#113: Using Stand-Up Comedy To Create Conversation & Community Around Neurodiversity

Send us Fan MailSam shares his experience writing his comedy special --  "Neurospicy: Love, Life, and Comedy on the Spectrum" -- as being both "confronting" as he revisited challenging moments in his life, but also "healing" as he was able to reframe those experiences through the filter of Asperger's. Sam describes growing up without a diagnosis as being "confusing, isolating, and lacking a shared reality," and shares that the process of writing this show has created a shared reality and community. We discuss what it feels like to look back at the years we spent without a diagnosis or understanding our brains, and how there is a balance between grief and relief. Sam and I talk about the role of humor as a masking technique to make yourself palatable to others and feel protected. As we reflect on the grief of looking back on life after receiving a diagnosis, Sam describes the neurological function of the grieving process and how it provides space to create new neural pathways. Sam describes the role of comedy as both an escape and a means of understanding human dynamics and social structures, and shares the function of humor from an evolutionary psychology standpoint, which is to be a proxy for social intelligence. Sam and I hone in on the value of using stand-up comedy to amplify and curate your best qualities but also to "digest and deliver a shared sense of humanity over the worst experiences." It all comes back to creating community and connection.Dr. Sam Shay, DC, IFMCP solves health puzzles for busy, health-conscious moms, mom-preneurs, and adults with Aspergers so that they can exit survival mode and re-enter community. Sam started his health journey from being chronically unwell from age 6-18, stemming from a fraught home and school environment. Starting as a child, he struggled with crippling insomnia, severe fatigue, two addictions (sugar and video games), high anxiety, bad gut problems, chronic spinal pain, and social isolation. He decided to take back control of his health as a late teenager and dedicated his life to natural medicine, functional testing, and re-entering community. Dr. Shay is also a Stand-Up Comic, using clean, observational comedy to educate and entertain. His comedy sets can be seen on YouTube at bit.ly/samuelcomedyclipsSam's Comedy Special with the Denver Fringe: Neurospicy: Love, Life, and Comedy on the SpectrumTicket link (Fringe with Friends: Buy 4 or more and get 10% off)Teaser Trailer Show info: Friday, Jun 7: 6:15-7:15pm; Saturday, June 8: 7:30-8:30pm; Sunday, June 9: 4-5pmDownload Sam's free stand-up comedy mini-manual here. Listen to our interview with Zoe Rogers, Steph and Sam's comedy teacher in our episode: It's Not Ladies Night: This Mother Plus Stand-up Comedian Talks Sexism in the Comedy IndustryWHERE TO FIND US NOWConnect with Stacey🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  on Apple & Spotify 📸 Instagram: @stacehutsonConnect with Steph🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcaston Apple and Spotify✍️ The Reclamation Eraon Substack📝 MidCircle— a writing community for midlife women📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger