Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety: Untangling the Threads of Neurodivergent Experience
Have you ever thought, "I’m overwhelmed all the time. I can’t focus. My brain never turns off. Am I anxious, autistic, ADHD—or all three?" You’re not alone.
So many of my Millennial and Gen Z clients come to therapy carrying years of confusion and internalized blame. They’ve been told they’re smart but disorganized, creative but inconsistent. And underneath that? A deep sense of exhaustion.
As a therapist specializing in ADHD, anxiety, and neurodivergent identity—and now training as a Certified Autism Specialist—I want to help untangle the threads.
What These Experiences Share
There’s a lot of overlap in how autism, ADHD, and anxiety show up:
Executive functioning challenges (focus, planning, follow-through)
Emotional intensity and sensitivity
Sensory overwhelm
But how and why they show up can differ:
ADHD often centers on interest-based attention, impulsivity, and task-switching challenges.
Autism includes sensory processing differences, need for predictability, and differences in social communication.
Anxiety is often a stress response to overwhelming internal or external demands—something many neurodivergent people experience regularly.
When You’ve Had to Fit In, You Burn Out
Many people spend years masking their needs or trying to mold themselves to neurotypical expectations. That effort, while often necessary for survival, comes at a cost: chronic stress, self-doubt, and eventual burnout.
Support That Centers You, Not Norms
You don’t need to perform or prove anything to receive support. In therapy, we can:
Explore your experiences without judgment
Make sense of what’s happening in your brain and body
Create compassionate, personalized strategies
Focus on your values—not someone else’s version of success
You’re not here to be “fixed.” You’re here to feel more whole.
Want to explore what’s underneath the overwhelm? I’d love to support you.
