Autism, ADHD & Anxiety: Trying to Be "Good Enough" Almost Killed Me
About this episode
Holly Blanc Moses shares her personal struggles with anxiety, perfectionism, and the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in seeking approval.
This episode is deeply personal. Today, I'm sharing a part of my story that I've hidden for a very long time. Elizabeth Le Forest is walking with me through painful topics such as anxiety, perfectionism, chronic illness, masking, people pleasing, burnout, and what happens when a neurodivergent person spends their life trying to prove they are worthy of love, belonging, and support. For years, I wore a heavy mask. I learned to push through it all with a smile Rejection Exhaustion Pain. Fear. Overwhelm. I learned to disconnect from my body and my needs because somewhere along the way, I absorbed the message that who I naturally was wasn't "acceptable." So I kept trying to prove that I wasn't: "lazy" "bad" "selfish" "annoying" "weird" "stupid" "a brat" "dramatic" I spent years chasing scraps of approval, hoping that if I achieved enough… helped enough… worked hard enough… pushed through enough… maybe I'd finally be "good enough." Meanwhile, my body was breaking down. I pushed myself far beyond my limits and it almost killed me This conversation is vulnerable, emotional, and honest. If you are parenting an autistic or ADHD child… if you support neurodivergent kids and teens…
People in this episode
Host: Holly Blanc Moses
Guest: Elizabeth Le Forest
Topics covered
- anxiety
- perfectionism
- chronic illness
- masking
- people pleasing
- burnout
- neurodivergence
Keywords
- autism
- ADHD
- anxiety
- neurodivergent
- perfectionism
- burnout
- mental health
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- Are We Really Listening to Autistic & ADHD Children?
- "Why 'Bad Behavior' Isn't Bad Parenting — And the Harmful 'Raised Right' Myth About Autism & ADHD"
- Neurodivergent Moms of Autistic & ADHD Kids: Your Burnout Makes Sense & It Didn't Start With Motherhood
- Sex, Drugs & What Neurodivergent Kids Actually Hear — And Why Safe Communication Changes Everything
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