's faceas he dances endlesslyin a sprinkler in the sun…If I had to guess, this is precisely what Being in the Moment, in the Now, maybe even Zen Satori…Mean.Gradually as I aged, these blissful moments became fewer and fewer…Now, that's all preamble to what I really wanna talk about…Here's the deal on Flow…I think that's where I spent most of my time as a young kid.When I wasn't interacting with family, a few schoolmates, parents, one teacher a year… the few humans I let into my life back then.And that time alone… Endlessly exploring, learning, feeling, being… was…Wordless delight.Gradually as I aged, these blissful moments became fewer and fewer… further and further and further apart… nearly gone…First, I was forced into a school system… That I was clearly not wired for.Rigid.Lockstep.Regimented.Regulated.BORING.No Free Time.To simply… explore.Later, of course, it got MUCH worse. Jobs, relationships, finances… Life in Modern Adult America.Like when I founded Unix World magazine. I was so high on the concept and the joy of process… My inner vision won us awards our first year. Western Publishing Association Best New Publication and Best Issue. Beating out Macworld and PC World.Yeah. We won awards. A couple months after I was fired from my own mag. Fired because… in my autistic mind… the game was Create the Most Amazing Publication… Ever.But the whole time, the world was shouting that it was Make the Most Money You Can… Right Now.Snake eyes. I lost.My natural state, left alone to my own devices? Wandering from moment to moment of… fascination.Now, I have some personal speculation to get off my chest.First… I don't think I had a native personality when I was a kid…At least not as bell-curve average humans understand a personality.My natural state, left alone to my own devices? Wandering from moment to moment of fascination. No motivations. No intentions. No (verbal) thought…So… I was either happy exploring in the fields… or with my chemistry set in the basement… or catching polliwogs in Spring pools…Or I was forced to don my “personality.”In other words,the language,facial expressions,body language,polite responses,social lies,and predictable actionsthat humans think of as “personality”…and that social contact demands.Which is so natural for most humans, they aren't even aware of it.Even though they must have it from me… to feel safe.But, for me, “personality” was likebeing dragged out of my comfy pajamas,forced intothe worst, most cumbersome, restrictive, awkward, embarrassing winter coat,ear muffs,muffler,heavy snow boots,and mittensyour mother ever stuffed you intoto shove you onto that bus to kindergarten…And “personality” still is suffocating. Today. In my 70s. Ten years after diagnosed as autistic and ADHD.Especially, “fun times”… They're the real killers.Parties.Intimate conversations…Shudder... Family holidays? So nightmarish, I wrote the 7-page narrative poem sneaking my mother's creepy g-d on high.These are all times I must adopt my “personality.” You know, to survive. No matter how much “fun” they're supposed to be.What pros call “masking”? Really nothing more than exhausting habits of behavior & speech. That I must shroud myself in. Like an embalmed mummy. Just so it's easy for other humans… to feel “comfortable” around me.Not an essential Self. Just, ya know, “personality.”Certainly not me. Nothing comfortable about it.I'm going to hazard a guess.Which may be narcissistic delusion… Flow seems awfully close to what the Buddha described as experiencing “no-self” vs. the “conditioned mind.”From at least age 2 on, I clearly remember lucid dreaming and long periods of time spent without verbal thought of any kind. Just perceiving, in awe and wonder…EVERYTHING.Until I had to interact with humans. Any humans. Even those I was required… to “love.”And donning the “personality”? The joy collapsed. Fast as a quantum waveform when you try to measure it. Not into pain…Collapsing into an all-absorbing effort.Intellectualizing every word,gesture,tone of voice of my own…Then interpreting all those of each and every human I was with at the time…and THEN determining precisely the right word,tone of voice,facial expression,and body attitude to project back…all at the same timeTo avoid being in trouble.Because I was… Bad.And I had to protect everyone around me from that.Every. Single. Second…And even at a young age, a growing sense of the need to protect others…From me.Because I was different. Because I hurt people without understanding. Because I acted as if I were “arrogant”… etc., etc.Like two divorces. Cuz I could be amazing for 3 to 6 months. Caring. Fun as hell. Then fall into deep depressions and work burnouts. Cuz I couldn't handle that much intimacy. Hell, that much time alone with another human…Because I was… Bad.And I had to protect everyone around me from that.Every. Single. Second… That I am with another human.Except very young children. And of course, animals… Since I was… 4 years old.Now since diagnosis, I found a few tricks.In 2019 when I first started writing about my