51: Am I Neurodivergent? Struan's Story of Diagnosis & Identity Reformation

Featuring: Struan Mackenzie, former UK civil servant & creator of the YouTube channel Am I Neurodivergent?

This is a conversation about burnout, identity collapse, and rebuilding from the inside out.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Late Diagnosis: From stress breakdown to rabbit-hole of autism research... suddenly realized his entire life made sense.
• The Identity Reformation: Another non-linear story of diagnosis. From ASD, to combined-type ADHD, to discovering AuDHD; Struan shares how each diagnosis both clarified and destabilized his sense of self... including deconstructing internalized ableism.
• Protecting Your Peace: From scripting work meetings for hours during COVID to redefining his relationship with alcohol and social energy, Struan shares how he’s learning to honor his nervous system instead of pushing through it.
• The Unexpected Human Detail: Childhood quirks (i.e. lining up toy cars in perfect order, or hiding inside a bookcase) behavior no one recognized at the time, but now reads like a neon sign for autism.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why were so many high-achieving neurodivergent adults missed in childhood, especially in the 70s, 80s, and 90s?

2. What does cyclical burnout actually look like & where does it come from?

3. How does alcohol uniquely affect autistic and ADHD nervous systems & why does the crash hit so hard?

Looking for Struan?

youtube.com/@amineurodivergent

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