60 acast.com AuDHD Flourishing https://shows.acast.com/audhd en Mattia Maurée autism, adhd, audhd, neurodivergent,neurodivergence,neurospicy,neuroqueer,queer,lgbtq,transgender,trans,disability,disabled Mattia Maurée Living Awesomely With Autism + ADHD The monotropic neurotype of Autism + ADHD holds strengths and challenges. Typical advice often doesn't work for us!


Your AuDHD host, Mattia Maurée (they/them), shares research, lived experience, and practical advice from coaching over 400 neurodivergent folks. They focus on feeling better first, before tackling the big life design questions.


You're doing great, you belong here, and it's possible to feel a lot better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The monotropic neurotype of Autism + ADHD holds strengths and challenges. Typical advice often doesn't work for us!


Your AuDHD host, Mattia Maurée (they/them), shares research, lived experience, and practical advice from coaching over 400 neurodivergent folks. They focus on feeling better first, before tackling the big life design questions.


You're doing great, you belong here, and it's possible to feel a lot better.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> true Mattia Maurée info+643789a2ba30d20010916124@mg-eu.acast.com 643789a2ba30d20010916124 audhd episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1681361009096-e1fc7f0180185eee01ce539966c60842.jpeg https://shows.acast.com/audhd AuDHD Flourishing 137 Spending and Money Unfairness 137 Spending and Money Unfairness Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:03:00 GMT 25:36 69cd7b517d4a54c657edfdf3 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69cd7b517d4a54c657edfdf3 69cd7b517d4a54c657edfdf3 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full This & next week are two episodes on money & finances as a follow up to last week's interview (more from Hyperfocus here).


Justice sensitivity can highlight the unfairness we often feel between our financial situations and those of people who haven't struggled to find and keep work. For example, AuDHDers often experience conflict with bosses who think we ask too many questions or have a bad "vibe."

For me, acknowledging and soothing that unfairness with things beyond just spending has been important.


The episode also touches on comparison with others, consumerism, and why I just buy things directly from China now (via AliExpress, and that link gives me a whopping $1 coupon if you end up making a purchase ;)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This & next week are two episodes on money & finances as a follow up to last week's interview (more from Hyperfocus here).


Justice sensitivity can highlight the unfairness we often feel between our financial situations and those of people who haven't struggled to find and keep work. For example, AuDHDers often experience conflict with bosses who think we ask too many questions or have a bad "vibe."

For me, acknowledging and soothing that unfairness with things beyond just spending has been important.


The episode also touches on comparison with others, consumerism, and why I just buy things directly from China now (via AliExpress, and that link gives me a whopping $1 coupon if you end up making a purchase ;)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 136 Financial Therapy with Christine Hargrove 136 Financial Therapy with Christine Hargrove Sat, 28 Mar 2026 17:30:24 GMT 33:24 69c81030f4bf09c59942e14e false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69c81030f4bf09c59942e14e 69c81030f4bf09c59942e14e 643789a2ba30d20010916124 from Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson full Thanks again to Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson for sharing this interview with financial therapist Christine Hargrove.

She shares ADHD-focused advice that is useful for AuDHD folks as well! And the next two weeks will touch on other financial topics from this foundation.


I especially love the line, "The best budget is one you can follow on your worst day"


Learn more about Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson here!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thanks again to Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson for sharing this interview with financial therapist Christine Hargrove.

She shares ADHD-focused advice that is useful for AuDHD folks as well! And the next two weeks will touch on other financial topics from this foundation.


I especially love the line, "The best budget is one you can follow on your worst day"


Learn more about Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson here!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Paper Planners & Tasks Feeling Real]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:03:08 GMT 6:22 69c6b84d9b6be94a1afb402b false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69c6b84d9b6be94a1afb402b 69c6b84d9b6be94a1afb402b 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (Mini episode) bonus I just started using a paper planner again for the first time in many years, and the coolest thing is noticing that calendared blocks of time feel more "real" to my brain when I've written them by hand. That tangibility in turn seems to be making it easier to stick with things.

Caveat that it can always be the initial dopamine surge of any new system! That said, if it's working, I say try new tools anyway, even if they only work for a few months ;)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I just started using a paper planner again for the first time in many years, and the coolest thing is noticing that calendared blocks of time feel more "real" to my brain when I've written them by hand. That tangibility in turn seems to be making it easier to stick with things.

Caveat that it can always be the initial dopamine surge of any new system! That said, if it's working, I say try new tools anyway, even if they only work for a few months ;)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 135 Slow Processes are Frustrating 135 Slow Processes are Frustrating Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:11:54 GMT 23:58 69be98c262f6c66afe003d6e false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69be98c262f6c66afe003d6e 69be98c262f6c66afe003d6e 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Sometimes... a process is happening, internally. It can be integration, change, growth, positive disintegration... and sometimes it's unclear. Either way, the uncertainty can be disconcerting and frustrating!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Sometimes... a process is happening, internally. It can be integration, change, growth, positive disintegration... and sometimes it's unclear. Either way, the uncertainty can be disconcerting and frustrating!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 134 Worst Tasks for AuDHDers 134 Worst Tasks for AuDHDers Sat, 14 Mar 2026 17:28:37 GMT 39:44 69b599107ebe44dc8b754272 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69b599107ebe44dc8b754272 69b599107ebe44dc8b754272 643789a2ba30d20010916124 how to DO things full With an interest-based nervous system + AuDHD cyclical energy, the hardest tasks for us are

Boring

Annoying

High Stakes and/or

Difficult


The episode covers how and why they're difficult, and some starting points for each one.


The steps from later in the episode:

  1. If you're struggling to start something, identify if it's Boring, Annoying, High Stakes, or Difficult.
  2. Give yourself compassion for why that makes this task hard to do right now, and tell yourself that you don't actually have to do it right now (this eases up some demand avoidance potentially)
  3. If your mind-body system offers a suggestion or solution, feel free to go for it! Otherwise, it's okay to set this aside for now and let your unconscious mind chew it over.
  4. If this is a time-sensitive or urgent task, do what you need to do to remind yourself to check back in in time: a timer, a calendar reminder, a prominent post it note etc.
  5. Now let your unconscious and your weird and creative brain work on this in the background while you rest or work on something easier. I love keeping a list of actually easy tasks for this purpose (which for me means the thing is straightforward and physically easy to do with a clear done point).


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> With an interest-based nervous system + AuDHD cyclical energy, the hardest tasks for us are

Boring

Annoying

High Stakes and/or

Difficult


The episode covers how and why they're difficult, and some starting points for each one.


The steps from later in the episode:

  1. If you're struggling to start something, identify if it's Boring, Annoying, High Stakes, or Difficult.
  2. Give yourself compassion for why that makes this task hard to do right now, and tell yourself that you don't actually have to do it right now (this eases up some demand avoidance potentially)
  3. If your mind-body system offers a suggestion or solution, feel free to go for it! Otherwise, it's okay to set this aside for now and let your unconscious mind chew it over.
  4. If this is a time-sensitive or urgent task, do what you need to do to remind yourself to check back in in time: a timer, a calendar reminder, a prominent post it note etc.
  5. Now let your unconscious and your weird and creative brain work on this in the background while you rest or work on something easier. I love keeping a list of actually easy tasks for this purpose (which for me means the thing is straightforward and physically easy to do with a clear done point).


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 133 Anger and Aloneness 133 Anger and Aloneness Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:03:00 GMT 14:05 69ab68996ffdcd8188b35741 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69ab68996ffdcd8188b35741 69ab68996ffdcd8188b35741 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full If you're feeling angry lately, that makes a lot of sense! It's not a bad emotion. In fact, it can feel quite motivating to create change.

But what if you are feeling isolated and/or don't have capacity to directly create that change right now?

That's where nourishing and care work come in, even if they're only for you (for now).

While I don't use the word self-care in the episode, that's in part the kind of nourishing I mean.

Once your capacity is higher, you'll be able to build more. And the people doing the literal feeding and care work are just as much a part of the movement!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> If you're feeling angry lately, that makes a lot of sense! It's not a bad emotion. In fact, it can feel quite motivating to create change.

But what if you are feeling isolated and/or don't have capacity to directly create that change right now?

That's where nourishing and care work come in, even if they're only for you (for now).

While I don't use the word self-care in the episode, that's in part the kind of nourishing I mean.

Once your capacity is higher, you'll be able to build more. And the people doing the literal feeding and care work are just as much a part of the movement!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 132 Is This Your True Desire? 132 Is This Your True Desire? Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:03:00 GMT 19:36 69a0a4599d923e5ce9e2e19d false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69a0a4599d923e5ce9e2e19d 69a0a4599d923e5ce9e2e19d 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Sometimes I mix up true desires with interests and hyperfocus. But what about the persistent and even lifelong interests? Where do they fit in?

This episode is for anyone who wants to throw their life out the window and start over when in the throes of a new interest ;) You're not broken!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Sometimes I mix up true desires with interests and hyperfocus. But what about the persistent and even lifelong interests? Where do they fit in?

This episode is for anyone who wants to throw their life out the window and start over when in the throes of a new interest ;) You're not broken!


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 131 Disordered Eating and AuDHD 131 Disordered Eating and AuDHD Sat, 21 Feb 2026 22:33:02 GMT 39:44 699a313b1b49b62ccc04d5d0 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/699a313b1b49b62ccc04d5d0 699a313b1b49b62ccc04d5d0 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full This goes along with the interview about Embodied Exercise. For many people, the other side of that coin is eating. And rates of disordered eating are higher among Autistics, ADHDers (especially women), and trans and gender non-conforming folks.

The episode only briefly touches on ARFID, an eating disorder more likely to affect autistic people for multiple reasons. If you know someone who could be an expert interview on ARFID, please send them my way.


Oh another fun fact I didn't mention... it's possible that the "obesity epidemic" (unscientific nonsense) was literally caused by dieting. Yes, that's correlation, but damn it makes a compelling chart. (from Anti-Diet, book below)


Mentioned in episode:



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This goes along with the interview about Embodied Exercise. For many people, the other side of that coin is eating. And rates of disordered eating are higher among Autistics, ADHDers (especially women), and trans and gender non-conforming folks.

The episode only briefly touches on ARFID, an eating disorder more likely to affect autistic people for multiple reasons. If you know someone who could be an expert interview on ARFID, please send them my way.


Oh another fun fact I didn't mention... it's possible that the "obesity epidemic" (unscientific nonsense) was literally caused by dieting. Yes, that's correlation, but damn it makes a compelling chart. (from Anti-Diet, book below)


Mentioned in episode:



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Your Core Self-Care Need - Repost Your Core Self-Care Need - Repost Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:33:08 GMT 10:02 6990a33f483d38b26e34a805 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6990a33f483d38b26e34a805 6990a33f483d38b26e34a805 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Most people have one or two core self-care needs that, if they're met, everything else feels easier. This episode is about how to figure out yours... and what to look out for when you hear people preaching about their own!

There's also acknowledgment that your neurodivergent body and brain may process things in different ways, so the following questions may not be that useful for you.


Figuring out your core self-care need or needs (just a jumping-off point!):

  1. Thinking back to times in your life when things felt the easiest, what was your life like? Which of your needs were being met fairly well?
  2. When life has been a bit easier or better, did you notice any particular ups and downs based on particular needs being met? For example, if you were overall feeling pretty good compared to your baseline, was there anything that particularly threw you off? Or something that could bring you back to that feeling better pretty quickly?
  3. Tuning into your body right now, is there anything your body is asking for? This won't necessarily be a core need, it's more a check-in to see what messages your body is already good at giving you.
  4. Thinking about the past few days, weeks, or months, are there any messages your body has been consistently giving you? For example, when you've felt tired, does it feel more like you need sleep, or more like you need food, or more like you need to be around another person to recharge? Again, this isn't a perfect metric, just noticing how your body talks to you.
  5. Is there any form of self-care that feels like it REALLY fixes a bad day?


Resources mentioned:

  1. Takedown of Why We Sleep: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
  2. Commentary on the above post: https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2019/11/18/is-matthew-walkers-why-we-sleep-riddled-with-scientific-and-factual-errors/
  3. Transcript Doc


And one more link someone sent taking down the book Why We Sleep (I haven’t listened to this episode but the links alone look great): https://open.spotify.com/episode/4r0Vawq8xAfnsnKbYVUNhc?si=n7t-koeuS2GXQ2QnA8j4dQ


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Repost of ep 11, originally published Aug 18 2023

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Most people have one or two core self-care needs that, if they're met, everything else feels easier. This episode is about how to figure out yours... and what to look out for when you hear people preaching about their own!

There's also acknowledgment that your neurodivergent body and brain may process things in different ways, so the following questions may not be that useful for you.


Figuring out your core self-care need or needs (just a jumping-off point!):

  1. Thinking back to times in your life when things felt the easiest, what was your life like? Which of your needs were being met fairly well?
  2. When life has been a bit easier or better, did you notice any particular ups and downs based on particular needs being met? For example, if you were overall feeling pretty good compared to your baseline, was there anything that particularly threw you off? Or something that could bring you back to that feeling better pretty quickly?
  3. Tuning into your body right now, is there anything your body is asking for? This won't necessarily be a core need, it's more a check-in to see what messages your body is already good at giving you.
  4. Thinking about the past few days, weeks, or months, are there any messages your body has been consistently giving you? For example, when you've felt tired, does it feel more like you need sleep, or more like you need food, or more like you need to be around another person to recharge? Again, this isn't a perfect metric, just noticing how your body talks to you.
  5. Is there any form of self-care that feels like it REALLY fixes a bad day?


Resources mentioned:

  1. Takedown of Why We Sleep: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
  2. Commentary on the above post: https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2019/11/18/is-matthew-walkers-why-we-sleep-riddled-with-scientific-and-factual-errors/
  3. Transcript Doc


And one more link someone sent taking down the book Why We Sleep (I haven’t listened to this episode but the links alone look great): https://open.spotify.com/episode/4r0Vawq8xAfnsnKbYVUNhc?si=n7t-koeuS2GXQ2QnA8j4dQ


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Repost of ep 11, originally published Aug 18 2023

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 130 Unclear Discomfort 130 Unclear Discomfort Sat, 07 Feb 2026 19:14:34 GMT 11:54 69878ee0ba7d04f1d475fe84 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69878ee0ba7d04f1d475fe84 69878ee0ba7d04f1d475fe84 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full it is what it is


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> it is what it is


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 129 Embodied Exercise with Martha Munroe 129 Embodied Exercise with Martha Munroe Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:06:21 GMT 1:03:04 697e27149718228b6fa07077 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/697e27149718228b6fa07077 697e27149718228b6fa07077 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Martha Munroe, author of Attuned Exercise full Martha Munroe, a neurodivergent personal trainer, was noticing patterns in the ways her clients talked about exercise and their bodies. They were often driven by external goals (aesthetics, performance, what others think) vs. the internal experience of movement.

She reframes exercise as a way to explore and express through embodiment. Also, reclaiming exercise (not only movement) by offering gentle structure if desired.


I loved her book, Attuned Exercise!


Connect with Martha:

Also mentioned in episode (book I'm reading):

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


book links are affiliate links

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Martha Munroe, a neurodivergent personal trainer, was noticing patterns in the ways her clients talked about exercise and their bodies. They were often driven by external goals (aesthetics, performance, what others think) vs. the internal experience of movement.

She reframes exercise as a way to explore and express through embodiment. Also, reclaiming exercise (not only movement) by offering gentle structure if desired.


I loved her book, Attuned Exercise!


Connect with Martha:

Also mentioned in episode (book I'm reading):

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


book links are affiliate links

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 128 AuDHD Parenting 128 AuDHD Parenting Sat, 24 Jan 2026 17:51:22 GMT 24:38 6975052054d2a71b94d84e67 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6975052054d2a71b94d84e67 6975052054d2a71b94d84e67 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Parenting as an AuDHDer is challenging and misunderstood. Many parents I speak to are near or in burnout at any given time, especially if they had kids before discovering their neurotype (which is common).

This episode is based not on my experience as a parent, but my experience having spoken and heard from many AuDHD parents, and what I see working for them.


This is in part a follow up to last week's interview with Julie M Green


Mentioned in episode:


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Parenting as an AuDHDer is challenging and misunderstood. Many parents I speak to are near or in burnout at any given time, especially if they had kids before discovering their neurotype (which is common).

This episode is based not on my experience as a parent, but my experience having spoken and heard from many AuDHD parents, and what I see working for them.


This is in part a follow up to last week's interview with Julie M Green


Mentioned in episode:


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 127 Diagnosed After My Kid with Julie M Green 127 Diagnosed After My Kid with Julie M Green Sat, 17 Jan 2026 18:52:13 GMT 55:48 696bd9d31e4bca00bf5e3afa false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/696bd9d31e4bca00bf5e3afa 696bd9d31e4bca00bf5e3afa 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Julie M Green, author of Motherness full Julie M. Green is the author of Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance.

She shares about how difficult early parenthood was, how different her autism presents versus her kid's, and navigating school and regulation skills.

The book is a vulnerable look at some of the challenging and lighthearted moments of raising an autistic kid.


Connect with Julie:

  1. Her book Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance
  2. Website: juliemgreen.ca
  3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliem.green
  4. Substack: https://theautisticmom.substack.com/


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Julie M. Green is the author of Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance.

She shares about how difficult early parenthood was, how different her autism presents versus her kid's, and navigating school and regulation skills.

The book is a vulnerable look at some of the challenging and lighthearted moments of raising an autistic kid.


Connect with Julie:

  1. Her book Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance
  2. Website: juliemgreen.ca
  3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliem.green
  4. Substack: https://theautisticmom.substack.com/


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Surviving Out of Spite - Repost Surviving Out of Spite - Repost Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:03:00 GMT 13:03 6961755888da0c07c1c911cc true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6961755888da0c07c1c911cc 6961755888da0c07c1c911cc 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full You deserve to survive this. Please stay.

And if staying out of spite helps you, it has gotten me through some tough times.


My Medium article, "Please Stay, We Need You"


Repost of ep. 75


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> You deserve to survive this. Please stay.

And if staying out of spite helps you, it has gotten me through some tough times.


My Medium article, "Please Stay, We Need You"


Repost of ep. 75


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 126 Slow Days Make Flow Days 126 Slow Days Make Flow Days Sat, 03 Jan 2026 22:00:51 GMT 23:08 6959919418c941d6d61e19d6 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6959919418c941d6d61e19d6 6959919418c941d6d61e19d6 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Flow is pleasant and often productive. It may also require some guardrails to be healthy for AuDHDers, especially those of us on the very monotropic side.

It's often easy for us to get into flow and hyperfocus, and to stay in them until they stop feeling pleasant.

Adding in more rest and recovery, including preparatory rest as needed, can really help!

It's also okay to avoid flow states for a period of time, as I am right now for the most part.



Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15, reach out by Jan 7)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Flow is pleasant and often productive. It may also require some guardrails to be healthy for AuDHDers, especially those of us on the very monotropic side.

It's often easy for us to get into flow and hyperfocus, and to stay in them until they stop feeling pleasant.

Adding in more rest and recovery, including preparatory rest as needed, can really help!

It's also okay to avoid flow states for a period of time, as I am right now for the most part.



Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15, reach out by Jan 7)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 125 Autistic Play Saves Lives with Max Alexander 125 Autistic Play Saves Lives with Max Alexander Sat, 27 Dec 2025 19:56:02 GMT 58:54 69502dfcc9578c8cdad6c5f9 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69502dfcc9578c8cdad6c5f9 69502dfcc9578c8cdad6c5f9 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Max Alexander full Max Alexander is an artist and play worker who has mapped some common shapes of autistic play. He's passionate about neuro-affirming play for all ages.

Play is both a healing tool, and can help prevent some of the effects of trauma (we touch on this lightly, a concept I learned from Linda Thai)

One possible way to apply the play styles is noticing which ones speak to you, and which ones you're already engaging in, then leaning into those.

The ebook is free, and it's a quick and excellent read!


Apologies for the audio quality. Max was using a headset and didn't have an actual microphone, so I did the best I could to clean it up


Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15, reach out by Jan 7)


Connect with Max:

  1. Max's book, The Joys and Shapes of Autistic Play
  2. Max's Substack, Play Radical


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Max Alexander is an artist and play worker who has mapped some common shapes of autistic play. He's passionate about neuro-affirming play for all ages.

Play is both a healing tool, and can help prevent some of the effects of trauma (we touch on this lightly, a concept I learned from Linda Thai)

One possible way to apply the play styles is noticing which ones speak to you, and which ones you're already engaging in, then leaning into those.

The ebook is free, and it's a quick and excellent read!


Apologies for the audio quality. Max was using a headset and didn't have an actual microphone, so I did the best I could to clean it up


Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15, reach out by Jan 7)


Connect with Max:

  1. Max's book, The Joys and Shapes of Autistic Play
  2. Max's Substack, Play Radical


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 124 AuDHD Leadership Matters 124 AuDHD Leadership Matters Sat, 20 Dec 2025 16:32:04 GMT 16:27 6946ceca184761c0213030b8 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6946ceca184761c0213030b8 6946ceca184761c0213030b8 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full AuDHD leadership touches on last week's interview with Dr Megan Anna Neff. And it goes beyond the visible leadership of creating content, or being in the public eye.

AuDHD leadership can include

  • being your authentic self
  • visibly meeting your sensory needs
  • sharing what helps you (whether or not it's advice)


Mentioned in episode:

- Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15, reach out by Jan 7)

- Blog post with business episodes



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> AuDHD leadership touches on last week's interview with Dr Megan Anna Neff. And it goes beyond the visible leadership of creating content, or being in the public eye.

AuDHD leadership can include

  • being your authentic self
  • visibly meeting your sensory needs
  • sharing what helps you (whether or not it's advice)


Mentioned in episode:

- Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15, reach out by Jan 7)

- Blog post with business episodes



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 123 Creating AuDHD Content with Dr Megan Anna Neff 123 Creating AuDHD Content with Dr Megan Anna Neff Sat, 13 Dec 2025 20:11:29 GMT 55:02 693dc743f817d7dbe8cc55c3 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/693dc743f817d7dbe8cc55c3 693dc743f817d7dbe8cc55c3 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Dr Megan Anna Neff full Dr Megan Anna Neff is a neurodivergent therapist and thought leader, who became popular in 2022 with their "Misdiagnosis Monday" series. Their thoughtful content has helped many thousands of AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks feel seen and understood.

Today we talk about

  • having a small business as a neurodivergent person (including PDA at the end)
  • the questions and concerns we have about creating helpful content, and not causing harm
  • how weird it is to be perceived


Connect with Megan Anna & Neurodivergent Insights:


Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Dr Megan Anna Neff is a neurodivergent therapist and thought leader, who became popular in 2022 with their "Misdiagnosis Monday" series. Their thoughtful content has helped many thousands of AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks feel seen and understood.

Today we talk about

  • having a small business as a neurodivergent person (including PDA at the end)
  • the questions and concerns we have about creating helpful content, and not causing harm
  • how weird it is to be perceived


Connect with Megan Anna & Neurodivergent Insights:


Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[122 Do Less (of what you don't want, to make room for what you do)]]> Sat, 06 Dec 2025 21:47:46 GMT 19:58 6934a3d838a11f5f3e76e9af true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6934a3d838a11f5f3e76e9af 6934a3d838a11f5f3e76e9af 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Doing less of what's harming you opens up time and energy. You can enjoy that as rest, and if desired, eventually fill it in with what you do want.

AuDHDers often need to move at a slower pace, in many ways. Sometimes we then have creative bursts that move fast... but the space comes FIRST!


Mentioned in episode:

Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15)

book, Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison (affiliate link)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Doing less of what's harming you opens up time and energy. You can enjoy that as rest, and if desired, eventually fill it in with what you do want.

AuDHDers often need to move at a slower pace, in many ways. Sometimes we then have creative bursts that move fast... but the space comes FIRST!


Mentioned in episode:

Do Less program for 2026 (starts Jan 15)

book, Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison (affiliate link)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 121 AuDHD Belonging with Pasha Marlowe 121 AuDHD Belonging with Pasha Marlowe Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:31:51 GMT 1:04:48 69278bb1caf6efa703d6c6b2 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69278bb1caf6efa703d6c6b2 69278bb1caf6efa703d6c6b2 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Pasha Marlowe full Pasha joins again to talk about what they've learned in the past two years since last being on the show! We talk about belonging, triggers in relationships, and much more.

She also shares the ableism behind the scenes of an autism training from a large (unnamed) org.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Pasha's website & LinkedIn
  2. Instagram @neuroqueercoach
  3. TikTok @neuroqueercoach
  4. Pasha's YouTube


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Pasha joins again to talk about what they've learned in the past two years since last being on the show! We talk about belonging, triggers in relationships, and much more.

She also shares the ableism behind the scenes of an autism training from a large (unnamed) org.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Pasha's website & LinkedIn
  2. Instagram @neuroqueercoach
  3. TikTok @neuroqueercoach
  4. Pasha's YouTube


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[120 Decluttering & Perfectionism]]> Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:07:18 GMT 23:14 69189727e4a19aaf07217391 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/69189727e4a19aaf07217391 69189727e4a19aaf07217391 643789a2ba30d20010916124 + free body doubling next week for Decluttering Days full Decluttering, organizing, and cleaning my home in a more routine way is having some interesting effects on my perfectionist tendencies! (Plus, perfectionism comes up in the decision-making process; more on that in my interview on A Slob Comes Clean, which I'll link here when it's out.)

Specifically, a cleaner space = less decision fatigue = lower cognitive load = more executive function resources for ME!


If you want support with that:


Decluttering Days free 5-day event (Nov 17-21 2025)



Mentioned in episode (Dana K White resources):

  1. Free 5-Step Decluttering Process (note it's /five, not /5 at aslobcomesclean.com)
  2. A Slob Comes Clean podcast & YouTube channel
  3. Organizing for the Rest of Us
  4. Decluttering at the Speed of Life
  5. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind

(book links are affiliate links)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Decluttering, organizing, and cleaning my home in a more routine way is having some interesting effects on my perfectionist tendencies! (Plus, perfectionism comes up in the decision-making process; more on that in my interview on A Slob Comes Clean, which I'll link here when it's out.)

Specifically, a cleaner space = less decision fatigue = lower cognitive load = more executive function resources for ME!


If you want support with that:


Decluttering Days free 5-day event (Nov 17-21 2025)



Mentioned in episode (Dana K White resources):

  1. Free 5-Step Decluttering Process (note it's /five, not /5 at aslobcomesclean.com)
  2. A Slob Comes Clean podcast & YouTube channel
  3. Organizing for the Rest of Us
  4. Decluttering at the Speed of Life
  5. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind

(book links are affiliate links)


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 119 Get Unstuck At Home with Dana K White 119 Get Unstuck At Home with Dana K White Sun, 09 Nov 2025 18:54:12 GMT 1:07:02 6910e1e6c1ed8717c55ca32a false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6910e1e6c1ed8717c55ca32a 6910e1e6c1ed8717c55ca32a 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Dana K White of A Slob Comes Clean full Dana K White, like me, couldn't find advice that worked for her. So she made it up! And it turns out, it was helpful for many other people too.

After writing an anonymous blog about cleaning her overwhelmingly cluttered home, Dana "came out" and started helping others too. Also, many of those people let her know she seems to have ADHD ;)

Her explanations have already helped me a lot, and given me hope about a clean home for the first time in ages.

We talk about many of the overarching themes/tips in her books (which are linked below)



Decluttering Days free 5-day event (Nov 17-21 2025)



Connect/Learn more from Dana:

  1. Free 5-Step Decluttering Process (note it's /five, not /5 at aslobcomesclean.com)
  2. A Slob Comes Clean podcast & YouTube channel
  3. Organizing for the Rest of Us
  4. Decluttering at the Speed of Life
  5. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind

(book links are affiliate links)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Dana K White, like me, couldn't find advice that worked for her. So she made it up! And it turns out, it was helpful for many other people too.

After writing an anonymous blog about cleaning her overwhelmingly cluttered home, Dana "came out" and started helping others too. Also, many of those people let her know she seems to have ADHD ;)

Her explanations have already helped me a lot, and given me hope about a clean home for the first time in ages.

We talk about many of the overarching themes/tips in her books (which are linked below)



Decluttering Days free 5-day event (Nov 17-21 2025)



Connect/Learn more from Dana:

  1. Free 5-Step Decluttering Process (note it's /five, not /5 at aslobcomesclean.com)
  2. A Slob Comes Clean podcast & YouTube channel
  3. Organizing for the Rest of Us
  4. Decluttering at the Speed of Life
  5. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind

(book links are affiliate links)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 118 Transitions Support AuDHD Productivity 118 Transitions Support AuDHD Productivity Sat, 01 Nov 2025 07:03:00 GMT 23:10 6903c8a259814a1956cc5537 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6903c8a259814a1956cc5537 6903c8a259814a1956cc5537 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Transitions are one of THE things that support the way that productivity shows up for AuDHDers! Transitions don't have to be all about work: play and rest can be transitions too. And sometimes we need transition time into and out of work, play, AND rest!


Today I talk in more detail about how long transitions can take for me (routinely 30-60 minutes). If that's true for you, a 20-minute chunk of work (or getting interrupted) isn't going to feel that good compared to the transition time required. (That said, anything goes in burnout recovery!)


Anecdotally: AuDHD folks may need more transition time than ADHD or Autistic folks (even though it's often talked about as an autism trait or need). If that's true, it's possible that it's monotropism that leads to higher transition time needs.


Note: I misspoke when I said "dares and challenges." They're actually dares and commitments :)




Decluttering Days free 5-day event (Nov 17-21 2025)




AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Transitions are one of THE things that support the way that productivity shows up for AuDHDers! Transitions don't have to be all about work: play and rest can be transitions too. And sometimes we need transition time into and out of work, play, AND rest!


Today I talk in more detail about how long transitions can take for me (routinely 30-60 minutes). If that's true for you, a 20-minute chunk of work (or getting interrupted) isn't going to feel that good compared to the transition time required. (That said, anything goes in burnout recovery!)