autism, I was all about lists. Trying to “help” others. Took me a year or two to realize we are… every one of us autists… different. Different lives. Different needs and goals. Different survival skills.So I'm only an “expert” on my own life. Even if I am the only expert on that there is.Your mileage certainly will vary.But for me? My autistic life is not about “getting better.” Or fixing me. It's about knowing who I truly am. And what I truly need. Doing what I can to meet those needs.Then being… me.So I moved to the Country…Living in the trailer across the courtyardFrom my third, loving wifeWhere I can reduce sensory overload.Reduce the number of humans I talk with To only folks I feel comfortable around.And stopped failing at jobs I was never built to do.But I… now… can pursue those things that have brought me joy since childhood.Spending unstructured, unmeasured time on any of my passions…walking in the wildest Nature I have access to,baking bread,fermenting pickles,gardening,deep-focus while replaying a favorite movie… that seventh time,illustrating,writing,playing music,researching world events….so, so many others.When I pursue a “special interest”… alone? Sometimes it's nearly orgasmic… In fact, I've redefined my understanding of my passions.They're not a forbidden pleasure. A shameful quirk. Something I “waste time on” when there's nothing more important to do.They are my gateway to Bliss, Satori, Oneness… Maybe even whatever God is… or Isn't…I'm not talking toxic positivity. My autistic joys aren't some advanced spiritual state I've achieved in my 70s. And now, suddenly… I'm here to tell you how to make everything okay. And talk you into buying your 5th NEW self-help system on the way out the door.But my joys are moments of love and happiness sprinkled through most of my days. Between meltdowns and burnouts. And some average life.They are my reason for Being.There are just NOT 7 Easy Things that Successful Autistics Do…That Will Change My Life Forever.There's just living complex… and in the end… wild autistic life.being old & autistic ain't so bad.losing inhibitions.some of which protected me from…Life.freedom turns out to be pain…and joy…in superposition.until maybe they annihilate you.Notes from the bardobefore the bardoI learned a lot that Spring afternoon on the lawn in Johnson City.I saw Infinity in a burnt-off ant leg.And, eventually… I went for it.[music]OutroNow you know. So... there ya go.This project is consuming me. In that good, auDHD passionate way. Cuz your response keeps me going.If it meant something to you… I bet you know someone else it will mean something to. Share it.Everything's free at autisticaf.me. For everyone. On me.Stay weird.Stay fierce.Stay alive. * If this 3 fragments grabbed you… binge them all in order here: The Book: Frag by Frag.Click to get the next frag in your inbox free. Plus a PDF of my chapbook. To support my work, consider a paid subscription.These fragments are from my upcoming autobiography, Autistic Noir: My Life is My Art, arriving Fall 2026.I'm building a book out loud. Fragment by fragment. Just like I lived it.The Next ActDon't trust a corporate algorithm's decision about whether you get to see the next excerpt or not.Join my Substack for free… and the next fragment comes straight to your inbox. And you get a free digital download of my complete poetry chapbook.* Unlock the next act for free.Why I Write My AutobiographyI'm only an expert on my own life. Born 1953, diagnosed at 63. Your mileage will vary.Individual minority voices speaking truth out loud? They build bridges to mainstream readers. Think Malcolm X. Think Maya Angelou, Think Janet Mock's Redefining Realness.This Fall, I hope to deliver that kind of impact, that power with My Autistic Life is My Art. For our neurodivergent community.Since 2019 I've published a quarter of a million words. Over half the size of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.Gotta be a pony somewhere in that shit. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe

Brendan Mahan's concept of The Wall of Awful has taken on a life of its own. While originally geared toward ADHD, it's also extremely applicable to other neurodivergent folks including autism, AuDHD, OCD, and PDA.In short, there are a bunch of tough emotions built up over time between you and tasks that are difficult for you (whether or not anyone else believes they are easy). While you may instinctively figure out how to sidestep or smash through the issues, it's not really addressing the deeper problem that still affects you the next time.Brendan's book, The Wall of Awful, comes out Sep 1 2026, and you can learn an overview of the concepts at the YouTube videos listed under #3 belowConnect with Brendan / Mentioned in episode:The Wall of Awful book & resources, and if you're buying on Amazon here's my affiliate linkFriendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults by Caroline Maguire, book, affiliate link2 short vids explaining the Wall of Awful & strategies for going through & over it by Jessica McCabe