Ellie (33) and Paige (31) are sisters who were diagnosed late with autism and ADHD (AuDHD). However, the way it manifests in them doesn't look the same. With AuDHD only becoming an official diagnosis in 2013, the lack of research not only resulted in late diagnosis and mental health issues, but also left Ellie and Paige feeling alone and confused. This podcast is a space where Ellie and Paige share their experiences, in the hopes it will help others. It explores the vast manifestations of neurodivergence and emphasises how even sisters with the same condition can look completely different.
// Diagnosed late, here to educate // INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, YOUTUBE @wtfisaudhdpodcast
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Content note: This episode discusses cannabis use and self-medication. We’re sharing personal experiences, not medical advice. If medicinal cannabis is legal in your country/state, please see a healthcare professional to discuss your prescription options. In this episode, we explore why cannabis use seems to be relatively common among ADHD and autistic people - and what we’ve personally noticed. Even though we're sisters, we've both had different relationships with it. We talk about how it affec...
In this episode, we’re talking about Hyperventilation Syndrome and how easy it is to get stuck in an anxiety-breathing feedback loop without even realising. If you often feel dizzy, tight-chested, or like you can't catch a literal breath - you might relate to our personal experiences with chronic hyperventilation throughout our lives. We also touch on Ellie's lived experience with “W sitting” (if you know, you know). We chat about why so many neurodivergent people do it, why it’s not ideal for d...
Trigger warning: this episode discusses Ellie and Paige's experiences with manipulation, sexual harm and harrassment. Listen with care. In this episode, we’re talking about some of the harder experiences we’ve had - including manipulation, bullying, and situations where consent and safety weren’t always clear at the time. Our aim with this chat is to help you recognise harm and vaildate similar experiences you may have had. We explore this through an AuDHD lens, unpacking things like missing red...
Trigger warning: this episode contains light conversations surrounding eating and disordered eating. In this episode, we’re joined by Erin - an ADHDer and dietician ( Balance and Bite ) - to unpack what neuroaffirming nutrition actually looks like and why traditional advice around food so often doesn’t work for neurodivergent people. Erin talks to us about the real reasons the neurodivergent population struggle with food - from executive dysfunction and dopamine-seeking, to sensory needs, decisi...
Join the waitlist for our journals! https://wtfjournals.com/signup In this episode, we share our personal journeys of improving our gut health - and why it’s become something we’re paying a lot more attention to. This isn’t a dieting episode, we just feel passionate about sharing our personal experiences when it comes to gut health. We explore the gut-brain connection, why gut health plays such a big role in mood, energy, and regulation, and why it can be especially important for AuDHD brains. W...
Connection and loneliness are two of the most common experiences in the neurodivergent community. So in this episode, we chat to 27-year-old Holly Fowler - founder and CEO of Wable , an app designed to help neurodivergent people connect through friendship, dating, and work. This is not sponsored, it's just a genuine chat between three neurodivergent who want the world to be a better place for everyone. Holly shares how a spontaneous DM to Michael Theo after watching Love on the Spectrum led to a...
In this episode, we unpack the concept of internalised ableism - and how it can shape the way neurodivergent people see themselves. Growing up in a world designed for neurotypical brains often means receiving constant messages that we’re lazy, disorganised, too sensitive, or not trying hard enough. Over time, those messages can become internalised, turning into our own inner voice. We talk about what ableism actually is, why AuDHD people are vulnerable to internalising it, and the ways it has sh...
Content warning: this episode touches on assault, trauma and manipulation. Listen with care. Disclaimer: this was recorded before Britney Spears' arrest on March 5th. In this episode of WTF is AuDHD? , Ellie and Paige dive into a candid conversation about how the world - and the systems around us - often fail neurodivergent people. Observing the experiences of celebrities like Britney Spears, Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi, and Demi Lovato, we lightly explore how fame can amplify the challenges of...
This week’s episode is a raw, unfiltered check-in where Ellie and Paige sit down (slightly lower in energy than usual), to talk honestly about how they're feeling - burnout, survival mode, and what can happen when your nervous system has been holding it together for too long. We talk financial stress under capitalism, sensory overload, relief instead of achievement and why the world feels especially heavy right now for neurodivergent people. We also discuss a listener post from our Reddit (and n...