Anecdotally: AuDHD folks may need more transition time than ADHD or Autistic folks (even though it's often talked about as an autism trait or need). If that's true, it's possible that it's monotropism that leads to higher transition time needs.


Note: I misspoke when I said "dares and challenges." They're actually dares and commitments :)




Decluttering Days free 5-day event (Nov 17-21 2025)




AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 117 PDA + AuDHD 117 PDA + AuDHD Sat, 25 Oct 2025 15:34:16 GMT 39:21 68fcecae8e22c64fb10f9832 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68fcecae8e22c64fb10f9832 68fcecae8e22c64fb10f9832 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (persistant drive for autonomy) full PDA is the Persistent Drive for Autonomy (community term), or pathological demand avoidance (clinical & pathologizing term). What happens when PDA, ADHD, and autism all overlap? Well... stress and relationship challenges!

Thankfully, everything that helped me feel more safe has also made my PDA more manageable. There are many approaches to build that safety.

This episode is a follow-up to the interview on PDA last week


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Book Low-Demand Parenting by Amanda Diekman (affiliate link)
  2. Last week's interview on PDA, and the podcast PDA: Resistance and Resilience
  3. Mattia's bday (or whenever) wish list


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> PDA is the Persistent Drive for Autonomy (community term), or pathological demand avoidance (clinical & pathologizing term). What happens when PDA, ADHD, and autism all overlap? Well... stress and relationship challenges!

Thankfully, everything that helped me feel more safe has also made my PDA more manageable. There are many approaches to build that safety.

This episode is a follow-up to the interview on PDA last week


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Book Low-Demand Parenting by Amanda Diekman (affiliate link)
  2. Last week's interview on PDA, and the podcast PDA: Resistance and Resilience
  3. Mattia's bday (or whenever) wish list


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc (often a few weeks behind, but we do catch up!)
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Creative Resistance: Mattia on PDA: Resistance and Resilience Creative Resistance: Mattia on PDA: Resistance and Resilience Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:03:00 GMT 50:38 68f29c3a4c07b133bfa40df5 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68f29c3a4c07b133bfa40df5 68f29c3a4c07b133bfa40df5 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full It's been a running joke (that wasn't initially a joke) that I'm totally going to do a PDA episode very soon... since the very first episode of AuDHD Flourishing.

Now we have one, thanks to Chris Wells and Marni Kammersell for interviewing me on PDA: Resistance and Resilience, and letting me cross-post the episode here!


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Full show notes
  2. AuDHD Flourishing Episode 87: Giftedness & the Sparkly Mind with Sheldon Gay
  3. AuDHD Flourishing Episode 88: Gifted Development & Positive Disintegration with Chris Wells
  4. AuDHD Flourishing Episode 108: Using Intuition Practically
  5. Robert Chapman’s book Empire of Normality


Connect with Chris, Marni, PDA pod:


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> It's been a running joke (that wasn't initially a joke) that I'm totally going to do a PDA episode very soon... since the very first episode of AuDHD Flourishing.

Now we have one, thanks to Chris Wells and Marni Kammersell for interviewing me on PDA: Resistance and Resilience, and letting me cross-post the episode here!


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Full show notes
  2. AuDHD Flourishing Episode 87: Giftedness & the Sparkly Mind with Sheldon Gay
  3. AuDHD Flourishing Episode 88: Gifted Development & Positive Disintegration with Chris Wells
  4. AuDHD Flourishing Episode 108: Using Intuition Practically
  5. Robert Chapman’s book Empire of Normality


Connect with Chris, Marni, PDA pod:


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 116 Stimulants: a 2-year review 116 Stimulants: a 2-year review Sat, 11 Oct 2025 07:03:00 GMT 19:43 68e7f15e1e3a247af585f9a8 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68e7f15e1e3a247af585f9a8 68e7f15e1e3a247af585f9a8 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full About two years ago, I started ADHD stimulant medication as a regular (most days) thing. I've mentioned it here and there on the podcast.

This is my most concentrated "review" of the main things I've noticed over the past two years.

To be clear, when I mention a factor that might make stimulant meds more of a burnout risk, I'm not saying those folks shouldn't try it! Just to be very careful not to push through the body's capacity.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Mattia interviewed on Chris Wells' & Marni Kammersell's new podcast, PDA: Resistance and Resilience. Ep 7: Creative Resistance (I'll be posting this episode in the feed next week)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> About two years ago, I started ADHD stimulant medication as a regular (most days) thing. I've mentioned it here and there on the podcast.

This is my most concentrated "review" of the main things I've noticed over the past two years.

To be clear, when I mention a factor that might make stimulant meds more of a burnout risk, I'm not saying those folks shouldn't try it! Just to be very careful not to push through the body's capacity.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Mattia interviewed on Chris Wells' & Marni Kammersell's new podcast, PDA: Resistance and Resilience. Ep 7: Creative Resistance (I'll be posting this episode in the feed next week)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 115 That Advice is Backwards 115 That Advice is Backwards Sat, 04 Oct 2025 16:48:35 GMT 13:12 68e14f5c965488b63a51be29 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68e14f5c965488b63a51be29 68e14f5c965488b63a51be29 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full One reason most advice doesn't work for us is that it's backwards. It's telling us to do/have the end result, rather than showing us how to get there.

In the case of safety or shame, it's pretty clear that we can't just leap to the end of the process (if there even is one with a traumatized body).


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Toxic Shame: What it is and How to Heal From it (YouTube, Heidi Priebe. Her take is overall better/more accessible than the book she's referencing, which is shockingly triggering all over the place)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> One reason most advice doesn't work for us is that it's backwards. It's telling us to do/have the end result, rather than showing us how to get there.

In the case of safety or shame, it's pretty clear that we can't just leap to the end of the process (if there even is one with a traumatized body).


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Toxic Shame: What it is and How to Heal From it (YouTube, Heidi Priebe. Her take is overall better/more accessible than the book she's referencing, which is shockingly triggering all over the place)



AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 114 Queer! AuDHD! BIPOC! with TQ 114 Queer! AuDHD! BIPOC! with TQ Sat, 27 Sep 2025 07:03:00 GMT 1:00:15 68d59f91acc34956e6fe45fb true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68d59f91acc34956e6fe45fb 68d59f91acc34956e6fe45fb 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with TQ full TQ (they/them) is a queer, trans, physically disabled, AuDHD Chinese-Singaporean artist, author/host of the upcoming book/podcast Queer! AuDHD! BIPOC!, and community facilitator for other queer neurodivergent BIPOC.


In true ND fashion, we range over many topics, including the importance of community and hearing your own stories as a person with multiple intersecting identities.


You can pre-order a copy of their upcoming book for behind-the-scenes/early access to the interviews and writing!


TQ's links & mentioned in episode:




AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> TQ (they/them) is a queer, trans, physically disabled, AuDHD Chinese-Singaporean artist, author/host of the upcoming book/podcast Queer! AuDHD! BIPOC!, and community facilitator for other queer neurodivergent BIPOC.


In true ND fashion, we range over many topics, including the importance of community and hearing your own stories as a person with multiple intersecting identities.


You can pre-order a copy of their upcoming book for behind-the-scenes/early access to the interviews and writing!


TQ's links & mentioned in episode:




AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[113 The Urge for Minimalism & Visual Cues]]> Sat, 20 Sep 2025 07:03:00 GMT 15:49 68cda40af5e00f6ca439d345 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68cda40af5e00f6ca439d345 68cda40af5e00f6ca439d345 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Also on YouTube for some visuals


My urge for minimalism is partly to provide myself with the visual cues I desperately need, without overwhelming myself with visual clutter. And, there has been a specifically classist push for minimalism that sometimes causes me to get rid of too much.


Here's an excellent thread about minimalism, class, and why you're probably not a hoarder


I especially loved the idea that you may just need better organization, because I really love lining things up. Now I'm focusing on organizing based on my interests, rather than what I think is the most practical or obvious!


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Mastodon thread about minimalism
  2. The exact iPad cover I showed that looks like a Composition notebook (still going strong almost four years in), affiliate link


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Also on YouTube for some visuals


My urge for minimalism is partly to provide myself with the visual cues I desperately need, without overwhelming myself with visual clutter. And, there has been a specifically classist push for minimalism that sometimes causes me to get rid of too much.


Here's an excellent thread about minimalism, class, and why you're probably not a hoarder


I especially loved the idea that you may just need better organization, because I really love lining things up. Now I'm focusing on organizing based on my interests, rather than what I think is the most practical or obvious!


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Mastodon thread about minimalism
  2. The exact iPad cover I showed that looks like a Composition notebook (still going strong almost four years in), affiliate link


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 112 ADHD in Women and Girls 112 ADHD in Women and Girls Sat, 13 Sep 2025 07:03:00 GMT 28:54 68c30d4286eb67a6f6ae09d4 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68c30d4286eb67a6f6ae09d4 68c30d4286eb67a6f6ae09d4 643789a2ba30d20010916124 from Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson full

Thanks to Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson for letting me cross-post this important discussion about one of the first longitudinal studies of ADHD in women and girls!


Full show notes, timestamps, and Transcript available on Hyperfocus' site

(Ep 5, The “devastating” findings of a decades-long ADHD study, Dec 5, 2024 has the full version; it was reposted Aug 28 2025 with more brief notes)



Show notes:

Dr. Stephen Hinshaw is one of the leading voices when it comes to ADHD in women and girls. 


That’s in large part due to his work on The Berkeley Girls Study. (Its full name is The Berkeley Girls with ADHD Longitudinal Study, but most people know it by that shorthand or acronym: The BGALs Study.)


Under Steve’s leadership, researchers began studying 140 girls with ADHD and a control group of nearly 90 girls without it. They’ve been following these girls into their adulthood, producing a reams of information that has helped shape current understanding of ADHD in women and girls. 


That said, Rae Jacobson had plenty of questions for Steve:

  • Why did you want to study ADHD in girls at a time when it was typically seen as a boys’ disorder?
  • Why is it that one type of ADHD seems to lead to such negative outcomes?
  • What do we do about the stigma that still surrounds the disorder?


note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and self-harm. Please take care when listening and skip this one if you need to.


Listen to more episodes of Hyperfocus here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]>

Thanks to Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson for letting me cross-post this important discussion about one of the first longitudinal studies of ADHD in women and girls!


Full show notes, timestamps, and Transcript available on Hyperfocus' site

(Ep 5, The “devastating” findings of a decades-long ADHD study, Dec 5, 2024 has the full version; it was reposted Aug 28 2025 with more brief notes)



Show notes:

Dr. Stephen Hinshaw is one of the leading voices when it comes to ADHD in women and girls. 


That’s in large part due to his work on The Berkeley Girls Study. (Its full name is The Berkeley Girls with ADHD Longitudinal Study, but most people know it by that shorthand or acronym: The BGALs Study.)


Under Steve’s leadership, researchers began studying 140 girls with ADHD and a control group of nearly 90 girls without it. They’ve been following these girls into their adulthood, producing a reams of information that has helped shape current understanding of ADHD in women and girls. 


That said, Rae Jacobson had plenty of questions for Steve:

  • Why did you want to study ADHD in girls at a time when it was typically seen as a boys’ disorder?
  • Why is it that one type of ADHD seems to lead to such negative outcomes?
  • What do we do about the stigma that still surrounds the disorder?


note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and self-harm. Please take care when listening and skip this one if you need to.


Listen to more episodes of Hyperfocus here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 111 Shame Wrecks Identity 111 Shame Wrecks Identity Sat, 06 Sep 2025 15:47:59 GMT 59:28 68bc55f4b306fbb419935098 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68bc55f4b306fbb419935098 68bc55f4b306fbb419935098 643789a2ba30d20010916124 10 of 10 full Chronic shame makes us feel all kinds of terrible things that often are the triggers that send people to therapy.

It's caused in part by relational rupture without repair, especially as an infant and child.

While there's no quick fix, recognizing the signs and beginning to gently work with it does help over time.


This is episode 10 of a series of 10 that started with 102 AuDHD Therapy That Works with Joe Sosta

I'm working on some more materials to pull all these episodes together in a useful way and will add that here when they're done!


Crisis Resources:


Mentioned in episode:


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Chronic shame makes us feel all kinds of terrible things that often are the triggers that send people to therapy.

It's caused in part by relational rupture without repair, especially as an infant and child.

While there's no quick fix, recognizing the signs and beginning to gently work with it does help over time.


This is episode 10 of a series of 10 that started with 102 AuDHD Therapy That Works with Joe Sosta

I'm working on some more materials to pull all these episodes together in a useful way and will add that here when they're done!


Crisis Resources:


Mentioned in episode:


AuDHD Flourishing resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 110 New Neurodivergence Model with Darren Glencross 110 New Neurodivergence Model with Darren Glencross Sat, 30 Aug 2025 08:04:00 GMT 1:17:28 68b1d98f7c69e13c185f2516 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68b1d98f7c69e13c185f2516 68b1d98f7c69e13c185f2516 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Darren Glencross full Darren Glencross was diagnosed near the beginning of 2025, and since then has written multiple books and come up with a new framework for people to explore outside of the medical model.

It includes: Pattern Language, Inner Orbit with 12 satellites (and Their Orbit), and the Carry Kit

It's exciting to explore community-led models!



Connect with Darren:

  1. Darren's writings & Inner Orbit book
  2. Message on Instagram @beaconwithin
  3. Darren Glencross on LinkedIn


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)
  2. Free workshops already concluded, and will be available most likely in the Patreon soon (I'll update this when they're somewhere!)
  3. You may also email questions about Love Your Brain to mattia@mattiamauree.com



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Darren Glencross was diagnosed near the beginning of 2025, and since then has written multiple books and come up with a new framework for people to explore outside of the medical model.

It includes: Pattern Language, Inner Orbit with 12 satellites (and Their Orbit), and the Carry Kit

It's exciting to explore community-led models!



Connect with Darren:

  1. Darren's writings & Inner Orbit book
  2. Message on Instagram @beaconwithin
  3. Darren Glencross on LinkedIn


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)
  2. Free workshops already concluded, and will be available most likely in the Patreon soon (I'll update this when they're somewhere!)
  3. You may also email questions about Love Your Brain to mattia@mattiamauree.com



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> How to Make Projects Happen - Repost How to Make Projects Happen - Repost Fri, 29 Aug 2025 23:09:17 GMT 41:35 68b230a675e437e2231644eb true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68b230a675e437e2231644eb 68b230a675e437e2231644eb 643789a2ba30d20010916124 bonus 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 tool
  • Creating just enough structure and safety to get going, without getting bogged down (loose planning)
  • Working with the brain states you have
  • Managing interruptions, inputs, and daily life
  • Finding the balance that works for you


The 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 2024


Note: not strictly in the current 10-episode series, but still relevant!


Links mentioned:


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 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 tool
  • Creating just enough structure and safety to get going, without getting bogged down (loose planning)
  • Working with the brain states you have
  • Managing interruptions, inputs, and daily life
  • Finding the balance that works for you


The 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 2024


Note: not strictly in the current 10-episode series, but still relevant!


Links mentioned:


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 109 Use More Lube 109 Use More Lube Sat, 23 Aug 2025 01:18:16 GMT 13:08 68a8d4bb73bf5b6298195388 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68a8d4bb73bf5b6298195388 68a8d4bb73bf5b6298195388 643789a2ba30d20010916124 8 of 10 full This ep also available on YouTube


"use more lube:" do what you need to do to make life easier, more comfortable, and more pleasurable for you in the moment.

This goes beyond sensory needs, though that's often where we start.

You may not be sure what you want on the grand scale (or it feels impossible to get there). But being kind to yourself, and meeting your needs moment-to-moment, helps create a communication feedback loop with the body.

Better communication and care for the body makes everything easier.


ep. 8 in an interconnected 10-episode series


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Free Workshops registration link
  2. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This ep also available on YouTube


"use more lube:" do what you need to do to make life easier, more comfortable, and more pleasurable for you in the moment.

This goes beyond sensory needs, though that's often where we start.

You may not be sure what you want on the grand scale (or it feels impossible to get there). But being kind to yourself, and meeting your needs moment-to-moment, helps create a communication feedback loop with the body.

Better communication and care for the body makes everything easier.


ep. 8 in an interconnected 10-episode series


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Free Workshops registration link
  2. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 108 Using Intuition Practically 108 Using Intuition Practically Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:03:00 GMT 52:39 689feec1aabbc2ace3c00696 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/689feec1aabbc2ace3c00696 689feec1aabbc2ace3c00696 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (Intuition Saved My Life) full Intuition has been a way to interface with my body, even when the relationship with my body was contentious.

While I won't share the trauma stories that led to the subtitle (Intuition Saved My Life), I have a variety of examples of how unconscious information can surface in a useful way.


ep. 7 in an interconnected 10-episode series


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Free Workshops registration link
  2. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Intuition has been a way to interface with my body, even when the relationship with my body was contentious.

While I won't share the trauma stories that led to the subtitle (Intuition Saved My Life), I have a variety of examples of how unconscious information can surface in a useful way.


ep. 7 in an interconnected 10-episode series


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Free Workshops registration link
  2. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 107 Whack-a-Mole is Killing Us 107 Whack-a-Mole is Killing Us Sat, 09 Aug 2025 21:10:16 GMT 35:50 6897b8fd7f93fda8b2a6d8b2 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6897b8fd7f93fda8b2a6d8b2 6897b8fd7f93fda8b2a6d8b2 643789a2ba30d20010916124 6 of 10 full It often feels easiest to do what's right in front of us. And that's lovely, a lot of the time, and uses our strengths!

And... it starts to feel bad if we're in whack-a-mole mode almost all of the time, and don't have spacious time to comprehend the whole of our experience.

This ties into our sensory needs and leans more into the psychological side of these needs.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Free Workshops registration link
  2. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> It often feels easiest to do what's right in front of us. And that's lovely, a lot of the time, and uses our strengths!

And... it starts to feel bad if we're in whack-a-mole mode almost all of the time, and don't have spacious time to comprehend the whole of our experience.

This ties into our sensory needs and leans more into the psychological side of these needs.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Free Workshops registration link
  2. Love Your Brain course (& Sep-Oct live round details)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 106 Being Yourself While Doing Stuff with Maria Bowler 106 Being Yourself While Doing Stuff with Maria Bowler Sat, 02 Aug 2025 07:03:00 GMT 59:04 688d2fbf0bb12601f0fd7945 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/688d2fbf0bb12601f0fd7945 688d2fbf0bb12601f0fd7945 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Maria Bowler full Maria Bowler recently published the book Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life beyond Productivity. It's a relaxing take on doing what you want to do, and feeling okay while doing it.

One of the main themes is being present, and being true to yourself even if you're doing boring stuff you don't want to do. Finding those moments of resonance that turn the entire activity into building self-trust.

If you already read the book and found it resonant even though it doesn't mention AuDHD... that's because Maria is AuDHD and snuck all that good neurodivergent content in!


Connect with Maria:

  1. Maria's website, MariaBowler.com
  2. Maria's Substack
  3. the book Making Time (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Maria Bowler recently published the book Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life beyond Productivity. It's a relaxing take on doing what you want to do, and feeling okay while doing it.

One of the main themes is being present, and being true to yourself even if you're doing boring stuff you don't want to do. Finding those moments of resonance that turn the entire activity into building self-trust.

If you already read the book and found it resonant even though it doesn't mention AuDHD... that's because Maria is AuDHD and snuck all that good neurodivergent content in!


Connect with Maria:

  1. Maria's website, MariaBowler.com
  2. Maria's Substack
  3. the book Making Time (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Mattia's Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 105 Emotions Are Hard For a Reason 105 Emotions Are Hard For a Reason Sat, 26 Jul 2025 20:11:32 GMT 1:07:46 688534372a38d6f5cbfb1346 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/688534372a38d6f5cbfb1346 688534372a38d6f5cbfb1346 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (Childhood Emotional Neglect explains a lot) full The Autistic community has taken many approaches to reframing what the diagnostic criteria calls "Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts." There's the double-empathy problem, for example, in which Autistic people have an easier time understanding each other where allistics struggle and vice versa.


Childhood Emotional Neglect, while a relatively new idea from 2012, aligns remarkably with autistic social "deficits." While I'm by no means trying to draw a single causal line, I also wonder in this episode if maybe some of our social difficulties are actually signs of CEN.


Even if our parents were quite well-meaning, we were more likely to experience CEN via a lack of appropriate mirroring of our internal responses, especially if our internal world was especially intense or complex.


This episode covers the effects of CEN primarily. To learn more about examples of how it can develop, or how to address it, you can read the books below, or search for articles about them.


Books mentioned: 

  1. Running On Empty
  2. Running On Empty No More

Both are affiliate links


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Autistic community has taken many approaches to reframing what the diagnostic criteria calls "Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts." There's the double-empathy problem, for example, in which Autistic people have an easier time understanding each other where allistics struggle and vice versa.


Childhood Emotional Neglect, while a relatively new idea from 2012, aligns remarkably with autistic social "deficits." While I'm by no means trying to draw a single causal line, I also wonder in this episode if maybe some of our social difficulties are actually signs of CEN.


Even if our parents were quite well-meaning, we were more likely to experience CEN via a lack of appropriate mirroring of our internal responses, especially if our internal world was especially intense or complex.


This episode covers the effects of CEN primarily. To learn more about examples of how it can develop, or how to address it, you can read the books below, or search for articles about them.


Books mentioned: 

  1. Running On Empty
  2. Running On Empty No More

Both are affiliate links


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 104 Why Your Day Sucks 104 Why Your Day Sucks Sat, 19 Jul 2025 01:56:18 GMT 31:40 687aeeb8fd9acfeba4791da3 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/687aeeb8fd9acfeba4791da3 687aeeb8fd9acfeba4791da3 643789a2ba30d20010916124 3 of 10 full This episode is also on YouTube

If our sensory needs are not met, even an otherwise okay day will still feel... off somehow. And then that gap between how we feel and how we think we "should" feel can make it even worse (that one's not a topic in this episode, just a thing that happens).

If our sensory needs ARE met, sometimes even tough circumstances can feel not that bad.


To be clear, this is not about avoiding bad days, which are bound to happen sometimes!

But meeting both our comfort and mental sensory needs makes everything easier. It's a big part of feeling better first.



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)
  4. How Can I Help (request coaching support)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This episode is also on YouTube

If our sensory needs are not met, even an otherwise okay day will still feel... off somehow. And then that gap between how we feel and how we think we "should" feel can make it even worse (that one's not a topic in this episode, just a thing that happens).

If our sensory needs ARE met, sometimes even tough circumstances can feel not that bad.


To be clear, this is not about avoiding bad days, which are bound to happen sometimes!

But meeting both our comfort and mental sensory needs makes everything easier. It's a big part of feeling better first.



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)
  4. How Can I Help (request coaching support)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[103 How I'd Therapy Now (20 years in)]]> Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:03:00 GMT 52:20 68716ba9ea74e132fb003f5a true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68716ba9ea74e132fb003f5a 68716ba9ea74e132fb003f5a 643789a2ba30d20010916124 thoughts on approaching therapy full Lessons learned from ~17 years of therapy over the last 20 years. How I'd approach therapy now based on that.

What to look for in therapists, goal-setting in therapy, and reasons to quit your current therapist.

Also connects back to last week's interview with Joe about AuDHD therapy.


Links mentioned:


More resources suggested by a community member:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Lessons learned from ~17 years of therapy over the last 20 years. How I'd approach therapy now based on that.

What to look for in therapists, goal-setting in therapy, and reasons to quit your current therapist.

Also connects back to last week's interview with Joe about AuDHD therapy.


Links mentioned:


More resources suggested by a community member:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 102 AuDHD Therapy That Works with Joe Sosta 102 AuDHD Therapy That Works with Joe Sosta Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:03:00 GMT 1:12:54 686864493b5dc9fc221f989c true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/686864493b5dc9fc221f989c 686864493b5dc9fc221f989c 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Joe Sosta, 1 of 10 full Joe Sosta is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and late-realized AuDHDer. He shares some of our questions about therapy as an AuDHD adult, and we talk about the ups and downs of therapy and modalities.


Note: "The Discord" mentioned is part of the Like Your Brain (Patreon) community space


This is the first of 7 interconnected episodes


Connect with Joe:

https://www.therapywithjoe.com

https://barnliferecovery.com


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Joe Sosta is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and late-realized AuDHDer. He shares some of our questions about therapy as an AuDHD adult, and we talk about the ups and downs of therapy and modalities.


Note: "The Discord" mentioned is part of the Like Your Brain (Patreon) community space


This is the first of 7 interconnected episodes


Connect with Joe:

https://www.therapywithjoe.com

https://barnliferecovery.com


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon/Discord)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Healing Relational Trauma with Pasha Marlowe - Repost Healing Relational Trauma with Pasha Marlowe - Repost Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:03:00 GMT 46:46 685ac4c14a2d8b8b51999299 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/685ac4c14a2d8b8b51999299 685ac4c14a2d8b8b51999299 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Reposting popular episodes June 2025. Back atcha in July with some spicy takes!


Original show notes:

Pasha Marlowe speaks brilliantly about how to navigate trauma, triggers, and sensory needs in relationships as an AuDHD person.

Making it concrete, we both talk about a recent meltdown with our respective partners, and how we navigated those during and after.

This is a deeply un-shaming episode—we still struggle with relational trauma despite all the "work" we've done. It's okay to have a lot of needs in relationships. And we talk about how hard it can be to figure out what those are and communicate them effectively.

If your neurodivergent relationship needs extra support, Pasha is one of the rare practitioners who's ND, trained in family therapy, and works with couples!


Resources mentioned:

  1. Pasha's website
  2. Neuroqueering podcast and Mattia's guest episode
  3. @neuroqueercoach on TikTok
  4. @neuroqueercoach on Instagram
  5. Neuroqueer Heresies book


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Reposting popular episodes June 2025. Back atcha in July with some spicy takes!


Original show notes:

Pasha Marlowe speaks brilliantly about how to navigate trauma, triggers, and sensory needs in relationships as an AuDHD person.

Making it concrete, we both talk about a recent meltdown with our respective partners, and how we navigated those during and after.

This is a deeply un-shaming episode—we still struggle with relational trauma despite all the "work" we've done. It's okay to have a lot of needs in relationships. And we talk about how hard it can be to figure out what those are and communicate them effectively.

If your neurodivergent relationship needs extra support, Pasha is one of the rare practitioners who's ND, trained in family therapy, and works with couples!


Resources mentioned:

  1. Pasha's website
  2. Neuroqueering podcast and Mattia's guest episode
  3. @neuroqueercoach on TikTok
  4. @neuroqueercoach on Instagram
  5. Neuroqueer Heresies book


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Autistic Meltdowns & Shutdowns - Repost]]> Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:03:00 GMT 18:49 685582d7e4ad3cd4e0b13d14 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/685582d7e4ad3cd4e0b13d14 685582d7e4ad3cd4e0b13d14 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full In June I'm re-posting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture. Update: the re-thinking has happened and retooling is in process :D


Original show notes:

Meltdowns and shutdowns appear to be a natural release valve for an overwhelmed autistic brain. They feel out of control and can be quite distressing.

While there are ways to push them off, I experience a "point of no return" after which I need some big release or I'm going to feel terrible for days.

Learning your triggers, as well as planning ahead for a safer experience if you do have a meltdown or shutdown can lessen our overall stress and shame.

(One thing I forgot to record in the episode is that for me, shutdowns are almost always low-verbal or I can't speak at all.)


Links:

1. Meltdowns & Shutdowns* https://embrace-autism.com/meltdowns-and-shutdowns/

2. How it feels to have an autistic meltdown and how you can help* https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/38f5MsC2mB5fnmCr5v77zDn/how-it-feels-to-have-an-autistic-meltdown-and-how-you-can-help

3. All About ‘Autism Meltdowns’: Why They Happen and How to Cope https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-meltdowns

4. Autism Shutdown Vs Meltdown: What's the Difference? https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2022/06/autism-shutdown-vs-meltdown.html


Resources:

  1. Email list
  2. Episode Transcript


*autistic writer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In June I'm re-posting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture. Update: the re-thinking has happened and retooling is in process :D


Original show notes:

Meltdowns and shutdowns appear to be a natural release valve for an overwhelmed autistic brain. They feel out of control and can be quite distressing.

While there are ways to push them off, I experience a "point of no return" after which I need some big release or I'm going to feel terrible for days.

Learning your triggers, as well as planning ahead for a safer experience if you do have a meltdown or shutdown can lessen our overall stress and shame.

(One thing I forgot to record in the episode is that for me, shutdowns are almost always low-verbal or I can't speak at all.)


Links:

1. Meltdowns & Shutdowns* https://embrace-autism.com/meltdowns-and-shutdowns/

2. How it feels to have an autistic meltdown and how you can help* https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/38f5MsC2mB5fnmCr5v77zDn/how-it-feels-to-have-an-autistic-meltdown-and-how-you-can-help

3. All About ‘Autism Meltdowns’: Why They Happen and How to Cope https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-meltdowns

4. Autism Shutdown Vs Meltdown: What's the Difference? https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2022/06/autism-shutdown-vs-meltdown.html


Resources:

  1. Email list
  2. Episode Transcript


*autistic writer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What AuDHDers Need - Repost What AuDHDers Need - Repost Sat, 14 Jun 2025 07:03:00 GMT 55:14 684b26e17631e3569ef98ccc true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/684b26e17631e3569ef98ccc 684b26e17631e3569ef98ccc 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (beyond the obvious) full In June I'm re-posting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture (because my monotropic brain has trouble doing that while also pumping out new content).


Original show notes:

What do AuDHDers need (beyond the obvious needs all humans have)? And why do those needs matter?


This episode covers some important ones:

  • Being able to engage with our interests (in a particular way)
  • Executive Function support, without trying to make the hardest things easy or enjoyable
  • Autonomy
  • True rest
  • The narrow path of just enough stimulation
  • Processing time
  • To be witnessed in just the right way
  • Recognition that our needs vary quite a bit day to day
  • Coming to terms with disability
  • Space and time throughout our self-discovery journey
  • Safe enough spaces to explore what it means to be ourself



Links mentioned:

  1. Executive function test post if you want to ask Qs or share your experience
  2. Executive Skills Questionnaire Revised (ESQ-R)
  3. Unmasking Autism book (affiliate link)
  4. Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life (course)


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In June I'm re-posting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture (because my monotropic brain has trouble doing that while also pumping out new content).