of How to ADHDAuDHD Flourishing resources:Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)Mattia's NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Vibe With Ky Podcast, therapist Calial McCarty explains why masking drains your mental health, and what it takes to stop performing okay.This one is for you if you have spent years being the easygoing, low-maintenance one, and you are quietly exhausted from holding it all together.Calial McCarty is a licensed mental health counselor and board-certified autism specialist who is AuDHD and chronically ill herself. She wrote Naturally Divergent, a book built on one idea: your divergent brain should not have to bend to neurotypical rules. She works with late-diagnosed kids and adults every day, and she leads with her own story first.Ky and Calial trace masking back to childhood and follow it all the way into adult burnout, so you can finally see the pattern in your own life. The shift here is simple and steadying: the structure around you needs to change, not you.Understand why masking drains you on a biological level, so you can stop blaming yourself for being tired.Learn the small, low-burnout first steps for unmasking without overwhelming your whole life at once.Hear how chronic illness reshaped what a successful day looks like, and how self-advocacy changed Calial's care.See why being yourself was never the problem, and why the right people will not ask you to shrink.Follow Calial McCarty and find her book Naturally Divergent and the Neurobloom Center: https://www.instagram.com/naturally_divergent_therapist/TheVibeWithKy.com: https://thevibewithky.com/Patreon, for exclusive neurodivergent content and the Reverse The Mic segment not available anywhere else online: https://www.patreon.com/thevibewithkyFacebook, for exclusive neurodivergent content and the Reverse The Mic segment not available anywhere else online: https://www.facebook.com/thevibewithky/subscribe/Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevibewithkyTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@thevibewithkyADHD Vibers Store: https://thevibewithky.podia.com/This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

We've got a fun one for you today, folks!Andrew Coltrin, aka PartlyRobot, aka author of "A is for Autism," "The ADHD FAQ," and "The ADHD Coping Skills Deck," joins Joe, Elly, and Bernie on the pod this week to talk about his latest book, neurodivergence, and finding what works for you (diagnosed or not).************Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosmGet the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.comMore by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.netMore by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.comSubscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6vFind us on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishingBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.socialInstagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub************

Tired of ADHD strategies that don't work? Start here: Stop Trying to “Fix” Your ADHD. You're Not Broken: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/sign-up_____She was good at the job. She just kept bombing the people.Dr. Shannan Palma has a PhD from Emory, founded a master's program, and taught as a college professor. Then, in midlife, she found out she was autistic. ADHD turned up right behind it.For decades she had followed the rules exactly as they were written and could not work out why that kept failing her. She was direct when directness was not wanted. She said no when everyone else said yes and did nothing. She ran full speed until she collapsed, then ramped back up and did it again. The diagnosis did not just explain the pattern. It ended it.Today she identifies as AuDHD, co-founded the autistic-led nonprofit Independence Through Interdependence, and serves as CEO of ITI Lab, where her team built Decide, an app for decision fatigue.In this episode, Tracy and Shannan get into why decision fatigue is not a willpower problem, what happens when the autism wants routine and the ADHD wants novelty, the assessment that went badly wrong, and what it takes to rebuild after burnout on your own terms instead of someone else's.If your brain has ever turned a small decision into a full-body shutdown, this one will help you understand why. And more importantly, what actually helps.ResourcesWebsite: https://weareiti.orgWebsite: https://itilab.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannanpalmaADHD isn't a productivity problem. It's an identity problem.Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message Explore more from me:

What happens when decades of clinical experience meet lived experience?In this episode of Mental Health News Radio, Kristin sits down with licensed clinical social worker and educator David Glick for an expansive conversation about late autism diagnosis, ADHD, masking, personality disorders, police psychology, trauma, psychotherapy, and why movies often teach us as much about human behavior as textbooks do.Dave shares stories from over 30 years in clinical practice, his work training law enforcement across the country, and how his own neurodivergent journey shaped the way he approaches therapy today. Together, Kristen and Dave explore why so many adults—especially women—are finally discovering they're autistic, how personality disorders are often misunderstood, and why curiosity always beats certainty.They also discuss their work on Holmes Cinema Clues, where psychology, neurodiversity, and film intersect to reveal hidden layers inside the stories we love.Learn more about Dave Glick and Triad Psych:https://triadpsych.orgExplore Holmes Cinema Clues:https://holmescinemaclues.substack.com/Topics include:• Late-diagnosed autism and ADHD• Masking and identity• Personality disorders vs. neurodivergence• Police psychology• Pop culture as therapy• Richard Jewell, Jaws, Rocky, Speechless, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape• Why trends in mental health deserve careful examination• Grace, curiosity, and meaningful human connectionIf you enjoy conversations that go beyond labels and into genuine understanding, be sure to subscribe.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this episode of The Vibe With Ky Podcast, autistic burnout takes center stage as Patrick Casale shares how his own success nearly broke him.This one is for you if you built a life that looks great on paper but leaves you running on empty every single day.Patrick Casale is an AuDHD therapist, business coach, and podcast host who built a career of international retreats, coaching programs, and a group practice before he ever found out he was autistic. He has helped hundreds of thousands of mental health professionals grow their businesses, and he speaks openly about what that pace cost him, including the chronic illnesses that eventually put him in the hospital.We talk about why tying your worth to your output is a biological setup for burnout, not a character flaw, and what it actually takes to build a life you can live in. If you have ever felt like the harder you push, the worse you feel, this conversation puts a name to why.Learn why autistic burnout is a nervous system and biology issue, not a willpower problemHear how undiagnosed ADHD can feed addictive patterns like gambling long before a diagnosisUnderstand the grief and relief that come with a late autism discoveryGet a real framework for boundaries that protect your mental and physical healthFollow Patrick Casale and check out his work here:https://linktr.ee/patrickcasaleConnect with Ky and go deeper:TheVibeWithKy.comhttps://thevibewithky.com/Patreon (five dollars a month for the ADHD Deep Dive library, exclusive neurodivergent content, and the Reverse The Mic segment with guests, not available anywhere else online)https://www.patreon.com/thevibewithkyFacebook (same exclusive content, including Reverse The Mic, not available anywhere else online)https://www.facebook.com/thevibewithky/subscribe/Instagramhttps://instagram.com/thevibewithkyTikTokhttps://tiktok.com/@thevibewithkyADHD Vibers Storehttps://thevibewithky.podia.com/This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

They called me the "Fun Police" at high school. What a name. They were right; I loved a rule, and I hated them being broken. I didn't know I about high sensitivity or neurodivergence back then ... but it's clear that's what was playing out for me at the time. On today's episode of SelfKind - a podcast for highly sensitive people - I'm talking about RULES as sensitive folk. Why they put us in a bind at times by helping us to feel safe but also leading us toward discomfort and inner criticism when they're broken. Why do we love rules? Why are we so uncomfortable when they're broken? Tune in and let's explore. Mentioned in this episode: SelfKind Nurture - my brand new 12 week small group program for highly sensitive people - is open for applications now! We start on Sunday 2nd August 2026, and you can learn more and apply here: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureUpcoming Professional Development Programs through High Sensitivity Australia: - Thriving as a Highly Sensitive Practitioner - Tuesday 21st July 2026 (online): https://highsensitivity.com.au/thriving-as-a-highly-sensitive-practitioner/- Working with Highly Sensitive Clients - Tuesday 4th August 2026 (online): https://highsensitivity.com.au/working-with-highly-sensitive-clients/About your host, Erica WebbErica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach, yoga teacher and highly sensitive person (also diagnosed AuDHD). She supports other highly sensitive and neurodivergent people to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world.About the Podcast, SelfKindSelfKind is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who want to navigate the tricky bits of their sensitivity with more ease while finding their sensitivity superpowers. Here, we're all about being, living and moving through a lens of self-compassion and kindness.

