James Henderson, 33, from Sunderland, opens up on our ‘This is Autism’ podcast about life before and after receiving his autism and ADHD diagnosis at 32.   

Struggling with anxiety, frustration, and mental health challenges, it was a single Instagram post that sparked James’s journey to understanding himself. “It described this rage that starts in your stomach and spreads through your whole body. I wasn’t violent — just so irritated all the time. That’s when I realised, I needed to do something.”   

James shares how therapy and support led him to his diagnosis, and helped him finally make sense of his experiences and who he is. Around 70–80% of autistic people experience mental health conditions, yet many face misdiagnosis, stigma, and a lack of proper support.  

In the UK, 70% of people in inpatient mental health hospitals are autistic. Let’s talk about autism, mental health, and why early support matters. Special thanks to host Alex Davies and Brothers of Purpose Podcast for producing this episode.   

Time codes for this episode:  

2:00 Late diagnosis  

2:23 The Instagram Moment  

3:33 Therapy  

6:30 Anxiety  

11:00 Childhood  

12:45 Diagnosis  

18:00 Changes after diagnosis  

20:00 Mental health  

21:00 ADHD and medication  

24:45 Life after diagnosis  

28:00 School  

33:00 Impact of diagnosis and work 

 37:30 Sense of justice  

40:00 Communication  

41:00 Masking 

 45:00 Perception