Original show notes:

What do AuDHDers need (beyond the obvious needs all humans have)? And why do those needs matter?


This episode covers some important ones:

  • Being able to engage with our interests (in a particular way)
  • Executive Function support, without trying to make the hardest things easy or enjoyable
  • Autonomy
  • True rest
  • The narrow path of just enough stimulation
  • Processing time
  • To be witnessed in just the right way
  • Recognition that our needs vary quite a bit day to day
  • Coming to terms with disability
  • Space and time throughout our self-discovery journey
  • Safe enough spaces to explore what it means to be ourself



Links mentioned:

  1. Executive function test post if you want to ask Qs or share your experience
  2. Executive Skills Questionnaire Revised (ESQ-R)
  3. Unmasking Autism book (affiliate link)
  4. Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life (course)


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What is AuDHD (and do you have it?) - Repost What is AuDHD (and do you have it?) - Repost Sat, 07 Jun 2025 07:03:00 GMT 19:34 68435597a13d337373977fda false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68435597a13d337373977fda 68435597a13d337373977fda 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full In June I'm reposting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture (because my monotropic brain has trouble doing that while also pumping out new content).


Mentioned in outro:

Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life


Original show notes:

AuDHD = autism + ADHD... and also I experience it as its own neurotype, and not simply two "disorders."


Here are the sets of questions I asked in the episode, if you'd like to take time with them on your own:

  1. Do you feel like advice almost never works for you? Not only NT advice, but even advice from autistic OR ADHD people? That your brain either instantly knows advice won't work for you, or tries it and feels really disappointed because you did have a lot of things in common with the person who gave it to you but somehow still it felt like your body or brain were just not clicking with it?
  2. Are the internal parts of you always fighting? Do you feel like the things your body and brain want are often in complete opposition and that it's literally impossible to get your needs met, because different parts of you want such different things to feel safe, regulated, and cared for?
  3. Have you managed to build some modicum of success in an area through anxiety and adrenaline? This could be school, work, a creative pursuit, relationships. Have you received external validation for doing this thing well, all the while being absolutely terrified that it's all going to fall apart and you have no idea how to handle how your life feels and it all feels extremely precarious and painful at the day-to-day level? Do you feel the need to hide how much you're struggling, and/or if you've disclosed your struggles have they not been taken seriously?
  4. Is your energy quite cyclical, where when you feel like your brain is working you'll push yourself really really hard, and then be totally exhausted and need time to recover? And without adequate recovery time, Is burnout, or burnout-like depression (they can be similar) a frequent experience for you? Or do you live in fear of it?


Thanks to Hanu Dixit for permission to use the song A Sitar Story.


Full Transcript here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In June I'm reposting the most popular episodes from the show while I take a step back to look at the big picture (because my monotropic brain has trouble doing that while also pumping out new content).


Mentioned in outro:

Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life


Original show notes:

AuDHD = autism + ADHD... and also I experience it as its own neurotype, and not simply two "disorders."


Here are the sets of questions I asked in the episode, if you'd like to take time with them on your own:

  1. Do you feel like advice almost never works for you? Not only NT advice, but even advice from autistic OR ADHD people? That your brain either instantly knows advice won't work for you, or tries it and feels really disappointed because you did have a lot of things in common with the person who gave it to you but somehow still it felt like your body or brain were just not clicking with it?
  2. Are the internal parts of you always fighting? Do you feel like the things your body and brain want are often in complete opposition and that it's literally impossible to get your needs met, because different parts of you want such different things to feel safe, regulated, and cared for?
  3. Have you managed to build some modicum of success in an area through anxiety and adrenaline? This could be school, work, a creative pursuit, relationships. Have you received external validation for doing this thing well, all the while being absolutely terrified that it's all going to fall apart and you have no idea how to handle how your life feels and it all feels extremely precarious and painful at the day-to-day level? Do you feel the need to hide how much you're struggling, and/or if you've disclosed your struggles have they not been taken seriously?
  4. Is your energy quite cyclical, where when you feel like your brain is working you'll push yourself really really hard, and then be totally exhausted and need time to recover? And without adequate recovery time, Is burnout, or burnout-like depression (they can be similar) a frequent experience for you? Or do you live in fear of it?


Thanks to Hanu Dixit for permission to use the song A Sitar Story.


Full Transcript here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 101 Time Cannot Be Wasted 101 Time Cannot Be Wasted Sat, 31 May 2025 07:03:00 GMT 23:07 6838991c998551779f2c0848 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6838991c998551779f2c0848 6838991c998551779f2c0848 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Time the body needs to transition, meet needs, rest and recover is NOT wasted time! I don't know that it's even possible to "waste time" outside of ableist capitalist structures.

If you still have ableist thoughts, that's okay. We all do! It's worth resting anyway.


Resources mentioned:

  1. Neuraluxe's post about parentification
  2. Car fundraiser for DV survivor (my sibling)
  3. When your abuser threatens suicide article

Note about that paid Substack link:

"If you are in an abusive relationship or other crisis and truly cannot afford to pay for a paid membership—not just would prefer to get content for free, but actually cannot pay—I offer no-questions-asked paid access to anyone who emails me. Please email zawn@zawn.net, and put “Substack scholarship” in the subject line. If you use any other subject line, I may not see your email. You do not need to tell me anything specific—just that you cannot afford to pay! Please note that subscription applications can take several weeks to process."


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Time the body needs to transition, meet needs, rest and recover is NOT wasted time! I don't know that it's even possible to "waste time" outside of ableist capitalist structures.

If you still have ableist thoughts, that's okay. We all do! It's worth resting anyway.


Resources mentioned:

  1. Neuraluxe's post about parentification
  2. Car fundraiser for DV survivor (my sibling)
  3. When your abuser threatens suicide article

Note about that paid Substack link:

"If you are in an abusive relationship or other crisis and truly cannot afford to pay for a paid membership—not just would prefer to get content for free, but actually cannot pay—I offer no-questions-asked paid access to anyone who emails me. Please email zawn@zawn.net, and put “Substack scholarship” in the subject line. If you use any other subject line, I may not see your email. You do not need to tell me anything specific—just that you cannot afford to pay! Please note that subscription applications can take several weeks to process."


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 100 Creative Time Limitations 100 Creative Time Limitations Sat, 24 May 2025 07:03:00 GMT 20:46 6830c8429cad4906be9fcfbc false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6830c8429cad4906be9fcfbc 6830c8429cad4906be9fcfbc 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full If you have multiple interests, realistically you probably don't have enough time to develop all of them to the degree that you'd like. And even with more targeted pursuits, many of us are busy because of real life and capitalism.

What this means is that we have to make tough choices. I talk about some of the ways I've worked through this, where I'm at with it currently, and some questions to ask yourself to guide your own process.


Also, it's the 100th episode!

I'm committed to not running ads on this podcast (for a lot of reasons).

If you'd like to support the podcast, the best ways to do so...


Support the podcast & creation of free resources: 

  1. One-time donation on Venmo (email mattia@mattiamauree.com for other methods)
  2. Wish list items
  3. Patreon podcast support tier


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> If you have multiple interests, realistically you probably don't have enough time to develop all of them to the degree that you'd like. And even with more targeted pursuits, many of us are busy because of real life and capitalism.

What this means is that we have to make tough choices. I talk about some of the ways I've worked through this, where I'm at with it currently, and some questions to ask yourself to guide your own process.


Also, it's the 100th episode!

I'm committed to not running ads on this podcast (for a lot of reasons).

If you'd like to support the podcast, the best ways to do so...


Support the podcast & creation of free resources: 

  1. One-time donation on Venmo (email mattia@mattiamauree.com for other methods)
  2. Wish list items
  3. Patreon podcast support tier


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 99 a little more or less 99 a little more or less Sat, 17 May 2025 07:03:00 GMT 14:36 6827d69bee813e8be2518331 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6827d69bee813e8be2518331 6827d69bee813e8be2518331 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full To change something, I've been playing with telling myself I'll do "a little more or less." It is less exciting than a huge plan... but also easier on my nervous system!


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> To change something, I've been playing with telling myself I'll do "a little more or less." It is less exciting than a huge plan... but also easier on my nervous system!


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 98 Meeting Intensity Needs 98 Meeting Intensity Needs Sat, 10 May 2025 07:03:00 GMT 18:42 681eb82958009636d56b7a50 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/681eb82958009636d56b7a50 681eb82958009636d56b7a50 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full This year I've been trying to meet my intensity needs in more "healthy" ways, while also recognizing that sometimes that doesn't feel possible. And that's okay!


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This year I've been trying to meet my intensity needs in more "healthy" ways, while also recognizing that sometimes that doesn't feel possible. And that's okay!


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 97 Handling Daily Life with Vanessa Gorelkin, OT 97 Handling Daily Life with Vanessa Gorelkin, OT Sat, 03 May 2025 07:03:00 GMT 57:34 680ff3d86ac0e5213bfdca65 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/680ff3d86ac0e5213bfdca65 680ff3d86ac0e5213bfdca65 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Vanessa Gorelkin, Occupational Therapist full Vanessa Gorelkin is an Occupational Therapist who often works with ND folks. She shares about compassionate approaches to daily life tasks.


The main tool she shared is creating a crisis kit to use when experiencing distress in public, at work, or anywhere that you can't be fully unmasked. List of suggested items below.


Crisis kit items suggested in episode:

  1. alcohol swabs (to smell for state change)
  2. instant ice packs
  3. extreme sour candies
  4. lemon juice packet
  5. hot sauce packet (mustard is Mattia's)
  6. distress card requesting using the bathroom (or whatever's helpful for you)


Connect with Vanessa:

  1. Her website, vanessagorelkin.com
  2. @otwhisperer on TikTok


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Vanessa Gorelkin is an Occupational Therapist who often works with ND folks. She shares about compassionate approaches to daily life tasks.


The main tool she shared is creating a crisis kit to use when experiencing distress in public, at work, or anywhere that you can't be fully unmasked. List of suggested items below.


Crisis kit items suggested in episode:

  1. alcohol swabs (to smell for state change)
  2. instant ice packs
  3. extreme sour candies
  4. lemon juice packet
  5. hot sauce packet (mustard is Mattia's)
  6. distress card requesting using the bathroom (or whatever's helpful for you)


Connect with Vanessa:

  1. Her website, vanessagorelkin.com
  2. @otwhisperer on TikTok


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 96 Building Our Own Systems 96 Building Our Own Systems Fri, 25 Apr 2025 21:00:46 GMT 35:32 680bf6f692c5c49bd11242d5 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/680bf6f692c5c49bd11242d5 680bf6f692c5c49bd11242d5 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Reflecting on the interview with Anna, who shared about accommodations for her students and herself.

Learning how to build our own systems/structures is often more useful than being handed a system. Because no matter how much dopamine we get initially from a new tool or system, it inevitably becomes stale.

Instead of throwing the whole thing out the window every time, I've learned how to pull forward elements that are still working. This continuous process of experimenting and tweaking (with rest/recovery interspersed, of course!) has made my life so much easier.


Last 10m of the episode is about why I'm doing the work I'm doing, and the live round of LYB:


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Reflecting on the interview with Anna, who shared about accommodations for her students and herself.

Learning how to build our own systems/structures is often more useful than being handed a system. Because no matter how much dopamine we get initially from a new tool or system, it inevitably becomes stale.

Instead of throwing the whole thing out the window every time, I've learned how to pull forward elements that are still working. This continuous process of experimenting and tweaking (with rest/recovery interspersed, of course!) has made my life so much easier.


Last 10m of the episode is about why I'm doing the work I'm doing, and the live round of LYB:


Love Your Brain course info & live round update


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[95 Kind Accommodations for Students & Teachers with Anna Shaver]]> Sat, 19 Apr 2025 14:10:00 GMT 52:10 68013473f4bf76eb4184f87f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/68013473f4bf76eb4184f87f 68013473f4bf76eb4184f87f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Anna Shaver full Anna is an educator who has developed an incredible approach with accommodations at the core (for the student AND herself!). It makes sense pedagogically, and it's working! With a core of psychological safety, students are able to explore writing and language with their own goals in mind.


We've also known each other since I was 15... so we talk a bit about the mysterious backstory of living in a Christian sorority ;)



Resources Anna mentioned:

  1. Her English 101 Online Textbook
  2. Workshopping: Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process
  3. All My Relations podcast



Love Your Brain course info & live round update



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Anna is an educator who has developed an incredible approach with accommodations at the core (for the student AND herself!). It makes sense pedagogically, and it's working! With a core of psychological safety, students are able to explore writing and language with their own goals in mind.


We've also known each other since I was 15... so we talk a bit about the mysterious backstory of living in a Christian sorority ;)



Resources Anna mentioned:

  1. Her English 101 Online Textbook
  2. Workshopping: Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process
  3. All My Relations podcast



Love Your Brain course info & live round update



Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 94 Coping Mechanisms 94 Coping Mechanisms Sat, 12 Apr 2025 07:03:00 GMT 27:00 67f6b25802787319785903b9 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67f6b25802787319785903b9 67f6b25802787319785903b9 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Coping mechanisms can be a pathologizing term. What's the difference between coping mechanisms and intensity or interests?

This episode also touches back to the interview on sobriety with Amy in ep. 92. As well as this note on a positive AA experience from a listener.


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Coping mechanisms can be a pathologizing term. What's the difference between coping mechanisms and intensity or interests?

This episode also touches back to the interview on sobriety with Amy in ep. 92. As well as this note on a positive AA experience from a listener.


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 93 Tunnel of Focus: Monotropism, Trauma, and Thriving 93 Tunnel of Focus: Monotropism, Trauma, and Thriving Sat, 05 Apr 2025 07:03:00 GMT 42:21 67edacf602e789100f3860bc true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67edacf602e789100f3860bc 67edacf602e789100f3860bc 643789a2ba30d20010916124 interviewed by Eric Tivers for ADHD reWired full Thanks Eric Tivers for interviewing me & allowing me to share the full episode here as well.


His show notes:

In this episode of ADHD reWired, Eric Tivers is joined by Mattia Maurée, an award-winning composer, poet, and host of the AuDHD Flourishing Podcast. Mattia shares their insights into the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent (ND) individuals, particularly those with ADHD and autism, as they navigate trauma, self-expression, and what they describe as “attention tunnels.”


Mattia opens up about their personal journey, discussing the impact of complex PTSD, disordered eating, and their late diagnoses of ADHD and autism. They explain how monotropism—having a narrower field of focus—shapes their experience as a ND person. Through the lens of monotropism, Mattia explores how being stuck in an attention tunnel can make transitioning to different tasks or social situations feel overwhelming and distressing.


Eric and Mattia dive deep into the intersections of trauma and neurodivergence, examining how ND brains may be more easily traumatized, especially in environments that fail to meet their unique needs. They discuss the profound impact of ND parents raising ND children and the challenges of navigating systems that don’t support their differences.


This conversation also highlights the importance of self-expression in healing and flourishing. Mattia explains how self-expression, rather than achievement, has become central to their definition of success, emphasizing the importance of creating work that resonates emotionally, even if it doesn’t fit the traditional metrics of success.


Other topics discussed include:

  • The connection between hyperfocus and monotropism in ADHD and autism
  • How Mattia balances creativity, self-care, and flourishing as a ND individual
  • The complexity of navigating trauma in ND families
  • The importance of community and support systems for ND creatives and entrepreneurs


This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the complex interplay of trauma, neurodivergence, and flourishing. Whether you identify as ND or are simply curious about these experiences, this conversation offers valuable insights into the importance of creating space for self-expression, healing, and growth.


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thanks Eric Tivers for interviewing me & allowing me to share the full episode here as well.


His show notes:

In this episode of ADHD reWired, Eric Tivers is joined by Mattia Maurée, an award-winning composer, poet, and host of the AuDHD Flourishing Podcast. Mattia shares their insights into the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent (ND) individuals, particularly those with ADHD and autism, as they navigate trauma, self-expression, and what they describe as “attention tunnels.”


Mattia opens up about their personal journey, discussing the impact of complex PTSD, disordered eating, and their late diagnoses of ADHD and autism. They explain how monotropism—having a narrower field of focus—shapes their experience as a ND person. Through the lens of monotropism, Mattia explores how being stuck in an attention tunnel can make transitioning to different tasks or social situations feel overwhelming and distressing.


Eric and Mattia dive deep into the intersections of trauma and neurodivergence, examining how ND brains may be more easily traumatized, especially in environments that fail to meet their unique needs. They discuss the profound impact of ND parents raising ND children and the challenges of navigating systems that don’t support their differences.


This conversation also highlights the importance of self-expression in healing and flourishing. Mattia explains how self-expression, rather than achievement, has become central to their definition of success, emphasizing the importance of creating work that resonates emotionally, even if it doesn’t fit the traditional metrics of success.


Other topics discussed include:

  • The connection between hyperfocus and monotropism in ADHD and autism
  • How Mattia balances creativity, self-care, and flourishing as a ND individual
  • The complexity of navigating trauma in ND families
  • The importance of community and support systems for ND creatives and entrepreneurs


This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the complex interplay of trauma, neurodivergence, and flourishing. Whether you identify as ND or are simply curious about these experiences, this conversation offers valuable insights into the importance of creating space for self-expression, healing, and growth.


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 92 Sobriety While AuDHD + Gifted with Amy Knott Parrish 92 Sobriety While AuDHD + Gifted with Amy Knott Parrish Sat, 29 Mar 2025 07:33:00 GMT 59:02 67e4527e99bc2367f4218fa8 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67e4527e99bc2367f4218fa8 67e4527e99bc2367f4218fa8 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Amy Knott Parrish full Thank you to guest Amy Knott Parrish for sharing about her unusual journey with sobriety. When she realized what her future was going to look like, she... stopped drinking. Because it wasn't about the drinking, it was about the problem that the drinking was self-medicating.

After nine years of continuous sobriety, her therapist insisted that she try AA, but it wasn't the right fit.

As with many institutions, it wasn't built for her!

The giftedness/intensity piece adds another layer—we talk about how we sometimes just need the psychoeducation on certain topics, not necessarily the emotional excavation approach. (I could talk about that for hours.)


Find Amy:

  1. https://www.rebelling.me/
  2. Sobriety blog


A pro-AA AuDHD story (anonymously shared by a listener)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thank you to guest Amy Knott Parrish for sharing about her unusual journey with sobriety. When she realized what her future was going to look like, she... stopped drinking. Because it wasn't about the drinking, it was about the problem that the drinking was self-medicating.

After nine years of continuous sobriety, her therapist insisted that she try AA, but it wasn't the right fit.

As with many institutions, it wasn't built for her!

The giftedness/intensity piece adds another layer—we talk about how we sometimes just need the psychoeducation on certain topics, not necessarily the emotional excavation approach. (I could talk about that for hours.)


Find Amy:

  1. https://www.rebelling.me/
  2. Sobriety blog


A pro-AA AuDHD story (anonymously shared by a listener)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 91 Gifted + AuDHD: Surviving (part 2) 91 Gifted + AuDHD: Surviving (part 2) Sat, 22 Mar 2025 07:03:00 GMT 1:04:20 67ddb1b6ec9837e25e90392f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67ddb1b6ec9837e25e90392f 67ddb1b6ec9837e25e90392f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Part 2 of 2 full (Part 2 of 2. Part 1 here)

Being AuDHD + gifted is being an outlier of outliers. I'd guess most of us feel like aliens.

And even when we start to understand the shape of our experiences, it can feel overwhelming to even begin to order our understanding in a satisfying way. (Autoethnography, anyone?)

Our depth and intensity needs can be quite challenging to meet, especially if we have lower physiological capacity due to trauma/CPTSD, and other intersectional identities that are often marginalized/mistreated.


Mentioned in episode:

1. Some giftedness models:

2. Living With Intensity book*

3. Neurocomplexity & PDA as existential intelligence

4. Autism/ADHD/Gifted Venn Diagram

5. Overexcitabilities & being "too much"

6. Ember Green's quick IQ doesn't exist overview + Aspie Supremacy deep dive (p.s. this video is 2 hrs long and made me cry a LOT bc of historical horrors... still worth it if/when you have the spoons)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> (Part 2 of 2. Part 1 here)

Being AuDHD + gifted is being an outlier of outliers. I'd guess most of us feel like aliens.

And even when we start to understand the shape of our experiences, it can feel overwhelming to even begin to order our understanding in a satisfying way. (Autoethnography, anyone?)

Our depth and intensity needs can be quite challenging to meet, especially if we have lower physiological capacity due to trauma/CPTSD, and other intersectional identities that are often marginalized/mistreated.


Mentioned in episode:

1. Some giftedness models:

2. Living With Intensity book*

3. Neurocomplexity & PDA as existential intelligence

4. Autism/ADHD/Gifted Venn Diagram

5. Overexcitabilities & being "too much"

6. Ember Green's quick IQ doesn't exist overview + Aspie Supremacy deep dive (p.s. this video is 2 hrs long and made me cry a LOT bc of historical horrors... still worth it if/when you have the spoons)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)


*affiliate link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 90 Gifted + AuDHD: Why It Matters (part 1) 90 Gifted + AuDHD: Why It Matters (part 1) Sat, 15 Mar 2025 20:01:52 GMT 55:02 67d5dcb01807f0dc08b1ce52 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67d5dcb01807f0dc08b1ce52 67d5dcb01807f0dc08b1ce52 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Part 1 of 2 full Being AuDHD + gifted is being an outlier of outliers. I'd guess most of us feel like aliens.

And even when we start to understand the shape of our experiences, it can feel overwhelming to even begin to order our understanding in a satisfying way. (Autoethnography, anyone?)

Our depth and intensity needs can be quite challenging to meet, especially if we have lower physiological capacity due to trauma/CPTSD, and other intersectional identities that are often marginalized/mistreated.


This became part one of two!


Mentioned in episode:

1. Some giftedness models:

2. Neurocomplexity & PDA as existential intelligence

3. Autism/ADHD/Gifted Venn Diagram

4. Overexcitabilities & being "too much"

5. Ember Green's quick IQ doesn't exist overview + Aspie Supremacy deep dive (p.s. this video is 2 hrs long and made me cry a LOT bc of historical horrors... still worth it if/when you have the spoons)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Being AuDHD + gifted is being an outlier of outliers. I'd guess most of us feel like aliens.

And even when we start to understand the shape of our experiences, it can feel overwhelming to even begin to order our understanding in a satisfying way. (Autoethnography, anyone?)

Our depth and intensity needs can be quite challenging to meet, especially if we have lower physiological capacity due to trauma/CPTSD, and other intersectional identities that are often marginalized/mistreated.


This became part one of two!


Mentioned in episode:

1. Some giftedness models:

2. Neurocomplexity & PDA as existential intelligence

3. Autism/ADHD/Gifted Venn Diagram

4. Overexcitabilities & being "too much"

5. Ember Green's quick IQ doesn't exist overview + Aspie Supremacy deep dive (p.s. this video is 2 hrs long and made me cry a LOT bc of historical horrors... still worth it if/when you have the spoons)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With Us
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[89 2E & ND-Affirming Education with Emily Kircher-Morris]]> Sat, 08 Mar 2025 07:34:03 GMT 52:30 67cbefe8baaeff02dc215f8f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67cbefe8baaeff02dc215f8f 67cbefe8baaeff02dc215f8f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Emily Kircher-Morris full Emily Kircher-Morris is the host of the long-running and popular podcast, The Neurodiversity Podcast. (And she interviewed me last year.)


She's a compassionate, incisive, and important voice in 2e and neurodivergent-affirming education. Also a delight to talk to!


Building on what we talked about, she shared some additional resource links below.


Connect with Emily & mentioned in episode:

  1. Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC
  2. The Neurodiversity Podcast
  3. Connect with Emily on Facebook or LinkedIn
  4. Neurodiversity University
  5. Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools (new book)
  6. Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted and Supported
  7. Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom
  8. Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Emily Kircher-Morris is the host of the long-running and popular podcast, The Neurodiversity Podcast. (And she interviewed me last year.)


She's a compassionate, incisive, and important voice in 2e and neurodivergent-affirming education. Also a delight to talk to!


Building on what we talked about, she shared some additional resource links below.


Connect with Emily & mentioned in episode:

  1. Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC
  2. The Neurodiversity Podcast
  3. Connect with Emily on Facebook or LinkedIn
  4. Neurodiversity University
  5. Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools (new book)
  6. Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted and Supported
  7. Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom
  8. Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[88 Gifted Development & Positive Disintegration with Chris Wells]]> Sat, 01 Mar 2025 08:03:00 GMT 58:58 67c293114cae6441e83ae6a2 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67c293114cae6441e83ae6a2 67c293114cae6441e83ae6a2 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Chris Wells full Dr Chris Wells speaks & teaches about positive disintegration, Dabrowski's theory that (among other things) provides an alternate explanation for some mental illness. While the theory is not entirely about giftedness, it helps many gifted people make sense of their experiences.


Dr Wells also talks about their journey, which included being on disability for many years. It's a reminder that while labels can change, they can also hold an enormous amount of power!


Learn more about Chris & positive disintegration: 

  1. Dr Chris Wells Instagram
  2. Positive Disintegration.org
  3. The Dabrowski Center & their Instagram
  4. Positive Disintegration Podcast Instagram


Living With Intensity book (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Dr Chris Wells speaks & teaches about positive disintegration, Dabrowski's theory that (among other things) provides an alternate explanation for some mental illness. While the theory is not entirely about giftedness, it helps many gifted people make sense of their experiences.


Dr Wells also talks about their journey, which included being on disability for many years. It's a reminder that while labels can change, they can also hold an enormous amount of power!


Learn more about Chris & positive disintegration: 

  1. Dr Chris Wells Instagram
  2. Positive Disintegration.org
  3. The Dabrowski Center & their Instagram
  4. Positive Disintegration Podcast Instagram


Living With Intensity book (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[87 Giftedness & the Sparkly Mind with Sheldon Gay]]> Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:03:00 GMT 1:09:12 67b9589786a56284d09cdbab true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67b9589786a56284d09cdbab 67b9589786a56284d09cdbab 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Sheldon Gay full Sheldon Gay shares about giftedness, in particular the intersections of being late-identified as a Black man. He hosts the I Must Be BUG'N podcast (Black, Underrepresented/Unidentified, Gifted and otherwise Neurodivergent).


I absolutely love his term of having a sparkly mind! We weave through many topics, including education and melanated & marginalized kids not having their needs met.


This is the first of 5-6 upcoming episodes on gifted neurodivergent experiences.


p.s. that "or, but anyway" that I didn't finish was that people experience my intensity as seeming like mental illness.


Mentioned in episode & connect with Sheldon:

  1. Sheldon's website
  2. I Must Be BUG'N podcast
  3. Our Wild Minds (community for Black gifted adults)
  4. Dr. Joy Lawson Davis is a friend & mentor whom Sheldon would like to mention & point toward her website for her work with Black/BIPOC gifted advocacy: https://drjoylawsondavis.com/
  5. Living With Intensity book (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Sheldon Gay shares about giftedness, in particular the intersections of being late-identified as a Black man. He hosts the I Must Be BUG'N podcast (Black, Underrepresented/Unidentified, Gifted and otherwise Neurodivergent).


I absolutely love his term of having a sparkly mind! We weave through many topics, including education and melanated & marginalized kids not having their needs met.


This is the first of 5-6 upcoming episodes on gifted neurodivergent experiences.


p.s. that "or, but anyway" that I didn't finish was that people experience my intensity as seeming like mental illness.


Mentioned in episode & connect with Sheldon:

  1. Sheldon's website
  2. I Must Be BUG'N podcast
  3. Our Wild Minds (community for Black gifted adults)
  4. Dr. Joy Lawson Davis is a friend & mentor whom Sheldon would like to mention & point toward her website for her work with Black/BIPOC gifted advocacy: https://drjoylawsondavis.com/
  5. Living With Intensity book (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 86 Apocalypse Survival Guide 86 Apocalypse Survival Guide Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:26:09 GMT 50:10 67b0ea518fcb786175baa638 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67b0ea518fcb786175baa638 67b0ea518fcb786175baa638 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full 24:23 to skip specific American politics


In this episode:

  • Mutual aid
  • Local connections
  • Surveillance & privacy considerations for devices
  • Resistance is working
  • General strike & Mar 15 shutdown (#Shutdown315)
  • Emotional survival: monotropic reset, alpha brain waves
  • Being careful whom you listen to (accompanying Emily Science Journalism ep 82)


Links mentioned:

  1. Surveillance guide for devices
  2. How to change Meta settings to limit tracking (note there is no way to make Messenger app safe)
  3. Ad-blocking guide (note that I haven't vetted all their recommendations, though I do use one of them already)
  4. General Strike USA
  5. March 15 2025 general shutdown in US #Shutdown315
  6. The Open-Focus Brain by Les Fehmi is the book I don't automatically recommend bc of offensive disability language, plus I personally didn't find the exercises as helpful as when another ND person led me. That said, the book may still be helpful to you. There are hundreds of open focus exercises on YouTube, and I may try to find one that I like and link it here at some point.
  7. Article, "My problems with the Constructed Theory of Emotions," (the critique of How Emotions Are Made) 
  8. Andrew Huberman is a liar article

Not in episode, but I adore this takedown of Matthew Walker's book Why We Sleep

De-Googling


Other links shared on the Discord recently:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 24:23 to skip specific American politics


In this episode:

  • Mutual aid
  • Local connections
  • Surveillance & privacy considerations for devices
  • Resistance is working
  • General strike & Mar 15 shutdown (#Shutdown315)
  • Emotional survival: monotropic reset, alpha brain waves
  • Being careful whom you listen to (accompanying Emily Science Journalism ep 82)


Links mentioned:

  1. Surveillance guide for devices
  2. How to change Meta settings to limit tracking (note there is no way to make Messenger app safe)
  3. Ad-blocking guide (note that I haven't vetted all their recommendations, though I do use one of them already)
  4. General Strike USA
  5. March 15 2025 general shutdown in US #Shutdown315
  6. The Open-Focus Brain by Les Fehmi is the book I don't automatically recommend bc of offensive disability language, plus I personally didn't find the exercises as helpful as when another ND person led me. That said, the book may still be helpful to you. There are hundreds of open focus exercises on YouTube, and I may try to find one that I like and link it here at some point.
  7. Article, "My problems with the Constructed Theory of Emotions," (the critique of How Emotions Are Made) 
  8. Andrew Huberman is a liar article

Not in episode, but I adore this takedown of Matthew Walker's book Why We Sleep

De-Googling


Other links shared on the Discord recently:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Intrusive Thoughts & AuDHD]]> Sun, 09 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT 14:28 67a7927a9c6f7f7f28238a13 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67a7927a9c6f7f7f28238a13 67a7927a9c6f7f7f28238a13 643789a2ba30d20010916124 monotropic brains make thought loops full Mini episode on my experience with intrusive thoughts and how/when they stopped being distressing.

