AuDHD... Or just a bit weird..?

Meghann Birks is an AuDHD Jack of all Trades, Master of Some. Her resume could be used as an example of what neurodivergence might look like in women with experience in a huge variety of industries including academia, community development, non-profit, corporate, fitness,  performance, art and comedy. She currently works as a Certified Professional Coach and Embodiment Educator, specialising in helping neurodivergent folk in leadership positions and creating neuroaffirming work cultures. She believes that deep, transformative work can be both silly and powerful, and that the life changing power of Hold On by Wilson Phillips is seriously underestimated. I'm super excited to share this first half of my chat with Meghann, she is a fascinating, informed and super funny person who shared so much with me from coaching, life experience and raw dogging life unmedicated to cross fit and how movement is so important!

As usual this episode comes with the usual trigger warnings but hopefully people can gain from everything Meghann and I talk about over the next two episodes.

Buckle up and enjoy!

I've always been a Chatty Cathy, and sometimes to my detriment... In this episode, I share my personal experiences as someone who often talks a mile a minute, impulsively interrupts like a pro and sometimes says the weirdest things at the most unexpected times.

Full disclaimer, I'm two weeks into a nasty chest infection so this week's episode is not only slightly late but also slightly shorter than I would have liked. 🤒🏥

I hope what I've got to say still resonates with you and helps in some way.

This episode I'm joined by the queen of chaos herself, Mrs AuDHD, Sam Brown from the ADHD Adults podcast!

Sam and I talked about our ADHD traits and our ASD traits and how they clash and can be confusing and exhausting. There are some funny moments, some serious moments, brief mentions of drug use and the usual trigger warnings apply. I haven't talked in too much depth yet about my autistic traits so I really appreciate Sam creating a safe place for me to do this.

I was so excited to have Sam on as a guest and I'm incredibly grateful for her giving up her time to talk to me and for being so open and honest. Of course, we chatted for ages so this is part one of a two parter.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

It's the second part of my chat with te queen of chaos herself, Mrs AuDHD, Sam Brown from The ADHD Adults podcast and this week we cover all sorts of topics from food to knowing when you need a wee!

The usual trigger warnings apply today and there are brief mentions of drug use.

Again, I'm super grateful to Sam for giving up her time to talk all things AuDHD with me!

Enjoy!

Keeping hold of friendships throughout my life has always felt tougher than it should be and often felt like an unreliable friend. Over the past couple of years I've started to understand why and what I can do about it to maintain the friendships I've got and also how to avoid the friendships that maybe aren't worth maintaining.

I had a message recently from a listener whose son has been diagnosed with ADHD, asking me what I wish my parents had done differently if I had been diagnosed as neurodivergent in childhood.

As my parents are no longer around, it has taken me a while to be ok with releasing this as they aren't here to give their version of events or weigh in on what I'm saying. I do, however, think my childhood could have been a happier one had they have known about my neurodivergence and done things differently. Hopefully this episode can help any parents of neurodivergent children tweak the language they use with their children and the expectations they may have of them.

I'm back with the second part of my interview with ADHD activist and all round amazing human being, Laura Mears-Reynolds from ADHDAF podcast, ADHDAF Emporium and ADHDAF+ charity talking Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. We talk about some emotional things because of the episode topic to listener discretion is advised.

Thanks again to Laura for giving me so much of her valuable time and for making this a super special couple of episodes.

Also…. 3 years ago today the very first episode of Laura’s awesome and inspirational podcast ADHDAF launched! So a very happy birthday to ADHDAF and a bloody huge congratulations to Laura! 🎉🥳🎂

For more information on all things connected to Laura

Linktr.ee/LauraMearsReynolds

After a brief break to reset, I'm back! This is the first of a 2 part special where I managed to get one of my dream guests on to talk with me about one of the ADHD traits that has affected me the most negatively throughout my life, rejection sensitive dysphoria.

Laura Mears-Reynolds is the host of ADHDAF podcast, the co-director of ADHDAF Emporium and the founder of ADHDAF+ charity and has been inspirational to me since I first started off on this ADHD safari two years ago. Laura and I are very much on the same wavelength so this is probably the most ADHD episode I've recorded yet! We swear like troopers, go off on tons of tangents and discuss some pretty tough topics. I loved every minute of it and I hope you do too!

For more information on all things Laura...

linktr.ee/LauraMearsReynolds

Following on from last week's episode where I basically slated the entire NHS ADHD assessment/diagnosis process and how un-neurodivergent friendly the entire process is, I actually have a positive update! I have a new GP and a new pathway and hopefully this one won't be putting me into debt!

There's also a fun tangent about my recent trip to France, my first experience of personal training and whether I'll be moving forwards with an autism assessment in the future.

For more information on the nhs right to choose pathway:

https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to/choose/

No trait talk this week. Instead I wanted to talk about part of the process of seeking ADHD/AuDHD assessment and diagnosis through the nhs, the first f**king form! Forms are something I really struggle to complete and its just one of the parts of this whole process that I feel is horribly neurodivergent unfriendly.

Trigger warning, this episode briefly mentions subjects that some people may find upsetting, including drug/alcohol misuse, disordered eating, self harm and sexual assaultIf you have been affected by any of the topics discussed in this episode please remember you are never alone and it's important to seek help and advice

https://www.samaritans.org