Show Notes
I've called this episode Gill Of All Trades because Gill is someone, who like me and many other ADHD people, has many strings to her bow and it's something I feel we should celebrate more! I was first introduced to Gill through my gorgeous mate Laura on a facetime, if I recall correctly, last New Years Eve. She was bouncing around in her pyjamas singing and I was immediately drawn to her energy. Gill is a naturally funny person, which is something I love but there is also so much more to her... Gill Charlton is a former British Army soldier, comedian, celebrant, speaker and full‑time Northern chatterbox. She was diagnosed with combined‑type ADHD at 38 while still serving, during treatment for PTSD and following a cancer diagnosis in 2018.After 24 years in the Army, PTSD and a long medical discharge process led Gill to leave service in 2023, throwing her sense of identity into chaos. She coped the only way an ADHD brain knows how — by doing everything. Gill immersed herself in recovery programmes based around adaptive sport, saying yes to sailing, snowboarding, climbing, axe throwing and pretty much anything else offered. She was also selected for the Invictus Games and took a stand‑up comedy course, which led to her becoming co‑founder and director of the Veterans Comedy Club CIC.After leaving the Army, Gill retrained and worked full‑time as a celebrant, building a business rooted in connection, humour and authenticity — a role she still continues alongside her work. A year ago, she moved into a full‑time Events Executive role in the charity sector, supporting military‑connected communities. Through podcasts like ADHD AF, Gill found the ADHD community she’d been searching for and now runs the Manchester peer support group for the ADHD AF+ charity. She’s also a mum to two AuDHD sons, an event host and speaker, and someone who gets involved in almost everything.
Gill's celebrant website: www.gillcharlton.co.uk Veterans Comedy Club website: Veterans Comedy Club | Armed Forces Comedy Sign up for email reminders to the Manchester Peer Support Groups — ADHDAF+ Charity My merch has finally been released! Check it out here! Send me your little wins so I can celebrate you on the podcast by either sliding into my DMs on instagram or email me at [email protected] Find your local ADHDAF+ peer support group here! Support neurodivergent independent businesses: Check out the Neurospicy & Co range here! Shop at Born Anxious using the code AUDHD15 for a special price! You can help support The Big ADHD Fundraiser by buying a Dave Kirkman hoodie here! Purchase your official hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard here!
More from AuDHD... Or just a bit weird..?
This week my guest Blanka and I are talking about her experience of being pregnant, giving birth and the following months as someone with AuDHD. Blanka shares how she felt throughout her pregnancy and the pressure she felt to bond with her baby, both before and after giving birth, and how difficult that was as an autistic person. This is a very raw and personal episode tackling a lot of things that often don't get talked about publicly, so I am so thankful to Blanka for sharing so much. For more about Blanka and everything she does click here! Also... the day this episode is released is the 5th annual ADHDAF day! So get your leopard print on and ROAR! Donate to help provide free ADHD peer support groups nationwide here!
When I first had Hannah on the podcast neither of us had started medication for ADHD. Hannah and I have become great mates since we first met and as luck would have it we have been going through titration at the same time so we became titration buddies and started sending each other voice notes updating each other on how we were finding Elvanse, side effects, positive changes, things we were excited about and also things we were feeling anxious about. I was thrilled when Hannah agreed to share it all with you in this very ADHD episode! We also touch on *that* Channel 4 dodgy documentary... Enjoy!
After spending the summer in a titration bubble, I'm back! And who better to get season three off to an awesome start that the author of the new book "The ADHDer's Guide To Self Discovery", Professor Sol Smith! As always, I had an excellent time chatting with Sol, and this couldn't have happened at a better time as I was a couple of weeks into titration for Elvanse. We talked about how life has changed for both of us since starting medication for our ADHD, the adjustments we've made and how we've worked through self acceptance. Enjoy!
To tide you over while AuDHD Or Just A Bit Weird is on summer hiatus... Welcome to The Weirdo Files! Candid chats between two late diagnosed/realised neurodivergent besties, where we work through our "oh!" moments post diagnosis and how our neurodivergence affects every aspect of our lives. This is an unfiltered, unmasked insight into our friendship so prepare yourself for stimming, forgetting what we are saying halfway through a sentence and plenty of oversharing! This week Jon has discovered that neurotypical people don't literally roll their eyes (mind blown!), Erin's allegedly neurotypical child shows us how beautifully unfiltered he is and we talk about how our floordrobes came to be. (A strategy gone very wrong... ) Enjoy!
To tide you over while AuDHD Or Just A Bit Weird is on summer hiatus... Welcome to The Weirdo Files! Candid chats between two late diagnosed/realised neurodivergent besties, where we work through our "oh!" moments post diagnosis and how our neurodivergence affects every aspect of our lives. This is an unfiltered, unmasked insight into our friendship so prepare yourself for stimming, forgetting what we are saying halfway through a sentence and plenty of oversharing! This week we are talking about how much our homes have changed since accepting our neurodivergence. Out with "greige" and in with the dopamine decor! Erin shares how much her style has changed since she's realised that she doesn't need to fit in with the norm & we celebrate our friendship and talk about what it's like making friends later in life as our unmasked selves. This episode was recorded in the lead up to us meeting in person for the very first time so we also talk about how we planned that to make sure we both felt safe and secure. Enjoy!