The Neurodiversity of AuDHD

While us in the neurodivergent community have known for decades that ADHD and Autism go hand and hand (just look at how well those diagnosed with one tend to click with the other!) it wasn’t until recently that the system started recognizing how much these labels can overlap and that they often co-exist within the same person. AuDHD is a recent discovery, even though many of us have been struggling to feel seen, and even see ourselves, authentically for years.

AuDHD is, as its components, a spectrum and can appear in quite distinct ways in individuals. The running thread for those that meet criteria for AuDHD is being consistently inconsistent. Maybe you crave routine, but struggle to maintain any that you impulsively create. Perhaps you constantly seek out the novelty of new experiences, but only do so with familiar faces or alone. Besides, how would you have ever learned exactly what sensory experiences overwhelm you if you rarely put yourself in highly social environments?

The lull between finding different hobbies, special interests, routines, and coping mechanisms that work for us at various chapters of our lives can be especially frustrating for those with AuDHD. We might shame ourselves if we struggle through it alone. Support from a neurodiverse-affirming therapist, who understands the exhaustion and exhilaration that can come with AuDHD, can help.

Work with a specialist who is willing to sit with you while you explore and acknowledge all of your neurodiversity; not just half and call the rest anxiety.

“My Autism is my perseverance and grit.
My ADHD is my fuel and creativity.”
– When Order and Anarchy Co-Exist, Dr. Khurram Sadiq