Holiday Syndrome: Why the Holidays Hit Autistic & ADHD Adults So Hard (AuDHD) w/ Dr. Megan Anna Neff

About this episode

Dr. Megan Anna Neff discusses the challenges of holiday syndrome for neurodivergent adults during the holiday season.

Do the holidays spike anxiety, shutdown, irritability, or a vague sense of dread—especially if you’re autistic, ADHD, or AuDHD? In this episode, Dr. Megan Anna Neff explains “holiday syndrome”—a pattern noticed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s where stress, conflict, somatic symptoms, or old grief can surface, often tied to “unfinished business” from childhood and cultural pressure to feel connected and joyful. The holidays can be an emotionally complex time, often leading to significant holiday overwhelm, especially for neurodivergent adults. This video discusses how to navigate these feelings, focusing on neurodivergent mental health during the season. We explore why mental health holidays are crucial for well-being and offer insights into managing expectations. We also talk about why this season can be uniquely intense for neurodivergent adults: routine disruption, sensory overload, rigid “should” expectations, and the stories our brains tell when feelings don’t make sense (“What’s wrong with me?”). ***Please note this video is not medical advice and should not be considered medical advice nor is it therapy. This video is for educational purposes only.*** In this video…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Megan Anna Neff

Topics covered

• holiday syndrome
• neurodivergent mental health
• emotional complexity
• anxiety
• routine disruption
• sensory overload

Keywords

• holiday syndrome
• neurodivergent
• mental health
• anxiety
• emotional overwhelm
• sensory overload
• routine disruption

More episodes of Neurodivergent Insights with Dr. Megan Anna Neff

• Adult Autism & ADHD Assessments, Demystified (Dr. Megan Anna Neff and Dr. Jess Hogan) · June 12, 2026 · 1h 11m
• AuDHD and OCD: How to Tell What's What · May 30, 2026 · 21 min
• The Real Story Behind Rising Autism Rates · April 17, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Autistic Burnout and the Stress Cycle with Amelia Nagoski · April 3, 2026 · 51 min
• When Autism Hides the ADHD: 6 Ways It Gets Missed · March 22, 2026 · 20 min
• ADHD Hides These 6 Autistic Traits in Plain Sight · March 8, 2026 · 15 min