559 ADHD & AuDHD Burnout: Why Community & Accountability Still Matter Personal Updates & Listener Questions
Release Date: 01/14/2026
Coaching Groups: Final Registration Events This Week (A Short Song)
ADHD reWired
Pre-registration for the ADHD reWired Coaching Groups is due Thursday. Registration events are happening Thursday and Friday. The next group starts next week. 👉 For exact dates, times, and next steps, go to: This episode includes a short, experimental song made with Suno Ai explaining the coaching groups. If you’re listening after the registration window closes, future groups will be announced on the website.
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Doing It the Way Your Brain Actually Works (561)
ADHD reWired
What if the reason you haven’t finished the thing you keep thinking about isn’t motivation, discipline, or follow-through — but fit? In this episode, Eric is joined by Katherine Mutti Driscoll, PhD, an AuDHD coach, educator, and author, for a conversation that starts with writing a book and quickly becomes something much bigger: how neurodivergent adults actually get meaningful work done. They explore why so many ADHD and AuDHD adults carry “someday projects” for years, how structure (not willpower) turns intention into action, and why unmasking isn’t just about identity — it’s...
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560 How to Finish Anything with Paulette Perhach
ADHD reWired
If you’ve ever had a week where your intentions were solid… and your follow-through vanished into the void, you’re not alone. In this episode, Eric is joined by writer, teacher, and ADHD coach Paulette Perhach, who shares the FINISH framework: a simple, ADHD-friendly approach to actually completing projects, building consistency, and getting unstuck. Paulette’s take is refreshingly honest: ADHD can feel like the superpower and the kryptonite at the same time. She talks about getting diagnosed at 38, learning to ask for accommodations without shame, and building systems that support...
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559 ADHD & AuDHD Burnout: Why Community & Accountability Still Matter Personal Updates & Listener Questions
ADHD reWired
In the final Q&A of 2025, Eric is joined by ADHD reWired coach Brian for a candid, intimate conversation about ADHD, AuDHD, burnout recovery, unmasking, grief, and what it looks like to rebuild momentum without torching your nervous system in the process. They answer listener questions ranging from “what I wish I knew before my autism diagnosis” to “what burnout actually looks like,” and they zoom out to something simple but powerful: community and accountability aren’t “nice extras,” they’re often the difference between knowing what helps and actually doing it. Also: a...
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When “Fine” Keeps Us Stuck: A Reflection on My Dad, Masking, and Adapting ep 558
ADHD reWired
“I’m Fine”: What My Dad Taught Me About Resisting Help On August 14th, my dad passed away. In the weeks since, I’ve been reflecting on his life, his humor, his resilience — and his signature phrase: “I’m fine.” He said it when he was hooked up to machines in the hospital. He said it when he was on the roof cleaning gutters, even though his balance was shot. And most of the time, he wasn’t fine at all. In this episode, I share some of the lessons I learned from my dad about adapting — and about the cost of resisting it. From the adult trike he never would have bought for...
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Building Systems that work for you (and not the other way around) with Stephanie Blake - Ep 557
ADHD reWired
🧠 Episode Summary: Are you building a business (or a life) that supports your life—or one that runs you into the ground? In this episode of ADHD reWired, Eric Tivers is joined by business systems coach and automation strategist Stephanie Blake. Diagnosed with ADHD later in life, Stephanie shares how simplifying her business, embracing structure, and getting honest about burnout helped her reclaim her energy and build a business that works for her, not the other way around. They talk about the unique ways ADHD brains thrive with streamlined systems, why too many tools can be a trap, and...
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Hustle, Flow or Let it Go? Lessons from Burnout and Grief - with Dr. Portia Preston - Ep 556
ADHD reWired
What does it really mean to know when to push, when to pause, and when to let go? In this heartfelt conversation, Dr. Portia Preston returns to ADHD reWired to share insights from her book Hustle, Flow, or Let It Go? We talk about burnout, shame-free wellness, and the small practices that can help us create a more sustainable rhythm in life. This episode weaves together stories of resilience and grief, the reality of living with ADHD and autism, and Portia’s SANE model (Slow down, Acknowledge, Navigate, Evaluate)—a simple framework to help you reset when overwhelm takes over. We also talk...
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People Pleasing & ADHD: When "Yes" is a Nervous-System Response and How to Stop with Anita Sandoval, LPC - EP 555
ADHD reWired
People-pleasing isn’t a personality flaw—often it’s a nervous-system strategy. Licensed Professional Counselor and ADHD-CCSP Anita Sandoval joins Eric to unpack how the fawn response shows up with ADHD, trauma, and RSD; how it differs from masking and conflict avoidance; and what real change looks like. We cover Anita’s “Empower → Resilient → Authentic” model, ADHD-friendly EMDR adaptations, and the messy-but-worth-it work of boundaries (including with narcissistic family dynamics). Resources, Anita’s links, and a quick survey about a potential evening coaching group are in...
