"I masked for too long!" - Ellie Middleton details impact of late AuDHD diagnosis

ADHD Chatter

Ellie Middleton is an activist, speaker and writer committed to breaking taboos and empowering neurodivergent people to thrive in and out of the workplace. Ellie's story is tragically relatable, but also full of hope, insight and wisdom.

00:00 Trailer

03:04 Shall we start by explaining in brief your diagnoses and where they came throughout your life?

07:52 What were the various iterations of masking throughout your childhood?

10:51 What are the hidden costs of masking

16:06 When was the last time you felt truly 100% unmasked and this made you feel uncomfortable to feel like you're being yourself?

23:59 When was the last time you felt truly 100% unmasked and this made you feel incredibly liberated and accepted?

27:12 From your experience, what toll does the feeling of being misunderstood take on a person at the time it's happening, and in hindsight what toll do you think it can play on a person when they reach adulthood?

31:14 We’ve had a few guests on with AuDHD and one of the most illustrative of analogies is "it's like 2 siblings dragging each other across the room by their hair". How would you describe these two sectors of the brain colliding on a day-to-day basis?

35:46 Last time you were on you described a sort of 6 month pendulum swing of depression that would then swing to optimism and ambition. You haven't been on here for around a year, so I was just wondering if this has cropped up again in your life and how?

39:48 ADHD item

42:24 The washing machine of woes

48:19 Does having ADHD and Autism make you more tolerant of other people who exhibit what might be frustrating symptoms of ADHD and Autism in your personal or professional life?

51:04 You’ve built a fantastic community online lending support to neurodivergents, from those who have reached out, do you see any common themes in the turmoils of those who are feeling lost?

53:23 Have you made any steps over the last year to manage your R.S.D and has it cropped up in your life since you were last on?

58:23 For someone who has said they take things literally and can maybe be more blunt than people are used to, this must cause confusions in conversations and friendships, how does your RSD deal with these confusions?

01:04:07 Why are boundaries important to a person?

01:11:16 At the beginning of your Ted Talk, you listed contradictions of social dynamics that you had trouble balancing. Could you mention a couple of them now?

01:13:18 You then go on to say other neurotypical people just seemed to have a metaphorical rulebook which helped them understand these things that you couldn't get to grips with, did this lead to resentment of being different? Having to work so hard to understand something others know intrinsically?

01:17:01 A letter from the previous guest

Buy Ellie's book 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-You-Goodbye-Should-Would/dp/0241710375

Follow Ellie on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/elliemidds/?hl=en

This episode has been produced for entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to be taken as medical advice or advice in any way.

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