Monotropic brains tend toward thought loops and thus can make intrusive thoughts pretty easily.

In my case, I think my brain was in part trying to generate interest when my needs were not being met. Dopamine is also a learning chemical that tells the brain to pay attention right now.


This is just my experience... Please seek professional help if you're having distressing intrusive thoughts!


Crisis Resources:


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mini episode on my experience with intrusive thoughts and how/when they stopped being distressing.

Monotropic brains tend toward thought loops and thus can make intrusive thoughts pretty easily.

In my case, I think my brain was in part trying to generate interest when my needs were not being met. Dopamine is also a learning chemical that tells the brain to pay attention right now.


This is just my experience... Please seek professional help if you're having distressing intrusive thoughts!


Crisis Resources:


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 85 Rising AuDHD Rates (PBS interview) 85 Rising AuDHD Rates (PBS interview) Sat, 08 Feb 2025 08:33:00 GMT 12:28 67a65fef3eadb4f808a76e4c false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67a65fef3eadb4f808a76e4c 67a65fef3eadb4f808a76e4c 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Last week I was interviewed on WHYY, Philly's PBS/NPR radio station, about the rising diagnosis rates of Autism & ADHD. Here are a few additional thoughts and my favorite moments, and you can find the full interview below


Mentioned in episode:

  1. YouTube PBS interview (& Patreon post about it)
  2. WHYY.org page with the audio only version
  3. Public Patreon post w YouTube link if you'd prefer to comment there (link coming soon)
  4. Readwise/Reader tool (affiliate link gives you 60 days free)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Last week I was interviewed on WHYY, Philly's PBS/NPR radio station, about the rising diagnosis rates of Autism & ADHD. Here are a few additional thoughts and my favorite moments, and you can find the full interview below


Mentioned in episode:

  1. YouTube PBS interview (& Patreon post about it)
  2. WHYY.org page with the audio only version
  3. Public Patreon post w YouTube link if you'd prefer to comment there (link coming soon)
  4. Readwise/Reader tool (affiliate link gives you 60 days free)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 84 The Neurodivergent Playbook with Dr Matt Zakreski 84 The Neurodivergent Playbook with Dr Matt Zakreski Sat, 01 Feb 2025 07:22:00 GMT 52:14 679902c601388342ba4dec21 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/679902c601388342ba4dec21 679902c601388342ba4dec21 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Dr Matt Zakreski full Dr Matt Zakreski is 2e (ADHD & gifted) and also a clinical psychologist supporting neurodivergent folks.

His recent book, The Neurodivergent Playbook, aims to meet that social gap in which we often feel we missed the "instruction manual" for how to approach people.


Connect with Dr Matt: 

  1. The Neurodiversity Collective for therapy & assessments
  2. Dr Matt's website for speaking engagements
  3. Facebook
  4. Instagram @drmattzakreski


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Dr Matt Zakreski is 2e (ADHD & gifted) and also a clinical psychologist supporting neurodivergent folks.

His recent book, The Neurodivergent Playbook, aims to meet that social gap in which we often feel we missed the "instruction manual" for how to approach people.


Connect with Dr Matt: 

  1. The Neurodiversity Collective for therapy & assessments
  2. Dr Matt's website for speaking engagements
  3. Facebook
  4. Instagram @drmattzakreski


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Bonus: Overview of my approach by Notebook LM Bonus: Overview of my approach by Notebook LM Sat, 25 Jan 2025 07:40:00 GMT 17:46 6794299dbf204bfe4a39e129 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6794299dbf204bfe4a39e129 6794299dbf204bfe4a39e129 643789a2ba30d20010916124 drawn from audhdflourishing.com full As I describe at the beginning, this goes along with episode 83 about AI & tech tools.

The latter 15m of this episode was an AI "podcast conversation" based on AuDHD Flourishing principles and my overall work and approach.

I was impressed by how it was pulled together, as well as pronouncing my name & getting pronouns right!


Note: if you have misophonia, you may find the AI vocal artifacts irritating... heads up!


If you're curious:

The web pages used by Notebook LM:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> As I describe at the beginning, this goes along with episode 83 about AI & tech tools.

The latter 15m of this episode was an AI "podcast conversation" based on AuDHD Flourishing principles and my overall work and approach.

I was impressed by how it was pulled together, as well as pronouncing my name & getting pronouns right!


Note: if you have misophonia, you may find the AI vocal artifacts irritating... heads up!


If you're curious:

The web pages used by Notebook LM:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 83 Tech and AI Tools for AuDHD Accommodations 83 Tech and AI Tools for AuDHD Accommodations Sat, 25 Jan 2025 07:22:00 GMT 37:49 6794247eae8b037c91fe87b8 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6794247eae8b037c91fe87b8 6794247eae8b037c91fe87b8 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full It's okay to have strong feelings about AI! Yes, we touch on ethics in this episode.

It's also okay to use accommodations and tools that work for you, especially in the short term to feel better first.

This episode covers a number of AI and tech tools suggested by other AuDHDers.


When there's a blog post to go through all of them (plus any others added in the meantime) I'll add that link below as well.


AI & Tech mentioned in episode:

  1. Notebook LM
  2. Autektik AI
  3. LLMs ChatGPT and Claude
  4. Poised Shortcut
  5. List of AI Tools for Designers & Marketers
  6. Free course: Using Fandoms + AI to Developing Coping Skills for Neurodivergent Kids
  7. Readwise/Reader (affiliate link gives you 60 days free)
  8. Goblin Tools & my blog post about it
  9. Perplexity Pro (link is to free version)
  10. The convo on Patreon, free with login


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> It's okay to have strong feelings about AI! Yes, we touch on ethics in this episode.

It's also okay to use accommodations and tools that work for you, especially in the short term to feel better first.

This episode covers a number of AI and tech tools suggested by other AuDHDers.


When there's a blog post to go through all of them (plus any others added in the meantime) I'll add that link below as well.


AI & Tech mentioned in episode:

  1. Notebook LM
  2. Autektik AI
  3. LLMs ChatGPT and Claude
  4. Poised Shortcut
  5. List of AI Tools for Designers & Marketers
  6. Free course: Using Fandoms + AI to Developing Coping Skills for Neurodivergent Kids
  7. Readwise/Reader (affiliate link gives you 60 days free)
  8. Goblin Tools & my blog post about it
  9. Perplexity Pro (link is to free version)
  10. The convo on Patreon, free with login


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space (Patreon)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[82 Science Journalism & Misinformation: Best Practices Being ND Online with Emily Earlenbaugh]]> Sat, 18 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT 1:03:36 678ad05c5c9549fc005d930b true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/678ad05c5c9549fc005d930b 678ad05c5c9549fc005d930b 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Emily Earlenbaugh (the.neurodivergent.well) full Emily is a science writer, AuDHDer, and ND-affirming coach.

They share online about neurodivergence topics and accuracy in science journalism as The Neurodivergent Well.

In this episode, we talk about best practices as a consumer of science info online, especially via social media. If you don't have time or capacity to read journal articles, what CAN you do?

Emily shares multiple approaches to being a better online citizen when we take in and share information.

There's also a lovely bit about the complexity of identity, and whether the labels we use are accurate and useful.


p.s. Emily has a doctorate in the Philosophy of Science, and over 10 years professional experience in writing and editing


Find Emily online:

  1. The Neurodivergent Well website
  2. Medium writing
  3. Instagram @the.neurodivergent.well
  4. TikTok @the.neurodivergent.well (posting this Jan 18th so we'll see...)


Mentioned in the episode:

  1. The small Case Western study that found a 42% increase in resting info rate in autistic brains (with 19 children)
  2. An article about the DSM disorders disappearing in statistical clustering of psych symptoms
  3. Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life (course)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Emily is a science writer, AuDHDer, and ND-affirming coach.

They share online about neurodivergence topics and accuracy in science journalism as The Neurodivergent Well.

In this episode, we talk about best practices as a consumer of science info online, especially via social media. If you don't have time or capacity to read journal articles, what CAN you do?

Emily shares multiple approaches to being a better online citizen when we take in and share information.

There's also a lovely bit about the complexity of identity, and whether the labels we use are accurate and useful.


p.s. Emily has a doctorate in the Philosophy of Science, and over 10 years professional experience in writing and editing


Find Emily online:

  1. The Neurodivergent Well website
  2. Medium writing
  3. Instagram @the.neurodivergent.well
  4. TikTok @the.neurodivergent.well (posting this Jan 18th so we'll see...)


Mentioned in the episode:

  1. The small Case Western study that found a 42% increase in resting info rate in autistic brains (with 19 children)
  2. An article about the DSM disorders disappearing in statistical clustering of psych symptoms
  3. Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life (course)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 81 When the Body Simply Cannot 81 When the Body Simply Cannot Sat, 11 Jan 2025 07:22:00 GMT 30:28 67804156ec40818e0b230c9d true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67804156ec40818e0b230c9d 67804156ec40818e0b230c9d 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (whoops pushed it too far) full This week I pushed my body way too far, even though I was having trouble parsing that in the moment. The story is also a great analogy for how other ND internal needs feel (including PDA).


Even with all the info, self-kindness, and support, I still struggle to find that exact line of capacity. It's okay that it's hard to figure out!


This is the perfect and slightly ironic follow-up from last week's episode about giving up on NT/ableist expectations ;)


Mentioned in episode:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This week I pushed my body way too far, even though I was having trouble parsing that in the moment. The story is also a great analogy for how other ND internal needs feel (including PDA).


Even with all the info, self-kindness, and support, I still struggle to find that exact line of capacity. It's okay that it's hard to figure out!


This is the perfect and slightly ironic follow-up from last week's episode about giving up on NT/ableist expectations ;)


Mentioned in episode:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 80 Is This the Year to Give Up? 80 Is This the Year to Give Up? Sat, 04 Jan 2025 07:22:20 GMT 13:32 676480e0621cdde43af71876 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/676480e0621cdde43af71876 676480e0621cdde43af71876 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Is this the year to give up on neurotypical and ableist nonsense that is causing you harm??

I hope so, for all of us.

There are so many layers to unraveling internalized ableism.

Here's your permission to do that a little more :)


p.s. of course you know I never mean to give up on life ;) If you're in crisis, there are crisis links below <3


Links mentioned in episode:


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Is this the year to give up on neurotypical and ableist nonsense that is causing you harm??

I hope so, for all of us.

There are so many layers to unraveling internalized ableism.

Here's your permission to do that a little more :)


p.s. of course you know I never mean to give up on life ;) If you're in crisis, there are crisis links below <3


Links mentioned in episode:


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[79 Seasonal Energy & Sleep]]> Sat, 28 Dec 2024 07:22:30 GMT 15:52 676480a525a0b820a211457b true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/676480a525a0b820a211457b 676480a525a0b820a211457b 643789a2ba30d20010916124 tis the freakin season full It's okay if your sleep and energy vary wildly during the seasons! Or at least... it's okay with me ;)

Obviously there can be real world effects to having a chronotype outside of the 9-5.


But if your body is going to make you rest anyway... may as well enjoy it and get the most out of it, in my opinion!


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> It's okay if your sleep and energy vary wildly during the seasons! Or at least... it's okay with me ;)

Obviously there can be real world effects to having a chronotype outside of the 9-5.


But if your body is going to make you rest anyway... may as well enjoy it and get the most out of it, in my opinion!


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 78 Healing Relational Trauma 78 Healing Relational Trauma Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:20:59 GMT 34:48 67648e08a977962b2e89a0b4 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67648e08a977962b2e89a0b4 67648e08a977962b2e89a0b4 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full This is the follow-up episode to deepen ideas in the interview with Danielle Aubin last week on Autistic Therapy.

Especially focused on this idea of relational trauma, and relational healing that addresses it. In my experience, relational healing ends up being woven throughout all other healing. Or, sometimes it's the "boss battle" to put what I've integrated into practice. Because emotional regulation during conflict with someone you care about is a whole new level!


While I didn't use the words "community model of healing" or "relational healing" when I was starting the Like Your Brain community over a year ago, they were certainly on my mind. More on that in the episode as well.


There are so many layers to relational healing. Wherever you're at with it is totally fine! And there are many ways to approach it.


Animals are also a lovely way to experience relational healing. My first cat cured like 60% of my relational trauma <3


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is the follow-up episode to deepen ideas in the interview with Danielle Aubin last week on Autistic Therapy.

Especially focused on this idea of relational trauma, and relational healing that addresses it. In my experience, relational healing ends up being woven throughout all other healing. Or, sometimes it's the "boss battle" to put what I've integrated into practice. Because emotional regulation during conflict with someone you care about is a whole new level!


While I didn't use the words "community model of healing" or "relational healing" when I was starting the Like Your Brain community over a year ago, they were certainly on my mind. More on that in the episode as well.


There are so many layers to relational healing. Wherever you're at with it is totally fine! And there are many ways to approach it.


Animals are also a lovely way to experience relational healing. My first cat cured like 60% of my relational trauma <3


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 77 Autistic Therapy with Danielle Aubin 77 Autistic Therapy with Danielle Aubin Sat, 14 Dec 2024 07:22:08 GMT 1:04:08 67587cb2bd3c99689c23b9cd true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67587cb2bd3c99689c23b9cd 67587cb2bd3c99689c23b9cd 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Danielle Aubin (again!) full Danielle Aubin is an autistic therapist who works with autistic clients. And also shares about Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and how it's strangely compatible with capitalism because of its orientation toward achievement.


Other big topic is community building, and how it can be healing even when it's uncomfortable (in the right way).

Relational healing is necessary for relational trauma, whether in the therapeutic relationship, or in a group setting!


Connect with Danielle:

  1. Website: myautistictherapist.com
  2. TikTok @myautistictherapist
  3. Community: Late-Discovered Autistic Support & Learning Group

 

Resources:

  1. Course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Danielle Aubin is an autistic therapist who works with autistic clients. And also shares about Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and how it's strangely compatible with capitalism because of its orientation toward achievement.


Other big topic is community building, and how it can be healing even when it's uncomfortable (in the right way).

Relational healing is necessary for relational trauma, whether in the therapeutic relationship, or in a group setting!


Connect with Danielle:

  1. Website: myautistictherapist.com
  2. TikTok @myautistictherapist
  3. Community: Late-Discovered Autistic Support & Learning Group

 

Resources:

  1. Course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[76 Gift & Holiday Accommodations]]> Sat, 07 Dec 2024 07:22:42 GMT 12:04 67363bfd040267d4ef2c5427 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67363bfd040267d4ef2c5427 67363bfd040267d4ef2c5427 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full A few ideas for accommodating your brain & needs around gift-giving and the holidays.

Fun fact: Many of us have gone through a big minimalism stage!

Please take care of yourself this season, whether that looks like unmasking or grey rocking ;)



p.s. I have a public wish list and absolutely love practical gifts! It's a fun way to support the podcast :)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> A few ideas for accommodating your brain & needs around gift-giving and the holidays.

Fun fact: Many of us have gone through a big minimalism stage!

Please take care of yourself this season, whether that looks like unmasking or grey rocking ;)



p.s. I have a public wish list and absolutely love practical gifts! It's a fun way to support the podcast :)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 75 Surviving Out of Spite 75 Surviving Out of Spite Sat, 30 Nov 2024 07:22:15 GMT 13:03 673637f949465f45025707f2 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/673637f949465f45025707f2 673637f949465f45025707f2 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (you can make it!!) full You deserve to survive this. Please stay.

And if staying out of spite helps you, it has gotten me through some tough times.


My Medium article, "Please Stay, We Need You"



Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> You deserve to survive this. Please stay.

And if staying out of spite helps you, it has gotten me through some tough times.


My Medium article, "Please Stay, We Need You"



Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Goldilocks Sensory Needs Goldilocks Sensory Needs Tue, 26 Nov 2024 22:31:19 GMT 7:40 67464c372cb64db953c4eaf7 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67464c372cb64db953c4eaf7 67464c372cb64db953c4eaf7 643789a2ba30d20010916124 bonus Have you absorbed the cultural idea that you "should" be able to be "present" without sensory aids? Fuuuuuuck that shiiiiit!

Also been playing with sensory seeking (& its opposite) during moments of transition, and it's helping a LOT!


Been considering the earplugs I mention, Loops? They're my fave currently. (Note: if you don't like anything in your ears, you won't like these, either.)

They have some deals right now, and you can support the podcast by using my affiliate link here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Have you absorbed the cultural idea that you "should" be able to be "present" without sensory aids? Fuuuuuuck that shiiiiit!

Also been playing with sensory seeking (& its opposite) during moments of transition, and it's helping a LOT!


Been considering the earplugs I mention, Loops? They're my fave currently. (Note: if you don't like anything in your ears, you won't like these, either.)

They have some deals right now, and you can support the podcast by using my affiliate link here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 74 Gratitude in Uncertainty 74 Gratitude in Uncertainty Sat, 23 Nov 2024 07:22:15 GMT 11:04 67362a72f36d99345fe6b78c true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67362a72f36d99345fe6b78c 67362a72f36d99345fe6b78c 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Thinking seasonally about gratitude in the context of..... everything happening right now.

It's easy for my brain to want to solve every problem in the world.

But I don't want to do the opposite of becoming entirely insular and only focusing on myself.

I've found gratitude to be a way I can be more deeply interconnected (and in my case, add more reasons to want to live).


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Ep 25 The Power of Honest Gratitude
  2. Ep 72 Feeling Safe in Uncertainty & Chaos
  3. Unmasking Autism book by Devon Price (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thinking seasonally about gratitude in the context of..... everything happening right now.

It's easy for my brain to want to solve every problem in the world.

But I don't want to do the opposite of becoming entirely insular and only focusing on myself.

I've found gratitude to be a way I can be more deeply interconnected (and in my case, add more reasons to want to live).


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Ep 25 The Power of Honest Gratitude
  2. Ep 72 Feeling Safe in Uncertainty & Chaos
  3. Unmasking Autism book by Devon Price (affiliate link)


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 73 Starting an AuDHD-Friendly Business 73 Starting an AuDHD-Friendly Business Fri, 15 Nov 2024 22:14:15 GMT 40:31 6737c7b784d1e023f723ec01 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6737c7b784d1e023f723ec01 6737c7b784d1e023f723ec01 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full AuDHDers often end up partly or fully self-employed. It can be due to desire, or out of necessity.

Either way, this episode covers some tips to think about before starting. It may also be helpful if you've started businesses before and fallen for some bad advice (which I have).


Mentioned in Episode: 

  1. The interviews with Zann and Sam about their businesses
  2. The book Profit First (ebook & audiobook) - affiliate links
  3. Course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> AuDHDers often end up partly or fully self-employed. It can be due to desire, or out of necessity.

Either way, this episode covers some tips to think about before starting. It may also be helpful if you've started businesses before and fallen for some bad advice (which I have).


Mentioned in Episode: 

  1. The interviews with Zann and Sam about their businesses
  2. The book Profit First (ebook & audiobook) - affiliate links
  3. Course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life


Resources:

  1. Transcript Doc
  2. Email Newsletter
  3. Like Your Brain community space

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[72 Feeling Safe in Uncertainty & Chaos]]> Sat, 09 Nov 2024 19:36:29 GMT 49:12 672fb67a2b83e90310a3c308 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/672fb67a2b83e90310a3c308 672fb67a2b83e90310a3c308 643789a2ba30d20010916124 + an embodied practice full Feeling worried about the future? Uncertainty can be especially difficult for Autistic nervous systems.


Today I go into more detail about WHY & HOW safety in the body can be a foundational practice for healing and wellness.


At the end, I share the audio of a practice that is also on YouTube here if you'd like to follow along with visuals.


The questions answered in this episode:

  1. What is safety in the body?
  2. Why is it so important, and what does it do?
  3. What does it feel like?
  4. How does it relate to stress?
  5. What's my experience of safety been?
  6. What are the long-term effects of consistently reinforcing embodied safety?


Mentioned in episode:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Feeling worried about the future? Uncertainty can be especially difficult for Autistic nervous systems.


Today I go into more detail about WHY & HOW safety in the body can be a foundational practice for healing and wellness.


At the end, I share the audio of a practice that is also on YouTube here if you'd like to follow along with visuals.


The questions answered in this episode:

  1. What is safety in the body?
  2. Why is it so important, and what does it do?
  3. What does it feel like?
  4. How does it relate to stress?
  5. What's my experience of safety been?
  6. What are the long-term effects of consistently reinforcing embodied safety?


Mentioned in episode:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[71 Maybe You're Not the Problem with Sam Cooper]]> Sat, 02 Nov 2024 16:31:40 GMT 48:54 6726514184407ac82e533a78 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6726514184407ac82e533a78 6726514184407ac82e533a78 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Sam Cooper full Sam Cooper is an AuDHD coach and generally awesome human. When we met in person, we bonded over having worn the wrong size shoes for years, which led to the title of this episode.

Sam shares about building a small business, and the upsides and downsides of a coaching business in particular.

Sensory needs and discovering support tools.

They also have an incredibly compassionate approach to their own journey.



Connect with Sam:

  1. Sam's website
  2. Sam's Instagram @unconventionalmindsadhd


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Sam Cooper is an AuDHD coach and generally awesome human. When we met in person, we bonded over having worn the wrong size shoes for years, which led to the title of this episode.

Sam shares about building a small business, and the upsides and downsides of a coaching business in particular.

Sensory needs and discovering support tools.

They also have an incredibly compassionate approach to their own journey.



Connect with Sam:

  1. Sam's website
  2. Sam's Instagram @unconventionalmindsadhd


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 70 An Easy Artist Business (after 10 years of failure soup) with Zann Hemphill 70 An Easy Artist Business (after 10 years of failure soup) with Zann Hemphill Sat, 26 Oct 2024 06:22:26 GMT 59:39 67114ffb4d9a7db35efcfe24 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67114ffb4d9a7db35efcfe24 67114ffb4d9a7db35efcfe24 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Zann Hemphill full Zann's artist business is one of the easiest things she's ever done. And it's not even her main passion!


Her deeply relatable history includes ten years of feeling like failure soup. It didn't feel like progress or learning, just failure. But it ultimately led her to figure out what does NOT work.


She shares amazing ideas and practical advice.... this will be a great one to listen to more than once!


Connect with Zann:

  1. Paws by Zann website
  2. Zann's blog
  3. YouTube art tutorials & BTS


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Zann's artist business is one of the easiest things she's ever done. And it's not even her main passion!


Her deeply relatable history includes ten years of feeling like failure soup. It didn't feel like progress or learning, just failure. But it ultimately led her to figure out what does NOT work.


She shares amazing ideas and practical advice.... this will be a great one to listen to more than once!


Connect with Zann:

  1. Paws by Zann website
  2. Zann's blog
  3. YouTube art tutorials & BTS


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Deciding on Bigger Goals Deciding on Bigger Goals Wed, 23 Oct 2024 23:17:24 GMT 11:07 6719840483ac9fccac311fa8 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6719840483ac9fccac311fa8 6719840483ac9fccac311fa8 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (bonus mini bday episode) bonus If you struggle to figure out what to focus on with bigger goals, you're not alone! Here's one approach I've come up with for my own annual goals in particular. And some thoughts on decision making, since that's part of it.


Wish List for bday (or whenever)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> If you struggle to figure out what to focus on with bigger goals, you're not alone! Here's one approach I've come up with for my own annual goals in particular. And some thoughts on decision making, since that's part of it.


Wish List for bday (or whenever)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 69 Bureaucratic Bullshit is the Bane of my Bexistence 69 Bureaucratic Bullshit is the Bane of my Bexistence Sat, 19 Oct 2024 06:22:11 GMT 23:05 67114e240c127cea51fd8f04 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/67114e240c127cea51fd8f04 67114e240c127cea51fd8f04 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (+ tips on finding resources) full I failed my first driving test! On a technicality! Ah, the frustrations of begging to exist in structures not built for us.

Three quick stories about bureaucratic bullshit in a single week, and how it fits into my own big ball of yarn.

It's okay that the stuff that's hard for us is probably never going to be fun or easy.

We need support and RESOURCES that work for us! More on finding good resources in the episode... librarians are often a great place to start.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I failed my first driving test! On a technicality! Ah, the frustrations of begging to exist in structures not built for us.

Three quick stories about bureaucratic bullshit in a single week, and how it fits into my own big ball of yarn.

It's okay that the stuff that's hard for us is probably never going to be fun or easy.

We need support and RESOURCES that work for us! More on finding good resources in the episode... librarians are often a great place to start.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 68 Stop Hammering Screws 68 Stop Hammering Screws Sat, 12 Oct 2024 06:22:19 GMT 10:50 670818d114b366c897be4904 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/670818d114b366c897be4904 670818d114b366c897be4904 643789a2ba30d20010916124 and what to put in your toolbox instead full The autistic / AuDHD self-discovery journey can feel like finding out that you've been hammering screws this whole time. You never learned how to use the right tools. You may not have been given the right tools at all!


A few thoughts on the grief inherent in the process, and how to equip your personal toolbox now that you know what's up.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The autistic / AuDHD self-discovery journey can feel like finding out that you've been hammering screws this whole time. You never learned how to use the right tools. You may not have been given the right tools at all!


A few thoughts on the grief inherent in the process, and how to equip your personal toolbox now that you know what's up.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 67 Downsides of Weekly Scheduling 67 Downsides of Weekly Scheduling Sat, 05 Oct 2024 13:03:12 GMT 32:14 6701391042ac550356b5288d true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6701391042ac550356b5288d 6701391042ac550356b5288d 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Weeks and months are staples of scheduling systems. But they tend not to work well for me as units of time.


My personal ideal is two days on, two days off, though that's impractical. Instead, I talk about the various workarounds I've found, including intentionally scheduling rest (and how if I don't have time for that, I need to decrease demands).


If weeks don't work well for you, how can you find what does?


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Weeks and months are staples of scheduling systems. But they tend not to work well for me as units of time.


My personal ideal is two days on, two days off, though that's impractical. Instead, I talk about the various workarounds I've found, including intentionally scheduling rest (and how if I don't have time for that, I need to decrease demands).


If weeks don't work well for you, how can you find what does?


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. New course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 66 Fixing Your Whole Damn Life 66 Fixing Your Whole Damn Life Sat, 28 Sep 2024 06:22:06 GMT 51:26 66f750ea337e6a756f4812c4 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66f750ea337e6a756f4812c4 66f750ea337e6a756f4812c4 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (one experiment at a time) full This episode is about both why it's so hard to get help as an AuDHDer,

and some of the broad steps I see working for us.


It can help to have a view of your "big ball of yarn" i.e. complex and interrelated problems or life areas.


It can also help to start addressing your sensory needs, core needs, and just live your life while you take a break from big processing.


Please take care and be gentle to yourself!


Links mentioned:


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This episode is about both why it's so hard to get help as an AuDHDer,

and some of the broad steps I see working for us.


It can help to have a view of your "big ball of yarn" i.e. complex and interrelated problems or life areas.


It can also help to start addressing your sensory needs, core needs, and just live your life while you take a break from big processing.


Please take care and be gentle to yourself!


Links mentioned:


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 65 What NOT To Do 65 What NOT To Do Sat, 21 Sep 2024 06:22:45 GMT 28:57 66edcb13c63b952f9ae70496 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66edcb13c63b952f9ae70496 66edcb13c63b952f9ae70496 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (during AuDHD discovery process) full What NOT to do in your AuDHD discovery process is just as important as knowing what to do! This episode interweaves nicely with last week's episode about what AuDHDers need.


This is hardly an exhaustive list, but it covers many of the patterns I've seen and heard in the community.


Links mentioned:


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What NOT to do in your AuDHD discovery process is just as important as knowing what to do! This episode interweaves nicely with last week's episode about what AuDHDers need.


This is hardly an exhaustive list, but it covers many of the patterns I've seen and heard in the community.


Links mentioned:


Crisis Resources:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 64 What AuDHDers Need 64 What AuDHDers Need Sat, 14 Sep 2024 06:22:41 GMT 55:27 66e2fa3fb3f093eeccc93301 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66e2fa3fb3f093eeccc93301 66e2fa3fb3f093eeccc93301 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (beyond the obvious) full What do AuDHDers need (beyond the obvious needs all humans have)? And why do those needs matter?


This episode covers some important ones:

  • Being able to engage with our interests (in a particular way)
  • Executive Function support, without trying to make the hardest things easy or enjoyable
  • Autonomy
  • True rest
  • The narrow path of just enough stimulation
  • Processing time
  • To be witnessed in just the right way
  • Recognition that our needs vary quite a bit day to day
  • Coming to terms with disability
  • Space and time throughout our self-discovery journey
  • Safe enough spaces to explore what it means to be ourself


Links mentioned:

  1. Executive function test post if you want to ask Qs or share your experience
  2. Executive Skills Questionnaire Revised (ESQ-R)
  3. Unmasking Autism book (affiliate link)


Crisis Resources:



Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What do AuDHDers need (beyond the obvious needs all humans have)? And why do those needs matter?


