You used to work, socialise and push through. Now ordinary demands can feel beyond your capacity. What happens when autistic burnout leaves you asking, “Why can't I do what I used to do?”

In Episode 18 of Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations, Christine and Mareike share their different experiences of autistic burnout and the uncertainty of living with changed capacity. We explore the hidden cost of masking and compensation, why stopping activity may not feel restful when demands remain, and what a felt sense of safety means to us: moments when we feel less on guard or required to perform. We question whether recovery must mean returning to our old output, and consider reducing load, noticing earlier signals and making room for quiet joy without turning recovery into another performance project.

• Autistic burnout in late-discovered neurodivergent women
• Reduced capacity and the hidden cost of pushing through
• Rest, ongoing demands and a felt sense of safety
• Sensory load, masking and earlier signs of overload
• Grief and uncertainty about your future capacity
• Recovery beyond productivity, including joy and support

Want to revisit this conversation gently? Visit our Companion Hub for Conversation Notes from selected episodes and reflections you can return to without making recovery another task.

https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Questions, feedback, future topics or guest and podcast enquiries? Get in touch: contact@betweenusconversations.com

Follow Between Us for new conversations. If this episode resonated, you can share it with someone who might recognise herself in it, or help more women find us by rating or reviewing the show.
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Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations is a podcast with Christine and Mareike for late-diagnosed, late-identified, self-identifying and questioning neurodivergent women. We share lived experience of ADHD, autism, AuDHD, masking, burnout, parenting, relationships and midlife, while learning to build lives that fit our nervous systems.

A note about this conversation: We share lived experience and general information, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If this raises questions about your health, consider discussing them with an appropriately qualified professional.

Another planner. Another routine. And dinner is still unexpectedly difficult. How do you turn what you know about your ADHD, autism or AuDHD into practical support for the life you're actually living?

In Episode 17 of Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations, Christine and Mareike explore the gap between understanding your brain and organising everyday life around it. We talk about visible reminders, fewer decisions, body doubling, flexible routines and planning for low-capacity days. The starting point is one thing that keeps going wrong, then getting curious about what makes it difficult. We share systems we've abandoned and adjustments we're still experimenting with, including making room for transitions and recovery instead of expecting ourselves to push through.

• Practical ADHD, autism and AuDHD strategies for daily life
• Visible storage, reminders and externalising memory
• Reducing decisions and making the first step easier
• Body doubling, interest and momentum for starting tasks
• Flexible routines and low-capacity versions of ordinary days
• Planning transitions, communication and recovery time

Want a place to return to these ideas without remembering everything? Visit our Companion Hub for Conversation Notes from selected episodes and practical reflections to explore at your own pace.

https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Questions, feedback, future topics or guest and podcast enquiries? Get in touch: contact@betweenusconversations.com

Follow Between Us for new conversations. If this episode resonated, you can share it with someone who might recognise herself in it, or help more women find us by rating or reviewing the show.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenus.conversations/

Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations is a podcast with Christine and Mareike for late-diagnosed, late-identified, self-identifying and questioning neurodivergent women. We share lived experience of ADHD, autism, AuDHD, masking, burnout, parenting, relationships and midlife, while learning to build lives that fit our nervous systems.

You understand your ADHD or autism, but you still tell yourself you should be able to cope. Why does needing rest, quiet or help feel like a personal failure, even after discovering you're neurodivergent?

In Episode 15 of Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations, Christine and Mareike explore internalised ableism: the expectations we've absorbed about productivity, independence and what a capable adult should manage. We share how those rules show up differently for us, from pushing through exhaustion to feeling guilty about having needs. Understanding our neurodivergence hasn't automatically changed the standards we measure ourselves against. We're learning to notice when a genuine need is followed by judgement, and to get curious about whose rules we're following.

• Internalised ableism in late-discovered neurodivergent women
• Rest guilt, productivity and the pressure to push through
• Comparing today’s capacity with what you used to manage
• Why asking for help can feel like becoming a burden
• Noticing the “should” that arrives after a need
• Trying one small moment of believing your own needs

Want to sit with this conversation a little longer? Visit our Companion Hub for Conversation Notes from selected episodes and gentle reflection prompts to return to at your own pace.

https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Questions, feedback, future topics or guest and podcast enquiries? Get in touch: contact@betweenusconversations.com

Follow Between Us for new conversations. If this episode resonated, you can share it with someone who might recognise herself in it, or help more women find us by rating or reviewing the show.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenus.conversations/

Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations is a podcast with Christine and Mareike for late-diagnosed, late-identified, self-identifying and questioning neurodivergent women. We share lived experience of ADHD, autism, AuDHD, masking, burnout, parenting, relationships and midlife, while learning to build lives that fit our nervous systems.

