The Neurodivergent Experience

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss three neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.

They begin with a woman at breaking point after her husband stops taking his ADHD medication and insists that ADHD is his “superpower” — while his impulsive spending, emotional outbursts and inability to manage everyday responsibilities leave her carrying the household. Jordan and Simon discuss ADHD medication, emotional regulation, burnout, accountability, relationships and the difference between accepting neurodivergence and refusing support.

Next, a father is furious after his wife explains the reality of death to their eight-year-old autistic son, leaving him terrified by the idea that life eventually ends. Jordan and Simon explore autism, childhood anxiety, literal thinking, religion, death, parenting neurodivergent children and whether protecting children from difficult subjects can sometimes make those subjects even scarier.

Finally, someone reaches breaking point with a friend who has self-diagnosed ADHD but refuses to seek a professional diagnosis, while repeatedly using ADHD to explain their behaviour. Jordan and Simon discuss self-identification, diagnosis, ADHD stigma, medication, accountability and why understanding the reasons behind our behaviour doesn't necessarily remove responsibility for it.

*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.

• AITA for refusing to help my ADHD husband until he gets treatment?

• AIO: Upset at my wife because she told our 8 year old autistic kid the reality of dying.

• AITA for finally breaking and telling my friend she probably doesn’t have ADHD?

Our Sponsors:
🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy & https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com
🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if balance is not a fixed point we finally reach, but a living relationship with what is happening?

In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Ashley explores the space between holding on and letting go, certainty and possibility, roots and wings. Beginning with the image of a surfer responding to the movement of a wave, she asks what changes when we stop searching for the permanently correct position and begin listening for what this moment actually requires.

Today’s Bite-Sized Buddhism wanders next door into Taoism through the ancient story of the Chinese farmer and his enduring response to apparent fortune and misfortune: “Maybe.” Alongside Alan Watts’s backwards law, the story invites us to leave a little room around the meanings we assign while life is still unfolding.

With essential Neurodivergent Nuance, Ashley considers why routine, predictability and clear answers may be genuine forms of nervous-system support - and why flexibility should never become another demand to override ourselves.

Drawing upon David Eagleman’s image of roots and wings, Ido Portal’s “wild and wise,” emerging neuroscience around creativity, Carl Jung’s transcendent function and Mark Nepo’s reflections on fragility and resilience, the episode explores the human capacities that appear to oppose one another but may actually need each other.

Even Cookie Monster makes an appearance as an unlikely Taoist philosopher.

The episode closes with a guided practice, Roots and Wings. Through the natural movement of the breath, you will be invited to honour the truth already present within you while making room for another truth to exist beside it.

Not everything must be resolved today. Sometimes we need only enough grounding to remain - and enough freedom to move.

Practise with Ashley on Insight Timer:
https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

Explore From Mask to Map and more:
https://www.integrativeiom.co.uk

Our Sponsors:
🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy & https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com
🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon do things a little differently, turning to some of Reddit’s funniest and most wholesome pet stories after Jordan shares the sad news that his beloved Sheepadoodle, Milo, has passed away.

First, a woman who deliberately got a cat because she doesn’t like dogs discovers that her new companion apparently missed the memo and behaves exactly like one. From constant licking to greeting people at the door, Jordan and Simon talk about the weird personalities our pets develop, sensory sensitivities around animals, misophonia and why neurodivergent relationships with pets can be so powerful.

Then, a husband asks whether he was wrong to veto his wife’s choice of name for their new Golden Retriever: "Bitch". What follows is a spectacular detour through inappropriate pet names, questionable baby names, the strange nicknames we give our animals and whether telling someone they can name a dog “anything they want” really means anything.

Next, a woman accidentally trains her dog Molly to respond almost exclusively to the nickname "Poopypants". Jordan and Simon discuss the ridiculous language we develop around our pets, echolalia, quotes that become permanent parts of our vocabulary and the mildly embarrassing consequences when a private nickname has to be shouted in public.

Finally, a cat owner reveals the strange bedtime ritual her boyfriend has developed with his cat Magoo: letting him lick the inside of his mouth. Jordan and Simon attempt to understand why anyone would willingly participate in this arrangement, before the conversation descends into cats stealing food, questionable animal hygiene, Robin Hood impressions and general chaos.

*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.

• I got a cat because I don’t like dogs and my cat acts like a dog

• AITA for not letting my wife name our dog something stupid?

• TIFU calling my dog by a not very mature pet name

• TIFU by giving my dog unintentionally the best damn day of his life

• TIFU by accidentally teaching my boyfriend’s cat that love means shoving her foot in your mouth

• TIFU by petting a dog during a meeting

Our Sponsors:
🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy & https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com
🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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

Our Sponsors:
🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy & https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com
🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss four neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.

They begin with a disabled woman whose parents complain about having to drive her places despite doctors advising her not to drive. Jordan and Simon discuss autism, ADHD, disability, independence, family expectations and the difficult balance between needing support and finding ways to build autonomy.

Next, a man considers ending a new relationship after the woman he's dating reveals she has a cognitive disability. They explore disability and dating, assumptions about someone's capabilities, hyperfixation, emotional intensity, guilt, masking and whether fear about becoming someone's carer is enough reason to walk away.

Then, a drunken student pretends to have a speech impediment after a doorman refuses to let him back into a bar to retrieve his keys and student ID. Jordan and Simon debate impulsivity, disability as an excuse, drunken decision-making and whether the lie was justified when it ultimately got him his belongings back.

Finally, an autistic man becomes overwhelmed and leaves a family dinner in tears after accidentally spilling his drink. Jordan and Simon discuss autistic overwhelm, shutdowns, RSD, catastrophising, masking, social expectations and how changing the environment can make meeting a partner's family far more manageable.

*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.

• AITA I told my parents they birthed a disabled child so they just have to live with it.

• I (25M) matched with a woman (24F) who later told me she has a cognitive disability

• AITA for pretending to have a speech impediment?

• My(18F) boyfriend (19M) (has autism) had a breakdown when we are at my family's house for dinner. My parents are understanding but he feels to nervous to face them again

Our Sponsors:
🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy & https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com
🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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