In this episode of Spicy Brain, host Lara Sullivan is joined by Cassia Tierney Clarke, host of the 9 lives podcast, for a raw and honest conversation about autistic burnout, late diagnosis and rebuilding your life from the ground up. From the outside, Cassia had it all. A viral weight loss and sobriety journey, millions of views, a running career, brand deals, a business and a podcast. Behind the scenes, she was falling apart. After stepping away from public life for a year, Cassia opens up about the breakdown that forced everything to stop, being diagnosed with CPTSD, and finally finding out she is autistic and ADHD after 31 years of masking. The episode explores:🌶️ Going viral overnight and building a life she never felt built for🌶️ How undiagnosed autism can leave women vulnerable in relationships🌶️ Burnout, collapse and stepping away from public life🌶️ Trauma in the body, shutdowns and going nonverbal🌶️ Getting diagnosed autistic and ADHD after a CPTSD diagnosis🌶️ The all-or-nothing brain, from alcohol to running to work🌶️ Why she stopped running, and what movement looks like now🌶️ “Stop calling yourself lazy when you’re exhausted”🌶️ Rebuilding, reclaiming autistic joy and becoming herself again Whether you’re in burnout right now, reinterpreting your whole life after a diagnosis, or wondering who you are once the old version of you no longer fits, this conversation is a reminder that rebuilding is possible. Tune in for an honest chat about burnout, identity and finding your way back to yourself. Timestamps00:00:00 Introducing Cassia Tierney00:03:00 Going Viral: Weight Loss, Sobriety and Running00:07:59 Running, Nature and Reconnecting with Your Inner Child00:11:02 Why Race Day Is So Hard for Autistic Runners00:12:35 Building a Business on Social Media00:15:36 How Nine Lives Began00:16:50 The Breakdown Behind the Success00:20:35 Saying Yes to Everything and Stepping Away00:23:11 Moving Home and Physically Collapsing00:24:32 A CPTSD Diagnosis Before Autism00:26:45 Validation, Success and Hating Social Media00:28:52 Heightened Senses, Smells and Memory00:30:47 Misdiagnosis in Autistic Women00:31:24 Trauma in the Body, Shutdowns and Going Nonverbal00:34:09 Childhood Signs and Why They Get Missed00:35:55 Family, Community and an Autistic Dad00:41:06 Getting Diagnosed Autistic and ADHD00:44:06 31 Years of Masking and Feeling “More Autistic”00:46:49 Redefining Success00:47:59 Boundaries and Telling Friends00:50:30 Unmasking and Stepping Away from Running00:54:30 Dating After Diagnosis00:57:38 Living with Autism and ADHD and Daily Self-Forgiveness01:00:13 The All-or-Nothing Brain: Alcohol, Sobriety and Work01:04:09 A Task a Day and the Ego Death01:06:37 Stop Calling Yourself Lazy When You’re Exhausted01:09:04 Rebuilding and Reclaiming Autistic Joy01:12:29 What She’d Tell Her Past Self01:13:48 Losing Followers and Finding a New Audience01:17:01 Spicy Fire Round01:19:46 Advice for Anyone in Burnout SupportThis episode discusses suicidal thoughts, self-injury and abusive relationships. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone:Samaritans: call 116 123 (free, 24/7) or visit samaritans.orgNational Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 or nationaldahelpline.org.uk Contact Spicy Brain:Email: hello@spicybrainmedia.com Follow us on social media:Instagram: www.instagram.com/spicybrain.podcast/ Follow Lara:Website: linktr.ee/SullivanlaraInstagram: www.instagram.com/sullivanlara/ Follow Cassia:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassiatierney/Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/9lives_podcast/?hl=en #SpicyBrain #AutisticBurnout #LateDiagnosis #AuDHD #Autism #ADHD #Unmasking #NeurodivergentPodcast