You know headphones, a quieter table or a written message would make something easier. So why do you keep telling yourself not to make a fuss? Everyday accommodations for ADHD, autism and AuDHD can begin with noticing what keeps costing you too much.

In Episode 16 of Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations, Christine and Mareike explore how to work out what support you need after years of adapting yourself to everything around you. We look beyond formal workplace arrangements to sensory needs, communication, memory, task initiation, transitions and recovery. An accommodation might change the environment, the timing or the way a task happens. We share ordinary examples, including familiar restaurants and quieter seating, and talk about why giving ourselves permission to use support can be harder than identifying it.

• Everyday accommodations for neurodivergent adults
• Working backwards from friction to the need underneath
• Sensory overload, headphones and quieter environments
• Written communication and time to process information
• Support for memory, starting tasks and transitions
• Recovery time, competing needs and asking for changes

Want to explore what might make everyday life easier for you? Visit our Companion Hub for Conversation Notes from selected episodes and reflection prompts you can revisit when you have capacity.

https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Questions, feedback, future topics or guest and podcast enquiries? Get in touch: contact@betweenusconversations.com

Follow Between Us for new conversations. If this episode resonated, you can share it with someone who might recognise herself in it, or help more women find us by rating or reviewing the show.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweenus.conversations/

Between Us | Neurodivergent Conversations is a podcast with Christine and Mareike for late-diagnosed, late-identified, self-identifying and questioning neurodivergent women. We share lived experience of ADHD, autism, AuDHD, masking, burnout, parenting, relationships and midlife, while learning to build lives that fit our nervous systems.

Neurodivergence is often talked about through the lens of challenges, struggles, and things that need to be fixed. But what happens when we look at the other side of the picture?

In this episode, we explore some of the strengths and qualities that can come with ADHD, autism, and AuDHD from creativity, curiosity, deep focus, pattern recognition, empathy, and authenticity to seeing the world from a perspective that may be different, but not less valuable.

We also talk about the importance of recognising strengths without romanticising neurodivergence or ignoring the very real challenges that can come with it.

Because understanding yourself isn’t only about learning what is difficult. It’s also about discovering what makes you, you.

Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself, supporting someone who is, or simply curious to see beyond the challenges, we’re glad you’re here.

As always, this episode reflects our personal experiences and reflections as neurodivergent women. It is not intended as medical, psychological or diagnostic advice.

Come join us as we explore a side of neurodivergence that is often left unseen.

See the following link to our Conversation Notes https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

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What if your brain never really gets to switch off?

In this episode, we explore the mental load of ADHD, autism, and AuDHD - the constant planning, remembering, anticipating, analysing, monitoring, and processing that can make even quiet moments feel mentally busy.

We talk about why everyday life can create an endless stream of open tabs in the mind, why resting doesn’t always feel restful, and how the invisible work of keeping track of everything can become exhausting over time.

Because sometimes, you can be doing nothing and still feel like your brain has been working all day.

Whether you recognise yourself in this experience or are discovering it for the first time, we’re glad you’re here.

As always, this episode reflects our personal experiences and reflections as neurodivergent women. It is not intended as medical, psychological or diagnostic advice.

We invite you to stay curious and see what resonates with you.

See the following link to our Conversation Notes https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Follow us on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/betweenus.conversations/

Why can everyday life feel completely exhausting when, from the outside, nothing seems particularly difficult?

In this episode, we explore the invisible energy cost of ADHD, autism, and AuDHD and why ordinary tasks, social interactions, sensory input, decision-making, and constantly adapting to the world around you can require far more energy than others might realise.

Sometimes, the hardest part is the part nobody can see.

Whether this feels deeply familiar or gives you a new perspective on someone you know, we’re glad you’re here.

As always, this episode reflects our personal experiences and reflections as neurodivergent women. It is not intended as medical, psychological or diagnostic advice.

We hope you’ll find something in this conversation that stays with you.

See the following link to our Conversation Notes https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Follow us on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/betweenus.conversations/

Preparing for an ADHD or autism assessment can feel overwhelming.

What should you bring?

What should you remember?

And how do you make sure you communicate your experiences clearly without feeling like you have to prove anything?

In this episode, we explore how to prepare for an assessment while staying connected to your own story. We talk about reflecting on patterns, experiences, challenges, and coping strategies and why you don’t need to have all the answers before you walk into the room.

Because an assessment isn’t about presenting the “perfect” story. It’s about giving yourself the space to describe your experiences as honestly and openly as you can.

As always, this episode reflects our personal experiences and reflections as neurodivergent women. It is not intended as medical, psychological or diagnostic advice.

We’re happy to have you with us.

See the following link to our Conversation Notes https://between-us-eth7gg.subscribepage.io

Follow us on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/betweenus.conversations/