This episode covers some important ones:

  • Being able to engage with our interests (in a particular way)
  • Executive Function support, without trying to make the hardest things easy or enjoyable
  • Autonomy
  • True rest
  • The narrow path of just enough stimulation
  • Processing time
  • To be witnessed in just the right way
  • Recognition that our needs vary quite a bit day to day
  • Coming to terms with disability
  • Space and time throughout our self-discovery journey
  • Safe enough spaces to explore what it means to be ourself


Links mentioned:

  1. Executive function test post if you want to ask Qs or share your experience
  2. Executive Skills Questionnaire Revised (ESQ-R)
  3. Unmasking Autism book (affiliate link)


Crisis Resources:



Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 63 All About AuDHD Diagnosis 63 All About AuDHD Diagnosis Sat, 07 Sep 2024 06:22:59 GMT 53:26 66db2f65b3aa8a4e646b21fb true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66db2f65b3aa8a4e646b21fb 66db2f65b3aa8a4e646b21fb 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Almost all of us consider formal diagnosis in our AuDHD discovery journey. Whether it's ADHD-focused for medication, or Autism-focused for validation or accommodations.

Knowing why you want the diagnosis goes a long way in figuring out what to pursue. The main options as I currently see them are:

  • full formal neuropsych testing
  • provisional diagnosis with a shorter screening test
  • a formal letter requesting accommodations from your provider
  • self-diagnosis
  • community diagnosis


This episode talks about

  1. The upsides and downsides of diagnosis in general
  2. My personal diagnosis experience (two full rounds of neuropsych testing)
  3. Options to approach decision-making for yourself
  4. How to get started if you do want diagnosis


Questions from the longer decision-making process in the episode are in the Transcript Doc


Crisis Resources:


Monotropism resources:


Other Links mentioned:


AuDHD Flourishing Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Almost all of us consider formal diagnosis in our AuDHD discovery journey. Whether it's ADHD-focused for medication, or Autism-focused for validation or accommodations.

Knowing why you want the diagnosis goes a long way in figuring out what to pursue. The main options as I currently see them are:

  • full formal neuropsych testing
  • provisional diagnosis with a shorter screening test
  • a formal letter requesting accommodations from your provider
  • self-diagnosis
  • community diagnosis


This episode talks about

  1. The upsides and downsides of diagnosis in general
  2. My personal diagnosis experience (two full rounds of neuropsych testing)
  3. Options to approach decision-making for yourself
  4. How to get started if you do want diagnosis


Questions from the longer decision-making process in the episode are in the Transcript Doc


Crisis Resources:


Monotropism resources:


Other Links mentioned:


AuDHD Flourishing Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> ND + the Inner Conversation ND + the Inner Conversation Mon, 02 Sep 2024 02:58:48 GMT 1:01:43 66d4a2f94c501f5496af0e16 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66d4a2f94c501f5496af0e16 66d4a2f94c501f5496af0e16 643789a2ba30d20010916124 interview by Deb Malkin from The Curiosity Cure bonus Bonus drop from The Curiosity Cure podcast:

Today's conversation with Mattia takes us through their journey with chronic pain, feeling better, and the ways they navigate their inner mindbody conversation as someone with AuDHD + PDA. We touch upon themes of neurodivergence, gender transition, resourcing inner + external safety. We chat about using hypnotic techniques to decrease a sense of threat/unsafety that may accompany disorders like ehlers-danlos syndrome and POTS. 


Thanks to Deb for sharing this episode: full show notes here

The show notes link above has many resources about successful healing from related conditions


The Curiosity Cure podcast site


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Bonus drop from The Curiosity Cure podcast:

Today's conversation with Mattia takes us through their journey with chronic pain, feeling better, and the ways they navigate their inner mindbody conversation as someone with AuDHD + PDA. We touch upon themes of neurodivergence, gender transition, resourcing inner + external safety. We chat about using hypnotic techniques to decrease a sense of threat/unsafety that may accompany disorders like ehlers-danlos syndrome and POTS. 


Thanks to Deb for sharing this episode: full show notes here

The show notes link above has many resources about successful healing from related conditions


The Curiosity Cure podcast site


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> see you in September! see you in September! Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:04:25 GMT 3:22 66c656598e1ce49f41f87aea false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66c656598e1ce49f41f87aea 66c656598e1ce49f41f87aea 643789a2ba30d20010916124 two week off lil break in the podcast bonus I'm taking the last two weeks of August off, and will be back in September with a "back to the basics" series about things like diagnosis, what to do when you first discover your AuDHD identity, etc!


In the meantime, you can check out...

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. YouTube: The Longer Road, Mattia guesting on other pods


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I'm taking the last two weeks of August off, and will be back in September with a "back to the basics" series about things like diagnosis, what to do when you first discover your AuDHD identity, etc!


In the meantime, you can check out...

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. YouTube: The Longer Road, Mattia guesting on other pods


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 62 Loneliness and Not Feeling Understood 62 Loneliness and Not Feeling Understood Sat, 17 Aug 2024 16:44:55 GMT 21:32 66c0d2e097d5e0cc4f6152c5 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66c0d2e097d5e0cc4f6152c5 66c0d2e097d5e0cc4f6152c5 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full There are many reasons we experience loneliness. There's a particular existential loneliness I experience when I feel like it's not possible for anyone to understand me. And much of that emerged from a lifetime of ableism.

Being in AuDHD community has been incredibly healing. Thank you for being here!


Also... as of today we're over 200,000 downloads... thanks for listening!!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> There are many reasons we experience loneliness. There's a particular existential loneliness I experience when I feel like it's not possible for anyone to understand me. And much of that emerged from a lifetime of ableism.

Being in AuDHD community has been incredibly healing. Thank you for being here!


Also... as of today we're over 200,000 downloads... thanks for listening!!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 61 Working Memory Hack 61 Working Memory Hack Sat, 10 Aug 2024 07:33:54 GMT 9:42 66b1082ca406fc4eb1e9f93a true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66b1082ca406fc4eb1e9f93a 66b1082ca406fc4eb1e9f93a 643789a2ba30d20010916124 lil brain boost for everything we do full Working memory may be a main reason we feel so exhausted... we're doing so many things manually that are habits for non-AuDHD brains.


Using a working memory file as we go can help a lot and massively reduce overwhelm and cognitive fatigue. Cal Newport uses a digital file for this during computer work. I've been using post-it notes so I can carry them around with me.


There are many benefits I talk about in the episode, and the main one for me is being able to track decisions as I go so I don't keep trying to make them over and over!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Working memory may be a main reason we feel so exhausted... we're doing so many things manually that are habits for non-AuDHD brains.


Using a working memory file as we go can help a lot and massively reduce overwhelm and cognitive fatigue. Cal Newport uses a digital file for this during computer work. I've been using post-it notes so I can carry them around with me.


There are many benefits I talk about in the episode, and the main one for me is being able to track decisions as I go so I don't keep trying to make them over and over!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Autistic Joy is Mindfulness Autistic Joy is Mindfulness Thu, 08 Aug 2024 17:17:45 GMT 6:34 66b4fdb9976d724bf6db51c7 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66b4fdb9976d724bf6db51c7 66b4fdb9976d724bf6db51c7 643789a2ba30d20010916124 mini episode full Today I had several moments of autistic joy (sometimes called "glimmers") that were also great examples of mindfulness. But mindfulness in a way that works for my sensory experience!

Reminder that our brains are also quite capable of delight in little things.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Today I had several moments of autistic joy (sometimes called "glimmers") that were also great examples of mindfulness. But mindfulness in a way that works for my sensory experience!

Reminder that our brains are also quite capable of delight in little things.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 60 When Quitting Works 60 When Quitting Works Sat, 03 Aug 2024 07:33:30 GMT 33:05 66aba4bf980441f0bfb985cd true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66aba4bf980441f0bfb985cd 66aba4bf980441f0bfb985cd 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Quitting can feel amazing, especially when it's a clear self-protection move. And when we haven't waited until it becomes so terrible we have to get out.

But the decision-making process can feel slow!


This episode covers three ways I've decided to quit things:

  1. Big emotions / the thing got really bad
  2. Math-y pros and cons approach (slow but effective)
  3. Getting somatic info from my body


#3 is great... but at the same time, I've done years of building safety around receiving and integrating information from my body! It's not just about the technique itself.


Resources:

  1. Mentioned the DEAR MAN skill from DBT
  2. Like Your Brain community space
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter
  5. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Quitting can feel amazing, especially when it's a clear self-protection move. And when we haven't waited until it becomes so terrible we have to get out.

But the decision-making process can feel slow!


This episode covers three ways I've decided to quit things:

  1. Big emotions / the thing got really bad
  2. Math-y pros and cons approach (slow but effective)
  3. Getting somatic info from my body


#3 is great... but at the same time, I've done years of building safety around receiving and integrating information from my body! It's not just about the technique itself.


Resources:

  1. Mentioned the DEAR MAN skill from DBT
  2. Like Your Brain community space
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter
  5. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 59 Lazy On Purpose 59 Lazy On Purpose Sat, 27 Jul 2024 07:33:40 GMT 22:25 66a15c46b4ed238ba5893a62 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66a15c46b4ed238ba5893a62 66a15c46b4ed238ba5893a62 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full I recently took the laziest vacation I ever have, and it was a revelation.

Also, there are usually so many external factors we're not considering while laying on the couch feeling too "lazy" to do something! There are layers.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I recently took the laziest vacation I ever have, and it was a revelation.

Also, there are usually so many external factors we're not considering while laying on the couch feeling too "lazy" to do something! There are layers.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 58 Men Are Not the Enemy 58 Men Are Not the Enemy Sat, 20 Jul 2024 07:33:47 GMT 18:20 669affe3fc4972011b937109 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/669affe3fc4972011b937109 669affe3fc4972011b937109 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (but patriarchy is) full Men are not the enemy...

Some thoughts on identity, community, and responsibility.


Big shout-out to Devon Price's new book, Unlearning Shame: How We Can Reject Self-Blame Culture and Reclaim Our Power


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Men are not the enemy...

Some thoughts on identity, community, and responsibility.


Big shout-out to Devon Price's new book, Unlearning Shame: How We Can Reject Self-Blame Culture and Reclaim Our Power


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Love Your Brain course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I Fucked Up I Fucked Up Sat, 20 Jul 2024 00:35:43 GMT 5:42 669b065f25946be3346a88f1 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/669b065f25946be3346a88f1 669b065f25946be3346a88f1 643789a2ba30d20010916124 mini episode full "felt vulnerable, may delete later"

Quick story/update and to validate that communication is so hard... and so are transitions!


Full audio direct link for Patreon folks


Transcript doc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> "felt vulnerable, may delete later"

Quick story/update and to validate that communication is so hard... and so are transitions!


Full audio direct link for Patreon folks


Transcript doc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 57 How To Make Projects Happen 57 How To Make Projects Happen Sat, 13 Jul 2024 07:33:32 GMT 41:25 668c4827a3adc7b1141a376d true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/668c4827a3adc7b1141a376d 668c4827a3adc7b1141a376d 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full 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 tool
  • Creating just enough structure and safety to get going, without getting bogged down (loose planning)
  • Working with the brain states you have
  • Managing interruptions, inputs, and daily life
  • Finding the balance that works for you


The 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.


Links:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 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 tool
  • Creating just enough structure and safety to get going, without getting bogged down (loose planning)
  • Working with the brain states you have
  • Managing interruptions, inputs, and daily life
  • Finding the balance that works for you


The 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.


Links:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 56 All Problems Are Middle School Problems with Pawel Kowalczyk 56 All Problems Are Middle School Problems with Pawel Kowalczyk Sat, 06 Jul 2024 07:33:32 GMT 1:06:35 66880bd319ce290b0b72085b true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66880bd319ce290b0b72085b 66880bd319ce290b0b72085b 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Pawel Kowalczyk full Pawel, a former middle school teacher in an alternative school, lays out how most of our adult problems were ones we first encountered in middle school. From social groups to complex problem solving, they show up again and again in life.


He also talks about how being a high-masking AuDHDer showed up in life.


Books mentioned:


*And if you're skeptical of Haidt because of his terrible 2018 book, here's a podcast episode that fact checks and brings nuance to claims in The Anxious Generation: If Books Could Kill episode


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space (Pawel's not sharing social media links but is over here with us)
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Love Your Brain now has three elements you can choose from for more accessibility:

  1. Love Your Brain course content
  2. Group coaching and co-working calls
  3. Direct support from Mattia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Pawel, a former middle school teacher in an alternative school, lays out how most of our adult problems were ones we first encountered in middle school. From social groups to complex problem solving, they show up again and again in life.


He also talks about how being a high-masking AuDHDer showed up in life.


Books mentioned:


*And if you're skeptical of Haidt because of his terrible 2018 book, here's a podcast episode that fact checks and brings nuance to claims in The Anxious Generation: If Books Could Kill episode


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space (Pawel's not sharing social media links but is over here with us)
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Love Your Brain now has three elements you can choose from for more accessibility:

  1. Love Your Brain course content
  2. Group coaching and co-working calls
  3. Direct support from Mattia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[55 Achievement Doesn't Define Us]]> Sat, 29 Jun 2024 07:33:55 GMT 31:20 667707103b75e800129c2ba2 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/667707103b75e800129c2ba2 667707103b75e800129c2ba2 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Achievements often feel tied into personal identity. AuDHD folks in particular struggle with achievement pressures, even with just regular neurodivergent demand avoidance.

A few core topics:

  • The joy of supporting others' work and stepping back from being the primary creator
  • Achievements often don't provide the emotions we expect, so it's meaningful to focus on making the process feel better instead
  • Creativity requires boredom and rest
  • And the very surprising thought I had that led to this episode...



Episodes mentioned:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Love Your Brain now has three elements you can choose from for more accessibility:

  1. Love Your Brain course content
  2. Group coaching and co-working calls
  3. Direct support from Mattia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Achievements often feel tied into personal identity. AuDHD folks in particular struggle with achievement pressures, even with just regular neurodivergent demand avoidance.

A few core topics:

  • The joy of supporting others' work and stepping back from being the primary creator
  • Achievements often don't provide the emotions we expect, so it's meaningful to focus on making the process feel better instead
  • Creativity requires boredom and rest
  • And the very surprising thought I had that led to this episode...



Episodes mentioned:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Love Your Brain now has three elements you can choose from for more accessibility:

  1. Love Your Brain course content
  2. Group coaching and co-working calls
  3. Direct support from Mattia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 54 When Dreams Feel Impossible 54 When Dreams Feel Impossible Sat, 22 Jun 2024 07:33:51 GMT 24:42 66746908c23b2c0012835042 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66746908c23b2c0012835042 66746908c23b2c0012835042 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Every creative and interesting person has experienced the feeling that at least some of their big dreams are impossible. And when the current big dream is just surviving, that can be especially challenging. 

 

I share about the emotional side of the ten years when my composition career had an almost 100% rejection rate. And why I'm giving this unusual advice... 

It can be healthy to temporarily let go of dreams that are stressing you out! 

 

Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741741 to reach a volunteer Crisis Counselor on a wide variety of topics


Originally episode 61 on The Longer Road podcast (with minor edits)


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Every creative and interesting person has experienced the feeling that at least some of their big dreams are impossible. And when the current big dream is just surviving, that can be especially challenging. 

 

I share about the emotional side of the ten years when my composition career had an almost 100% rejection rate. And why I'm giving this unusual advice... 

It can be healthy to temporarily let go of dreams that are stressing you out! 

 

Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741741 to reach a volunteer Crisis Counselor on a wide variety of topics


Originally episode 61 on The Longer Road podcast (with minor edits)


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 53 Autistic Stereotypes with Thomas Henley 53 Autistic Stereotypes with Thomas Henley Sat, 15 Jun 2024 07:33:45 GMT 53:12 666b1698fc8fc300123c4ed4 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/666b1698fc8fc300123c4ed4 666b1698fc8fc300123c4ed4 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Thomas Henley educates, normalizes, and actively pushes back against autistic stereotypes and stigma. Check out his highly rated podcast, Thoughty Auti - The Autism Podcast (on which I talked about AuDHD). 


Thomas has made multiple decisions in his life to combat stereotypes, including months of backpacking, and becoming a world-class martial artist, both of which he talks about today. 


We also touch on what some of the lingering stereotypes are, and what helps!


More from Thomas:


This is a slightly edited podcast that was recorded about a year ago for The Longer Road.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thomas Henley educates, normalizes, and actively pushes back against autistic stereotypes and stigma. Check out his highly rated podcast, Thoughty Auti - The Autism Podcast (on which I talked about AuDHD). 


Thomas has made multiple decisions in his life to combat stereotypes, including months of backpacking, and becoming a world-class martial artist, both of which he talks about today. 


We also touch on what some of the lingering stereotypes are, and what helps!


More from Thomas:


This is a slightly edited podcast that was recorded about a year ago for The Longer Road.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 52 You Were Not a Bad Child 52 You Were Not a Bad Child Sat, 08 Jun 2024 09:55:55 GMT 18:12 66635447b46da300128e87fb true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/66635447b46da300128e87fb 66635447b46da300128e87fb 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full You may have internalized the message as a child that there was something wrong or bad about you. Even if it was not explicit, you probably didn't receive some of the attention and delight that would have sent the strong message that your way of being in the world is valid.

Today's message is simple: You were not a bad child. You deserved love and support in a way that made sense to you. 


Thank you to the therapist who walked me through this concept! Thank you to Linda Thai for providing such amazing emotional support through the courses and group coaching I've taken with her. I credit both of them with helping me learn how to reparent myself in a more deep way.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space (where the picture is that I mentioned in the episode... it's visible to all members including free members)
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> You may have internalized the message as a child that there was something wrong or bad about you. Even if it was not explicit, you probably didn't receive some of the attention and delight that would have sent the strong message that your way of being in the world is valid.

Today's message is simple: You were not a bad child. You deserved love and support in a way that made sense to you. 


Thank you to the therapist who walked me through this concept! Thank you to Linda Thai for providing such amazing emotional support through the courses and group coaching I've taken with her. I credit both of them with helping me learn how to reparent myself in a more deep way.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space (where the picture is that I mentioned in the episode... it's visible to all members including free members)
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Don't Make Up For Rest]]> Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:38:00 GMT 13:21 665b3249e9a558001181d09e true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/665b3249e9a558001181d09e 665b3249e9a558001181d09e 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Rest is not something to be made up for later with productivity. Whether it was forced by the body or not.

We deserve to have energy to do what we love!


Love Your Brain now has three elements you can choose from for more accessibility:

  1. Love Your Brain course content
  2. Group coaching and co-working calls
  3. Direct support from Mattia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Rest is not something to be made up for later with productivity. Whether it was forced by the body or not.

We deserve to have energy to do what we love!


Love Your Brain now has three elements you can choose from for more accessibility:

  1. Love Your Brain course content
  2. Group coaching and co-working calls
  3. Direct support from Mattia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 51 Constant Discovery of What Works with Eric Tivers 51 Constant Discovery of What Works with Eric Tivers Sat, 25 May 2024 09:15:51 GMT 45:58 6650cc29c82f830012130396 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6650cc29c82f830012130396 6650cc29c82f830012130396 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Eric Tivers full Eric Tivers has shared 10 years of helpful content on his podcast, ADHD reWired. He's also built multiple careers helping neurodivergent folks: from therapy, to teaching high support need kids, to the current ADHD group programs.

It's a never-ending journey of discovering what works for his current needs and capacity. And the relatively recent discovery of... oh... maybe there's something to this autism thing.


Find Eric and his work at adhdrewired.com


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Eric Tivers has shared 10 years of helpful content on his podcast, ADHD reWired. He's also built multiple careers helping neurodivergent folks: from therapy, to teaching high support need kids, to the current ADHD group programs.

It's a never-ending journey of discovering what works for his current needs and capacity. And the relatively recent discovery of... oh... maybe there's something to this autism thing.


Find Eric and his work at adhdrewired.com


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[50 You're Doing Better Than You Realize]]> Sat, 18 May 2024 09:15:26 GMT 28:16 6647bb252b73150012cce608 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6647bb252b73150012cce608 6647bb252b73150012cce608 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (this is statistically likely) full Multiple times in the past week or two, clients have felt like they're failing miserably. But it turns out they're in complex, difficult, multifaceted situations that don't have an easy answer.

Plus, it's easy to feel like we're never doing enough, or the right thing. If we're solving personal problems, world events loom large. If we're addressing world events, it feels like a drop in the bucket.

Capitalism tells us that there's a straightforward, purchasable solution for every problem. That's a lie.


You're probably doing really well relative to all the complicated issues you face, and the overall lack of support and resources most of us encounter. And if you really believe that's not true... this episode is especially for you!


Link:

Sign up for General Strike in US!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Multiple times in the past week or two, clients have felt like they're failing miserably. But it turns out they're in complex, difficult, multifaceted situations that don't have an easy answer.

Plus, it's easy to feel like we're never doing enough, or the right thing. If we're solving personal problems, world events loom large. If we're addressing world events, it feels like a drop in the bucket.

Capitalism tells us that there's a straightforward, purchasable solution for every problem. That's a lie.


You're probably doing really well relative to all the complicated issues you face, and the overall lack of support and resources most of us encounter. And if you really believe that's not true... this episode is especially for you!


Link:

Sign up for General Strike in US!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 49 Managing Big Feelings 49 Managing Big Feelings Sat, 11 May 2024 14:05:58 GMT 24:42 663f7b462f1d3d0012d328ac true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/663f7b462f1d3d0012d328ac 663f7b462f1d3d0012d328ac 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Big feelings may be harder for monotropic people to handle. And if you have significant sensory sensitivity, the physical sensations can be overwhelming as well.

This episode covers some of the ways I've been approaching grief and helplessness about Gaza.


Links mentioned in show:

  1. Episode 15, How Feelings Work
  2. Lisa Feldman Barrett's book How Emotions Are Made
  3. Al Jazeera article, ‘It’s not human’: What a French doctor saw in Gaza as Israel invaded Rafah
  4. Macklemore song Hind's Hall
  5. Sign up for General Strike in US!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Big feelings may be harder for monotropic people to handle. And if you have significant sensory sensitivity, the physical sensations can be overwhelming as well.

This episode covers some of the ways I've been approaching grief and helplessness about Gaza.


Links mentioned in show:

  1. Episode 15, How Feelings Work
  2. Lisa Feldman Barrett's book How Emotions Are Made
  3. Al Jazeera article, ‘It’s not human’: What a French doctor saw in Gaza as Israel invaded Rafah
  4. Macklemore song Hind's Hall
  5. Sign up for General Strike in US!


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 48 Hack for Demand Avoidance 48 Hack for Demand Avoidance Sat, 04 May 2024 09:10:24 GMT 22:05 662fa804cc81b80012ab6c89 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/662fa804cc81b80012ab6c89 662fa804cc81b80012ab6c89 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full You'll rarely catch me using the term "hack." But this concept around demand avoidance is working great for me, so far...


TLDR: Shortcutting the PDA brain's ability to use pattern recognition to avoid tasks early in a sequence.

Here's the Instagram video by Kristy Forbes that inspired this episode.

While she suggests introducing new sensory details, I'm going the route of sincerely telling myself that we don't need to do the final thing. We're just gonna do this step.


Note: even if this or Kristy's suggestion works for you, there's a good chance you'll get used to it in some form eventually! And that's okay. Sometimes we just have to keep finding new ways to work with our pattern-seeking brains.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> You'll rarely catch me using the term "hack." But this concept around demand avoidance is working great for me, so far...


TLDR: Shortcutting the PDA brain's ability to use pattern recognition to avoid tasks early in a sequence.

Here's the Instagram video by Kristy Forbes that inspired this episode.

While she suggests introducing new sensory details, I'm going the route of sincerely telling myself that we don't need to do the final thing. We're just gonna do this step.


Note: even if this or Kristy's suggestion works for you, there's a good chance you'll get used to it in some form eventually! And that's okay. Sometimes we just have to keep finding new ways to work with our pattern-seeking brains.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mini Safe Being Visible Mini Safe Being Visible Mon, 29 Apr 2024 14:08:15 GMT 11:02 662fa9cff51ce10013854b49 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/662fa9cff51ce10013854b49 662fa9cff51ce10013854b49 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Wow, over 100K listens! People talk a lot about feeling safe being visible—being seen and heard either literally or through putting your work into the world.

While I've done a lot of personal work being comfortable while visible, the Guardian article was a huge bump in visibility. To be fair, the "bad day" I reference was also the kidney infection kicking into full gear (see "Don't Die" a couple episodes ago).

It's also a lot easier to be "brave" being visible when you get almost entirely positive feedback! That usually changes with more visibility.

Enjoying this particular phase and trying not to worry about the next one.


The Guardian article, "The sudden rise of AuDHD"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Wow, over 100K listens! People talk a lot about feeling safe being visible—being seen and heard either literally or through putting your work into the world.

While I've done a lot of personal work being comfortable while visible, the Guardian article was a huge bump in visibility. To be fair, the "bad day" I reference was also the kidney infection kicking into full gear (see "Don't Die" a couple episodes ago).

It's also a lot easier to be "brave" being visible when you get almost entirely positive feedback! That usually changes with more visibility.

Enjoying this particular phase and trying not to worry about the next one.


The Guardian article, "The sudden rise of AuDHD"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 47 Meltdowns in Public 47 Meltdowns in Public Sat, 27 Apr 2024 09:20:18 GMT 23:16 662806b9d8674c0012e1bcfa true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/662806b9d8674c0012e1bcfa 662806b9d8674c0012e1bcfa 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Answering a listener question about how to handle meltdowns and shutdowns at work, and around people you don't trust. This episode covers a few ways to both plan for, push away, and handle meltdowns once they're happening in a public place.


Previous episodes about meltdowns:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Answering a listener question about how to handle meltdowns and shutdowns at work, and around people you don't trust. This episode covers a few ways to both plan for, push away, and handle meltdowns once they're happening in a public place.


Previous episodes about meltdowns:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[46 Don't Die]]> Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:34:33 GMT 14:36 6623c4696556260012cd3753 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6623c4696556260012cd3753 6623c4696556260012cd3753 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full I almost died two weeks ago. It's easy to miss symptoms when one has low interoception and a high pain tolerance.

Episode is around the difficulties seeking care... and why it's very worth it sometimes!


p.s. episodes are coming out on Saturdays now


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. UK study questioning the oft-quoted statistic about autistic people living 16 years less long than allistic people. TLDR: Autistic people do seem to live less long on average, but as many people are undiagnosed, it's hard to get an accurate number.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I almost died two weeks ago. It's easy to miss symptoms when one has low interoception and a high pain tolerance.

Episode is around the difficulties seeking care... and why it's very worth it sometimes!


p.s. episodes are coming out on Saturdays now


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. UK study questioning the oft-quoted statistic about autistic people living 16 years less long than allistic people. TLDR: Autistic people do seem to live less long on average, but as many people are undiagnosed, it's hard to get an accurate number.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 45 Exempt From Human Suffering 45 Exempt From Human Suffering Fri, 12 Apr 2024 17:58:22 GMT 11:32 6619763e2732af00170c1597 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6619763e2732af00170c1597 6619763e2732af00170c1597 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Yes, still on about money. In this case, how we're sold the idea that it will exempt us from human suffering... but it will not!


What would you do with your time if money truly were not an issue?

Do you have any access to that now? Even if it looks different than you think it's supposed to?

What's enjoyable, outside of the paradigm of earning or mastery?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Yes, still on about money. In this case, how we're sold the idea that it will exempt us from human suffering... but it will not!


What would you do with your time if money truly were not an issue?

Do you have any access to that now? Even if it looks different than you think it's supposed to?

What's enjoyable, outside of the paradigm of earning or mastery?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 44 Hypnosis Healing with Genevieve Joy 44 Hypnosis Healing with Genevieve Joy Fri, 05 Apr 2024 09:15:09 GMT 1:09:18 65f499283cf4df00177bb5e1 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65f499283cf4df00177bb5e1 65f499283cf4df00177bb5e1 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Genevieve Joy full Genevieve Joy and I have a lot in common, including excruciating childhoods that led to chronic pain. Both of us also healed that chronic pain through hypnosis and are now enthusiastic about the possibilities of working with the unconscious.


Content note: There are no graphic depictions of trauma in this episode! However, the way we talk about our own healing journey could be triggering to someone who's in extreme pain at the moment. This is in part because we don't go into the nitty gritty details... it could sound dismissive because we're focusing on the "after." Please trust your body and stop listening if it's not for you at the moment.


Connect with Genevieve:

  1. Her website, iamgenevievejoy.com
  2. Her podcast, Become Your Own Savior


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Huberman Lab podcast about Placebo Effect on Biology & Physiology

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Genevieve Joy and I have a lot in common, including excruciating childhoods that led to chronic pain. Both of us also healed that chronic pain through hypnosis and are now enthusiastic about the possibilities of working with the unconscious.


Content note: There are no graphic depictions of trauma in this episode! However, the way we talk about our own healing journey could be triggering to someone who's in extreme pain at the moment. This is in part because we don't go into the nitty gritty details... it could sound dismissive because we're focusing on the "after." Please trust your body and stop listening if it's not for you at the moment.


Connect with Genevieve:

  1. Her website, iamgenevievejoy.com
  2. Her podcast, Become Your Own Savior


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. Huberman Lab podcast about Placebo Effect on Biology & Physiology

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 43 Staying Unhealed 43 Staying Unhealed Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:09:02 GMT 29:27 6606d98e9bc14700169f306a true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6606d98e9bc14700169f306a 6606d98e9bc14700169f306a 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Fixing can be a trauma response. You don't need to heal everything!

Especially in our very fixing-oriented culture that will sell you a solution to problems you didn't even realize you had.


Body-based modalities and working with the unconscious (including hypnosis) are just tools. Just because the tool exists doesn't mean you have to use it. Because someone else healed from something doesn't mean you have to.


This episode touches on some issues around working with the unconscious, including:

  • You can work with your unconscious on your own
  • Self-trust can be complicated if you have sensory issues or trauma
  • Expectations matter a lot, including the vibe with the practitioner
  • Demand avoidance and "tricking" the unconscious
  • ND traits are not blocks to be fixed!


