Content warning: mention of suicidality, parental burnout, trauma and stress. Listen with care.

Summary: In this heartfelt episode, Hollie-Ann shares her experience as an AuDHD mother navigating diagnosis, parenting, advocacy, and self-care with host Bri Thomas. Hollie-Ann's story highlights the importance of community, self-awareness, and embracing strengths on the parenting journey. She is honest about the tough stuff, and encouraging exactly where it's needed. This episode addresses societal taboos, intersectionality, parenting strategies, and community building within neurodivergent and queer spaces. It offers actionable insights for parents, caregivers, and advocates aiming to foster understanding and self-compassion.

Takeaways:

• The impact of being AuDHD on identity and parenthood
• Building community and advocating for neurodivergent families
• The challenges of parenting with additional support needs and navigating systems
• Strategies for self-care, energy management, and co-regulation
• Addressing societal taboos: ableism, loneliness, and mental health in parenting
• The importance of parenting to strengths and modelling regulation
• Recognising and honouring fluctuating capacities and micro-moments of self-care

You can find Hollie-Ann on Instagram at @neuroinclusiveeducation.

Content warning: Don't listen to this one with the kids in the back seat... and discern whether it's going to be safe for your nervous system to hear Lil and Bri talk about relationships, sex, intimacy and pleasure at this time.

Keywords: ADHD, autism, AuDHD, relationships, intimacy, neurodivergent, sex education, communication, sensory experiences, self-acceptance

Summary: In this engaging conversation, Bri Thomas and Lil explore the themes of authenticity, neurodivergence, and intimacy. Lil shares their personal journey with ADHD and autism, discussing how these experiences shape their understanding of relationships and sexual intimacy. The discussion delves into the importance of communication, the impact of sensory experiences, and the need to challenge societal norms surrounding sex. Lil emphasizes the significance of self-discovery and pleasure, advocating for a more open dialogue about sexuality to reduce shame and foster connection.

Takeaways:

• AuDHDers often have unique experiences in intimacy.
• Communication is essential for understanding needs in relationships.
• Sensory experiences can greatly impact sexual intimacy.
• Breaking societal taboos around sex is necessary.
• Self-discovery is crucial for understanding personal pleasure.
• Shame around sexuality can hinder personal growth and connection.
• Creating supportive systems in relationships can alleviate stress.
• Pleasure is a birthright!

You can find Lil on Instagram at @neurokinnection.

Overview: In this engaging conversation, Jess, a registered psychologist, shares her journey of discovering her autism and ADHD. She discusses her early career experiences, the importance of lived experience in psychology, and the challenges of masking in social situations. Jess emphasises the push-pull dynamic between autism and ADHD, exploring how it affects her daily life and interactions. The conversation highlights the significance of self-advocacy, understanding one's own needs, and the importance of going with the tussle in your own brain.

Takeaways:

• Understanding one's neurodivergent identity can lead to greater self-acceptance.
• Masking is a common coping mechanism for AuDHDers.
• The push-pull dynamic between autism and ADHD can be exhausting.
• Self-advocacy is crucial in navigating social situations.
• Community support enhances well-being for neurodivergent individuals.
• Recognising bodily cues can help manage overwhelm.
• It's important to lean into one's thoughts and feelings.
• Working with the tug of war rather than fighting it leads to better outcomes.

You can find Jess on instagram at @pinkzebra.psychology

Keywords (Please consider this when listening to this podcast; make sure you're in an okay place to hear these topics): Food, AuDHD, eating disorders, ARFID, OCD, trauma, safety, nutrition, sensory processing, mental health.

Overview: In this conversation, Margo White and Bri Thomas explore the intricate relationship between food, AuDHD, and safety. Margo shares her personal journey with eating disorders and how her experiences shape her professional practice as a nutritionist. They discuss the complexities of ARFID, the impact of trauma on eating, and the intersection of OCD and food. The importance of predictability and self-compassion in navigating these challenges is emphasised, along with the need for support and accommodations to foster happier relationships with food.

Takeaways:

• Food is a significant part of our lives and eating is deeply sensory.
• ARFID presents differently in each individual, and there is no "one look".
• Safety and predictability are crucial for AuDHD individuals.
• Trauma can significantly impact one's relationship with food, and is remembered in the body.
• Self-compassion is essential in navigating food challenges.
• Understanding the intersection of OCD and ARFID is important.
• Support and accommodations can help improve eating experiences.

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Margo can be found on Instagram at @margo_wholebodynutrition.

In this conversation, Bri and Rosie (from Uniquely Wired) explore the themes of perfectionism and rejection sensitivity, particularly in the context of being AuDHD. Rosie shares her personal experiences as an autistic ADHDer and how these influence her life and work. They discuss the pressures of perfectionism, the emotional costs associated with it, and practical strategies for managing these experiences. The conversation emphasises the importance of self-compassion, understanding one's inner child, and the value of community support in navigating these challenges.

You can find Rosie on instagram at @rosie.uniquelywired.

Takeaways:

• Perfectionism can lead to self-inflicted pressure and disappointment.
• Rejection sensitivity often accompanies perfectionism, creating a cycle of anxiety.
• It's important to recognise and validate one's feelings about grades and achievements.
• Self-compassion is crucial in managing perfectionism and RSD.
• Creating a rubric that includes personal values can help alleviate pressure.
• Celebrating small wins and progress is essential for mental well-being.
• Having supportive people around can help identify perfectionistic tendencies.
• Exploring the origins of perfectionism can provide insight and healing.
• It's okay to feel disappointed about unmet expectations; those feelings are valid.
• Being gentle with oneself is a necessary part of the journey.

In this enlightening conversation, Chloe, an AuDHD psychologist, shares her insights on the intersection of anxiety and having an autistic + ADHD brain. The discussion explores the impact of sensory experiences on anxiety, the importance of understanding interoception, and the role socialising and communication have on our everyday anxiety. Chloe emphasises the need for compassion towards oneself and others in navigating the complexities of AuDHD-related anxiety.

Chloe can be found on instagram at @chloehulse.psychology.

Takeaways:

• Anxiety can be a common experience for those who are AuDHD - not just a separate anxiety diagnosis, but the daily, ongoing experience of anxiety.
• Understanding the difference between autistic anxiety and anxiety disorders is helpful.
• Sensory experiences can significantly impact anxiety levels.
• Interoception plays a key role in recognising internal body cues, and is related to our feeling anxious.
• Missing information can heighten anxiety in uncertain situations.
• Information processing challenges can lead to anxiety in academic settings.
• Social situations can be particularly anxiety-provoking for AuDHD individuals.
• Structured social interactions can alleviate some anxiety (we give an example of our Christmas party)
• Compassion for oneself and others is essential in managing anxiety.

In this deep, real and silly interview between Bri and her wife Beth, Beth helps Bri uncover some truths about her experience with masking, burnout, small talk and more. They chat AuDHD origin stories and coming out as AuDHD (which for Bri was her second coming out). Bri loved being interviewed by someone who knew her so well, and the laughter is off the chain. You'll feel like you're in the room with them.

Listen here for a little tasty taste of what's to come in this podcast. I (Bri Thomas, Clinical Psychologist, AuDHDer, Autism Researcher, dog-and-earring-obsessed-person) will briefly introduce myself, and invite you to help in the creation of this podcast, as it's just a wee baby. Less than a 5 minute listen, play it while you're starting 4 tasks and forgetting 6 things.