Clinical Misfits

Autistic Culture Podcast Network
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Clinical Misfits is a podcast exploring neurodivergence, burnout, and healthcare through the lens of lived experience and clinical practice. Hosted by Dr Mary Sims, a neurodivergent neurologist, the series examines how medicine often misunderstands neurodivergent people — and how earlier recognition, more holistic approaches, and better-informed care could radically improve outcomes for autistic and otherwise neurodivergent patients. Blending medicine, lived experience, systems-thinking, and unapologetically neurodivergent analysis, Clinical Misfits opens an important conversation about how healthcare can better serve neurodivergent people for the benefit of everyone. Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. 🎧 Clinical Misfits is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com 🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Episode 1

    Why Are Neurodivergence, Dysautonomia and hEDS So Connected?

    Clinical Misfits returns for Season Two with a deeper, more conversational approach to the connections between neurodivergence and complex chronic illness. In this episode, Dr Mary revisits ideas explored in Season One before turning her attention to hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), dysautonomia and their relationship with neurodivergence. She explores the potential role of chondroitin sulfate in connective tissue and the nervous system, including its involvement in structures surrounding nerve cells known as perineuronal nets. From there, Dr Mary considers how differences in synaptic pruning could influence the way neurodivergent nervous systems process and retain signals. Using pain and the body's autonomic response as an example, she explores a possible connection between neurological development, heightened nervous-system responses and the complex physical symptoms experienced by many neurodivergent people. Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. 🎧 Clinical Misfits is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com 🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Episode 2

    Are We Getting Neurodivergent Accommodations Wrong?

    For many neurodivergent people with complex chronic illness, the barriers they experience at school or work aren't only neurological or psychological. So why are accommodations so often approached as though they are? In this episode of Clinical Misfits, Dr Mary explores the relationship between dysautonomia, neurodivergence and the need for school and workplace accommodations. She questions whether current assessment processes adequately recognise physical symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, pain, sensory sensitivities and difficulties regulating heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Dr Mary looks at how dysautonomia might be recognised and investigated in healthcare, and argues for greater involvement from medical professionals when determining the support someone needs. She also discusses practical routes towards better quality of life, from physical and occupational therapy to nutrition, movement and other forms of ongoing support. Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. 🎧 Clinical Misfits is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com 🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Episode 3

    What If Your Neurological Symptoms Can’t Be Explained? | Functional Neurological Disorder

    What happens when you're experiencing very real neurological symptoms, but medicine can't explain what's causing them? In this episode of Clinical Misfits, Dr Mary explores functional neurological disorder (FND), a term used to describe neurological symptoms that can include changes in sensation, speech and movement, paralysis and seizure-like episodes. She questions the language historically used to describe these experiences and what happens when unexplained symptoms are too readily dismissed as psychological or “all in your head.” Dr Mary considers the relationship between these symptoms, the autonomic nervous system and trauma, particularly for neurodivergent people whose lives may include experiences of bullying, rejection, chronic illness, pain and other forms of trauma. She also discusses approaches used to manage symptoms, from medication and trauma therapies to sensory regulation, movement and other forms of self-care. Throughout the episode, Dr Mary returns to a simple principle: when medicine doesn't yet have an explanation for someone's neurological symptoms, that uncertainty shouldn't become a reason to blame or disbelieve the person experiencing them. Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. 🎧 Clinical Misfits is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com 🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Episode 4

    Why Is Chronic Pain So Common in Neurodivergent People?

    Why does pain sometimes continue long after an injury has healed — and why can chronic pain be such a significant part of neurodivergent life? In this episode of Clinical Misfits, Dr. Mary explores chronic pain and its relationship with the neurodivergent nervous system. She breaks down different types of pain, from superficial and deep pain to visceral and nerve pain, and considers the role of interoception and the autonomic nervous system in how pain is experienced and processed. Mary also explores why pain can persist after the original injury has healed, and how ongoing autonomic dysregulation might contribute to a much wider collection of symptoms. Drawing on her experience as a neurologist, she then discusses approaches to managing chronic pain, with a particular focus on her clinical experience using buprenorphine. Alongside medication, Mary looks at other approaches to pain management and nervous-system regulation, including physical and occupational therapy, movement, massage, meditation and other non-pharmacological options — while considering what it means to treat chronic pain as a genuine neurological experience rather than something a person should simply be able to push through. Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. 🎧 Clinical Misfits is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com 🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See All Season 2 (4)

Trailer

About

Clinical Misfits is a podcast exploring neurodivergence, burnout, and healthcare through the lens of lived experience and clinical practice. Hosted by Dr Mary Sims, a neurodivergent neurologist, the series examines how medicine often misunderstands neurodivergent people — and how earlier recognition, more holistic approaches, and better-informed care could radically improve outcomes for autistic and otherwise neurodivergent patients. Blending medicine, lived experience, systems-thinking, and unapologetically neurodivergent analysis, Clinical Misfits opens an important conversation about how healthcare can better serve neurodivergent people for the benefit of everyone. Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. 🎧 Clinical Misfits is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com 🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Autistic Culture Podcast Network
  • Episodes
    9
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Autistic Culture Podcast Network
  • Show Website
    Clinical Misfits