Spectrum Sessions

This week on Spectrum Sessions, I talk about PMDD and how it differs from PMS. We are diving into how PMDD shows up for neurodivergent brains, what histamine has to do with these mood fluctuations, the increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts in individuals with PMDD, and the surprising brain changes scientists see in individuals with PMDD. If you’ve ever felt like a completely different person two weeks out of every month, this one’s for you. I also discuss how Autism is disabling every day, all day. “It’s not just circumstantial. The difficulties are every day, all day, and I don’t get a choice as to what days I function better and what days I don’t function at all. That’s outside of my control and that’s just the honest truth.”

In S2E1 Nicole shares updates since S1 wrapped and gives an overview of plans for the rest of S2. Nicole discusses the co-occurrence of chronic health conditions and neurodivergence. Nicole shares her personal experience with overstimulation and meltdowns with her most recent meltdown being experienced at a Rufus Du Sol concert. Stages of overstimulation infographic: https://ko-fi.com/s/1be05dcacc

In this week’s episode Nicole has a guest co-host, Emily McDonald MS, NCC, LPC to explore neurodivergence and substance use. Join us as we unpack the challenges neurodivergent individuals fade, including higher rates of substance use, self-medication, and navigating systems that may overlook our unique needs.

In this week’s episode Brandon and I discuss what to look for on both sides of the therapy couch - as an Autistic client seeking a neurodivergent affirming therapist and what to expect being a therapist working with Autistic clients to help make sure you are inclusive.

In this week’s episode we discuss black and white thinking, a common experienced thought pattern for Autistic people. Brandon and I struggled with this episode as we know we are guilty of engaging in very black and white thinking but struggle to identify specific conscious examples. Black and white thinking has some drawbacks but there are also positives which highlight on this episode. This is one of my personal favorite episodes we have recorded!

This episode focuses on sensory issues Autistic people struggle with. We discuss hyper and hypo sensitivity and share our personal experiences with sensory issues. We share helpful tips to manage sensory nightmares! Link to Loop Earplugs: https://us.loopearplugs.com/pages/homepage-lp1?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=19674497232&utm_campaign=&utm_content=145314081359&utm_term=loop%20headphones&gadid=647946549327&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=19674497232&cq_con=145314081359&cq_term=loop%20headphones&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4Oe4BhCcARIsADQ0cskagavin0yqk8sBATrmYjrlFKE7rwccOamVbNZVFgTWcS9KzTIZyR4aApPXEALw_wcB

In this episode we discuss what Autistic masking is, why we mask, and the cost of masking. We also discuss the Camoflauging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and compare each of our own scoring and reflecting on the gender differences in masking. Link to take the CAT-Q: https://embrace-autism.com/cat-q/

In this episode, we discuss the history of Autism as a diagnosis and its relationship to Schizophrenia. We discuss the reason behind movement away from Asperger’s as a diagnosis. We discuss overlap in symptoms between Schizophrenia and Autism (including the very common Autistic experience of feeling as if you are being watched/living life on a stage). We discuss ways to differentiate the two diagnoses. Works cited:“Autism and Schizophrenia: Is There a Link?” Healthline, 7 Mar. 2022, www.healthline.com/health/autism-vs-schizophrenia#research.Baron-Cohen, Simon. “The Truth about Hans Asperger’s Nazi Collusion.” Nature, vol. 557, no. 7705, 8 May 2018, pp. 305–306, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05112-1, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05112-1De Crescenzo, Franco, et al. “Autistic Symptoms in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 10, no. 78, 21 Feb. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6393379/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00078Grinker, Roy Richard. “Autism, “Stigma,” Disability.” Current Anthropology, vol. 61, no. 21, 22 Oct. 2019, www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/705748, https://doi.org/10.1086/705748Jutla, Amandeep, et al. “Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia: An Updated Conceptual Review.” Autism Research, vol. 15, no. 3, 29 Dec. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2659Poletti, Michele, and Andrea Raballo. “Childhood Schizotypal Features vs. High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: Developmental Overlaps and Phenomenological Differences.” Schizophrenia Research, Oct. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2020.09.027“The Social Ties between Autism and Schizophrenia.” The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives, 12 July 2017, www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/social-ties-autism-schizophrenia/Wawer, Aleksander, et al. “Single and Cross-Disorder Detection for Autism and Schizophrenia.” Cognitive Computation, vol. 14, no. 1, 27 Jan. 2021, pp. 461–473, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-021-09834-9. Accessed 10 Mar. 2022.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Emily McDonald NCC, LPC and Kiersten Murrin Gatto LSW both late-diagnosed therapists with ADHD. Our guests share personal stories and clinical insights. We laugh, we cry, we celebrate our differences. We heavily discuss rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), a deeply felt experience for many with ADHD and Autism. We hope this conversation offers validation and helps people feel less alone. Self screener for RSD: https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-adhd-symptom-test/Works cited: Rong Y, Yang C-J, Jin Y, Wang Y. Prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis. Res Autism Spectr Disord. (2021) 83:101759. 10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101759

