Why are the holidays so hard?

Burnout. We've all been there. But what actually causes your brain to feel this way? The bad news is that burnout in ADHD and autism is relatively new, but the good news is that we have tons of studies looking at burnout in neurotypical brains. In this episode, we look at the brain changes noted in these studies, and * spoiler alert *, there's a lot of overlap with the known differences n ADHD and autistic brains. Do we basically just exist with a perpetual, baseline level of burnout? Tune in to find out! Presentation Sources: ADHD burnout overview ADHD burnout rates Study correlating ADHD burnout severity with severity of executive functioning deficits Systematic review of autistic burnout research Neuroimaging study of burnout Glutamate imbalance literature review in autism Study proposing a different sequence of medication trialing for autistic patients with anxiety and depression Lifecycle of a neurotransmitter How transporters work in the brain How SSRIs work How partial agonists like Buspirone work How Wellbutrin works

Amy Arnsten is a powerhouse in the world of neuroscience. She's a professor at Yale, she runs her own lab (aptly called the Arnsten Lab), and she's responsible for discovering guanfacine. This medication is an absolute gamechanger for rejection sensitivity and working memory for everyone with ADHD.

Is it possible to know that someone has ADHD or autism just by looking at them? It turns out, people do seem to have a sixth sense that consistently detects ADHD and autism. In this episode, we explore the physical “tells” that might be giving us away and how this impacts the lives of ADHD and autistic people.

Dearest Gentle Reader, rarely is society faced with such a vexing debate over a member of “The Ton”. Could it be that Miss Francesca Bridgerton is autistic? This author will humbly endeavor to set the record straight, not through gossip and speculation, but through science and fact. It is our greatest wish that in your journey to understand Miss Francesca, you discover yourself, for this, dear reader, would make the fruits of our labor worthwhile, indeed. Sources: Tony Attwood Francesca Autistic Compilation Francesca Compilation Autistic adult brains name recognition Different emotional facial expressions Double empathy problem Eye contact triggers amygdala GABA and Glutamate The theory of monotropism Most common special interests What causes special interests? Autistic women more vulnerable Thalamus explains sensory issues Autistic people have weaker autobiographical memory Fear of being perceived Debunking the Empathy/Systemizing Quotient in autism Autistic adults enjoy being in the same space without direct interaction Study on autistic special interests CAT-Q Autism Assessment

You know that “new crush” feeling where your heart is pounding and you've got butterflies in your stomach? It can feel exhilarating! But imagine if you got stuck in a loop where you experience it every single day for years. Suddenly, it becomes a little less fun. This is the plight of people suffering from limerence, where you become addicted to your own fantasies of being in a relationship with someone who is unavailable in real life.