Grief is never simple but for neurodivergent folks, it can feel like trying to swim through wet cement. In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Regina McMenomy, PhD, shares her own experience of loss while exploring how grief collides with executive dysfunction, emotional numbness, and rejection sensitivity.

If you’ve ever struggled to make phone calls, fill out forms, or even feel your emotions after someone you love has died, this episode is for you. You’ll learn why grief scrambles our executive functioning, how alexithymia can make it hard to name what we’re feeling, and why guilt and self-blame often hit especially hard for late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults.

Because sometimes the hardest part of grieving isn’t the loss itself—it’s learning to be gentle with a brain that’s already overloaded.

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About Dr. Regina McMenomy PhD,

Dr. Regina McMenomy, Ph.D., is a neurodivergent coach, educator, and founder of Divergent Paths Consulting. She helps late-diagnosed adults unmask, heal, and thrive without burning out. Author of the N.E.R.D. Notes Newsletter and host of the Divergent Paths podcast, Regina blends academic insight with nerdy joy to build belonging from the inside out. Catch her on Instagram

You ever open your calendar and wonder who signed you up for all this—only to realize it was you?

In this episode of Divergent Paths, Dr. Regina McMenomy, PhD, and co-host Russ Catanach dive into the exhausting cycle of masking through overcommitment. It's a familiar pattern of saying yes to everything just to look capable, helpful, or “normal.” Together, they unpack why neurodivergent people often take on too much, how that habit drains energy, and what it really means to check your capacity instead of just your calendar.

Regina shares a personal story about agreeing to dog-sit right after Comic-Con (spoiler: it did not go as planned) and how learning to pause before saying yes became a game-changer. Russ reflects on how people-pleasing and masking can blur the line between joy and obligation.

From capacity planning to “potato days,” this episode offers practical ways to honor your limits, manage energy instead of time, and break free from the burnout cycle. Because saying no isn’t selfish—it’s self-respect.

🎧 You’ll learn:

• Why masking often leads to chronic overcommitment
• How to tell the difference between a masking yes and an authentic yes
• Why checking your energy matters more than checking your schedule
• How “potato days” (rest days) help your brain recover
• Scripts for saying no without guilt

Whether you’re an ADHD overachiever, an autistic perfectionist, or a recovering people-pleaser, this conversation will help you find peace in doing less—and thriving more.

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If the sight of a form to fill out or bills you need to pay makes you want to crawl under a blanket, you’re not alone. In this episode of Neurodivergent Synthesis, Dr. Regina breaks down why paperwork — those endless forms, emails, and administrative tasks — can feel like an impossible boss fight for neurodivergent brains.

Paperwork doesn’t just require focus; it demands executive functioning, emotional regulation, and compliance with arbitrary rules — all while offering zero dopamine rewards. Add in Demand Avoidance (“What do you mean I have to do this?”) and Rejection Sensitivity (“What if I do it wrong?”), and you’ve got the perfect recipe for overwhelm, avoidance, and shame spirals.

Together, we’ll unpack how these overlapping neurodivergent traits combine to make even “simple” tasks so complex — and how understanding the pattern can help you reframe, strategize, and show yourself some compassion.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why executive dysfunction + low dopamine makes paperwork a multi-step nightmare
• How PDA turns “required” tasks into nervous-system resistance
• How RSD feeds the fear of messing up or being judged
• Realistic, nerd-friendly strategies for finally slaying the paperwork monster

You’re not lazy. You’re navigating a system that was never designed for your brain.

Book a Clarity Call with Regina

About Dr. Regina McMenomy PhD,

Dr. Regina McMenomy, Ph.D., is a neurodivergent coach, educator, and founder of Divergent Paths Consulting. She helps late-diagnosed adults unmask, heal, and thrive without burning out. Author of the N.E.R.D. Notes Newsletter and host of the Divergent Paths podcast, Regina blends academic insight with nerdy joy to build belonging from the inside out. Catch her on Instagram @DrReginaPhD