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What's the cost of pretending to be someone you're not for 20 years? For Nick from Autistic Pod, it was nearly his life.

At 42, after hitting a depression so severe he was ready to end everything, Nick finally discovered he was autistic and ADHD. The diagnosis explained decades of feeling 'too much,' being called 'abrasive,' and struggling to understand why fitting in felt impossible. The truth? He'd been unconsciously masking—hiding his authentic self to meet societal expectations—and his body was keeping the score.

In this powerful episode, we explore:

✨ What masking really is and how it affects neurodivergent individuals

✨ The fascinating differences in how autistic and ADHD brains process information (hint: 3X more thoughts)

✨ The transformative moment at a basketball game when Nick's mom truly understood him for the first time

✨ Why we need to teach emotional intelligence alongside IQ in schools

✨ Nick's rules for life: growing every day, compassionate accountability, and distancing from toxic people

✨ How society celebrates lies and rewards those who hide their feelings best—and why that's unsustainable

Nick created his podcast 'Autistic Pod' to have these exact conversations—the ones we're too afraid to have, about trauma, depression, and what it means to be authentically yourself in a world that punishes difference.

This conversation will challenge how you think about neurodivergence, mental health, and what it truly means to be human.

Check out his podcasts: AutisticPod and The ADHD Habits and Rantings of Nick Pagano (coming soon)

Check out my website for Divine Ascension Co.!

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Thank you to all those who have supported me and my journey. You guys mean the world to me.