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Divergent Conversations

Episode 91: FLASHBACK — ADHD & Romanticism: Reconciling Fantasies with Reality

Jan 31, 2025
45:18

For ADHDers, romanticism is a common struggle where you find yourself constantly daydreaming about an ideal future and struggling with the reality of the present.

In this flashback episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, discuss the intricacies of romanticizing experiences and the repercussions that come with it. As neurodivergent mental health professionals, they offer a unique perspective on how projecting ideal futures can create a disconnect with the present, leading to disappointment and restlessness.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

  1. Discover the impact of romanticizing future outcomes on mental health, particularly for those with ADHD and other neurodivergent traits, and how it can disrupt your ability to enjoy the present moment.
  2. Hear Dr. Neff and Patrick's personal stories about their struggles with restlessness and the unending need for new experiences, and learn how this affects their daily lives.
  3. Explore strategies to reconcile your idealized visions of the future with the messy reality of the present, and find out how to cultivate a sense of settled contentment.

Take some time to reflect on your own tendencies to romanticize the future. Consider how this impacts your well-being and what steps you can take to stay grounded in the present and find balance one moment at a time.

***This episode is the 1st of 10 episodes that Divergent Conversations is re-releasing for 2025. Please enjoy, and we'll be back with new content, resources, and guests in a couple of months.

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Thanks to Our Sponsors: Betwixt (available in phone app stores) & Landmark College

 Betwixt:

Betwixt isn't your typical mental health app. It's an immersive, interactive, story-based experience that turns self-exploration into an epic adventure. Helping to relieve anxiety, reduce stress, and improve self-awareness, Betwixt combines tools from therapy, psychology, and neuroscience in a way that is playful, creative, and imaginative. It's a mental health game that you can only win by solving the mysteries of your mind. The founders believe everyone deserves to live an epic story. That's why they made it their mission to keep the core app free for anyone who can't afford it.

You can download Betwixt from any app store and start your own Epic inner journey today.

 Landmark College:

Landmark College is the world's first accredited college designed exclusively for students who learn differently. Landmark, located in Putney, Vermont, offers courses in person and online, awarding associate and bachelor's degrees, and offering pre-college, gap year, and professional development programs. With a student-to-faculty ratio of just 7 to 1, and the renowned Landmark College Institute for Research and Training, Landmark offers personalized and research-informed support for neurodivergent students that is not available at traditional colleges. Learn more about this opportunity at landmark.edu.

Mentioned in this episode:

Landmark College

Landmark College is the world's first accredited college designed exclusively for students who learn differently. Landmark, located in Putney, Vermont, offers courses in person and online, awarding associate and bachelor's degrees, and offering pre-college, gap year, and professional development programs. With a student-to-faculty ratio of just 7 to 1, and the renowned Landmark College Institute for Research and Training, Landmark offers personalized and research-informed support for neurodivergent students that is not available at traditional colleges. Learn more about this opportunity at landmark.edu.

Betwixt

Betwixt isn't your typical mental health app. It's an immersive, interactive, story-based experience that turns self-exploration into an epic adventure. Helping to relieve anxiety, reduce stress, and improve self-awareness, Betwixt combines tools from therapy, psychology, and neuroscience in a way that is playful, creative, and imaginative. It's a mental health game that you can only win by solving the mysteries of your mind. The founders believe everyone deserves to live an epic story. That's why they made it their mission to keep the core app free for anyone who can't afford it. You can download Betwixt from any app store and start your own Epic inner journey today.

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