Prioritizing wellness and authentic connection is essential for neurodivergent individuals, especially during times of low energy or change. This episode highlights how embracing interdependence, rest, and honest communication can support deeper well-being and resilience within both friendships and professional collaborations.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, candidly discuss what led them to take a break from the podcast and how that pause deepened their understanding of self-care, boundaries, and the value of neurodivergent connection. Together, they share personal experiences of attachment wounds, rupture and repair, community building, and new season plans—without guest speakers, focusing on honest, relatable conversations between friends and colleagues.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Discover a realistic and neurodivergent-affirming approach to wellness that acknowledges low energy periods, demand avoidance, and the vital importance of community and interdependence.
2. Learn practical tools for navigating and repairing relationship ruptures, including how to get beneath content-driven arguments to the underlying attachment needs and emotions.
3. Find validation and actionable self-care frameworks, from balancing self-soothing with self-nourishment to reimagining community as “mile deep, inch wide”—especially relevant in the current climate of heightened stress and activism.

While reflecting on your own wellness and connections, consider how you might honor your needs for both rest and community support. Listen to this episode for an open, compassionate look at what real, sustainable neurodivergent wellness can look like.

Articles and essays mentioned in this podcast:

1. Dr. Neff’s article on rupture repair (written shortly after the experience discussed in this episode): https://neurodivergentinsights.com/rupture-repair
2. Identity Development Model Article (also discussed in this episode): https://neurodivergentinsights.substack.com/p/neurodivergent-identity-arcs
3. Two Forms of Self-Care by Dr. Daniel Wendler: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/two-forms-self-care

Divergent Conversations Underground (a space to continue and deepen the conversation together)

1. Divergent Conversations Underground: If you’d like to go deeper with us this season, we’re excited to stretch into more nuanced, searching conversations in community. https://divergentconversations.substack.com

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Living with perpetual Autistic burnout can feel like navigating a world that’s always just a little too overwhelming, exhausting, or out of sync. For neurodivergent people, teasing apart burnout from depression and understanding how chronic sensory and emotional overload shapes daily life is not just challenging but key for self-advocacy and well-being.

In this flashback episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, discuss the lived experience of Autistic burnout. They share personal stories about perpetual exhaustion, reflect on the nuances that differentiate Autistic burnout from depression, and illustrate how life stressors, health challenges, and environmental demands converge to create what they jokingly call “perpetual sensory hell.” With humor and candor, they explore how burnout can signal deeper misalignment and the importance of understanding personal triggers, as well as highlight why these conversations matter so much for late-identified Autistic adults.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Gain clarity on the difference between Autistic burnout and depression through real-life examples and practical markers—vital for anyone navigating neurodivergent mental health.
2. Hear validating stories about sensory struggles, task exhaustion, and the havoc that chronic burnout can wreak, along with the role of major life changes, masking, and health conditions.
3. Pick up concrete advice for recognizing your own burnout triggers, interpreting external and internal signals, and beginning to build a more resilient, neurodivergent-affirming life.

If you’re navigating burnout or are curious about what “Autistic burnout” really means, this episode offers honest validation, practical wisdom, and a sense of solidarity. Discover how being seen and understood can be the first step out of perpetual burnout.

Resources

• Neurodivergent Insights Resource on Autistic Burnout: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Divergent Conversations Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 2: Autistic Burnout (divergentpod.com/2)
• Episode 47: Autistic Burnout (Part 2): A Deep Dive Into The Diversity of Burnout (divergentpod.com/47)

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Burnout isn’t just about exhaustion—it’s a sensory experience that can leave neurodivergent people feeling stretched to the breaking point. When every sound, smell, or texture feels overwhelming, how do we navigate recovery and build resilience in a world that rarely slows down?

In this flashback episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, discuss the connection between sensory processing and autistic burnout. They share candid reflections on their personal burnout cycles, explore how sensory overwhelm shapes emotional and cognitive well-being, and highlight the critical need for understanding individual sensory profiles. This conversation unpacks the realities of living through burnout—including the constant to-do lists, the elusive pursuit of “just right” sensory environments, and the importance of community support—while providing practical strategies for recovery and prevention.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Discover how sensory overload and sensory needs play a major role in burnout for Autistic and ADHD people, and pick up strategies for managing sensory overwhelm even when "rest" isn’t an option.
2. Hear honest, relatable insights from Patrick and Megan Anna about identifying sensory triggers, living with constant overwhelm, and unlearning narratives around "not being content"—plus the validating realization that everyone’s sensory profile and needs are truly unique.
3. Get practical tools to help you map your own sensory landscape, communicate your needs, and take actionable steps toward burnout recovery and prevention—grounded in real-life experiences and evidence-based wisdom.

If you’re feeling stretched thin by sensory and emotional demands, this episode is designed to help you understand why and start reclaiming what makes you feel safe, soothed, and genuinely well.

Resources

• Neurodivergent Insights Resource on Autistic Burnout: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources
• The Autistic Burnout Workbook by Dr. Megan Anna Neff: simonandschuster.com/books/The-Autistic-Burnout-Workbook/Megan-Anna-Neff/9781507223062
• Check out Neurodivergent Insights’ Library of Boundary Scripts (free resource): neurodivergentinsights.notion.site/Boundary-Statements-17da17a4bb8b80c9a45dc8ff9c651725

Sensory Checklists

• Sensory Preferences: neurodivergentinsights.com/sensory-preferences-the-complete-checklist
• Sensory Soothers: neurodivergentinsights.com/sensory-calming-techniques
• Sensory Triggers: neurodivergentinsights.com/understanding-and-managing-sensory-overload

Divergent Conversations Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 2: Autistic Burnout (