On today's episode of SelfKind - a podcast for highly sensitive people - I'm answering a listener's question about getting the day started without overwhelm. Let's face it, there are always a million and one things you could do in a day, so how do you prioritise in a way that is kind to your sensitivity and helps you avoid overwhelm at 7:01am? I'm sharing a few tips, including getting honest about your capacity and what's really a 'should' rather than a true priority, and so much more. Mentioned in this episode: SelfKind Nurture - my brand new 12 week small group program for highly sensitive people - is open for applications now! We start on Sunday 2nd August 2026, and you can learn more and apply here: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureUpcoming Professional Development Programs through High Sensitivity Australia: - Thriving as a Highly Sensitive Practitioner - Tuesday 21st July 2026 (online): https://highsensitivity.com.au/thriving-as-a-highly-sensitive-practitioner/- Working with Highly Sensitive Clients - Tuesday 4th August 2026 (online): https://highsensitivity.com.au/working-with-highly-sensitive-clients/The SelfKind Hub: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkindhubAbout your host, Erica WebbErica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach, yoga teacher and highly sensitive person (also diagnosed AuDHD). She supports other highly sensitive and neurodivergent people to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world.About the Podcast, SelfKindSelfKind is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who want to navigate the tricky bits of their sensitivity with more ease while finding their sensitivity superpowers. Here, we're all about being, living and moving through a lens of self-compassion and kindness.

Dr Khurram is a world-renowned, award-winning psychiatrist and the author of Explaining AuDHD. In this episode, he explains what AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) really feels like beyond the diagnostic labels, why so many people spend years masking their traits, and the emotional cost of living without understanding themselves. We explore the hidden signs of AuDHD, why so many people feel broken, misunderstood, and lonely, how an AuDHD diagnosis can transform relationships and identity, and what it truly takes to stop masking and start thriving. Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:43 The AuDHD contradiction nobody talks about 04:14 What people with AuDHD are terrified of being judged for 06:29 The AuDHD assessment Dr Khurram will never forget 07:37 What almost every AuDHD adult blames themselves for 08:32 Why so many people with AuDHD think they're a bad friend 10:01 The hidden danger of never finding your AuDHD tribe 10:34 Why masking AuDHD is so exhausting 13:43 The most heartbreaking part of living with AuDHD 16:22 Why loneliness feels different with AuDHD 19:10 Why partners often misunderstand AuDHD 22:07 Tiimo advert 23:59 5 hidden signs you're masking AuDHD 25:03 How an AuDHD diagnosis changes relationships 30:13 The moment you realise your whole life was masking 34:45 What AuDHD burnout really feels like 36:45 The true cost of never unmasking AuDHD 39:08 Stop fighting your AuDHD brain 40:56 Why so many people with AuDHD believe they're broken 45:07 If you were diagnosed late, you need to hear this 45:42 The hardest part of living with AuDHD 47:10 A letter to my younger self Dr Khurram on LinkedIn

Have you ever gone to the doctor with some symptoms and had them not find anything wrong with you? We've all run into medical staff who don't know we were autistic or what that even meant, never suspected EDS, POTS, ME, endometriosis or autoimmune conditions. They either dismissed us right off or ran a battery of tests on us. But in the end, the conclusion was the same: There doesn't seem to be anything medically wrong with you. For this episode I am joined by Simo_tier (pronouns: it/they), so we can rant about some of these frustrating stories that literally take years off our lives. Simo_tier is a multi-media artist and activist, influenced by its lived reality as a disabled, Indigenous, agender, white, gay, AuDHD femme. It is deeply passionate about lifting up and supporting QTBIPoC voices and projects, as well as breaking down barriers to create a community based on Disability Justice and reformative change. If you want to read about Simo_tier's activism (in German), check out its website https://vamky.de/ where you can also find a podcast (also in German) about disabilities and exclusion by society and inside the community. If you want to keep up to date with events it organizes, check out Instagram @simo_tier You can support Aut2Aut on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. This will help prepped.to go on providing a platform for autistic folks to share locations' sensory info and service instructions. Mentioned in this episode:Aut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support prepped.toTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@]gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr

