『Authentically ADHD with Carmen』のカバーアート

Authentically ADHD with Carmen

Authentically ADHD with Carmen

著者： Where the chaos of ADHD meets self-acceptance growth and a whole lot of authenticity
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 Hi! I'm Carmen, a late-diagnosed ADHDer, ADHD life coach, and early childhood special education teacher who wants to spread awareness, relate to other ADHDers, and have fun while talking and learning about the difficulties, awesomeness, and new research behind the neurodiverse ADHD brain. ARE YOU READY?? Let's get started!

carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.comCarmen Irace 個人的成功 心理学 心理学・心の健康 自己啓発 衛生・健康的な生活
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  • AuDHD and the Holidays: Navigating the Holiday Hustle and Overwhelm

    AuDHD and the Holidays: Navigating the Holiday Hustle and Overwhelm
    2025/11/22
    Hello and welcome to another episode of Authentically ADHD. I’m Carmen, and today we’re diving into how the holiday season feels through the eyes (and brain) of someone with AuDHD – that is, co-occurring autism and ADHD. For many of us, the holidays can feel less “holly jolly” and more like a perfect storm of stress. In this episode we’ll explore why the season can be extra hard, what it looks and feels like, and science-backed strategies to survive (and maybe even enjoy) the holidays. Whether you’re a newly diagnosed adult or a parent of a neurodivergent child, this one’s for you.What Is AuDHD? (Autism + ADHD)First, a quick science check. Autism and ADHD often go hand in hand. In fact, research suggests roughly 50–70% of autistic people also meet criteria for ADHD. Likewise, about two-thirds of people with ADHD have another condition like autism. In plain terms, having AuDHD means your brain experiences both sets of traits – the social-pragmatic and sensory sensitivities of autism and the attention-dopamine challenges of ADHD.This combination can feel like a constant tug-of-war in the mind. One part of you craves novelty and spontaneity (hello, ADHD!), while another part craves predictability and routine (hello, autism!). Imagine loving new experiences but also needing your favorite cookie recipe exactly the same every year. The result? It can be disorienting: you might feel like you “don’t fit” neatly into either camp. Some people with AuDHD describe it as an internal “tug-of-war” or seesaw: one side impulsive and messy, the other organized and anxious to plan.In practice, AuDHD often means compensating and crashing. For example, someone’s autism-driven focus might compensate for their ADHD-driven distractibility at work, or vice versa – ADHD-driven chaos can overwhelm autistic need-for-order, leaving them paralyzed by overwhelm. Dopamine is also at play: ADHD brains naturally crave dopamine and may impulsively seek novelty to get it. This can collide with autistic routines (which prefer sameness), causing even more internal conflict. All of this can be exhausting, but it also means AuDHD brains are vividly tuned in and often intensely creative. Think of it as life on high-intensity mode – colorful and chaotic, requiring constant balancing.Why the Holidays Are Extra ChallengingNow layer on the holidays, and the pressure cooker heats way up. Even neurotypical people report elevated stress: one survey found 62% of adults felt “very or somewhat” more stressed during the holidays than at other times of year. But for AuDHD brains, the holidays can amplify every stressor:Routines Disrupted: The holidays upend our anchors. School break means new daily rhythms, late nights, irregular meals – everything that might keep an autistic-AuDHD person grounded gets flipped. As one ND observer notes, “routines are often our anchor, and when they’re pulled away, it can leave us adrift”. Even small changes (late start on Monday, new host home, delayed bedtime) can throw our whole system off.Sensory Overload: Holiday sights, sounds, and smells come at you hard. Think bright lights, loud music, clanging dishes, lots of chatter, and maybe even firecrackers or poppers. These environments can push a neurodivergent nervous system into sensory overwhelm. In fact, decorations blaring carols while a dozen relatives talk at once – that’s the classic recipe for sensory overload. Neuroscience explains it as bombarding the five senses: your brain goes into fight-or-flight mode, and it can stay on high alert even after you’re home. One ADHD resource describes this: “the body’s nervous system shifts into ‘fight-or-flight’ mode… After the event, the body may remain on high alert, struggling to return to a relaxed baseline – leading to fatigue, overstimulation, and emotional shutdown.”. In short, holiday clamor can fry an AuDHD brain.Social and Family Dynamics: Holidays often mean forced proximity. You’re expected to play nice at a crowded party, join in traditions, maybe hug or kiss relatives, and make small talk. That’s a lot of unstructured social juggling. Neurodivergent people often need more downtime than society assumes, but the holidays cram intense social demands into the shortest days of winter. Feeling like you should be joyful and festive can clash with feeling drained, anxious, or withdrawn. This is the “disconnect between ‘should’ and ‘feel’” one psychologist talks about: everyone else is pretending joy, but you might feel agitated, melancholic, or exhausted instead. In fact, holiday stress can bring out “regressive” feelings: snapping at family, ruminating on past hurts, or longing for a perfect moment that never happens.Executive Overload: Then there’s all the planning and to-dos. Making a menu, shopping for gifts, wrapping, hosting – the holiday season can demand supercharged executive function. Neuroscience shows that high ...
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    32 分
  • Masking, Unmasking, and the Exhaustion in Between