Brandon shares his personal experience having a co-occurring diagnosis of Autism and Bipolar. We review similarities and differences of the two diagnoses and what it’s like to live with them. We emphasize the importance of digging beneath the surface of outward symptoms as clinicians to ensure appropriate understanding and diagnosis. Bipolar self-screening: https://www.sadag.org/images/pdf/mdq.pdfWorks cited: Dell’Osso, L., Carpita, B., Bertelloni, C. A., Diadema, E., Barberi, F. M., Gesi, C., & Carmassi, C. (2019). Subthreshold autism spectrum in bipolar disorder: Prevalence and clinical correlates. Psychiatry Research, 281, 112605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112605

Nicole shares her personal experience being misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) when it was actually Autism. We explore symptom overlap, how Autistic people are more at risk of developing BPD and why context of symptoms is so important. This episode also highlights the commonly shared experience of suicidal ideation in Autistic adults. National Suicide Hotlines - Toll Free / 24 hrs / 7 days a week / USA: If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.orgNational Graduate Student Crisis Line, 1-800-472-3457 (1-800-GRAD-HLP)National Hopeline Network, 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE)National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) The Trevor Project - Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LBGTQ youth (1-866-488-7386)Works cited: firespringInt. (2024, October 9). The Autism Research Institute. Autism Research Institute. https://autism.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjNS3BhChARIsAOxBM6pOX0EMBvJcAmCOlKFJjQlDFzxk-W5cf6_Ea8LENaVwDjC6znmEp8oaAhtlEALw_wcBCooper, K., Smith, L. G., & Russell, A. (2017). Social Identity, self‐esteem, and Mental Health in autism. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47(7), 844–854. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2297 Kirby, A. V., Bakian, A. V., Zhang, Y., Bilder, D. A., Keeshin, B. R., & Coon, H. (2019). A 20‐year study of suicide death in a statewide autism population. Autism Research, 12(4), 658–666. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2076Milner, V., McIntosh, H., Colvert, E., & Happé, F. (2019). A Qualitative Exploration of the Female Experience of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03906-4Rea, H. M., Øien, R. A., Shic, F., Webb, S. J., & Ratto, A. B. (2022). Sex Differences on the ADOS-2. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05566-3Zener, D. (2019). Journey to diagnosis for women with autism. Advances in Autism, 5(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.1108/aia-10-2018-0041

In our very first episode, we share our journeys to diagnosis in addition to sharing our hopes and wishes for the entirety of the podcast going forward. We hope that with both our personal and professional experience being two late-diagnosed Autistic therapists we can help amplify the importance of Autistic voices being heard and continue to challenge peoples misconceptions of Autism. We are so happy you are here with us celebrating neurodiversity. As discussed in the episode here is the link to Samantha Craft’s Unofficial Autism Checklist: https://the-art-of-autism.com/females-and-aspergers-a-checklist/