Try Hypnosis / Learn Self-Hypnosis


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Fixing can be a trauma response. You don't need to heal everything!

Especially in our very fixing-oriented culture that will sell you a solution to problems you didn't even realize you had.


Body-based modalities and working with the unconscious (including hypnosis) are just tools. Just because the tool exists doesn't mean you have to use it. Because someone else healed from something doesn't mean you have to.


This episode touches on some issues around working with the unconscious, including:

  • You can work with your unconscious on your own
  • Self-trust can be complicated if you have sensory issues or trauma
  • Expectations matter a lot, including the vibe with the practitioner
  • Demand avoidance and "tricking" the unconscious
  • ND traits are not blocks to be fixed!


Try Hypnosis / Learn Self-Hypnosis


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[42 Connection & Safety with Natalie Ross]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:05:06 GMT 1:06:46 65f49beb3cf4df00177c1d72 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65f49beb3cf4df00177c1d72 65f49beb3cf4df00177c1d72 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Natalie Ross full Natalie loves connection at a nervous system level. How do we have agency with that even when it's beyond our control?

We talk about challenges around connection, in-person vs. online, the power of being around a regulated nervous system, and the power of community.


Connect with Natalie:

  1. Her website, natalie.net
  2. Her podcast, Noticing With Natalie
  3. Former podcast, Earth Speak


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Natalie loves connection at a nervous system level. How do we have agency with that even when it's beyond our control?

We talk about challenges around connection, in-person vs. online, the power of being around a regulated nervous system, and the power of community.


Connect with Natalie:

  1. Her website, natalie.net
  2. Her podcast, Noticing With Natalie
  3. Former podcast, Earth Speak


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Bonus: Mattia on Hacking Your ADHD with William Curb Bonus: Mattia on Hacking Your ADHD with William Curb Sun, 17 Mar 2024 13:14:26 GMT 42:28 65f3a0faa062680017f7730c true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65f3a0faa062680017f7730c 65f3a0faa062680017f7730c 643789a2ba30d20010916124 podcast feed drop full Navigating the Dual Diagnosis of AuDHD. Thanks to William Curb for hosting on the Hacking Your ADHD podcast, and providing the audio to share directly.


You can read the full show notes and transcript here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Navigating the Dual Diagnosis of AuDHD. Thanks to William Curb for hosting on the Hacking Your ADHD podcast, and providing the audio to share directly.


You can read the full show notes and transcript here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 41 The Disappointment of Success 41 The Disappointment of Success Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:30:23 GMT 19:50 65f396b1da458200165a2566 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65f396b1da458200165a2566 65f396b1da458200165a2566 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Success is a complicated topic for AuDHD folks. We're often not praised for what feels the most difficult. Then sometimes told we did an amazing job for something that didn't feel like a big deal.

AuDHD folks often also struggle to achieve traditional success in the workplace and relationships, in large part due to stigma and being disabled by societal factors.

Then, once we actually achieve some kind of success, it can feel way less good than we expected.

It's totally okay to have dreams (big or small)! And it's also useful to ask better questions about why and what we're hoping for once we get there.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Andrew's first email/post: "the No"
  2. Followup: "after the No"
  3. Andrew Simonet interview (episode 31)
  4. ep 9 Asking the Right Questions


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Success is a complicated topic for AuDHD folks. We're often not praised for what feels the most difficult. Then sometimes told we did an amazing job for something that didn't feel like a big deal.

AuDHD folks often also struggle to achieve traditional success in the workplace and relationships, in large part due to stigma and being disabled by societal factors.

Then, once we actually achieve some kind of success, it can feel way less good than we expected.

It's totally okay to have dreams (big or small)! And it's also useful to ask better questions about why and what we're hoping for once we get there.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Andrew's first email/post: "the No"
  2. Followup: "after the No"
  3. Andrew Simonet interview (episode 31)
  4. ep 9 Asking the Right Questions


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 40 Art and Depression with Kal Anderson 40 Art and Depression with Kal Anderson Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:15:21 GMT 52:12 65cd35a6c920920015029035 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65cd35a6c920920015029035 65cd35a6c920920015029035 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Kal Anderson full How does one continue to make art while depressed? Artist Kal Anderson (he/they) has created a large body of work through the ups and downs.

Topics include:

  • Questioning the value of art
  • The process of creating many things you don't like
  • Asking for help
  • Perspective on your work and practice
  • Whether depression is artistically "useful" (spoiler alert: mostly, no)


Connect with Kal:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> How does one continue to make art while depressed? Artist Kal Anderson (he/they) has created a large body of work through the ups and downs.

Topics include:

  • Questioning the value of art
  • The process of creating many things you don't like
  • Asking for help
  • Perspective on your work and practice
  • Whether depression is artistically "useful" (spoiler alert: mostly, no)


Connect with Kal:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Energy Leading to Overwhelm Energy Leading to Overwhelm Mon, 04 Mar 2024 01:46:12 GMT 4:03 65e0e167e795110016391530 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65e0e167e795110016391530 65e0e167e795110016391530 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Mini: 4m full Energy doesn't always feel good. Sometimes it leads directly into overwhelm!


4m mini episode

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Energy doesn't always feel good. Sometimes it leads directly into overwhelm!


4m mini episode

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[39 Autism "Levels" and Monotropism]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:15:44 GMT 26:46 65cd35cc02ec7000164c9fb5 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65cd35cc02ec7000164c9fb5 65cd35cc02ec7000164c9fb5 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Autism "Levels" (1, 2, or 3 in current diagnostic terminology) are not necessarily an accurate reflection of our lived experience.

Reflecting on last week's guest and what "subclinical" autism even means.

How monotropism may, yet again, explain what's going on.

What actually works for us and what supports we need.


Mentioned in episode:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Autism "Levels" (1, 2, or 3 in current diagnostic terminology) are not necessarily an accurate reflection of our lived experience.

Reflecting on last week's guest and what "subclinical" autism even means.

How monotropism may, yet again, explain what's going on.

What actually works for us and what supports we need.


Mentioned in episode:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mini: Pushing Yourself Mini: Pushing Yourself Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:30:39 GMT 6:58 65d8c8304fa56a0016311422 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65d8c8304fa56a0016311422 65d8c8304fa56a0016311422 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full A question I hear a lot: Should I just push through?

It's not all or nothing. Feeling unable to do something right now doesn't mean that all is lost and the day is a complete wash. It's safe to switch to something else. It's safe to change your mind. It's safe to need rest and recovery time.

There is nothing wrong with us. But damn do we need more rest.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> A question I hear a lot: Should I just push through?

It's not all or nothing. Feeling unable to do something right now doesn't mean that all is lost and the day is a complete wash. It's safe to switch to something else. It's safe to change your mind. It's safe to need rest and recovery time.

There is nothing wrong with us. But damn do we need more rest.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[38 What's "Subclinical" Autism? with William Curb]]> Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:15:54 GMT 49:10 65cd35f57c9b980016d066bf true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65cd35f57c9b980016d066bf 65cd35f57c9b980016d066bf 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with William Curb full William Curb hosts the Hacking Your ADHD podcast. We dive into what it means to have a "subclinical" autism diagnosis, and what that implies in the context of having a completely different brain.


Other topics include:

  • The medical model vs. lived experience
  • Handling children's vs. parents' sensory needs
  • Neurodivergent children/household
  • Formal diagnosis process
  • How we view ourselves through this lens
  • Which ND is driving the bus right now?
  • Complicated diagnosis with multiple potential options


Mentioned in the podcast: 

  1. The Hacking Your ADHD website (also contains the podcast linked above)
  2. Will's Twitter @HackingYourADHD


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> William Curb hosts the Hacking Your ADHD podcast. We dive into what it means to have a "subclinical" autism diagnosis, and what that implies in the context of having a completely different brain.


Other topics include:

  • The medical model vs. lived experience
  • Handling children's vs. parents' sensory needs
  • Neurodivergent children/household
  • Formal diagnosis process
  • How we view ourselves through this lens
  • Which ND is driving the bus right now?
  • Complicated diagnosis with multiple potential options


Mentioned in the podcast: 

  1. The Hacking Your ADHD website (also contains the podcast linked above)
  2. Will's Twitter @HackingYourADHD


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[37 Don't Become a Coach for the Money!]]> Fri, 16 Feb 2024 12:00:25 GMT 43:38 65cd3624b3f2920016c94a43 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65cd3624b3f2920016c94a43 65cd3624b3f2920016c94a43 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (unless you hate ethics) full Today we delve into ethical considerations around marketing coaching, including MLM-like tactics, pricing, and the pressure to charge high fees to recoup investments in programs teaching coaches how to market.

One particular thing I learned recently about this history of the coaching world is changing how I think about my own business. Even if you're not a coach, this will be an interesting episode!


Topics include:

  • Following up about last week's conversation with Samantha Pollack about ethics in marketing
  • Why some of the MLM accusations feel true (marketing coaches teaching coaches how to market to other coaches, etc)
  • Courses focused on marketing and selling over coaching skills
  • Why the industry doubled its prices some years ago due to JV/affiliate models
  • Accessibility not just in terms of money but also how AuDHD folks consume content and integrate


Links mentioned in episode:

  1. Survey about having bought courses/coaching
  2. Contact form 
  3. The four video podcasts by Rachael Kay Albers: Thomas Edison to Tony Robbins: The Online Business Family Tree, Six Figure Masterminds, Marie Forleo, and The Syndicate, ClickFunnels, Fake it 'til you make it, & Moneyball, Fix From Within or Burn It All Down? What Next? 


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Today we delve into ethical considerations around marketing coaching, including MLM-like tactics, pricing, and the pressure to charge high fees to recoup investments in programs teaching coaches how to market.

One particular thing I learned recently about this history of the coaching world is changing how I think about my own business. Even if you're not a coach, this will be an interesting episode!


Topics include:

  • Following up about last week's conversation with Samantha Pollack about ethics in marketing
  • Why some of the MLM accusations feel true (marketing coaches teaching coaches how to market to other coaches, etc)
  • Courses focused on marketing and selling over coaching skills
  • Why the industry doubled its prices some years ago due to JV/affiliate models
  • Accessibility not just in terms of money but also how AuDHD folks consume content and integrate


Links mentioned in episode:

  1. Survey about having bought courses/coaching
  2. Contact form 
  3. The four video podcasts by Rachael Kay Albers: Thomas Edison to Tony Robbins: The Online Business Family Tree, Six Figure Masterminds, Marie Forleo, and The Syndicate, ClickFunnels, Fake it 'til you make it, & Moneyball, Fix From Within or Burn It All Down? What Next? 


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 36 Ethical Marketing with Samantha Pollack 36 Ethical Marketing with Samantha Pollack Fri, 09 Feb 2024 10:05:26 GMT 1:15:46 65c142a09bd8110015afc475 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65c142a09bd8110015afc475 65c142a09bd8110015afc475 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Samantha Pollack full Marketing ends up relevant to many AuDHD people at some point, in part because many of us end up freelancing at some point out of desire or necessity. Many of us end up resisting it because of our strong ethics.


I'd already blogged Samantha's amazing Substack article, "Conventional Marketing Ain't Workin' Anymore." And was ecstatic when she said yes to a deep dive on why making friends with marketing is important for any small business owner or service provider.


We talk about:

  • How making friends can be a (chill) marketing activity
  • Drawing in the people you like working with
  • Why a lot of B2B marketing is dishonest at heart
  • Evaluating whether social media is working for you
  • A super simple approach to marketing that feels ethical
  • How as a consumer, a lot of marketing is just noise


This episode is interesting from the consumer side, even if you don't ever create marketing!


Connect with Sam:

  1. Substack: The Cult of Personality Soapbox
  2. Instagram @cultofpersonality
  3. Sales Page Framework (50% discount for podcast listeners is reflected when you click to buy)
  4. Email list signup (scroll down)


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Marketing ends up relevant to many AuDHD people at some point, in part because many of us end up freelancing at some point out of desire or necessity. Many of us end up resisting it because of our strong ethics.


I'd already blogged Samantha's amazing Substack article, "Conventional Marketing Ain't Workin' Anymore." And was ecstatic when she said yes to a deep dive on why making friends with marketing is important for any small business owner or service provider.


We talk about:

  • How making friends can be a (chill) marketing activity
  • Drawing in the people you like working with
  • Why a lot of B2B marketing is dishonest at heart
  • Evaluating whether social media is working for you
  • A super simple approach to marketing that feels ethical
  • How as a consumer, a lot of marketing is just noise


This episode is interesting from the consumer side, even if you don't ever create marketing!


Connect with Sam:

  1. Substack: The Cult of Personality Soapbox
  2. Instagram @cultofpersonality
  3. Sales Page Framework (50% discount for podcast listeners is reflected when you click to buy)
  4. Email list signup (scroll down)


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 35 How Much Time Does Creating Take? 35 How Much Time Does Creating Take? Fri, 02 Feb 2024 10:15:17 GMT 28:20 65bab879c7d0d30016e00b8e true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65bab879c7d0d30016e00b8e 65bab879c7d0d30016e00b8e 643789a2ba30d20010916124 spoiler alert: 2x-10x more than you might want full This is the first of at least two follow-up episodes about monotropism responding to the work of Fergus Murray, interview guest in episode 034 Monotropism Might Explain Everything.


If you base your ideas about how long it should take to create on societal messages, you might be trying to "squeeze it in" around all your other obligations. But monotropic brains (which AuDHD brains typically are) might need more transition time to get into the right frame of mind. Not only to get things done, but for the process to be more enjoyable, which is a major goal for me creatively.


You can learn more about the Monotropism Questionnaire here, and take the quiz here (checkbox near top of page lets you save your results and come back later).

If you're in Like Your Brain, come tell us your score! We've been talking about it :)


p.s. I'm very proud of myself for practicing what I preach. While working on this episode, I'd told my partner I was recording. Then as I was 75% done with editing, they tried to interrupt me to come do a house task with no warning. I said no! That felt like a big deal because letting myself follow this task to completion felt really good, and I would have been battling dysregulation if I'd gone to do something completely unrelated.


Some links Fergus recommended for further reading on monotropism:

  1. ADHD and Monotropism
  2. Monotropism in Practice
  3. Loops of Concern (self-help for autistic rumination)
  4. Autism Tips for Teachers


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc (as of posting this episode in early Feb 2024, I'm a few episodes behind & hoping to catch up soon!)
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is the first of at least two follow-up episodes about monotropism responding to the work of Fergus Murray, interview guest in episode 034 Monotropism Might Explain Everything.


If you base your ideas about how long it should take to create on societal messages, you might be trying to "squeeze it in" around all your other obligations. But monotropic brains (which AuDHD brains typically are) might need more transition time to get into the right frame of mind. Not only to get things done, but for the process to be more enjoyable, which is a major goal for me creatively.


You can learn more about the Monotropism Questionnaire here, and take the quiz here (checkbox near top of page lets you save your results and come back later).

If you're in Like Your Brain, come tell us your score! We've been talking about it :)


p.s. I'm very proud of myself for practicing what I preach. While working on this episode, I'd told my partner I was recording. Then as I was 75% done with editing, they tried to interrupt me to come do a house task with no warning. I said no! That felt like a big deal because letting myself follow this task to completion felt really good, and I would have been battling dysregulation if I'd gone to do something completely unrelated.


Some links Fergus recommended for further reading on monotropism:

  1. ADHD and Monotropism
  2. Monotropism in Practice
  3. Loops of Concern (self-help for autistic rumination)
  4. Autism Tips for Teachers


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc (as of posting this episode in early Feb 2024, I'm a few episodes behind & hoping to catch up soon!)
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 34 Monotropism Might Explain Everything with Fergus Murray 34 Monotropism Might Explain Everything with Fergus Murray Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:15:48 GMT 1:00:48 65b2ca5c912de90017a494be true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65b2ca5c912de90017a494be 65b2ca5c912de90017a494be 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Fergus Murray full Monotropism is a powerful description of a narrowed field of attention and interests that, for many, explains much of the autistic experience. Fergus Murray (they/them) shares about this topic both from personal experience, and as the child of Dinah Murray, one of the people who developed the term and theory.


Healing from neurodivergent burnout requires understanding your monotropic brain and avoiding monotropic split as much as possible. And fun fact, as Fergus points out: in the original validation study, AuDHD people were the most monotropic!


The title reflects both monotropism as an excellent theory about potentially multiple neurodivergences, as well as the tendency of monotropic people to end up seeing connections between diverse fields.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Fergus's website: oolong.co.uk
  2. Monotropism Questionnaire
  3. Autism and Mental Health free course (free for first 90 days)


Connect with Fergus & learn more about monotropism:

Fergus's LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/0olong

Monotropism: https://monotropism.org

ADHD and Monotropism


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Monotropism is a powerful description of a narrowed field of attention and interests that, for many, explains much of the autistic experience. Fergus Murray (they/them) shares about this topic both from personal experience, and as the child of Dinah Murray, one of the people who developed the term and theory.


Healing from neurodivergent burnout requires understanding your monotropic brain and avoiding monotropic split as much as possible. And fun fact, as Fergus points out: in the original validation study, AuDHD people were the most monotropic!


The title reflects both monotropism as an excellent theory about potentially multiple neurodivergences, as well as the tendency of monotropic people to end up seeing connections between diverse fields.


Mentioned in episode:

  1. Fergus's website: oolong.co.uk
  2. Monotropism Questionnaire
  3. Autism and Mental Health free course (free for first 90 days)


Connect with Fergus & learn more about monotropism:

Fergus's LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/0olong

Monotropism: https://monotropism.org

ADHD and Monotropism


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 33 3 Common AuDHD Concerns 33 3 Common AuDHD Concerns Fri, 19 Jan 2024 19:44:11 GMT 47:32 65aa9e6443029e00165887c3 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65aa9e6443029e00165887c3 65aa9e6443029e00165887c3 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (and what seems to help) full There are three interrelated concerns that I hear over and over from AuDHD folks:

  1. They don't see a clear pathway from what they love or are good at to making enough money.
  2. Strong ethics and values make it difficult to imagine a sustainable life, i.e. making enough money to let things be easier.
  3. Undervaluing the things that are easy for them (while feeling a lot of guilt or shame about struggling with the things that are hard for them: didn't talk about this half much)

They are not necessarily AuDHD-specific concerns, but we have some unique needs around resolving them.

This episode shares personal examples (including talking about my 2023 earnings) to build out a holistic picture of what it looks like to be in the process with all of these concerns.


Here are some conversation prompts if you want to talk to someone about #3:

  • Let the person know that you're trying to sort out what skills and talents you have that you might be overlooking or undervaluing. I recommend both recording the conversation and asking the other person to take notes so you can get their perspective. 
  • Talk through (or write out if this is via email, though I recommend a live conversation if possible) your history with work and/or creative practice, and ways you've helped people. This can include free things such as volunteering. Make sure you also talk about what you've loved and what has felt easy and fun! Start turning this into a list of skills.
  • Ask the other person for feedback on what stands out, and how they might describe or add to your list of skills. Have them ask you questions to draw out more information!
  • Go back and forth adding to that list of skills, getting as specific as both of you can. Then get that person's opinion on what stands out as anything you might be undervaluing.


Mentioned

book The Art of Impossible by Steven Kotler

From Burnout to Flourishing training for organizations, email mattia@mattiamauree.com for more info

Episode 10: Money & Surviving Capitalism

New Year: Map Your Intention session


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> There are three interrelated concerns that I hear over and over from AuDHD folks:

  1. They don't see a clear pathway from what they love or are good at to making enough money.
  2. Strong ethics and values make it difficult to imagine a sustainable life, i.e. making enough money to let things be easier.
  3. Undervaluing the things that are easy for them (while feeling a lot of guilt or shame about struggling with the things that are hard for them: didn't talk about this half much)

They are not necessarily AuDHD-specific concerns, but we have some unique needs around resolving them.

This episode shares personal examples (including talking about my 2023 earnings) to build out a holistic picture of what it looks like to be in the process with all of these concerns.


Here are some conversation prompts if you want to talk to someone about #3:

  • Let the person know that you're trying to sort out what skills and talents you have that you might be overlooking or undervaluing. I recommend both recording the conversation and asking the other person to take notes so you can get their perspective. 
  • Talk through (or write out if this is via email, though I recommend a live conversation if possible) your history with work and/or creative practice, and ways you've helped people. This can include free things such as volunteering. Make sure you also talk about what you've loved and what has felt easy and fun! Start turning this into a list of skills.
  • Ask the other person for feedback on what stands out, and how they might describe or add to your list of skills. Have them ask you questions to draw out more information!
  • Go back and forth adding to that list of skills, getting as specific as both of you can. Then get that person's opinion on what stands out as anything you might be undervaluing.


Mentioned

book The Art of Impossible by Steven Kotler

From Burnout to Flourishing training for organizations, email mattia@mattiamauree.com for more info

Episode 10: Money & Surviving Capitalism

New Year: Map Your Intention session


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Resources Blog & Contact Form
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mini: Fire Your Business Coach Mini: Fire Your Business Coach Sat, 13 Jan 2024 23:37:20 GMT 17:04 65a31eb15572080017fcd5b5 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65a31eb15572080017fcd5b5 65a31eb15572080017fcd5b5 643789a2ba30d20010916124 bonus If you're not paying your business coach from ample profit in your business, it's likely not worth it. Especially when the book Profit First + a free accountability buddy can get you there instead.


My biggest regret in my business was not implementing the profit first system when I first read the book in 2021, the first year I made good money in two businesses. I subsequently wasted a bunch of that money on expensive courses and coaching that weren't a good fit, because I was trying to find "the answer."


If you'd like support either implementing in your business or creative practice over the next few weeks, I'm going to be scheduling coworking hours (and probably a chat space) over the next few weeks. This is free, by the way...not sure if I said that in the episode!

If you'd like that, please send me your email & what you'd like to work on here. If at least five people sign up I'll get that going officially and email y'all.


And if you'd like to share your experiences buying courses and/or coaching, I made an anonymous survey here. The first section is general and should take less than 5 minutes to fill out. The second section could take longer if you really want to dig into details and share more. But anything is interesting and useful, and I'll share those results on a future episode (again, anonymously).


Mentioned in episode:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> If you're not paying your business coach from ample profit in your business, it's likely not worth it. Especially when the book Profit First + a free accountability buddy can get you there instead.


My biggest regret in my business was not implementing the profit first system when I first read the book in 2021, the first year I made good money in two businesses. I subsequently wasted a bunch of that money on expensive courses and coaching that weren't a good fit, because I was trying to find "the answer."


If you'd like support either implementing in your business or creative practice over the next few weeks, I'm going to be scheduling coworking hours (and probably a chat space) over the next few weeks. This is free, by the way...not sure if I said that in the episode!

If you'd like that, please send me your email & what you'd like to work on here. If at least five people sign up I'll get that going officially and email y'all.


And if you'd like to share your experiences buying courses and/or coaching, I made an anonymous survey here. The first section is general and should take less than 5 minutes to fill out. The second section could take longer if you really want to dig into details and share more. But anything is interesting and useful, and I'll share those results on a future episode (again, anonymously).


Mentioned in episode:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 32 Whales and Our World with grace allerdice 32 Whales and Our World with grace allerdice Fri, 12 Jan 2024 12:10:55 GMT 54:40 659ee384d18deb0016d18eaa true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/659ee384d18deb0016d18eaa 659ee384d18deb0016d18eaa 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with grace allerdice full grace allerdice shares about her passions for whales. Their place in myth, their role as bridge creatures, and how they are composers who sing a grid around the world every year.

We dive into whale song, how terrifying and mesmerizing whales can be, and how deeply we both connect with the ocean and these huge mammals.


First of hopefully many special interest episodes, when a guest talks about their passion and we go with the flow! If you'd like to share about a special interest or recommend a topic, please reach out.


Mentioned in podcast:

  1. grace's main website and home—body podcast website
  2. Rick Rubin's book The Creative ACT
  3. grace's podcast episode that talks about whales (episode is mostly about astrology)
  4. grace also recommends Something Large & Wild, episode on This is Love about an encounter with a baby whale


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> grace allerdice shares about her passions for whales. Their place in myth, their role as bridge creatures, and how they are composers who sing a grid around the world every year.

We dive into whale song, how terrifying and mesmerizing whales can be, and how deeply we both connect with the ocean and these huge mammals.


First of hopefully many special interest episodes, when a guest talks about their passion and we go with the flow! If you'd like to share about a special interest or recommend a topic, please reach out.


Mentioned in podcast:

  1. grace's main website and home—body podcast website
  2. Rick Rubin's book The Creative ACT
  3. grace's podcast episode that talks about whales (episode is mostly about astrology)
  4. grace also recommends Something Large & Wild, episode on This is Love about an encounter with a baby whale


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 31 Designing a Liberated Life with Andrew Simonet 31 Designing a Liberated Life with Andrew Simonet Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:00:56 GMT 1:06:10 6596ec3d4043460016c6032a true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6596ec3d4043460016c6032a 6596ec3d4043460016c6032a 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Andrew Simonet full Andrew Simonet is a Philadelphia-based dancer/choreographer and now novelist who has been massively influential in my own life. His Artist's U and book/workbook Making Your Life As An Artist helped me build the foundations of the business side of my music career.

We talk about

  • the design problems in our lives
  • how many things are blamed on character flaws that are actually design issues
  • the liberatory nature of not only the artist's life, but a well-designed life
  • how designing your life to meet your own needs liberates you


After we spoke, Andrew wanted to add:

"However you have worked out your ability to create, to make things, to get things done, to get through your day, know that there are a lot of other artists and creatives out there who might benefit from hearing your solutions. Not only are your tools and rhythms and strategies valid, they’re hugely valuable. All of us are figuring out how to nourish our spirits and bodies and minds in this strange techno-capitalist world, and we could learn a lot from hearing how you do it."


And in the extended full interview (we talked for another 20 minutes) here, Andrew asked about how my partner and I navigate our relationship since they do so much for me. He also asked about spaces for AuDHD teens, and personally I don't know of any that are BOTH youth-led/accepting AND have very accurate info. (TikTok for example has the former but a good amount of misinformation.) If you have recommendations for AuDHD teen spaces, let me know at mattia@mattiamauree.com!


Andrew's links:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Andrew Simonet is a Philadelphia-based dancer/choreographer and now novelist who has been massively influential in my own life. His Artist's U and book/workbook Making Your Life As An Artist helped me build the foundations of the business side of my music career.

We talk about

  • the design problems in our lives
  • how many things are blamed on character flaws that are actually design issues
  • the liberatory nature of not only the artist's life, but a well-designed life
  • how designing your life to meet your own needs liberates you


After we spoke, Andrew wanted to add:

"However you have worked out your ability to create, to make things, to get things done, to get through your day, know that there are a lot of other artists and creatives out there who might benefit from hearing your solutions. Not only are your tools and rhythms and strategies valid, they’re hugely valuable. All of us are figuring out how to nourish our spirits and bodies and minds in this strange techno-capitalist world, and we could learn a lot from hearing how you do it."


And in the extended full interview (we talked for another 20 minutes) here, Andrew asked about how my partner and I navigate our relationship since they do so much for me. He also asked about spaces for AuDHD teens, and personally I don't know of any that are BOTH youth-led/accepting AND have very accurate info. (TikTok for example has the former but a good amount of misinformation.) If you have recommendations for AuDHD teen spaces, let me know at mattia@mattiamauree.com!


Andrew's links:


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Mini: No, the World Doesn't Need More "Good Rich People"]]> Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:52:38 GMT 8:55 6596fe770f650a0017ae011d true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6596fe770f650a0017ae011d 6596fe770f650a0017ae011d 643789a2ba30d20010916124 a mini rant about this phrase full No, more "good rich people" are not going to save the world. Not the least because the amount of money required to create systemic change (i.e. being a billionaire) seems to make one uninterested in systemic change... I wonder why?

p.s. the real answer is community organizing: power and strength in numbers!


The main problem with this idea is that if you try to massively redistribute wealth, at least in the USA the government will come down hard on you.

For example, I once read that the Black Panthers were much more heavily targeted by the US government after they started providing large numbers of free meals to Black children. (p.s. the link there is to a generally good source, but I can't remember the book I read the actual idea in, unfortunately)


This is also NOT an admonition not to become financially stable! I want more financial stability for all of us... but that doesn't require buying into shitty ideas.


If you like the Mini episode format or have a topic idea, please say so here!


Mentioned in Episode:

  1. Episode 10: Money & Surviving Capitalism
  2. Episode 20: Poverty is Not Your Fault!
  3. Sam Pollack's Substack post "Conventional Marketing Ain't Workin' Anymore," and my take on it
  4. My Book recommendation for Get Good With Money by Tiffany Aliche, and the direct link to the book
  5. How Trauma & CPTSD Cause Underearning


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> No, more "good rich people" are not going to save the world. Not the least because the amount of money required to create systemic change (i.e. being a billionaire) seems to make one uninterested in systemic change... I wonder why?

p.s. the real answer is community organizing: power and strength in numbers!


The main problem with this idea is that if you try to massively redistribute wealth, at least in the USA the government will come down hard on you.

For example, I once read that the Black Panthers were much more heavily targeted by the US government after they started providing large numbers of free meals to Black children. (p.s. the link there is to a generally good source, but I can't remember the book I read the actual idea in, unfortunately)


This is also NOT an admonition not to become financially stable! I want more financial stability for all of us... but that doesn't require buying into shitty ideas.


If you like the Mini episode format or have a topic idea, please say so here!


Mentioned in Episode:

  1. Episode 10: Money & Surviving Capitalism
  2. Episode 20: Poverty is Not Your Fault!
  3. Sam Pollack's Substack post "Conventional Marketing Ain't Workin' Anymore," and my take on it
  4. My Book recommendation for Get Good With Money by Tiffany Aliche, and the direct link to the book
  5. How Trauma & CPTSD Cause Underearning


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mini: Your Presence Matters Mini: Your Presence Matters Mon, 01 Jan 2024 02:27:36 GMT 6:18 659223182f25e9001873e9c4 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/659223182f25e9001873e9c4 659223182f25e9001873e9c4 643789a2ba30d20010916124 bonus Thank you for listening. Knowing you get me is very meaningful, and I'm sure it is for the other neurodivergent folks in your life. Thanks for being you!