    Masking, Unmasking, and the Exhaustion in Between
    2025/10/25
    IntroductionImagine trying to swim while holding a beach ball underwater – you might pull it off for a bit, but sooner or later that ball is bobbing to the surface. Masking ADHD can feel just like that. Many of us with ADHD learn early that our brains and behaviors can stand out, so we develop a “socially acceptable” persona to blend in. We smile, sit still, and force focus – all to hide our natural restlessness or distraction. This isn’t about being fake; it’s a survival strategy learned over years. But as the ADDA (Adult ADHD Organization) puts it, keeping that mask on “will take a lot of energy – and the same goes for hiding your ADHD symptoms” In this episode, we’ll explore what masking looks like, why we do it, how it varies across individuals, and most importantly, how to gradually unmask without burning out.What Is Masking and Why We Do It“Masking” (also called camouflaging or impression management) means hiding ADHD-related behaviors to appear neurotypical, usually to avoid stigma or negative judgments. Psychologists trace the idea back to Russell Barkley, who noted roughly one-third of people with ADHD develop masking habit. In practice, this can mean sitting unnaturally still to hide hyperactivity, speaking slowly to avoid interrupting, or painstakingly rehearsing what to say in social situations. We do it for safety. Maybe a teacher, boss, or parent once told us our energy was “too much,” or we saw peers get punished for fidgeting. Over time, we absorb: if we let our ADHD out, we risk judgment, rejection, or even losing out on opportunities. In fact, research shows it’s not paranoia: about 78% of adults with ADHD admit to concealing their symptoms at work for fear of discrimination In school, the disparity can be shocking – one study found students with overt ADHD behaviors are disciplined 3.5 times more often than their peers for the same actions. Add gender and cultural pressures, and masking can feel like the only path: for example, women with ADHD often face “double discrimination” (for having ADHD and for not fitting feminine organizational norms) and are 40% more likely than men to hide their diagnosis entirely. In short, from childhood on, many of us learn that showing our “whole” ADHD selves is risky or unwelcome. So we adapt. We smile when our mind is racing, offer practical reasons for missed details (“Sorry I’m late, traffic was a nightmare!”), and push down our impulsivity. This constant self-monitoring – judging every word, movement, or post you make – drains your brain like a marathon trainer. It literally spikes stress: one study found that simply drafting and editing an email to seem “normal” boosts cortisol by 45% – your body treats each message like a big performance reviewe. Over time, the nervous system can’t tell the difference between a social slip-up and physical dange, so we end up trapped in a cycle of hyper-alertness, exhaustion, and anxiety.What Masking Looks LikeBecause masking is so ingrained, it can look subtle – almost invisible – to others. Here are some common signs:Forcing calmness: You feel restless or impulsive inside, but you keep your voice and movements unusually slow. Your leg might be itching to bounce, but you tuck it under the chair. (Essentially, you’re acting tranquil on the outside to hide your inside.).Over-checking & perfectionism: You triple-check your work or double-back on a short text. It’s not just organization; it’s anxiety about making even a tiny mistake. You polish emails or assignments obsessively so no one will doubt you. This can buy you time socially, but it bleeds your time and energy.Mimicking behavior: You silently copy others. If classmates fidget with a pencil or crack jokes, you nod and do something similar, even if it feels unnatural. You rehearse social scripts or small talk lines so you don’t stand out.Hyper-focusing to overcompensate: You push intense focus on tasks that are being observed. In a meeting, you might go above and beyond on one project to cover for the times your attention drifts away.Suppressing stims: You swallow small yelps when you’re excited, hold in hand-flapping urges, or quietly tap your foot under the table so nobody notices your need to move.Masking emotions: Instead of expressing frustration or excitement, you “perform” a neutral or cheerfully appropriate response. You might bottle up anxiety during social events and then have a breakdown in private.Over time, these “adaptations” literally become a second job. You’re constantly monitoring yourself: “Am I moving too much? Did I blurt out something weird? Should I rephrase that?” It can feel like juggling while walking a tightrope. Nothing about the self feels authentic anymore – you’re playing roles, not being you. But it’s understandable: many ADHDers grew up being rewarded for “good behavior” and punished for impulsivity. The very need to mask is born ...
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    30 分
  • Why Transitions Feel Like a Full-Body Earthquake

    Why Transitions Feel Like a Full-Body Earthquake
    2025/09/08

    In this episode of Authentically ADHD, we’re cracking open one of the most misunderstood struggles of AuDHD life: transitions. Whether it’s getting out of bed, switching tasks, or handling major life shifts like job changes or breakups—transitions can feel like full-body earthquakes that knock us off our axis.

    Join Carmen as she unpacks the neuroscience behind why transitions are so hard when you're wired with both ADHD and autism. From executive dysfunction to emotional dysregulation, sensory overload to task initiation paralysis—this episode breaks it all down with science, sarcasm, and soul.

    You’ll hear relatable anecdotes (including meltdowns over sock seams and hyperfocus hostage situations), insights from ADHD researchers and the ADHD Adults UK Podcast, and 10 practical tips to make transitions less chaotic and more compassionate.

    ✨ If you’ve ever wondered why a “simple” change feels like a system shutdown—you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not broken.

    📚 Topics Covered:

    * Executive functions involved in transitions

    * Why AuDHD brains resist shifting gears

    * Emotional and sensory overwhelm

    * Tools, rituals, and scripts to ease transitions

    * How to support yourself with structure—not shame

    🎧 Press play, breathe deep, and let’s navigate the messy magic of change—together.

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    31 分
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