We've said before that Bagel Bites are a state of mind, and never has that been truer than with this episode.    In this full-length Bagel Bite, we've procured the perfect blend of inspirational AuDHD advice on rejection sensitive dysphoria and the root of procrastination, topped with a flavor-forward rant about the competitiveness of children's sports and a hearty Business Someone Should Start (Maybe Us) to complete the meal.  Resources Grow with Robin Breckenridge, Ep. 50: The Moment You Leave Yourself (And Don't Even Realize It) ADHD Chatter Podcast @TheRealNicCoy   Visit our website: weirdsofafeather.com  Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @weirdsofafeather Watch full-length episodes on Youtube: youtube.com/@weirdsofafeather Join our Reddit community: reddit.com/r/WeirdsofaFeather/ Become a Patreon member for bonus content: patreon.com/weirdsofafeather   

What does it look like to live at the intersection of neurodivergence and queerness? In this annual Neurodivergent Pride panel, a collaboration between ADHD reWired and Shimmer Coaching, host Eric Tivers and panelists Savant, Kristen, Jill, and moderator Chris share deeply personal stories about identity, masking, belonging, and the ongoing work of becoming themselves. The conversation moves through the ways masking shows up across queer and neurodivergent lives, from religious trauma and racial identity to the quiet labor of maintaining relationships while autistic. Panelists explore the overlap between coming out as queer and discovering neurodivergence later in life, noting how one process of unmasking often catalyzes another. They discuss heteronormative and neurotypical expectations, burnout, somatic awareness, the role of alcohol as a masking tool, and the power of finally believing you are inherently good. Whether you're early in your own journey or deep in the unmasking process, this episode offers honest, layered reflections from people who understand the territory. It closes with simple, powerful affirmations: your safe people are out there, there's nothing wrong with you, and being fully yourself is always worth it. Show Notes This special Neurodivergent Pride episode of ADHD reWired brings together a vibrant panel for an honest, intersectional conversation about what it means to live at the crossroads of queerness and neurodivergence. Recorded in collaboration with Shimmer Coaching, the panel features host Eric Tivers alongside Savant, Kristen, Jill, and moderator Chris, each bringing their own layered experiences of ADHD, autism, queerness, race, faith, gender, and self-discovery. The episode opens with each panelist sharing how they relate to both the queer and neurodivergent communities. What immediately emerges is that these identities are not separate tracks running in parallel. They are deeply intertwined. For many on the panel, discovering one identity illuminated the other. Kristen, recently diagnosed as autistic and agender, describes a lifelong journey of masking so thorough that her own mind kept her queerness hidden from her until age 28. Savant, who is Black, gay, semi-verbal, and autistic with Savant syndrome, reflects on the particular pressures of unmasking in Black queer communities and how identity categories can feel like cages even within LGBTQIA+ spaces. Jill connects with Nick Walker's concept of "neuroqueer," a framework for understanding how queer and neurodivergent identities together subvert normative expectations. Eric shares his own evolving journey: coming out as bisexual at 14, stepping back into the closet after a painful family response, and gradually, over the last several years, coming more fully into his queer, polyamorous, and autistic identity. A central theme is masking: the exhausting, sometimes invisible labor of performing neurotypicality and heteronormativity in order to feel safe. The panel explores how masking operates differently depending on context. Race, religion, socioeconomic status, and gender all shape how much masking is required and how dangerous unmasking can feel. Kristen speaks powerfully about growing up with an unnamed sense that something was "wrong" with her, and how evangelical Christianity offered both structure and suppression. Savant describes the specific neurological experience of unmasking, what he calls "the peanut butter feeling," and how musical theater taught him to mask with almost military precision. Jill is candid about the role alcohol and substances have played in her own mask, and how her whiteness, cisness, and socioeconomic privilege have buffered