S2/ E4/ PT2: Sensory Overload and Other Marriage Adventures

In the second half, the conversation shifts into the realities of long-term partnership: neurodivergence, therapy, communication, and daily repair. MacKenzie and Eric talk candidly about ADHD traits, how understanding their brains helped them make sense of what "clicked" early on, and why therapy became a turning point. For Eric, navigating stigma and expectations around mental health was an additional challenge. They share what overstimulation can look like in real time, how they've learned to stay in hard conversations without "giving up," and why support has to be shared across a wider circle (not carried by one partner). The episode closes with grounded advice for partners, patience, keeping your voice, not becoming a caregiver, and gentle honesty about dating after TBI: hope matters, but so do boundaries, safety, and self-trust.