Chris Wells, a therapist and researcher, discusses overexcitability, giftedness, autism, and ADHD. She shares her personal journey of self-identification and embracing twice-exceptionality. Wells explains how overexcitability provides a liberating framework for understanding neurodivergence and the interconnected nature of conditions like autism and ADHD. The podcast delves into the struggles of gifted adults, the importance of diagnosis and support, and the evolving understanding of overexcitability in psychiatric discourse.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Discovery Through Her Son
Chris discovered overexcitability researching her twice-exceptional son and recognized herself in it.
She had long identified as mentally ill and was shocked that giftedness could explain much of her history.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Lifelong Labels And Recovery
Chris recounts long-term psychiatric labels including bipolar and panic disorder and years on disability.
She felt broken for decades before overexcitability reframed her experience.
insights INSIGHT
Dabrowski’s Four Types
Dabrowski originally identified four overexcitabilities: psychomotor, imaginal, emotional, and sensual.
Overexcitability isn't limited to 'intellectual' giftedness and predates modern diagnoses.
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Today's show looks at the differences and overlap of giftedness, twice-exceptionality, autism, and ADHD within the overexcitability framework. Join us to learn more!
Chris Wells is a writer, therapist, and researcher on all things Dabrowski. She has a nuanced take on the concept of overexcitability, a topic on which she has focused much time, energy, and study. Chris is our first three-time guest on the podcast, having appeared most recently to discuss positive disintegration. Let's hear more from Chris!
In this episode:
How Chris came to overexcitability in 2014 on her quest to learn more about twice-exceptionality
How Chris was identified as gifted as a kid but felt more disabled and mentally ill
How Chris felt broken and emotionally intense by the time she was 40
How overexcitability turned around her perceptions of herself as problematic and defective
How Chris became hyperfocused on understanding overexcitability
How Chris found Dabrowski's early work, which identified four types of overexcitability: psychomotor, imaginational, sensual, and emotional
How the gifted education world has finally accepted overexcitability as a characteristic of giftedness
Why overexcitability is an umbrella term that brings together all the elements of neurodivergence
Why Chris says autism and ADHD are "clearly neuro-cousins"
Why there are so many misunderstandings about overexcitability in gifted education
How overexcitability brings a whole different reality to those who have it
How Chris's imagination would take her to another place and another reality when she was growing up–and overexcitability gave her the answers for it
The problem in learning to live with overexcitability
Why giftedness is a meaningful difference, even in adults
How we can best support those with overexcitability in light of the knowledge we now have and the labels we use
Why we struggle as a whole to figure out the right language to use
Embracing Intensity 