Our guest on Episode 10 is Charlotte Bergslien, AKA 'The Spectrum Girl'.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses self-harm, suicide, abuse, and trauma

After hitting a massive autistic (and ADHD) burnout at the age of 36, Charlotte started sharing about her experiences leading up to her burnout and of her current life since being diagnosed at 38.

Charlotte always felt different from those around her, and remembers always being very confused about how she could fit in among her peers. She remembers feeling bewildered all the time and wondering if there was something wrong with her because of how people would react to whatever she would say or do.

She could tell she was different and thought differently from the rest, but couldn't figure out why. She taught herself to mask by observing others, in order to get by socially, and she did it so well that she almost erased her own true identity.

In the end, suppressing herself led to her becoming so burned out that she wanted to give up on life. She quit working, started intensive therapy during sick leave and started the process towards diagnosis and burnout recovery. Today at the age of 40 she is healing through connecting from her home in Oslo, Norway with people around the world who can relate to her story.

Now she wants to contribute to the autism community by breaking down the stereotypical image of autistic people that the media has built, and by reaching one person at a time maybe help others who were in a similar situation that she was in up until her burnout.

Get in touch with Charlotte

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