Keep it up, you're doing great, and see you in the new year :)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thank you for listening. Knowing you get me is very meaningful, and I'm sure it is for the other neurodivergent folks in your life. Thanks for being you!

Keep it up, you're doing great, and see you in the new year :)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 30 Doing Your Best 30 Doing Your Best Thu, 28 Dec 2023 20:37:28 GMT 27:14 658ddc89ce70060016808cc4 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/658ddc89ce70060016808cc4 658ddc89ce70060016808cc4 643789a2ba30d20010916124 what does it mean to do your best? full AuDHD folks have a complicated relationship with the idea of doing our best, because of our spiky profiles and cyclical energy. Also, we often seem to be trying harder than the people around us...whether or not that results in getting anywhere.

There are many reasons that the brain might "hit a wall" and be unable to continue.

Defining our best as "a bit better than average" is one approach (though I haven't convinced my own brain of that one yet).


Some potential questions for reflection:

  1. What does doing your best mean to you? How do you know when you’re doing your best? 
  2. How would it feel to know that you’re doing your best most or all of the time? 
  3. Did this awaken a critical voice in your mind? Does that feel like your voice or someone else’s? Is this voice actually helping you, and either way, is this the main voice you want to live by? 
  4. When have you felt compassion for someone else who is obviously trying their best? This could be a child, or someone in the process of learning something. 
  5. Why do you feel driven to do your best, if that’s something you often feel? 


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 31st, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.

If you have questions about whether your specific project or situation fits, you can email mattia@mattiamauree.com.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> AuDHD folks have a complicated relationship with the idea of doing our best, because of our spiky profiles and cyclical energy. Also, we often seem to be trying harder than the people around us...whether or not that results in getting anywhere.

There are many reasons that the brain might "hit a wall" and be unable to continue.

Defining our best as "a bit better than average" is one approach (though I haven't convinced my own brain of that one yet).


Some potential questions for reflection:

  1. What does doing your best mean to you? How do you know when you’re doing your best? 
  2. How would it feel to know that you’re doing your best most or all of the time? 
  3. Did this awaken a critical voice in your mind? Does that feel like your voice or someone else’s? Is this voice actually helping you, and either way, is this the main voice you want to live by? 
  4. When have you felt compassion for someone else who is obviously trying their best? This could be a child, or someone in the process of learning something. 
  5. Why do you feel driven to do your best, if that’s something you often feel? 


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 31st, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.

If you have questions about whether your specific project or situation fits, you can email mattia@mattiamauree.com.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 29 Becoming Your Next Self 29 Becoming Your Next Self Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:37:48 GMT 15:06 6585ad4de9ff07001676050e true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6585ad4de9ff07001676050e 6585ad4de9ff07001676050e 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Becoming the next version of ourself isn't about forcing. It's about that natural process of embodiment when suddenly, this is who we are now. Usually by the time we've fully embodied something, it kind of feels like we've always been this way.

It's a difficult process to describe from inside it... but understanding the process you're in can be a relief!

(And first 3.5 minutes are talking about the ADHD meds shortage and letting my brain do things that are easier for it)


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 31st, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Becoming the next version of ourself isn't about forcing. It's about that natural process of embodiment when suddenly, this is who we are now. Usually by the time we've fully embodied something, it kind of feels like we've always been this way.

It's a difficult process to describe from inside it... but understanding the process you're in can be a relief!

(And first 3.5 minutes are talking about the ADHD meds shortage and letting my brain do things that are easier for it)


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 31st, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  3. Transcript Doc
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 28 Punk Artist vs. Day Job Life with my world iz blue 28 Punk Artist vs. Day Job Life with my world iz blue Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:15:37 GMT 58:23 657b5d55eb643e0017577e1f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/657b5d55eb643e0017577e1f 657b5d55eb643e0017577e1f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Guest: my world iz blue full Alternate title: AuDHD Unmasking & Activism


Artist, skateboarder, special ed teacher, and AuDHD activist my world iz blue talks about his recent Autism and ADHD diagnoses... and the burnout that led to them.

He originally learned how to live unmasked by being labeled as an artist, i.e. someone who will be themselves regardless. However, that way of life directly clashes with what's required in the professional world.

We talk about how neurodivergent kids (and adults) are treated in school, what elements of a better world would look like, movement and mental health, and how collective action is our main option if we want to make the world better for all of us.


Connect & find his art on Instagram @myworldizblue


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 31st, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.



Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Alternate title: AuDHD Unmasking & Activism


Artist, skateboarder, special ed teacher, and AuDHD activist my world iz blue talks about his recent Autism and ADHD diagnoses... and the burnout that led to them.

He originally learned how to live unmasked by being labeled as an artist, i.e. someone who will be themselves regardless. However, that way of life directly clashes with what's required in the professional world.

We talk about how neurodivergent kids (and adults) are treated in school, what elements of a better world would look like, movement and mental health, and how collective action is our main option if we want to make the world better for all of us.


Connect & find his art on Instagram @myworldizblue


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 31st, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.



Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. AuDHDFlourishing.com
  4. Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Bonus: Planning Workshop Bonus: Planning Workshop Thu, 14 Dec 2023 19:33:35 GMT 31:56 657b58901035dd001673dcef true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/657b58901035dd001673dcef 657b58901035dd001673dcef 643789a2ba30d20010916124 personal intentions for the new year bonus Bonus workshop from Like Your Brain (with client speaking cut out for privacy) on setting a personal intention or three for the new year that feels motivating and interesting to you. Of course you can use this method for any area of your life such as career.


Traditional goal-setting starts with where you want to "arrive." We start with how you want to FEEL, and what helps you feel that way. 


The reason I'm focusing on feelings and personal aims is that we often put our best energy into professional life, relationships, other people, and generally things we think we're supposed to do. If there's something that makes you feel REALLY REALLY GOOD, I want that to be elevated to the status of Annual Goal ;) (if you want that... we'll talk about ways to approach this without the goal word also)


The questions if you want to write about them:

  1. What makes you happy, feel good, etc (or however else you want to feel)? Or what kinds of experiences do you enjoy (what brings you pleasure or is interesting to you)? When you think about times you feel good, or like the way you're feeling, how might you describe that? 
  2. What activities, situations, people etc support you in experiencing or feeling that way? Are there any patterns you notice when you think about the times that you've felt this way?
  3. What are some potential goals that might move you toward that?
  4. Is there one that stands out that you'd like to work with? What might this look like for next year? What's feeling like something you could feasibly start moving toward soonish?
  5. What do you need to support this? What do you already have at your disposal that might support it? What would you need to add to your life in terms of people, resources, learning, time, actual physical objects, etc to support this potential intention or desire?


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 25th, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.


Full call including everyone's comments over on the Like Your Brain community

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Bonus workshop from Like Your Brain (with client speaking cut out for privacy) on setting a personal intention or three for the new year that feels motivating and interesting to you. Of course you can use this method for any area of your life such as career.


Traditional goal-setting starts with where you want to "arrive." We start with how you want to FEEL, and what helps you feel that way. 


The reason I'm focusing on feelings and personal aims is that we often put our best energy into professional life, relationships, other people, and generally things we think we're supposed to do. If there's something that makes you feel REALLY REALLY GOOD, I want that to be elevated to the status of Annual Goal ;) (if you want that... we'll talk about ways to approach this without the goal word also)


The questions if you want to write about them:

  1. What makes you happy, feel good, etc (or however else you want to feel)? Or what kinds of experiences do you enjoy (what brings you pleasure or is interesting to you)? When you think about times you feel good, or like the way you're feeling, how might you describe that? 
  2. What activities, situations, people etc support you in experiencing or feeling that way? Are there any patterns you notice when you think about the times that you've felt this way?
  3. What are some potential goals that might move you toward that?
  4. Is there one that stands out that you'd like to work with? What might this look like for next year? What's feeling like something you could feasibly start moving toward soonish?
  5. What do you need to support this? What do you already have at your disposal that might support it? What would you need to add to your life in terms of people, resources, learning, time, actual physical objects, etc to support this potential intention or desire?


New Year: Map Your Intention session

Bonus: for folks who check out by Dec 25th, I'll also be providing a bonus follow-up email with suggested resources that I'll research for you after our call.


Full call including everyone's comments over on the Like Your Brain community

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Mini: If You're Struggling]]> Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:26:41 GMT 5:39 657a21923d9b3700170e734a true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/657a21923d9b3700170e734a 657a21923d9b3700170e734a 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (the answer is probably not shiny crap) bonus If you're struggling, whether that's just a bad day, a longer stretch, or that very relatable feeling that all of life has been irredeemably difficult and that no one understands or can help... I just wanted to take a moment to validate and make space for those feelings.

You're not alone... and at the same time we can end up feeling very alone.

If you need to numb out from these feelings, it can help to acknowledge that it feels unbearable and that you're choosing temporary escape. We all do it and it can be a healthy coping mechanism!

Binaural music is the tool I suggested searching free versions of online.


What are some free and easy ways that you can feel a bit better, to get out of your head a little bit, to help the body get what it needs?

What are some accessible resources already at your disposal that have made you feel better in the past?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> If you're struggling, whether that's just a bad day, a longer stretch, or that very relatable feeling that all of life has been irredeemably difficult and that no one understands or can help... I just wanted to take a moment to validate and make space for those feelings.

You're not alone... and at the same time we can end up feeling very alone.

If you need to numb out from these feelings, it can help to acknowledge that it feels unbearable and that you're choosing temporary escape. We all do it and it can be a healthy coping mechanism!

Binaural music is the tool I suggested searching free versions of online.


What are some free and easy ways that you can feel a bit better, to get out of your head a little bit, to help the body get what it needs?

What are some accessible resources already at your disposal that have made you feel better in the past?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 27 Rituals to Replace Habits 27 Rituals to Replace Habits Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:06:18 GMT 11:54 65733efac1932700110957d8 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65733efac1932700110957d8 65733efac1932700110957d8 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Neurodivergent folks may not experience habits in the way they're traditionally talked about. Specifically, they may never become truly "background," and instead we remain in the active decision-making mode.

To that end, I've personally found it much more helpful to create rituals rather than habits. It explicitly acknowledges that this is an active process as opposed to a background habit, which is more honest about how our brains work. It also triggers my PDA (demand avoidance) far less!

This episode suggests some starting points, including:

  1. Choosing a task or time of day to build ritual around
  2. Finding your "why" and brainstorming possibilities
  3. Pare down to an initial ritual of a few steps
  4. Gather materials


Other podcasts/episodes mentioned:

AuDHD: The Science of Autism & ADHD on Sci Guys

Divergent Conversations podcast


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. AuDHDFlourishing.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Neurodivergent folks may not experience habits in the way they're traditionally talked about. Specifically, they may never become truly "background," and instead we remain in the active decision-making mode.

To that end, I've personally found it much more helpful to create rituals rather than habits. It explicitly acknowledges that this is an active process as opposed to a background habit, which is more honest about how our brains work. It also triggers my PDA (demand avoidance) far less!

This episode suggests some starting points, including:

  1. Choosing a task or time of day to build ritual around
  2. Finding your "why" and brainstorming possibilities
  3. Pare down to an initial ritual of a few steps
  4. Gather materials


Other podcasts/episodes mentioned:

AuDHD: The Science of Autism & ADHD on Sci Guys

Divergent Conversations podcast


Resources:

  1. Like Your Brain community space
  2. Transcript Doc
  3. Email Newsletter
  4. AuDHDFlourishing.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[26 Professional AuDHD Challenges & Strengths with Matt]]> Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT 48:42 65678d488eb9a9001150f8dc true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65678d488eb9a9001150f8dc 65678d488eb9a9001150f8dc 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Matt made a career as a lawyer that worked for his brain... then found out he's AuDHD. He shares some of the challenges and strengths that have shaped his career.

This is helpful for any AuDHDer with professional struggles, and especially if you're in or are considering a client-facing career.

Note that we're not using his last name in the show notes or description for SEO reasons at his request, but he's happy to connect with young or aspiring AuDHD lawyers who are looking for mentorship or advice!


You can also connect with Matt on Twitter at matt_cam



Like Your Brain community space

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Matt made a career as a lawyer that worked for his brain... then found out he's AuDHD. He shares some of the challenges and strengths that have shaped his career.

This is helpful for any AuDHDer with professional struggles, and especially if you're in or are considering a client-facing career.

Note that we're not using his last name in the show notes or description for SEO reasons at his request, but he's happy to connect with young or aspiring AuDHD lawyers who are looking for mentorship or advice!


You can also connect with Matt on Twitter at matt_cam



Like Your Brain community space

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 25 The Power of Honest Gratitude 25 The Power of Honest Gratitude Thu, 23 Nov 2023 12:00:43 GMT 15:56 655ea71f2578260012bf1c88 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/655ea71f2578260012bf1c88 655ea71f2578260012bf1c88 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full A simple practice blending honesty with your current feelings plus any gratitude that may arise. Including how to use this to smooth over social or family concerns... good luck with any holidays you celebrate!


p.s. there's a new website up at audhdflourishing.com! It's still under construction so please pardon any broken links... should be spruced up within the next week :)


Like Your Brain community space

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> A simple practice blending honesty with your current feelings plus any gratitude that may arise. Including how to use this to smooth over social or family concerns... good luck with any holidays you celebrate!


p.s. there's a new website up at audhdflourishing.com! It's still under construction so please pardon any broken links... should be spruced up within the next week :)


Like Your Brain community space

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 24 Redefining Creative Success with Chris Hale 24 Redefining Creative Success with Chris Hale Fri, 17 Nov 2023 12:30:14 GMT 59:02 65550c645eb5d30012ae46f6 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65550c645eb5d30012ae46f6 65550c645eb5d30012ae46f6 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Thanks to Chris Hale for this cross-posted episode from his podcast, You Need a Coach B*tch!


We talk about:

  • Building businesses that work for our AuDHD brains
  • What we don't see when looking at the external success of others
  • Why so many people who achieve creative success young have wealthy backgrounds
  • Questioning WHY you want your big goals so you can aim towards the ones that will really fulfill your desires
  • Why it can be extra tough to start a small business and/or creative business right now
  • How our brains get stuck and...
  • The state changes in the body that can help us get unstuck


You can find Chris Hale

  1. On Instagram @theonlychrishale
  2. All the links on LinkTree
  3. Website theonlychrishale.com


Other resources:

Like Your Brain community space

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thanks to Chris Hale for this cross-posted episode from his podcast, You Need a Coach B*tch!


We talk about:

  • Building businesses that work for our AuDHD brains
  • What we don't see when looking at the external success of others
  • Why so many people who achieve creative success young have wealthy backgrounds
  • Questioning WHY you want your big goals so you can aim towards the ones that will really fulfill your desires
  • Why it can be extra tough to start a small business and/or creative business right now
  • How our brains get stuck and...
  • The state changes in the body that can help us get unstuck


You can find Chris Hale

  1. On Instagram @theonlychrishale
  2. All the links on LinkTree
  3. Website theonlychrishale.com


Other resources:

Like Your Brain community space

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 23 You Are Not a Burden 23 You Are Not a Burden Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:44:03 GMT 28:10 654bc8e4122faa0012329125 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/654bc8e4122faa0012329125 654bc8e4122faa0012329125 643789a2ba30d20010916124 story of a meltdown full The story of a meltdown. For me these days, that includes some intrusive thoughts around being a burden.

You are not a burden. And even if we are sometimes, that's okay. I want to be a part of communities that can carry each other sometimes.


Like Your Brain community space


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The story of a meltdown. For me these days, that includes some intrusive thoughts around being a burden.

You are not a burden. And even if we are sometimes, that's okay. I want to be a part of communities that can carry each other sometimes.


Like Your Brain community space


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 22 The Trouble With Because 22 The Trouble With Because Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:00:30 GMT 14:55 654449098235ab0012e08579 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/654449098235ab0012e08579 654449098235ab0012e08579 643789a2ba30d20010916124 when your brain gets stuck in past reasons full Diagnoses and labels can be really helpful to explain our experiences. We finally have a "because" to explain why we do the things we do!

And also... that same "because" sometimes starts to feel like it's holding us back. It's possible to acknowledge limitations while also leaving space for growth and inevitable change.


Like Your Brain community space


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Diagnoses and labels can be really helpful to explain our experiences. We finally have a "because" to explain why we do the things we do!

And also... that same "because" sometimes starts to feel like it's holding us back. It's possible to acknowledge limitations while also leaving space for growth and inevitable change.


Like Your Brain community space


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 21 Feeling Safe in a Neurodivergent Body with Linda Thai 21 Feeling Safe in a Neurodivergent Body with Linda Thai Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:00:49 GMT 1:20:42 6539803dfc47340012902089 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6539803dfc47340012902089 6539803dfc47340012902089 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Linda Thai full Linda Thai is a therapist, educator, and storyteller. She has been one of the most important people in my own healing journey, especially her focus on somatic embodied integration. 

Feeling safe enough to work with what the body holds was a turning point for both of us. Linda shares about her own healing journey and how key the body was for her own process.

She drops countless pieces of wisdom in her gentle yet direct style.


You'll also hear me laugh a lot more than usual, in part because of how comfortable I feel in her presence!


Resources mentioned:

  1. The January 2024 round of the Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies: Not only one of the best courses I've ever taken, but by FAR the best value for the cost (plus, scholarships available). I took this course twice and recommend it most highly!!
  2. Linda's website: https://www.linda-thai.com/
  3. If you scroll down on Linda's website you can sign up for her newsletter, which she usually sends monthly and is always informative. That's where you can find out about her new content for next year, including something called Trauma & The Voice that I'm very excited about!


Originally published on The Longer Road as a two-part series


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Linda Thai is a therapist, educator, and storyteller. She has been one of the most important people in my own healing journey, especially her focus on somatic embodied integration. 

Feeling safe enough to work with what the body holds was a turning point for both of us. Linda shares about her own healing journey and how key the body was for her own process.

She drops countless pieces of wisdom in her gentle yet direct style.


You'll also hear me laugh a lot more than usual, in part because of how comfortable I feel in her presence!


Resources mentioned:

  1. The January 2024 round of the Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies: Not only one of the best courses I've ever taken, but by FAR the best value for the cost (plus, scholarships available). I took this course twice and recommend it most highly!!
  2. Linda's website: https://www.linda-thai.com/
  3. If you scroll down on Linda's website you can sign up for her newsletter, which she usually sends monthly and is always informative. That's where you can find out about her new content for next year, including something called Trauma & The Voice that I'm very excited about!


Originally published on The Longer Road as a two-part series


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]]> 20 Poverty is Not Your Fault! 20 Poverty is Not Your Fault! Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:48:24 GMT 29:50 6532af5830f8d60012b91a7f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6532af5830f8d60012b91a7f 6532af5830f8d60012b91a7f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Poverty is not your fault. Debt is not your fault. And you don't have to find solutions alone!

This episode talks about the systemic side, the AuDHD-specific elements such as impulsive shopping, and how screwed up debt is historically and currently.


Note: This episode is quite USA-centric. While there are mentions of ways this might affect people in other countries, growing up here is my main context on this topic.


Resources mentioned:

  1. Simone Seol's episode Debunking the idea of a "Scarcity Mindset"
  2. Article The Cognitive Burden of Poverty the above episode was based on
  3. David Graeber's book Debt: The First 5000 Years
  4. Like Your Brain community space


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

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]]> Poverty is not your fault. Debt is not your fault. And you don't have to find solutions alone!

This episode talks about the systemic side, the AuDHD-specific elements such as impulsive shopping, and how screwed up debt is historically and currently.


Note: This episode is quite USA-centric. While there are mentions of ways this might affect people in other countries, growing up here is my main context on this topic.


Resources mentioned:

  1. Simone Seol's episode Debunking the idea of a "Scarcity Mindset"
  2. Article The Cognitive Burden of Poverty the above episode was based on
  3. David Graeber's book Debt: The First 5000 Years
  4. Like Your Brain community space


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 19 Safe Therapy for Neurodivergent People with Danielle Aubin 19 Safe Therapy for Neurodivergent People with Danielle Aubin Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:29:46 GMT 52:46 6529626a74eb720012409707 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6529626a74eb720012409707 6529626a74eb720012409707 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Danielle Aubin full An AuDHD therapist! Danielle Aubin (she/they), LCSW, works with neurodivergent clients and has expertise in trauma. 

We talk about why trauma is such a big deal for ND clients. And the title of the episode comes from their amazing take on why having safe therapy is especially important for ND people, and what that looks like. 

If you're in therapy or considering it, this episode is for you! (Also if you've experienced trauma from therapy, because this conversation totally validates that also.)


Episode originally posted on The Longer Road podcast, June 2023

 

Danielle's website

Danielle's TikTok @myautistictherapist

Danielle's Instagram @myautistictherapist


Resources Danielle recommends for finding a therapist:

ndtherapists.com

autistictherapist.com 

inclusivetherapists.com


-------------------

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> An AuDHD therapist! Danielle Aubin (she/they), LCSW, works with neurodivergent clients and has expertise in trauma. 

We talk about why trauma is such a big deal for ND clients. And the title of the episode comes from their amazing take on why having safe therapy is especially important for ND people, and what that looks like. 

If you're in therapy or considering it, this episode is for you! (Also if you've experienced trauma from therapy, because this conversation totally validates that also.)


Episode originally posted on The Longer Road podcast, June 2023

 

Danielle's website

Danielle's TikTok @myautistictherapist

Danielle's Instagram @myautistictherapist


Resources Danielle recommends for finding a therapist:

ndtherapists.com

autistictherapist.com 

inclusivetherapists.com


-------------------

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 18 Please Stop Optimizing 18 Please Stop Optimizing Fri, 06 Oct 2023 15:33:35 GMT 22:15 652028cf376dc2001190f9aa true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/652028cf376dc2001190f9aa 652028cf376dc2001190f9aa 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Optimizing (and the related bio-hacking) are really popular... but why? Who are we doing this for, and who really benefits?

This episode spans the last several years of my life starting with my first coaching certification that was literally called Optimize at the time. There were some positive benefits such as better sleep, which on the whole improved my mood.

But in the long run, there's a potential negative side to the advice to optimize.

And at the same time, many AuDHD people will enjoy optimizing at some point, because it's fun! This episode talks about that balance.


The questions near the end of the episode if you'd like to reflect on them:

  • Are you multitasking in ways that don't actually feel good, just for the sake of "efficiency?"
  • Are you expending a lot of mental or other kinds of energy to make something perfect, when it could be really damn good at 95% or pretty good at 80% or passable at 65%?
  • Does your current system seem functional? Is it possible to do less and still have it function okay?
  • What are you currently doing more to avoid failure than to move toward what you actually want?


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Optimizing (and the related bio-hacking) are really popular... but why? Who are we doing this for, and who really benefits?

This episode spans the last several years of my life starting with my first coaching certification that was literally called Optimize at the time. There were some positive benefits such as better sleep, which on the whole improved my mood.

But in the long run, there's a potential negative side to the advice to optimize.

And at the same time, many AuDHD people will enjoy optimizing at some point, because it's fun! This episode talks about that balance.


The questions near the end of the episode if you'd like to reflect on them:

  • Are you multitasking in ways that don't actually feel good, just for the sake of "efficiency?"
  • Are you expending a lot of mental or other kinds of energy to make something perfect, when it could be really damn good at 95% or pretty good at 80% or passable at 65%?
  • Does your current system seem functional? Is it possible to do less and still have it function okay?
  • What are you currently doing more to avoid failure than to move toward what you actually want?


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Bonus: Creative Work Practices for AuDHD Artists & Entrepreneurs]]> Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:41:01 GMT 49:56 6516fe1d936e070011d3e230 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6516fe1d936e070011d3e230 6516fe1d936e070011d3e230 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Off the Grid interview by Amelia Hruby full Thanks to Amelia Hruby at the Off the Grid podcast for this lovely interview!

Here are her show notes:

Today I’m joined by coach & composer Mattia Maurée to talk about running a business & navigating social media in a way that supports your unique brain & lived experience.

Tune in to our conversation to hear about—

  • Common ADHD, Autistic & AuDHD struggles with work
  • How to quit overworking as a coping strategy
  • Embracing a cyclical relationship to social media
  • The importance of play for our brains
  • How podcasting serves Mattia’s business
  • Mattia’s method for connecting with the online communities you’re craving


“The more I've learned about the brain, the more I've been able to actually accept that I am never, ever going to be able to behave in a neuronormative way or run my business in a neuronormative way. So I have to have space for things to be different." — Mattia Maurée


Learn more about Like Your Brain here, and sign up here!


Transcript Doc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thanks to Amelia Hruby at the Off the Grid podcast for this lovely interview!

Here are her show notes:

Today I’m joined by coach & composer Mattia Maurée to talk about running a business & navigating social media in a way that supports your unique brain & lived experience.

Tune in to our conversation to hear about—

  • Common ADHD, Autistic & AuDHD struggles with work
  • How to quit overworking as a coping strategy
  • Embracing a cyclical relationship to social media
  • The importance of play for our brains
  • How podcasting serves Mattia’s business
  • Mattia’s method for connecting with the online communities you’re craving


“The more I've learned about the brain, the more I've been able to actually accept that I am never, ever going to be able to behave in a neuronormative way or run my business in a neuronormative way. So I have to have space for things to be different." — Mattia Maurée


Learn more about Like Your Brain here, and sign up here!


Transcript Doc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 17 Task Bracelets for Executive Function 17 Task Bracelets for Executive Function Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:46:48 GMT 10:46 65144e693f29d40011b77f53 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/65144e693f29d40011b77f53 65144e693f29d40011b77f53 643789a2ba30d20010916124 (+ Like Your Brain launch!) full Task bracelets can be a task per tag or written really small like I did below... then they stay on your wrist to walk you through the task. Thanks to Caitlin Fisher for the idea!

The first half of the episode covers how to make them and how I'm using them.


Then it's about the launch of Like Your Brain, an ongoing community space for integration and gentle support. Do less, feel better!

The welcome calls are Fri Sep 29 2023 2p EST, and Mon Oct 2 5p EST... hop in if you want to help shape what the space becomes!


Task bracelet pic below, linked on Facebook here, also in the Transcript:

[image description: Mattia’s hand holding a blue coil bracelet with a green tag attached. Written on the paper inside the tag is the following instructions for doing laundry: 1. Fill basket 2. Take downstairs 3. Pockets/fill 4. Add soap 5. Settings/turn on 6. Timer 7. Pull out line dry 8. To dryer 9. Dryer on 10. Hang line dry]


Transcript Doc

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Task bracelets can be a task per tag or written really small like I did below... then they stay on your wrist to walk you through the task. Thanks to Caitlin Fisher for the idea!

The first half of the episode covers how to make them and how I'm using them.


Then it's about the launch of Like Your Brain, an ongoing community space for integration and gentle support. Do less, feel better!

The welcome calls are Fri Sep 29 2023 2p EST, and Mon Oct 2 5p EST... hop in if you want to help shape what the space becomes!


Task bracelet pic below, linked on Facebook here, also in the Transcript:

[image description: Mattia’s hand holding a blue coil bracelet with a green tag attached. Written on the paper inside the tag is the following instructions for doing laundry: 1. Fill basket 2. Take downstairs 3. Pockets/fill 4. Add soap 5. Settings/turn on 6. Timer 7. Pull out line dry 8. To dryer 9. Dryer on 10. Hang line dry]


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 16 Collective Systems for Neurodivergent Empowerment with Cassandra Idris 16 Collective Systems for Neurodivergent Empowerment with Cassandra Idris Fri, 22 Sep 2023 17:51:27 GMT 56:44 650dd41fc631250011912c2d true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/650dd41fc631250011912c2d 650dd41fc631250011912c2d 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Cassandra Idris full This is a mind-expanding episode! Cassandra Idris recently founded an organization built around neurodivergent brains at every level, and mutual aid for some of the most marginalized populations in Philadelphia.

She speaks eloquently about mental health, being a trans woman and the inherent social betrayals in that experience, and how the system isn't going to pay us to bring it down. Because she's seen the systems from many perspectives (including from the inside as an HR professional), she has a detailed understanding of what it takes to create true change.

One of those changes is to create more organizations by us and for us!


If you'd like to learn more about the Philadelphia Mutual Aid collective, or donate, you can do that here. And if you're generally curious about how Open Collective works, that's here.

You can connect with Cassandra on Instagram here

Cassandra's SoundCloud (techno mixes)


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is a mind-expanding episode! Cassandra Idris recently founded an organization built around neurodivergent brains at every level, and mutual aid for some of the most marginalized populations in Philadelphia.

She speaks eloquently about mental health, being a trans woman and the inherent social betrayals in that experience, and how the system isn't going to pay us to bring it down. Because she's seen the systems from many perspectives (including from the inside as an HR professional), she has a detailed understanding of what it takes to create true change.

One of those changes is to create more organizations by us and for us!


If you'd like to learn more about the Philadelphia Mutual Aid collective, or donate, you can do that here. And if you're generally curious about how Open Collective works, that's here.

You can connect with Cassandra on Instagram here

Cassandra's SoundCloud (techno mixes)


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 15 How Feelings Work 15 How Feelings Work Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:15:05 GMT 23:18 6503775e48094300110ec546 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6503775e48094300110ec546 6503775e48094300110ec546 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Feelings, emotions, sensations in the body... We've all received confusing messages around what they mean and what they are. And many autistic folks have trouble connecting to their emotions and related body sensations.

They're also important and potentially useful messages from our body as it attempts to stay safe. 

This episode covers one compelling theory of what feelings (sensations and emotions) are, as well as a variety of tools to get through the day no matter where you are in your journey. 

Also, just a reminder that whatever you're doing to get through the day right now is okay. You don't owe anyone—including yourself—a specific amount of healing or performing wellness. 


Book mentioned is How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett. I also mention Linda Thai and Resmaa Menakem. 


Episode originally published as 009 Feelings: Why?? on The Longer Road podcast


Links:

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Feelings, emotions, sensations in the body... We've all received confusing messages around what they mean and what they are. And many autistic folks have trouble connecting to their emotions and related body sensations.

