Afleveringen
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(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:
Rainforest mindRuf's 5 levelsInterGifted & HEPG"Dabrowski’s Theory and Existential Depression in Gifted Children and Adults"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:
Transcript DocEmail Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With UsLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)*affiliate link
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Rainforest mindRuf's 5 levelsInterGifted & HEPG2. 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:
Transcript DocEmail Newsletter: Nothing Wrong With UsLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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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:
Emily Kircher-Morris, LPCThe Neurodiversity PodcastConnect with Emily on Facebook or LinkedInNeurodiversity UniversityNeurodiversity-Affirming Schools (new book)Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted and SupportedTeaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s ClassroomRaising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted KidsResources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Dr Chris Wells InstagramPositive Disintegration.orgThe Dabrowski Center & their InstagramPositive Disintegration Podcast InstagramLiving With Intensity book (affiliate link)
Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Sheldon's websiteI Must Be BUG'N podcastOur Wild Minds (community for Black gifted adults)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/Living With Intensity book (affiliate link)Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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24:23 to skip specific American politics
In this episode:
Mutual aidLocal connectionsSurveillance & privacy considerations for devicesResistance is workingGeneral strike & Mar 15 shutdown (#Shutdown315)Emotional survival: monotropic reset, alpha brain wavesBeing careful whom you listen to (accompanying Emily Science Journalism ep 82)Links mentioned:
Surveillance guide for devicesHow to change Meta settings to limit tracking (note there is no way to make Messenger app safe)Ad-blocking guide (note that I haven't vetted all their recommendations, though I do use one of them already)General Strike USAMarch 15 2025 general shutdown in US #Shutdown315The 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.Article, "My problems with the Constructed Theory of Emotions," (the critique of How Emotions Are Made) Andrew Huberman is a liar articleNot in episode, but I adore this takedown of Matthew Walker's book Why We Sleep
De-Googling
Other links shared on the Discord recently:
Article: sabotaging DOGE Simple Sabotage Field Manual from above articleHelping trans people leave the USMI, MN, NY, VE, WA EDL (drivers license for land & sea entry)Actions for protecting disability rightsSmall actions to take nowResources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
USA-based anonymous crisis chatInternational crisis linesVarious types of crisis resources in about 10 countriesHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
YouTube PBS interview (& Patreon post about it)WHYY.org page with the audio only versionPublic Patreon post w YouTube link if you'd prefer to comment there (link coming soon)Readwise/Reader tool (affiliate link gives you 60 days free)Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
The Neurodiversity Collective for therapy & assessments Dr Matt's website for speaking engagementsFacebook Instagram @drmattzakreskiResources:
Like Your Brain community spaceTranscript DocEmail NewsletterHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
AuDHD Flourishing home pageHow it WorksAbout/bioFAQsProducts & Services (note that I'm going to be updating this soon, so if you're looking at this after Jan 2025 it will be different than what was pulled into the episode)TestimonialsLove Your Brain (course)Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Notebook LMAutektik AILLMs ChatGPT and ClaudePoised ShortcutList of AI Tools for Designers & MarketersFree course: Using Fandoms + AI to Developing Coping Skills for Neurodivergent KidsReadwise/Reader (affiliate link gives you 60 days free)Goblin Tools & my blog post about itPerplexity Pro (link is to free version)The convo on Patreon, free with loginResources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community space (Patreon)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
The Neurodivergent Well websiteMedium writingInstagram @the.neurodivergent.wellTikTok @the.neurodivergent.well (posting this Jan 18th so we'll see...)Mentioned in the episode:
The small Case Western study that found a 42% increase in resting info rate in autistic brains (with 19 children)An article about the DSM disorders disappearing in statistical clustering of psych symptomsExperimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary Life (course)Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
wish listExperimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary LifeComparative Grammar of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French (affiliate link)Mackareth's Neurocomplexity model (& affiliate link if you want to sign up)Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Psychology Today article on Relational Trauma: Beyond Adverse Caregiver ExperiencesNeuroLaunch article on Relational Therapy: A Comprehensive Approach to Healing Through Connection7 Signs of Internalized Capitalism by Lindsey Mackereth at Method Creative Referral link to Lindsey Mackareth's Neurocomplexity SubstackCrisis Resources:
USA-based anonymous crisis chatInternational crisis linesVarious types of crisis resources in about 10 countriesMy Medium article, "Please Stay, We Need You"Resources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Website: myautistictherapist.comTikTok @myautistictherapistCommunity: Late-Discovered Autistic Support & Learning GroupResources:
Course: Experimenting Your Way to an Extraordinary LifeTranscript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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:
USA-based anonymous crisis chatInternational crisis linesVarious types of crisis resources in about 10 countriesResources:
Transcript DocEmail NewsletterLike Your Brain community spaceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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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.
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