In this episode, we kick things off with a real-life catch-up - burnout, taking back your power, and why stories like figure skater Alysa Liu (Olympic Gold Medalist) matter so much when it comes to ADHD and redefining success. We also get into another cracking poll about how you eat your meals - riveting content, we know! Plus Ellie shares something she’s been grappling with this week and what she wishes she’d known earlier. In the second half, we’re joined by ADHD coach Marium to unpack what AD...
This episode is split into two parts - the first part is banter between Paige and Ellie. We chat about recent hacks and learnings we've had, we discuss the differences we're noticing in our biometrics (recorded by our Oura rings) and we also clarify why you may not have been let into our Reddit yet... Then we learn - WTF is ADHD coaching? And how is it different from therapy or life coaching? We’re joined by ADHD coach Marium (from ADHD Empowered ), who shares how she moved from corporate life a...
Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts, emotional manipulation / boundaries and trauma. Please listen with care. In part two of our conversation with Jen, we go deeper into the cost of living in survival mode for almost five decades - and what happens when the body and brain can no longer keep up. Jen shares how perimenopause intersected with her AuDHD and long-term burnout, amplifying symptoms and stripping away coping mechanisms that had held her together for ye...
In part one of our conversation with Jen @autistic_connections, we get chatting about the reality of being a late diagnosed AuDHD women, who also hit burnout in conjunction with perimenopause (poor Jen!). Jen shares her journey to diagnosis, how she was completely missed as a child, and then given incorrect diagnoses throughout her 20s, and the juxtaposition of being 'smart' but feeling 'dumb'. Jen talks about struggling with “basic” daily tasks, yet being capable of getting First Class Honours ...
In this episode, we unpack decision fatigue and decision paralysis - why even simple choices can feel overwhelming for AuDHD brains. We explore how years of masking disconnect us from our instincts, leaving us frozen, second-guessing everything, and afraid to choose “wrong.” We share how paralysis has shown up in our own lives, and what’s actually helped. Paige also walks through her framework for rebuilding your life from the ground up when everything feels too hard to start. Book a 1:1 session...
We’re back for 2026! And we're starting off with an AuDHD debrief - funny holiday stories and what Ellie and Paige would do differently next holiday season. We also look ahead to what’s coming this year for WTF is AuDHD? - what we’re excited about, what we’re learning, and how we want to keep growing alongside this community. Plus, we dive into a nuanced and thoughtful discussion about Autistic Barbie - including your listener contributions. We discuss what it gets right, what feels complicated,...
Sarah (social worker, ADHD, OCD, PMDD and autistic) is back for more! In this episode we shift into language, identity, and the inner world of neurodivergence. Sarah reflects on her childhood as an undiagnosed AuDHDer, the anxiety that masked her ADHD, and elaborates on the different ways boys vs girls are treated. We explore dialectical thinking - the simple but powerful practice of using “and” instead of “but” - and why it’s especially transformative for neurodivergent people whose needs often...
We're super excited to be joined by neurodivergent parent and social worker Sarah ( @neurodialectical on Instagram ), who shares how becoming a parent was the catalyst for her diagnoses - including autism, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, and PMDD. We talk candidly about the sensory reality of parenting when your needs directly clash with your child’s, the rage and grief no one prepares you for, and why planning life around hormonal cycles can be helpful (if you can). Sarah also shares how she’s unlearning trad...
In this episode, Ellie's running on lack of sleep thanks to the Formula One race overnight, so we're chatting about sleep! We dig into why sleep is such a challenge for neurodivergent brains - from revenge bedtime procrastination to sensory overload to busy brains and chronic sleep debt. We share our own experiences and how lack of rest affects everything from emotion regulation to basic functioning. Join our Discord and Reddit! Links in our Linktree Interested in a 1:1 session with Ellie in 202...
Content warning: in this episode we lightly touch on abuse, manipulation and sexual assault - between 37 - 40mins - proceed with care. In this episode we dive into one of the biggest neurodivergent struggles: boundaries. Why do so many AuDHD people become chronic people-pleasers? Why do we say yes when every part of our body is screaming no? Why do we only realise afterwards how we're actually feeling? And why does setting even the smallest boundary feel like we’re letting someone down? We chat ...
This week we’re joined by Bayley Garnham - diagnosed dyspraxic and neuro-affirming Personal Trainer! Bayley shares his diagnosis journey, what dyspraxia can actually look like day-to-day, how dyspraxia affected him growing up and what inspired him into personal training. We chat about why exercise can vary depending on biological sex, why so many of us need movement but struggle to start, and how PTs can better support neurodivergent clients. Bayley also breaks down how he trains people with com...