her from some of the costs other panelists face. Eric describes experiencing his first autistic meltdown after years of not recognizing the depth of his own burnout. The conversation also touches on the practical, embodied work of unmasking. Kristen shares a therapist's suggestion to draw your masking self versus your unmasked self, and talks about learning to notice somatic cues: face pain from performative smiling, shallow breathing, tense shoulders. Eric recommends Devon Price's work and describes how 145 consecutive days of meditation have been part of his recovery. Savant offers the insight that his "observer brain" was always turned outward and never inward, and that true unmasking means turning the mirror around. The panel closes with single-sentence affirmations to a younger self or to anyone earlier in their journey: Eric: "Just be completely you and don't worry about your mother." Kristen: "Your safe people are out there. Don't give up." Jill: "There's nothing wrong with you. You're not broken, and you don't need to be fixed." Savant: "Neurodivergence and divinity aren't too far away from each other. Beware." This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they were too much, not enough, or simply inexplicably different. It's a reminder that unmasking, while messy and sometimes painful, is a path toward authenticity, connection, and a kind of pride that doesn't require anyone's permission. Produced in collaboration with Shimmer Coaching. Key Takeaways Queerness and neurodivergence are deeply intertwined. For many people, discovering one identity catalyzes the discovery of the other. Masking is a survival mechanism, not a character flaw. Unmasking can reveal which relationships are truly safe and affirming. Religious, cultural, racial, and gender expectations can intensify the pressure to mask. Burnout is often a signal that the mask is no longer sustainable. Identity labels can be both liberating and constraining. Privilege shapes the risks and costs of unmasking. Somatic awareness can help people notice where masking lives in the body. Alcohol and substances can sometimes function as masking tools. The concept of "neuroqueer" offers a powerful framework for understanding the overlap between queerness and neurodivergence. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with you. You do not need to be fixed. Keywords / Tags neurodivergent pride, queer identity, ADHD, autism, AuDHD, masking, unmasking, intersectionality, coming out, burnout, religious trauma, neuroqueer, queer community, bisexual, pansexual, non-binary, agender, Black queer experience, somatic awareness, authenticity, belonging, LGBTQIA+, polyamory, alcohol and masking, Devon Price, Nick Walker, Shimmer Coaching, ADHD reWired

In This Episode: Why does summer feel so weird when you're ADHD or AuDHD? I talk about some of the reasons, including lost structure, summer-pattern depression, guilt, and the comparison trap, with the science behind each. For ad-free episodes, video versions, transcripts, and a second ad-free Patreon only episode every Friday - support Jen by subscribing to Patreon at just $7.99/mo or get 15% off if you pay annually. You'll get to suggest episode ideas as well!  Join Jen's New Co-Work Community online! I started something called ☕️The Co-Work Community. It's an online co-working (aka body doubling) space & community for neurodivergent humans! There are other online co-working spaces but where else can you do your work, tasks, or chores with other neurodivergent people and ME, every single day for ONLY $15 a month? Answer? Nowhere! You'll help yourself AND you're supporting a neurodivergent solopreneur woman-owned start-up business.  Be Nice To Me I'm AuDHD Tee-Shirt in Pastel Font Be Nice To Me I'm AuDHD Tee-Shirt in Primary Colors Font  Be Nice To Me I Have ADHD Tee-Shirt in Pastel Font Be Nice To Me I Have ADHD Tee-Shirt in Primary Colors Font  Shop Jen's Favorite ADHD Supports (with Discounts) Brain.fm — A Focus Tool I Use Every Day I listen while I work and I can feel my brain lock in. It's not AI, or binaural beats. Brain.fm is science-backed sound made by musicians and scientists for ADHD brains. I want you to try it for 30 days free, with my link! Little Ouchies - Self Regulation Stim Tools! I LOVE my Little Ouchies. I use them daily when I'm working, writing, thinking, and it really helps me to stay in the moment by regulating my nervous system. I tend to ruminate with Imposter Syndrome when I'm in deep work. It's also just fun and feels good, so even watching TV or other mindless activities are made more stimulating by rolling one in my hands. Get 10% off with this link and use ALOT10 at checkout!  