Rumination & ADHD & Autism: Why Your Brain Replays Everything and How to Break the Loop

Do you replay conversations long after an event ends, analyzing what you said, what you should have said, and how everything might have been perceived? In this episode of Divergent Paths, Dr. Regina McMenomy, Ph.D. unpacks post-event rumination, a common experience for neurodivergent people, especially those with ADHD and autism.Together with co-host Russ Catanach, Regina explains why the brain gets stuck in these mental loops after social or professional interactions—and why rumination isn’t a personal failing, but a nervous-system response shaped by masking, rejection sensitivity, and unmet needs for safety and closure. You’ll learn how rumination differs from reflection, what actually fuels it, and why trying to “just stop thinking about it” rarely works.This conversation offers compassionate, practical strategies to help you interrupt rumination cycles, regulate your nervous system, and release the emotional hangover that often follows meetings, presentations, or social gatherings. If you’ve ever felt exhausted by your own thoughts after an event, this episode will help you understand what’s happening—and how to move forward with more ease.Sign up for N.E.R.D. Notes and get weekly nerdy neurodivergent insights!Book a Clarity Call with ReginaAbout Dr. Regina McMenomy, PhDRegina is a neurodivergent coach and educator who helps late-diagnosed adults unmask, heal from burnout, and build lives aligned with how their brains work. She founded Divergent Paths Consulting to provide the type of coaching and support to late-diagnosed nerdy neurodivergent folks in educational leadership and tech fields that she needed when she got her late diagnosis.