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AuDHD Podcast for grownups: F Them Fish!

AuDHD Podcast for grownups: F Them Fish!

By: F them fish
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Summary

Welcome to the AuDHD Podcast for Grownups: F Them Fish, the podcast for neurodivergent adults navigating real life. Hosted by your neurodivergent besties, Callie Elward-Barrett and Jayne Gurton, this is your weekly safe space for honest, funny, and unpolished conversations about autism, ADHD, and AuDHD in adulthood.


If you are dealing with adult ADHD symptoms, late-diagnosed autism, or the unique intersection of AuDHD burnout, you are not alone. We dive deep into the everyday things nobody explains after an adult diagnosis: executive dysfunction, sensory overload, rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), masking, and neurodivergent relationship dynamics. We are honest, occasionally sweary, and completely uninterested in pretending to be perfect.


Grab a beverage, or body double some life admin with us in your ears. Tune in every week to understand your neurodivergent brain, combat overwhelm, and realize that it’s surely not just you.


Connect with us:

Email: fthemfish@gmail.com

YouTube and Instagram at AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish

Callie's Website: https://executivefunctioning.com.au/

LinkedIn: Callie: www.linkedin.com/in/callie-elward-barrett-263068142 Jayne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayne-gurton-


Subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode, and leave us a 5-star review if this pod makes you feel understood, entertained, or slightly less alone!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

callie elward-barrett Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Stopping the RSD Spiral: Reframing Rejection in AuDHD

    Stopping the RSD Spiral: Reframing Rejection in AuDHD
    Nov 3 2026
    How do you interrupt an ADHD or AuDHD rejection sensitivity (RSD) spiral when your neurodivergent brain has already decided nobody wants you?This week on AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish, Callie and Jayne explore practical RSD coping strategies, cognitive restructuring, reframing, and how asking for clarity can stop rejection from shaping what you do next.Besties, knowing something isn’t personal doesn’t always stop it from hurting. After a disappointing Halloween turnout, Jayne arrives feeling raw and ready to never host another party. Together, we work through what might help interrupt that emotional spiral before it decides what happens next.Callie shares her personal experience with neurodivergent reframing and cognitive restructuring, bringing curiosity to the conversation: can you notice what you’re feeling, question the meaning your brain has attached to it, and actively ask for the information you’re missing?We dive deep into adult friendships, masking, and the difference between responding to what actually happened versus responding to the fear of what might happen.In this episode, we break down how to stop an RSD spiral:Noticing the Spiral: Recognizing that you’re experiencing neurodivergent rejection sensitivity before acting on it.Questioning the Story: Am I responding to real-time events, or an anticipated fear?Reframing the Hurt: Making room for alternative explanations without dismissing your genuine feelings.Seeking Clarity: How to navigate unanswered invitations and text messages without guessing.Vulnerability in Friendship: Saying something matters to you and asking for a clear RSVP without guilt or blame.Neurodivergent Support: Reaching out to safe people who can validate you and offer an objective perspective.Regrounding Strategies: Reconnecting with activities and relationships that make you feel safe.We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work, and record, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening.Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and rejection sensitivity 01:47 Callie’s experience of cognitive restructuring and reframing 05:31 Craft goblin mode and Mardi Gras preparations 06:58 Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating 10:52 The party that brought up feelings of rejection 14:25 When your logical brain knows, but it still hurts 15:57 Asking for validation or another perspective 19:37 When hurt becomes fear of trying again 20:15 What helps Jayne feel loved and grounded 21:48 Rejecting yourself before anyone else can 23:18 Responding to events or anticipating rejection? 24:31 Noticing feelings, reframing, and seeking clarity 25:55 Asking for a response and reaching out for support 27:43 Sharing hurt without blaming friends 28:53 Sour lollies and a side quest 30:31 Journal article news 31:15 Your experiences and closing reflectionsA note on lived experience:We share personal lived experiences of ADHD, autism, and rejection sensitivity. While cognitive restructuring features in our discussion, this episode is not a clinical guide to CBT or a substitute for professional mental health support. Reframing does not require you to deny hurt or treat genuine exclusion as a thinking error.Join the Conversation:What helps you catch an RSD spiral before it takes over? Share your experience, send us a question, and follow the podcast for more honest conversations about neurodivergent adult life.Connect with usEmail: fthemfish@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AuDHDForGrownups_FThemFishInstagram: AuDHD for Grownups: F Them FishWebsite: https://executivefunctioning.com.auLinkedIn: Callie Elward-Barrett and Jayne Gurton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    33 mins
  • A Very Neurodivergent Halloween: ADHD, Masking & Belonging

    A Very Neurodivergent Halloween: ADHD, Masking & Belonging
    Oct 27 2026

    Is Halloween the one night of the year when everyone else puts on a mask, and neurodivergent people finally get to take theirs off? In this Halloween special of AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish, Callie Elward-Barrett is joined by a surprise co-host: Troy Heland, affectionately known as Tech Guy! With Jayne unexpectedly unavailable, we're embracing the ADHD chaos and exploring why Halloween can feel so liberating when you've spent a lifetime feeling different.


    For Callie, Halloween has always been about magic, fantasy, and the freedom to be her weirdest self without judgement. For Troy, it's a chance to turn up the volume on the parts of himself he's always been comfortable embracing.


    Two ADHD brains. Two very different experiences of fitting in. And one rather interesting question: If putting on a costume makes you feel more like yourself, which version is actually the mask?


