The Neurodivergent Lounge - Episode 8 Show Notes

"Sensory Mapping 101"

Duration: 15 minutes Host: Marie Martin

Episode Overview

Why certain environments make you feel instantly agitated or drained? We're mapping your sensory world using the SORA framework and creating support plans that actually work.

What You'll Learn

• The 8 sensory systems (beyond the traditional 5)
• Your personal sensory map using SORA
• Prevention, regulation, and recovery strategies

Opening Response

Marie addresses TruthSeeker's "get over trauma" comment from Episode 7:

"I acknowledge when I'm the problem, but as someone neurodivergent, I speak a different language. Sometimes you may not get me, and I may not get you. But the same grace we give to someone who doesn't speak our native tongue - grace is the translator."

Key Framework: SORA Sensory Mapping

• S - Seeking vs Avoiding
• O - Optimal Levels
• R - Reactions & Responses
• A - Accommodations & Tools

Action Step

When you feel agitated, ask: "What is my sensory system dealing with right now?"

Next Episode

Episode 9: "The Overstimulation Spiral" - navigating shutdowns and meltdowns with self-compassion.

Connect: NeuroSora Codex & SORA Ally Message: You're not too much—you're exactly the right amount of you.

Next Episode Preview

Episode 9: "The Overstimulation Spiral" - What happens when your sensory systems get completely overwhelmed, and how to navigate shutdowns and meltdowns with self-compassion.

Connect with Marie

• Podcast: The Neurodivergent Lounge
• Creator: NeuroSora Codex & SORA Ally
• Message: You're not too much—you're exactly the right amount of you.

Episode Tags

#Neurodivergent #SensoryMapping #ADHD #Autism #SensoryProcessing #Overstimulation #SelfUnderstanding #SORA #Accommodation #SensoryNeeds

Episode Title: RSD - When Rejection Hits DifferentDuration: 12 minutesHost: Marie Martin - Creator and Founder of NeuroSora Codex & SORA Ally

Episode Notes:

RSD doesn’t always have to run the show. Sometimes the win is recognizing the face, the tone, the pattern—and choosing to respond differently.

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) isn’t “just taking things too personally.” For many with ADHD or autism, rejection feels like a full-body hit—sharp, overwhelming, and hard to shake. In this episode, Marie unpacks why rejection lands so differently for neurodivergent brains and how to reframe the experience without minimizing it.

We’ll cover:

• What’s really happening in the brain during RSD
• Why the emotional impact feels immediate and intense
• How RSD connects to past experiences of criticism or exclusion
• A personal story of turning RSD into pattern recognition in real time
• Practical ways to notice the spiral and protect your energy

RSD doesn’t mean you’re “too sensitive.” It means your brain is wired to feel connection deeply—and that depth can become a strength when you understand it.

Key Insights & Takeaways

💡 RSD isn't a character flaw - it's a nervous system response from a brain trying to keep you safe from social rejection

🧠 It's adapted sensitivity - your brain learned hypervigilance because rejection has been painful and frequent

⚡ The goal isn't to stop feeling intensely - it's to work with your RSD instead of being controlled by it

🎯 Your sensitivity is emotional intelligence - the same brain that feels rejection deeply also reads rooms and cares about relationships

🌟 The right people won't find your intensity rejectable - they'll find it refreshing

✨ The Neurodivergent Lounge: A comfortable space for uncomfortable growth.

Host Bio

Marie Martin is the Creator and Founder of NeuroSora Codex & SORA Ally, and host and producer of The Neurodivergent Lounge. Through her personal journey with RSD and neurodivergence, Marie understands firsthand how rejection sensitivity can impact daily life and relationships. She's passionate about helping others recognize their sensitivity as emotional intelligence rather than weakness.

The Neurodivergent Lounge - Episode 6: ADHD vs OCD - The Nuances in Brain Wiring

Duration: 15 minutes Host: Marie Martin - Creator and Founder of NeuroSora Codex & SORA Ally

The Hook

Ever been told you're "a little OCD" when you organize obsessively under stress? Or wondered why you get "stuck" in certain thought patterns? This episode clarifies the crucial difference between ADHD pattern-seeking and OCD anxiety cycles.

Episode Description

Marie breaks down the practical differences between ADHD and OCD brain wiring using real-world examples. If you've ever confused repetitive thoughts with OCD or wondered why you can't stop thinking about incomplete social situations, this episode helps you identify your specific brain patterns.

Key Topics

The Confusion Zone - Why repetitive behaviors don't automatically equal OCD, and how ADHD pattern-seeking differs from OCD anxiety management

ADHD Brain in Action - How ADHD processes incomplete social information, why hyperfocus feels fascinating, and why late-night organizing sessions happen

OCD Experience - How intrusive thoughts create anxiety cycles, why behaviors feel necessary vs. interesting, and how OCD co-occurs with ADHD

Key Insights

🧠 ADHD loops seek completion - "I need to understand what happened" vs. OCD's "something bad will happen"

🔄 ADHD behaviors feel satisfying - driven by interest/fascination rather than anxiety management

⚡ Motivation matters - ADHD hyperfocus feels good; compulsions feel necessary even when unwanted

🎯 Different mechanisms need different approaches - pattern-seeking vs. anxiety cycles require different strategies

Practical Applications

For ADHD: Give yourself permission to think things through fully, channel hyperfocus as a superpower, recognize completion-seeking as intelligence

For OCD: Distinguish "need to understand" from "something bad will happen," focus on anxiety management over completion

Next Episode: RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria) - how it shows up and transforms relationships

Working with Your Wiring - Marie's transformation story: when RSD kicked in but pattern recognition overrode it, allowing response from clarity instead of reactivity

Marie Martin uses her NeuroSORA Codex research and personal neurodivergent journey to help others work with their brain patterns instead of against them.

"ADHD brains naturally move on once patterns are complete - this isn't dysfunction, it's intelligent design."