In this episode, we unpack the perfectionism cage - the invisible set of rules we build for ourselves as AuDHDers in an attempt to survive, succeed, or simply avoid judgement. We talk about how perfectionism showed up in our childhoods, how it morphs into procrastination and paralysis, and why so many of us cling to impossible standards even when they burn us out. JOIN OUR DISCORD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
It’s not personal, we just literally forgot you existed. This week we dive into the concept of object permanence. We chat about why AuDHDers struggle to remember things, hobbies, goals and people once they’re out of sight, how it impacts friendships and daily life, and what we’ve learned about how to manage it. Vote for us for Listener's Choice at the NZ Podcast awards (if you want) HERE SOCIAL @wtfisaudhdpodcast LINKTREE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
For so many neurodivergent people, friendships can feel confusing, draining, or just out of reach. In this episode we open up about growing up lonely, the ache of wanting connection, and how RSD can destablise you from reality. We touch on a listener submission - should you tell your friends about your diagnosis? We also share how our dogs have helped us with being at peace in our own company and have also helped with our general motivation! Vote for us at the NZ Podcast Awards for Listener's Ch...
This episode unpacks the hidden stresses of traveling with AuDHD, contrasting social media's glorified image of travel with the overwhelming reality for neurodivergent individuals. Paige shares how pre-diagnosis trips led to meltdowns and how new strategies, like buffer days and medication, transformed her recent journey. Ellie adds tips on packing and navigating sensory overload, while the hosts also delve into listener struggles with perimenopause and ADHD, highlighting the medical industry's historical gaslighting of women and the importance of personalized accommodations for a truly enjoyable experience.
What about the after part of ADHD diagnosis? Bree Tomasel joins us for a follow up chat about her diagnosis experience and feelings. Bree shares her experience with the weird limbo of diagnosis imposter syndrome, the long road to getting meds right (four years, no joke), and she shares advice and things she's learned that have helped her. Paige is back next week! Also, if you'd like to vote our podcast for Listener's Choice at the NZ Podcast Awards, you can do that here. SOCIAL @wtfisaudhdpodcas...
The hilarious and wildly talented Bree Tomasel - broadcaster, creator, and late-diagnosed ADHDer - joins Ellie for a candid chat. Bree opens up about a lifetime of masking - not just her ADHD, but her anxiety and even her sexuality - and how she shaped her own career, while sometimes feeling 'dumb'. We hear about what she was like as an undiagnosed child and some of the early signs she now sees in hindsight. We talk about imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and how Bree channels her ADHD energy in...
Happy ADHD Awareness Month! Ellie is back with her partner Sam for another candid chat about life with ADHD, and life as an neurodivergent couple. This week we explore what we wish people knew about ADHD, why feedback is so crucial for us as ADHDers, and we share the ways we've learned to split responsibilities at home. We also talk honestly about why ADHDers can be so tough on themselves and answer some more of your listener questions. SOCIAL @wtfisaudhdpodcast Watch on YouTube LINKTREE Hosted ...
In this week’s episode, Ellie's ADHD partner Sam is back to share the story of their relationship - navigating conflict, emotional regulation, and yes, how they deal with intimacy. From being good friends and retrospectively noticing early signs of undiagnosed ADHD and AuDHD to how they’ve learned to grow together, they open up and celebrate the strengths that neurodivergence brings into their lives. It’s a candid and vulnerable look at what it means for Ellie and Sam to love and live as an ND c...
In this episode Paige is on holiday, so Ellie sits down with her partner Sam to talk about his journey with late-diagnosed ADHD. From childhood challenges and misunderstood behaviours, to the coping mechanisms he developed along the way, to the huge relief (and grief) of finally getting a diagnosis - we dig into what life looked like before and after. Sam shares how he found his career as a young social media star, why it helped him process his emotions pre-diagnosis and he opens up about strugg...
Ellie and Paige discuss the limitations of the Autism Quotient (AQ) test, a common autism screener. They share their own scores and interpretations, highlighting how the test often fails to account for masking, neurodivergent nuances, and gender differences. The hosts advocate for more comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments that consider lived experience over basic questionnaires, particularly for AuDHD individuals.