They're also important and potentially useful messages from our body as it attempts to stay safe. 

This episode covers one compelling theory of what feelings (sensations and emotions) are, as well as a variety of tools to get through the day no matter where you are in your journey. 

Also, just a reminder that whatever you're doing to get through the day right now is okay. You don't owe anyone—including yourself—a specific amount of healing or performing wellness. 


Book mentioned is How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett. I also mention Linda Thai and Resmaa Menakem. 


Episode originally published as 009 Feelings: Why?? on The Longer Road podcast


Links:

Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 14 Formula for Feeling Better with Michael Ruffin 14 Formula for Feeling Better with Michael Ruffin Fri, 08 Sep 2023 17:47:43 GMT 48:05 64fb5e3f94060c001144d82f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64fb5e3f94060c001144d82f 64fb5e3f94060c001144d82f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Michael Ruffin full Michael is an AuDHD content creator (with a huge audience) and coach who runs a free AuDHD peer support group.

He shares his formula for feeling better, which includes removing negative stimuli to reach neutral, rather than trying to leap straight to happiness. And shares beautifully about how he finds peace in the neutral, since even happiness is a fleeting feeling.


You can connect with Michael at the links below:

  1. Peer Support Group
  2. All of Michael's links
  3. Instagram @ADHDruids


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Michael is an AuDHD content creator (with a huge audience) and coach who runs a free AuDHD peer support group.

He shares his formula for feeling better, which includes removing negative stimuli to reach neutral, rather than trying to leap straight to happiness. And shares beautifully about how he finds peace in the neutral, since even happiness is a fleeting feeling.


You can connect with Michael at the links below:

  1. Peer Support Group
  2. All of Michael's links
  3. Instagram @ADHDruids


Transcript Doc

Email Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[13 Autistic Meltdowns & Shutdowns]]> Sat, 02 Sep 2023 23:43:24 GMT 18:52 64f3c89db155cd0011fa589c false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64f3c89db155cd0011fa589c 64f3c89db155cd0011fa589c 643789a2ba30d20010916124 How to manage them more safely full Meltdowns and shutdowns appear to be a natural release valve for an overwhelmed autistic brain. They feel out of control and can be quite distressing.

While there are ways to push them off, I experience a "point of no return" after which I need some big release or I'm going to feel terrible for days.

Learning your triggers, as well as planning ahead for a safer experience if you do have a meltdown or shutdown can lessen our overall stress and shame.

(One thing I forgot to record in the episode is that for me, shutdowns are almost always low-verbal or I can't speak at all.)


Links:

1. Meltdowns & Shutdowns* https://embrace-autism.com/meltdowns-and-shutdowns/

2. How it feels to have an autistic meltdown and how you can help* https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/38f5MsC2mB5fnmCr5v77zDn/how-it-feels-to-have-an-autistic-meltdown-and-how-you-can-help

3. All About ‘Autism Meltdowns’: Why They Happen and How to Cope https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-meltdowns

4. Autism Shutdown Vs Meltdown: What's the Difference? https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2022/06/autism-shutdown-vs-meltdown.html


Email list: https://mattia.ck.page/a6b7c9bf09

Episode Transcript


*autistic writer


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Meltdowns and shutdowns appear to be a natural release valve for an overwhelmed autistic brain. They feel out of control and can be quite distressing.

While there are ways to push them off, I experience a "point of no return" after which I need some big release or I'm going to feel terrible for days.

Learning your triggers, as well as planning ahead for a safer experience if you do have a meltdown or shutdown can lessen our overall stress and shame.

(One thing I forgot to record in the episode is that for me, shutdowns are almost always low-verbal or I can't speak at all.)


Links:

1. Meltdowns & Shutdowns* https://embrace-autism.com/meltdowns-and-shutdowns/

2. How it feels to have an autistic meltdown and how you can help* https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/38f5MsC2mB5fnmCr5v77zDn/how-it-feels-to-have-an-autistic-meltdown-and-how-you-can-help

3. All About ‘Autism Meltdowns’: Why They Happen and How to Cope https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-meltdowns

4. Autism Shutdown Vs Meltdown: What's the Difference? https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2022/06/autism-shutdown-vs-meltdown.html


Email list: https://mattia.ck.page/a6b7c9bf09

Episode Transcript


*autistic writer


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 12 Mental Health For AuDHDers with Jes Diverges 12 Mental Health For AuDHDers with Jes Diverges Fri, 25 Aug 2023 16:47:31 GMT 49:54 64e799174a6f410011f34481 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64e799174a6f410011f34481 64e799174a6f410011f34481 643789a2ba30d20010916124 with Jes Diverges full Jes Diverges (she/they) helps fellow autistic ADHDers and has a fascinating background. We dive into how they ended up coaching rather than finishing their therapy degree... and in the process touch on how messed up some of our culture's attitudes are toward mental health!

While we certainly don't solve the issue of AuDHD mental health, we talk about

  • when to take a break from trauma healing
  • how entrepreneurship has been a surprising part of our trauma healing
  • why insistence on one modality such as CBT doesn't serve us
  • how to balance individual and community healing


From Jes' website:

As an auDHD coach, I empower fellow autistic ADHDers to understand the unique interplay of the auDHD “combo meal” within their minds, and to let go of perfectionism, people pleasing, and unrealistic neurotypical expectations.

By embracing radical self-love in place of shame, I guide individuals on their journey to confidently navigate the chaotic intricacies of auDHD life and become the audaciously authentic auDHDers they were meant to be.


Resources mentioned:

  1. Jes' Instagram & TikTok @jesdiverges
  2. jesdiverges.com
  3. Email Jes at jes@jesdiverges.com
  4. Jes' Linktree with all the things


Episode Transcript

AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Jes Diverges (she/they) helps fellow autistic ADHDers and has a fascinating background. We dive into how they ended up coaching rather than finishing their therapy degree... and in the process touch on how messed up some of our culture's attitudes are toward mental health!

While we certainly don't solve the issue of AuDHD mental health, we talk about

  • when to take a break from trauma healing
  • how entrepreneurship has been a surprising part of our trauma healing
  • why insistence on one modality such as CBT doesn't serve us
  • how to balance individual and community healing


From Jes' website:

As an auDHD coach, I empower fellow autistic ADHDers to understand the unique interplay of the auDHD “combo meal” within their minds, and to let go of perfectionism, people pleasing, and unrealistic neurotypical expectations.

By embracing radical self-love in place of shame, I guide individuals on their journey to confidently navigate the chaotic intricacies of auDHD life and become the audaciously authentic auDHDers they were meant to be.


Resources mentioned:

  1. Jes' Instagram & TikTok @jesdiverges
  2. jesdiverges.com
  3. Email Jes at jes@jesdiverges.com
  4. Jes' Linktree with all the things


Episode Transcript

AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 11 Your Core Self-Care Need 11 Your Core Self-Care Need Fri, 18 Aug 2023 18:29:41 GMT 10:02 64dfb89688e6f30011eee26f false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64dfb89688e6f30011eee26f 64dfb89688e6f30011eee26f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Most people have one or two core self-care needs that, if they're met, everything else feels easier. This episode is about how to figure out yours... and what to look out for when you hear people preaching about their own!

There's also acknowledgment that your neurodivergent body and brain may process things in different ways, so the following questions may not be that useful for you.


Figuring out your core self-care need or needs (just a jumping-off point!):

  1. Thinking back to times in your life when things felt the easiest, what was your life like? Which of your needs were being met fairly well?
  2. When life has been a bit easier or better, did you notice any particular ups and downs based on particular needs being met? For example, if you were overall feeling pretty good compared to your baseline, was there anything that particularly threw you off? Or something that could bring you back to that feeling better pretty quickly?
  3. Tuning into your body right now, is there anything your body is asking for? This won't necessarily be a core need, it's more a check-in to see what messages your body is already good at giving you.
  4. Thinking about the past few days, weeks, or months, are there any messages your body has been consistently giving you? For example, when you've felt tired, does it feel more like you need sleep, or more like you need food, or more like you need to be around another person to recharge? Again, this isn't a perfect metric, just noticing how your body talks to you.
  5. Is there any form of self-care that feels like it REALLY fixes a bad day?


Resources mentioned:

  1. Takedown of Why We Sleep: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
  2. Commentary on the above post: https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2019/11/18/is-matthew-walkers-why-we-sleep-riddled-with-scientific-and-factual-errors/
  3. Transcript Doc


And one more link someone sent taking down the book Why We Sleep (I haven’t listened to this episode but the links alone look great): https://open.spotify.com/episode/4r0Vawq8xAfnsnKbYVUNhc?si=n7t-koeuS2GXQ2QnA8j4dQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Most people have one or two core self-care needs that, if they're met, everything else feels easier. This episode is about how to figure out yours... and what to look out for when you hear people preaching about their own!

There's also acknowledgment that your neurodivergent body and brain may process things in different ways, so the following questions may not be that useful for you.


Figuring out your core self-care need or needs (just a jumping-off point!):

  1. Thinking back to times in your life when things felt the easiest, what was your life like? Which of your needs were being met fairly well?
  2. When life has been a bit easier or better, did you notice any particular ups and downs based on particular needs being met? For example, if you were overall feeling pretty good compared to your baseline, was there anything that particularly threw you off? Or something that could bring you back to that feeling better pretty quickly?
  3. Tuning into your body right now, is there anything your body is asking for? This won't necessarily be a core need, it's more a check-in to see what messages your body is already good at giving you.
  4. Thinking about the past few days, weeks, or months, are there any messages your body has been consistently giving you? For example, when you've felt tired, does it feel more like you need sleep, or more like you need food, or more like you need to be around another person to recharge? Again, this isn't a perfect metric, just noticing how your body talks to you.
  5. Is there any form of self-care that feels like it REALLY fixes a bad day?


Resources mentioned:

  1. Takedown of Why We Sleep: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/
  2. Commentary on the above post: https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2019/11/18/is-matthew-walkers-why-we-sleep-riddled-with-scientific-and-factual-errors/
  3. Transcript Doc


And one more link someone sent taking down the book Why We Sleep (I haven’t listened to this episode but the links alone look great): https://open.spotify.com/episode/4r0Vawq8xAfnsnKbYVUNhc?si=n7t-koeuS2GXQ2QnA8j4dQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[10 Money & Surviving Capitalism]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:47:17 GMT 17:54 64d649f58f0a1d0011a9981e true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64d649f58f0a1d0011a9981e 64d649f58f0a1d0011a9981e 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full How do we survive capitalism while navigating the ethical dilemmas of making money within this broken system?

There's no one right answer, but this episode breaks down my thoughts about it over the past few months.

The problem isn't simply the exchange of goods or services for money, it's how late-stage capitalism seeks short-term profits above all else, extracting all the excess labor of the "lower classes" for profit.

Ultimately I want more of us to be able to survive capitalism so we can build something better.


Resources mentioned:

  1. The Moneyless Society podcast & book
  2. The AuDHD Entrepreneurs & Creatives free facebook group (I no longer am in the group bc I deleted Facebook, and a friend is running it)
  3. Podcast transcript doc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> How do we survive capitalism while navigating the ethical dilemmas of making money within this broken system?

There's no one right answer, but this episode breaks down my thoughts about it over the past few months.

The problem isn't simply the exchange of goods or services for money, it's how late-stage capitalism seeks short-term profits above all else, extracting all the excess labor of the "lower classes" for profit.

Ultimately I want more of us to be able to survive capitalism so we can build something better.


Resources mentioned:

  1. The Moneyless Society podcast & book
  2. The AuDHD Entrepreneurs & Creatives free facebook group (I no longer am in the group bc I deleted Facebook, and a friend is running it)
  3. Podcast transcript doc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 09 Asking the Right Questions 09 Asking the Right Questions Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:00:22 GMT 7:21 64ca911efa1a8700114f15a7 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64ca911efa1a8700114f15a7 64ca911efa1a8700114f15a7 643789a2ba30d20010916124 after getting stuck on the wrong questions full It's easy for AuDHD brains to latch onto one concept of a solution, and believe it has to happen that way. But sometimes there's a deeper question or problem underneath that.

As one example, many neurodivergent folks want a morning routine... but the real question under that could be "How do I feel good in the morning," or "How do I get my day started?"

How do we ask the right questions to make sure we're not wasting our energy?

One way to know that part of you believes you're asking the wrong question is if you're experiencing "self-sabotage" when trying to achieve the solution you have in mind.


A few potential ways to reframe your question/problem:

  1. Take time with it & take a step back
  2. Externally process with someone else
  3. Come up with at least 3 different ways this could go down, or different scenarios, that might solve the question/problem (to get your brain thinking creatively, and get another perspective)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> It's easy for AuDHD brains to latch onto one concept of a solution, and believe it has to happen that way. But sometimes there's a deeper question or problem underneath that.

As one example, many neurodivergent folks want a morning routine... but the real question under that could be "How do I feel good in the morning," or "How do I get my day started?"

How do we ask the right questions to make sure we're not wasting our energy?

One way to know that part of you believes you're asking the wrong question is if you're experiencing "self-sabotage" when trying to achieve the solution you have in mind.


A few potential ways to reframe your question/problem:

  1. Take time with it & take a step back
  2. Externally process with someone else
  3. Come up with at least 3 different ways this could go down, or different scenarios, that might solve the question/problem (to get your brain thinking creatively, and get another perspective)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 08 My Approach to AuDHD Science 08 My Approach to AuDHD Science Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:30:46 GMT 16:25 64c2c5818ab13d0012ce7eaf true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64c2c5818ab13d0012ce7eaf 64c2c5818ab13d0012ce7eaf 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full This is a meta-episode about how I think about and approach the science around autism and ADHD (as well as other neurodivergences).

While I do my best to do additional research, there are so many things that no one knows about AuDHD brains!

One tool to improve this podcast is the Transcript doc linked below, which is publicly available for comments. If you have any questions or comments, you can leave them on the file and I'll try to answer them there and/or in the podcast!



Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

& this week's* newsletter if you wanna check one out


* No, I don't send newsletters weekly... yay doing what works for our own brain instead of arbitrary rules/schedules :)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is a meta-episode about how I think about and approach the science around autism and ADHD (as well as other neurodivergences).

While I do my best to do additional research, there are so many things that no one knows about AuDHD brains!

One tool to improve this podcast is the Transcript doc linked below, which is publicly available for comments. If you have any questions or comments, you can leave them on the file and I'll try to answer them there and/or in the podcast!



Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

& this week's* newsletter if you wanna check one out


* No, I don't send newsletters weekly... yay doing what works for our own brain instead of arbitrary rules/schedules :)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 07 When to Stop the Self-Help 07 When to Stop the Self-Help Fri, 21 Jul 2023 18:32:08 GMT 16:47 64bacf28c23a75001157cdcc true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64bacf28c23a75001157cdcc 64bacf28c23a75001157cdcc 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Taking a break from fixing yourself full I'm a naturally growth-oriented person... however, I often find myself changing or "fixing" things that others think are a problem. What happens when I reorient to what's actually important to me?


The self-help industry will happily sell us solutions, whether or not the problem was actually bothering us before we heard about it.


Many of us feel like we're struggling alone. But not only are most people silently struggling, many neurodivergent folks feel that they're uniquely broken. It's such a common experience!


It's totally fine to choose to change something about your life. However, it can be helpful to check in with yourself to make sure it's really what you want.


The questions I offered around choosing to change something (and especially purchasing a self-help product):

  1. Is this actually causing me any harm?
  2. Is it harming anyone at all? If yes, is that harm actually meaningful, or am I mostly being harmed by the shame around it?
  3. If I changed this about myself, what might "better" look like? Is that definition or desire coming from me, or suggestions outside of myself?
  4. Is paying attention to this popular "problem" keeping my attention away from anything deeply important to me? If I didn't put time, attention, or money into this, what might I want to do instead?
  5. If I never changed again, would I (still) love and accept myself?


Here are the messages I need to hear:

  • It's okay to take breaks from personal growth.
  • It's okay to give up on changing things about yourself just because they might make other people more comfortable.
  • It's okay to focus on what your body and mind actually want and need, whether or not those line up with messaging from people around you.
  • I bet you're actually doing a great job with the circumstances you've been given.
  • Even if you never change or fix another thing, I love and accept you.


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I'm a naturally growth-oriented person... however, I often find myself changing or "fixing" things that others think are a problem. What happens when I reorient to what's actually important to me?


The self-help industry will happily sell us solutions, whether or not the problem was actually bothering us before we heard about it.


Many of us feel like we're struggling alone. But not only are most people silently struggling, many neurodivergent folks feel that they're uniquely broken. It's such a common experience!


It's totally fine to choose to change something about your life. However, it can be helpful to check in with yourself to make sure it's really what you want.


The questions I offered around choosing to change something (and especially purchasing a self-help product):

  1. Is this actually causing me any harm?
  2. Is it harming anyone at all? If yes, is that harm actually meaningful, or am I mostly being harmed by the shame around it?
  3. If I changed this about myself, what might "better" look like? Is that definition or desire coming from me, or suggestions outside of myself?
  4. Is paying attention to this popular "problem" keeping my attention away from anything deeply important to me? If I didn't put time, attention, or money into this, what might I want to do instead?
  5. If I never changed again, would I (still) love and accept myself?


Here are the messages I need to hear:

  • It's okay to take breaks from personal growth.
  • It's okay to give up on changing things about yourself just because they might make other people more comfortable.
  • It's okay to focus on what your body and mind actually want and need, whether or not those line up with messaging from people around you.
  • I bet you're actually doing a great job with the circumstances you've been given.
  • Even if you never change or fix another thing, I love and accept you.


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 06 Healing Relational Trauma with Pasha Marlowe 06 Healing Relational Trauma with Pasha Marlowe Fri, 14 Jul 2023 17:49:43 GMT 46:46 64b18ab7a43c710011553335 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64b18ab7a43c710011553335 64b18ab7a43c710011553335 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Guest: Pasha Marlowe full Pasha Marlowe speaks brilliantly about how to navigate trauma, triggers, and sensory needs in relationships as an AuDHD person.

Making it concrete, we both talk about a recent meltdown with our respective partners, and how we navigated those during and after.

This is a deeply un-shaming episode—we still struggle with relational trauma despite all the "work" we've done. It's okay to have a lot of needs in relationships. And we talk about how hard it can be to figure out what those are and communicate them effectively.

If your neurodivergent relationship needs extra support, Pasha is one of the rare practitioners who's ND, trained in family therapy, and works with couples!


Resources mentioned:

  1. Pasha's website
  2. Neuroqueering podcast and Mattia's guest episode
  3. @neuroqueercoach on TikTok
  4. @neuroqueercoach on Instagram
  5. Neuroqueer Heresies book


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Pasha Marlowe speaks brilliantly about how to navigate trauma, triggers, and sensory needs in relationships as an AuDHD person.

Making it concrete, we both talk about a recent meltdown with our respective partners, and how we navigated those during and after.

This is a deeply un-shaming episode—we still struggle with relational trauma despite all the "work" we've done. It's okay to have a lot of needs in relationships. And we talk about how hard it can be to figure out what those are and communicate them effectively.

If your neurodivergent relationship needs extra support, Pasha is one of the rare practitioners who's ND, trained in family therapy, and works with couples!


Resources mentioned:

  1. Pasha's website
  2. Neuroqueering podcast and Mattia's guest episode
  3. @neuroqueercoach on TikTok
  4. @neuroqueercoach on Instagram
  5. Neuroqueer Heresies book


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 05 Autism Without the Disorder with Nat Smith 05 Autism Without the Disorder with Nat Smith Fri, 07 Jul 2023 17:48:36 GMT 53:47 64a84ff476dc880011087071 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/64a84ff476dc880011087071 64a84ff476dc880011087071 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Guest: Nat Smith full Nat Smith is a vulnerability coach, playwright, and connection witch. They're also my sibling, so you'll hear stories about our childhood.


Nat has known they're ADHD for years, and only recently has been exploring the label autistic. One reason it's been a slow realization: they don't experience it as a disorder and don't need a lot of external support day-to-day.


Because of that experience, we also touch on the "levels" of autism currently being given in diagnosis. Many Level 1 folks are never diagnosed. And while I would probably be labeled Level 1, I'm actually more Level 2... I've just managed to have family and partners meet my daily needs.


Nat's perspective is incredibly helpful for anyone who wonders what autism looks like when it's NOT an obviously disabling condition. This is where the word "Neurotype" is so useful!


Disclaimer: 

And I would hope it goes without saying... every autistic person is different and has their own experience! Many if not most autistic people (and especially those who receive an official diagnosis) do experience autism as a disability for many reasons.

Nat's experience does not at all detract from that! AND I feel it's important for more autistic people to be "out," even if they have a less common presentation. 

  

Resources:


Full Transcript here

 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Nat Smith is a vulnerability coach, playwright, and connection witch. They're also my sibling, so you'll hear stories about our childhood.


Nat has known they're ADHD for years, and only recently has been exploring the label autistic. One reason it's been a slow realization: they don't experience it as a disorder and don't need a lot of external support day-to-day.


Because of that experience, we also touch on the "levels" of autism currently being given in diagnosis. Many Level 1 folks are never diagnosed. And while I would probably be labeled Level 1, I'm actually more Level 2... I've just managed to have family and partners meet my daily needs.


Nat's perspective is incredibly helpful for anyone who wonders what autism looks like when it's NOT an obviously disabling condition. This is where the word "Neurotype" is so useful!


Disclaimer: 

And I would hope it goes without saying... every autistic person is different and has their own experience! Many if not most autistic people (and especially those who receive an official diagnosis) do experience autism as a disability for many reasons.

Nat's experience does not at all detract from that! AND I feel it's important for more autistic people to be "out," even if they have a less common presentation. 

  

Resources:


Full Transcript here

 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[04 Why I Hate "Potential"]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 19:37:07 GMT 37:44 649ddd6409e8060011f8cd25 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/649ddd6409e8060011f8cd25 649ddd6409e8060011f8cd25 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full The idea of "potential" has been weaponized against neurodivergent and disabled kids.


Today I dig into why I hate the concept of potential as it's currently used, what I propose we talk about instead, and many personal details of my own journey toward feeling like I'm enough.


Feeling a deep sense of enough-ness has totally changed my life. And while we all reach that in different ways, neurodivergent community has absolutely been a part of my healing journey.

 

Love Your Brain July-Nov 2023 cohort (official last day to apply is Thurs June 29th... but also I understand the ADHD brain and we have a few days of leeway as the first group call is the week of July 7th)


Cross-posted from The Longer Road podcast



Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The idea of "potential" has been weaponized against neurodivergent and disabled kids.


Today I dig into why I hate the concept of potential as it's currently used, what I propose we talk about instead, and many personal details of my own journey toward feeling like I'm enough.


Feeling a deep sense of enough-ness has totally changed my life. And while we all reach that in different ways, neurodivergent community has absolutely been a part of my healing journey.

 

Love Your Brain July-Nov 2023 cohort (official last day to apply is Thurs June 29th... but also I understand the ADHD brain and we have a few days of leeway as the first group call is the week of July 7th)


Cross-posted from The Longer Road podcast



Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 03 Autistic Pride Day 03 Autistic Pride Day Mon, 19 Jun 2023 01:47:40 GMT 27:01 648fb3bc95b6da001106af8f true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/648fb3bc95b6da001106af8f 648fb3bc95b6da001106af8f 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full Happy Autistic Pride Day, June 18th!

What are you proud of?

It doesn't negate any of our challenges, but it was fun to focus on what I love about my brain for a whole episode.


If you'd like to learn more about Love Your Brain, here 'tis!


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Happy Autistic Pride Day, June 18th!

What are you proud of?

It doesn't negate any of our challenges, but it was fun to focus on what I love about my brain for a whole episode.


If you'd like to learn more about Love Your Brain, here 'tis!


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 02 Not Just a Compliant Patient with Kristen King 02 Not Just a Compliant Patient with Kristen King Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:40:33 GMT 45:20 648bd6f8f506fe0011df27d6 true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/648bd6f8f506fe0011df27d6 648bd6f8f506fe0011df27d6 643789a2ba30d20010916124 Guest: Kristen King full AuDHD women are often misdiagnosed, but Kristen's list is ridiculous and includes the word "histrionic" (which I didn't know you could even get in this century)! Her goal was always to build an awesome life instead of just being a compliant patient.


And thank goodness, because now she's out here teaching people how to give fewer fucks, raising a family, and making awesome content all over the internet.


Links mentioned:


Love Your Brain is enrolling for July (and is 20% full as of posting this episode)


Full Transcript here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> AuDHD women are often misdiagnosed, but Kristen's list is ridiculous and includes the word "histrionic" (which I didn't know you could even get in this century)! Her goal was always to build an awesome life instead of just being a compliant patient.


And thank goodness, because now she's out here teaching people how to give fewer fucks, raising a family, and making awesome content all over the internet.


Links mentioned:


Love Your Brain is enrolling for July (and is 20% full as of posting this episode)


Full Transcript here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Full Theme Song Full Theme Song Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:29:10 GMT 2:01 6480b056d9a829001165eac6 false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6480b056d9a829001165eac6 6480b056d9a829001165eac6 643789a2ba30d20010916124 A Sitar Story by Hanu Dixit bonus Thanks so much to composer Hanu Dixit for permission to use his song "A Sitar Story" in the podcast intro/outro! If you like the song, here's the whole thing with no talking so you can listen to it.


This song really tickled my brain, so I'm happy to share it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thanks so much to composer Hanu Dixit for permission to use his song "A Sitar Story" in the podcast intro/outro! If you like the song, here's the whole thing with no talking so you can listen to it.


This song really tickled my brain, so I'm happy to share it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[01 What is AuDHD (& do you have it)?]]> Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:27:27 GMT 18:28 6480afefdc05b900113ec2ac true https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/6480afefdc05b900113ec2ac 6480afefdc05b900113ec2ac 643789a2ba30d20010916124 full AuDHD = autism + ADHD... and also I experience it as its own neurotype, and not simply two "disorders."


Here are the sets of questions I asked in the episode, if you'd like to take time with them on your own:

  1. Do you feel like advice almost never works for you? Not only NT advice, but even advice from autistic OR ADHD people? That your brain either instantly knows advice won't work for you, or tries it and feels really disappointed because you did have a lot of things in common with the person who gave it to you but somehow still it felt like your body or brain were just not clicking with it?
  2. Are the internal parts of you always fighting? Do you feel like the things your body and brain want are often in complete opposition and that it's literally impossible to get your needs met, because different parts of you want such different things to feel safe, regulated, and cared for?
  3. Have you managed to build some modicum of success in an area through anxiety and adrenaline? This could be school, work, a creative pursuit, relationships. Have you received external validation for doing this thing well, all the while being absolutely terrified that it's all going to fall apart and you have no idea how to handle how your life feels and it all feels extremely precarious and painful at the day-to-day level? Do you feel the need to hide how much you're struggling, and/or if you've disclosed your struggles have they not been taken seriously?
  4. Is your energy quite cyclical, where when you feel like your brain is working you'll push yourself really really hard, and then be totally exhausted and need time to recover? And without adequate recovery time, Is burnout, or burnout-like depression (they can be similar) a frequent experience for you? Or do you live in fear of it?


Thanks to Hanu Dixit for permission to use the song A Sitar Story.


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> AuDHD = autism + ADHD... and also I experience it as its own neurotype, and not simply two "disorders."


Here are the sets of questions I asked in the episode, if you'd like to take time with them on your own:

  1. Do you feel like advice almost never works for you? Not only NT advice, but even advice from autistic OR ADHD people? That your brain either instantly knows advice won't work for you, or tries it and feels really disappointed because you did have a lot of things in common with the person who gave it to you but somehow still it felt like your body or brain were just not clicking with it?
  2. Are the internal parts of you always fighting? Do you feel like the things your body and brain want are often in complete opposition and that it's literally impossible to get your needs met, because different parts of you want such different things to feel safe, regulated, and cared for?
  3. Have you managed to build some modicum of success in an area through anxiety and adrenaline? This could be school, work, a creative pursuit, relationships. Have you received external validation for doing this thing well, all the while being absolutely terrified that it's all going to fall apart and you have no idea how to handle how your life feels and it all feels extremely precarious and painful at the day-to-day level? Do you feel the need to hide how much you're struggling, and/or if you've disclosed your struggles have they not been taken seriously?
  4. Is your energy quite cyclical, where when you feel like your brain is working you'll push yourself really really hard, and then be totally exhausted and need time to recover? And without adequate recovery time, Is burnout, or burnout-like depression (they can be similar) a frequent experience for you? Or do you live in fear of it?


Thanks to Hanu Dixit for permission to use the song A Sitar Story.


Full Transcript here


AuDHD Flourishing Newsletter signup

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> AuDHD Flourishing Trailer AuDHD Flourishing Trailer Mon, 24 Apr 2023 20:24:27 GMT 3:23 6446e57bc9ba5a0011ac108b false https://shows.acast.com/audhd/episodes/trailer 6446e57bc9ba5a0011ac108b 643789a2ba30d20010916124 trailer What to expect and who this is for trailer Being autistic and ADHD sometimes feels like having two brains that are fighting each other! This podcast is for any AuDHD person who struggles with the minutiae of life... and for those who want to move beyond that to talk about what our neurotype makes possible.


We'll hear from other AuDHD people about what works for them. We'll hear about the latest science and research. And we'll hear many practical tips... because we're all different, and we need to hear all the options to figure out what may work best for us!


If you'd like to stay updated, you can find Mattia on the AuDHD Flourishing newsletter (no longer on instagram at all)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Being autistic and ADHD sometimes feels like having two brains that are fighting each other! This podcast is for any AuDHD person who struggles with the minutiae of life... and for those who want to move beyond that to talk about what our neurotype makes possible.


We'll hear from other AuDHD people about what works for them. We'll hear about the latest science and research. And we'll hear many practical tips... because we're all different, and we need to hear all the options to figure out what may work best for us!


If you'd like to stay updated, you can find Mattia on the AuDHD Flourishing newsletter (no longer on instagram at all)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]>