For most of our lives, we were trying to appear neurotypical. We masked, overcompensated, and pushed through constant burnout—just to look like we were okay. Like we were successful. Like we were making it.

But inside? We were exhausted. In pain. And often, we felt broken.

Realizing I had ADHD challenged everything I believed about myself and the world around me. I wasn’t broken—my brain was just wired differently.

For those of us who are also autistic, it added even more layers. The masking, the sensory overload, the social decoding…it all made sense in a new way.

Getting treatment can be life-changing. But medication doesn’t cure ADHD or autism—it just helps manage some symptoms. And even with support, we’re still up against a lifetime of internalized shame. That inner critic is loud. It tells us we’re lazy, flaky, too much, not enough.

On top of that, there’s the day-to-day: household tasks, prioritizing, staying organized at work, managing time, relationships, focus, and more.

After diagnosis, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—like you’re suddenly expected to “fix” it all at once. But you don’t have to.