Bookshop.org — Books I Recommend I love Bookshop.org because every purchase supports your local independent bookstore, not Amazon, while still shipping directly to you. I've curated book lists on ADHD/AuDHD and mental health, and you can get 20% off everything when you shop using my link. Hugimals — Weighted Comfort for Kids & Adults I own Hugimals, give them as gifts, and love that they're made by a neurodivergent founder who understands nervous system needs. These weighted stuffed animals and pillows help with anxiety and overwhelm, and you can get 15% off anytime using my link and code JENKIRKMAN (it never expires). The Time Timer - a Cute Visual Time Tool! I use my Time Timer every single day to help me visualize time during work blocks, and to gamify chores. There's no discount, but when you use my link I earn a percentage that goes directly into supporting this podcast. The Big A## Calendar I have the Big A## wall calendar that maps out the entire year and the Big A## personal planner with 365 days in one view, dry erase markers, color coded labels. With my unique link you can get 10% off of your order. Appointed — Planners, Notebooks & Desk Goods Appointed notebooks are my go-to for my spiral notebooks, day planners, calendars and Le Pen pens for list-making, journaling, and planning. Save 15% off with my link and code JENKIRKMAN. Bearaby - Weighted Blankets, Warmables, Stress Pillows I LOVE my Bearaby cooling weighted blankets, the weighted and warmable lap lounger, I need their products daily to regulate and relax. Their products are built to calm the body down and support a. natural sleep cycle.  UnHide - Weighted Faux Fur Blankets, Pillows, Plush Home Goods I LOVE my UnHide faux fur weighted blankets, my squish pillows and my backrest that is always on my bed for my sitting up in bed working days. Get 20% off everything with my link and JENNIFER at checkout. Sources For This Episode Summer and Reverse SAD - Norman Rosenthal Website  ADHD Executive Function Sheet - Dr. Russell Barkley  Sensory Safe Place at Home - Dr. Sharon Saline  FOMO & The Pursuit of the Perfect Summer - Neuro & Psycho Website  

Why does your autistic or ADHD child struggle with things that seem easy for everyone else? Maybe they can't keep their room organized. Maybe they lose things constantly. Maybe they seem overwhelmed by tasks that other children complete without much effort. And maybe you've wondered... "Are they just not trying?" In this episode, I share a personal story that completely changed the way I think about strengths, executive functioning, and why some tasks feel impossible for certain brains. When I opened the door to a cluttered closet at my clinic, I felt immediate overwhelm, shame, and paralysis. The teenager I hired to organize it had the exact opposite reaction—excitement, energy, and endless ideas. Same closet. Different brains. Different strengths. Using my own experiences as an autistic and ADHD psychologist, I discuss how visual-spatial differences and executive functioning challenges can impact organization, problem-solving, learning, navigation, daily living skills, and self-confidence. We also explore why shame doesn't help autistic and ADHD children develop skills, and how repeatedly being told they're lazy, or not trying hard enough, can have lasting effects on their mental health and self-esteem. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why some autistic and ADHD children struggle with organization, planning and cleaning their rooms • How executive functioning and visual-spatial abilities affect daily life • Why shame is not a strategy • How to identify and build on strengths • Ways parents, educators, and therapists can provide support without damaging mental health • Why different doesn't mean broken If you're a parent, educator, or therapist supporting autistic and ADHD children and teens, this episode will help you better understand what's really happening beneath the struggle—and how to respond with compassion, understanding, and practical support. Sincerely, Holly Blanc Moses, The Mom/Neurodivergent Therapist Check out these resources! The 135 School Accommodations for Autistic & ADHD Students Guide is now available, including three detailed cases with accommodations for ONLY $27.95 What's Inside:

Author Mary H.K. Choi is back! They discuss her new novel, Pool House, and why this mother-daughter story had to take place in Los Angeles. They also touch on her foray into hormone replacement therapy, how she dealt with her late diagnoses of AuDHD, and what it's like in New York as a creative these days. To leave a voicemail or text for a future episode, reach Doree & Elise at 781-591-0390. You can also email the podcast at forever35podcast@gmail.com.Visit forever35podcast.com for links to everything they mention on the show or visit shopmyshelf.us/forever35.Follow the podcast on Instagram (@Forever35Podcast) and sign up for the newsletter at the free tier on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.