EP: 79: Neurodivergent in Recovery: Autism, GLP-1s, and Being Misunderstood in 12-Step Rooms with Rebecca Rush

What do autism, Ozempic, alcohol cravings, recovery culture, and a Substack called The Loudest Girl in the Corner have in common?More than you might think.In this episode of Rewired Sober, I sit down with Rebecca Rush—sober autistic peer support coach, poet, essayist, and creator of The Loudest Girl in the Corner—for one of the most honest, hilarious, and thought-provoking conversations I've had on the podcast.We explore the intersection of neurodiversity, addiction, and recovery culture, including why many people spend years being labeled as "alcoholics" while undiagnosed autism, ADHD, sensory overwhelm, masking, and social exhaustion remain hidden beneath the surface.Rebecca shares her experience navigating recovery as an autistic woman and why some traditional recovery spaces can feel confusing, invalidating, or impossible to navigate for neurodivergent people.We also discuss the growing conversation around GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy and how they are helping some people dramatically reduce alcohol cravings—raising fascinating questions about addiction, biology, craving, and recovery.And because neither of us is particularly interested in pretending certain topics don't exist, we also dive into some of the more controversial corners of recovery culture.In This Episode We Discuss:Autism and alcohol useWhy autism is frequently missed or misdiagnosed in womenMasking, people-pleasing, and belongingWhy some neurodivergent people struggle in traditional 12-step programsThe tendency to pathologize every struggle as alcoholismGroup dynamics, sponsorship, and social expectationsHow autistic traits can clash with recovery cultureThe vulnerability of newcomers and the reality of the "13th Step"Predatory behavior in recovery spacesSex inventories, shame, and self-blameThe difference between accountability and humiliationWhen recovery becomes self-flagellation instead of healingBuilding a recovery that actually fits your brainGLP-1 medications and alcohol cravingsRecovery beyond one-size-fits-all thinkingWe also discuss Rebecca's essay A Few Things I Won't Be Writing About, a sharp, funny, and unapologetic critique of the things recovery culture often struggles to talk about openly. In true Rebecca fashion, she somehow manages to write about all of them while claiming she won't.This episode isn't about telling anyone how to recover.It's about making room for more curiosity, more nuance, and more honest conversations.Whether you're neurodivergent, questioning your relationship with alcohol, frustrated with recovery dogma, curious about GLP-1 medications, or simply interested in the evolving conversation around addiction and healing, this episode will give you plenty to think about—and probably a few things to laugh about too.About Rebecca RushRebecca Rush is a sober autistic peer support coach, poet, essayist, and writer of The Loudest Girl in the Corner. Her work explores autism, recovery, masking, identity, belonging, and what happens when people stop shrinking themselves to fit into systems that were never built for them.Resources MentionedRebecca Rush's Substack: The Loudest Girl in the CornerTheLoudestGirlintheCorner.substack.comFailbettercoaching.comInstagram.com/failbettercoachRewired Sober 1:1 Coaching Spots Are Open (But Fill Up Fast) Start anytime and get 3 months of guidance from Kate designed for women in sobriety. Book a discovery call to inquire: https://calendly.com/katevitelacoaching/deep-dive-1-1-w-kateConnect with Kate @rewiredsober on all social media platforms:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewiredsober/Email: [email protected]