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554 | OCD with ADHD: Could your anxiety be OCD? with Natalia Aíza
ADHD reWired
What is OCD, really? It’s far more than the stereotypes of handwashing, tapping, or lining up your pens just right. On today’s episode, Eric is joined by Natalia Aíza — a therapist, parent, writer, and co-founder of Kairos Wellness Collective — who specializes in supporting individuals and families navigating OCD and anxiety. Together, they explore how OCD can show up in less obvious ways, especially for those with ADHD. You’ll hear: ✅ Why OCD is often missed or misdiagnosed in ADHD brains ✅ How intense nostalgia, perfectionism, and social media checking can all be forms of...
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The ADHD Productivity Manual with Ari Tuckman, PSY.D, MBA
ADHD reWired
Support Comes from ADHD reWIred's Coaching and Accountability Groups. Summer Sessions are July 24 - Sept 18. Join us at our next registration event on July 10th. Learn more by going to Episode Overview: In this episode, Eric is joined by Ari Tuckman, PSY.D, MBA, psychologist, international presenter, and author of the new "ADHD Productivity Manual." Together, they dive deep into the realities of productivity for people with ADHD, exploring motivation, activation, self-compassion, and practical strategies for getting things done. Key Topics Discussed: The difference between...
info_outlineIn the final Q&A of 2025, Eric is joined by ADHD reWired coach Brian for a candid, intimate conversation about ADHD, AuDHD, burnout recovery, unmasking, grief, and what it looks like to rebuild momentum without torching your nervous system in the process.
They answer listener questions ranging from “what I wish I knew before my autism diagnosis” to “what burnout actually looks like,” and they zoom out to something simple but powerful: community and accountability aren’t “nice extras,” they’re often the difference between knowing what helps and actually doing it.
Also: a listener puts Eric in the hot seat about getting back to pickleball… and it turns into real-time accountability, immediate action, and a follow-up update that he’s now going 3–4 times a week.
In this episode, we cover
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Personal updates: burnout recovery, nervous system capacity, and Eric’s autism diagnosis
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Why AuDHD can increase burnout risk (and why recovery can take longer than you expect)
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Brian’s reflections on exploring autism and recognizing long-term burnout patterns
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Unmasking: what it really means (beyond “coming out”) and how it impacts relationships
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The balance between honoring your needs while still caring about impact on others
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Grief and burnout: how loss affects the nervous system, energy, and expectations
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What burnout looks like in real life: apathy, feeling rudderless, skill regression, and “my usual motivators aren’t working”
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Eric’s working theme for the year: attunement (listening to self, body, and capacity)
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Favorite AI tools right now: thinking partner, planning support, and everyday practical use
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Autism assessment options in Chicago (including what worked for Eric)
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A playful-but-serious accountability moment that leads to real behavior change
Listener Q&A highlights
What are your favorite AI tools right now?
Eric and Brian share how they’re using ChatGPT in everyday life and personal/professional planning, including using AI to organize thoughts, support self-reflection, help with decisions, and even analyze photos for practical problem-solving.
What do you wish you’d known before being diagnosed autistic?
Eric talks about high-masking autism, and how repeated success can quietly raise internal expectations year after year… until the nervous system taps out.
How has grief impacted your nervous system and burnout?
Eric reflects on losing his dad (and grandmother), how grief shows up unexpectedly, and choosing to let grief be grief rather than trying to “bounce back” on a schedule.
What does burnout look like for you?
Eric describes burnout as apathy, feeling rudderless, needing far more recovery time, anxiety no longer activating last-minute productivity, and struggling to do even the helpful things (like exercise/pickleball).
What’s the smallest step I can take to get back into pickleball?
A listener challenges Eric to take one tiny step… and it becomes immediate action, membership sign-up, and later consistency.
Resources mentioned
ADHD reWired (podcast, programs, and more):
https://www.adhdrewired.com
Learn about Coaching & Accountability Groups:
https://www.coachingrewired.com
Adult Study Hall (virtual coworking + community):
https://www.adultstudyhall.com
Support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/adhdrewired
Prosper Health (online autism evaluations):
https://www.prosperhealth.io
Devon Price (author + clinician mentioned in the episode):
https://www.drdevonprice.com
Key takeaway
Burnout recovery isn’t linear. For AuDHD folks especially, the cycle of “I feel better → I go full throttle → I crash again” can repeat fast. This episode is a reminder that community and accountability aren’t just support… they’re infrastructure.
Next live Q&A
March 10 at 12:30 PM Central