    In this episode:

    • ADHD, autism, and masking: Why Halloween can turn social expectations upside down.
    • Fantasy and escapism: Dragons, Welsh folklore, magical worlds, and finding belonging in imaginary places.
    • Embracing your weird: Why Troy never felt the same pressure to fit in that Callie experienced growing up.
    • Villains and misfits: From the Mad Hatter and Deadpool to Elphaba and Morgana Le Fay, why do we identify with unconventional characters?
    • Authenticity versus unmasking: Does being your authentic self mean expressing everything, everywhere, all the time?
    • Neuroinclusion and shared responsibility: Balancing different sensory needs, boundaries, and everyone's right to feel safe.
    • Privilege, identity, and belonging: How our experiences shape whether being different feels liberating or isolating.


    And naturally, there's plenty of swearing, side quests, childhood Halloween memories, and a dog who has his own dragon costume.


    Episode timestamps

    00:38 – Meet Troy, aka Tech Guy: ADHD flexibility in action

    03:20 – Why Halloween means so much to Callie

    08:10 – Childhood memories, trick-or-treating, and freedom

    10:55 – When everyone else gets to be weird

    13:30 – The Halloween masking paradox

    15:45 – Troy's experience: embracing difference and chaotic characters

    17:15 – Fantasy, outsiders, Elphaba, and Morgana Le Fay

    20:40 – Authenticity, acceptance, and the limits of unmasking

    24:20 – Competing sensory needs and shared responsibility

    25:55 – Why we're drawn to villains, monsters, and misfits

    28:40 – Maybe Halloween lets us stop pretending to be everyone else

    31:20 – What have you spent years hiding that you now love?


    We want to hear from you!

    What's the weirdest part of yourself you've spent years hiding, only to discover it's something you actually love about yourself?

    And should Tech Guy come back for another episode?

    Send us a message, join the conversation on Instagram, or email fthemfish@gmail.com.


    AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish is a podcast about ADHD, autism, neurodivergent adulthood, identity, and everything that happens when we stop trying to fit into boxes that were never designed for us.


    We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands, seas, and skies, of this great country, including the Ngunnawal, Ngambri, Wadawurrung, and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.


    We might get better!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • ADHD in Women: Resilience after a late diagnosis

    ADHD in Women: Resilience after a late diagnosis
    Oct 20 2026
    Welcome to AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish. This ADHD Awareness Month episode features late-diagnosed ADHD women Callie Elward-Barrett and Jayne Gurton discussing neurodivergent burnout, self-trust, and resilience when a toxic workplace decides you are the problem.Do you feel like you went from capable to suddenly being considered the problem without actually changing? What does resilience look like when you can’t simply wait for the difficult bit to end and ‘bounce back’? Callie shares the personal story behind her approach to resilience. As a senior executive, she was supported after her ADHD diagnosis, until a change in leadership brought a very different response.For Callie, three personal anchors help: feeling that what she does matters, finding joy for its own sake, and choosing to contribute to change. Remember, being harmed doesn’t make fixing the problem your responsibility.Hello, hello, and welcome! We are your neurodivergent besties, Callie Elward-Barrett and Jayne Gurton. We talk about neurodivergence in real adult life: work, relationships, burnout, identity, and all the things we wish someone had explained earlier. Take us along as your body double while you tackle the washing, go for a walk, or get through that task you’ve been avoiding.Inside the Episode:ADHD disclosure at work: Navigating toxic workplace environments, assumptions about executive dysfunction, and internalised blame.Late-diagnosed ADHD in women: Handling midlife transitions, masking, and the intense pressure to keep performing.Overcoming ADHD burnout: Why external validation matters when you struggle to trust your own worth.Reclaiming self-trust: Finding purpose in small interactions, and experiencing joy without needing to justify it.Workplace mistreatment: Choosing a different version of success on your own terms, including leaving an environment that keeps hurting you.Plus: Bedazzled ballet flats, celebrant Jayne, neurodiversity conference adventures, and the ‘ADHDacity’ of believing you could absolutely do someone else’s job.Content note: Swearing, workplace mistreatment, severe emotional distress, references to past dark thoughts, and childhood adversity. The most emotionally intense discussion is around 14:08-22:32. The practical reflection on what helps begins at 27:06.Timestamps00:00 Intro and welcome01:22 Bedazzled ballet flats04:51 Callie’s ADHD conference adventures12:39 When the room decides you’re the problem13:13 What does resilience actually mean?14:08 ADHD disclosure and a change in workplace support17:45 Internalised blame and rethinking ‘bouncing back’20:31 When you’re struggling but can’t talk22:32 Childhood, ambition, and refusing other people’s limits27:06 Feeling that you matter: purpose and external validation31:09 Joy for yourself, and choosing to be part of change35:49 Letting go of ‘back to normal’36:53 Your ADHD doesn’t make you the problem37:52 Keeping your ambition and defining success for yourself39:40 Listener reflections and staying connected40:47 Jayne’s Ballarat drag bingo What helps you feel that you matter? What brings you joy? Email us your stories, questions, or a different perspective - we want to hear it.Follow the show, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a rating or review if our conversations help you feel less alone. We might get better!Connect with usEmail: fthemfish@gmail.comFind us on YouTube and Instagram at AuDHD for Grownups: F Them FishWebsite: https://executivefunctioning.com.au/LinkedIn:Callie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callie-elward-barrett-263068142Jayne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayne-gurton-This podcast was created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Wadawurrung, and Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples. We acknowledge their continuing connection to Country and pay our respects to Elders past and present.This episode shares lived experience and personal reflections, not individual medical or psychological advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
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