Glitchy Switch: What ADHD feels like to an adult.

Martin Gale
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Explore the adult ADHD and autism journey from curiosity to diagnosis and then life with Glitchy Switch, a podcast unraveling the complexities of living with AuDHD.

  1. 4D AGO

    S3 E11 - Everything I knew about guilt was backwards: when being right makes you wrong

    In this episode of Glitchy Switch, I share a penny-drop moment I’ve had since my autism diagnosis: the way my brain’s pattern-matching can sometimes turn uncertainty into instant self-blame — even when there’s no evidence I’ve done anything wrong.  I talk about how the same “make it make sense” engine that’s built my career can become a trap with humans, why being seemingly socially punished can trigger a reflex guilt response, and the simple reframe that’s helped me stop turning myself inside out trying to find the fault.  In this episode: The difference between normal guilt and that reflex “I must fix this” guilt.  How autistic pattern-matching and hyperfocus can become relief-seeking when things don’t make sense.  Why working with people is harder than working with systems — and why uncertainty feels like internal static.  The moment I noticed my brain “click into guilt mode”, and what helped me interrupt the spiral.  The new rule I’m practising as a reframe. Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    13 min

  2. MAR 25

    S3 E10 - Are you a safe person for someone with ADHD and autism?

    In this episode, I stay on the “tribe” theme and talk about something I’ve come to realise is absolutely central to my neurodivergent life: safe people — the ones who make your nervous system unclench and let you be as close to yourself as possible.  I share the common traits I’ve noticed across my own safe people, and a simple way to sanity-check whether a relationship feels like a partnership… or a performance.  In this episode: What I mean by “safe people”, and what it feels like when your body knows you’re safe.  The five traits I keep seeing across my tribe.  Why effort and reciprocity matter, and how to notice if you’re carrying it all.  Why clarity is a gift for ADHD and autistic people, and how to spot it early.  Why “repair” is the real test of safety — and what unsafe behaviour can look like in disguise.  Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    14 min

  3. MAR 18

    S3 E9 - Why everything I thought I knew about finding my tribe was wrong

    In this episode, we explore a question that’s been on my mind a lot since late diagnosis: how do neurodivergent people find their tribe? I talk about what “tribe” really means when you’re someone who often feels a bit other in most rooms — and how safety with the right people can feel like your nervous system finally unclenching. I also talk about the major breakthrough I made literally the day before I recorded this podcast that's completely reframed my thinking. In this episode: Why feeling safe around certain people can feel like a massive exhale. The definition of “tribe” I used to have — and why it set me up for anxiety. What changed after my autism diagnosis gave me that sense of wholeness. The two revelations that turned my perception upside down. How shedding that sense of “lacking” changes who you connect with — and how much you give. Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    12 min

  4. MAR 11

    S3 E8 - Requesting adjustments at work: The parts nobody explains

    In this episode, I talk about something that comes after the diagnosis — the bit hardly anyone explains properly: asking for reasonable adjustments at work for adult ADHD and/or autism. Even when you know you’re legally covered, and even when the company rhetoric is all inclusion and belonging, asking can feel oddly exposing — like you’re admitting you’re not up to the job. I share what it actually felt like for me, what I learnt the hard way, and why this is still a journey for both individuals and workplaces. In this episode: Why a formal diagnosis can create the space to ask for adjustments — and why it can still feel vulnerable. Why “reasonable adjustments” are surprisingly poorly documented, and what I wish I’d known sooner. The first hurdle: getting the words out loud, and why it can feel profoundly othering. What can go wrong when requests are handled clumsily, even when people mean well. The reality of implementation: when adjustments need other people’s buy-in, and how to make them stick. Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    17 min

  5. MAR 4

    S3 E7 - The AuDHD push/pull - when ADHD wants to go and autism says no

    In this episode of Glitchy Switch, I talk about what it feels like to have both adult ADHD and autism — that AuDHD “push–pull” where one part of you wants novelty and motion, and another part of you wants structure, clarity, and quiet.  I share the contradictions it creates in real life — from paperwork and routines, to small talk and social energy — and why, looking back, it makes a lot of sense that I ended up in a career built around structure and rapport.  In this episode: What “ADHD wants go, autism wants no” actually feels like in day-to-day life. Why I can crave novelty, yet get anxious when things are vague or unclear. The social contradiction: coming across confident, but finding small talk genuinely stressful. How AuDHD shows up at work, including why structure can feel like relief. What this push–pull looked like for me in dating, and why ambiguity was both thrilling and terrifying. Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    11 min

  6. FEB 25

    S3 E6 - Autism and relationships: what changed everything for me.

    In this episode of Glitchy Switch, I talk about the first big thing that hit me after my autism diagnosis: what it means for relationships.  I share how the diagnosis is helping me reframe years of relational anxiety, why I’ve often gone the opposite of the “blunt autistic stereotype”, and how understanding my wiring is already changing the way I show up — with less shame, and a bit more self-respect.  In this episode: Why autism explained so much of the anxiety I’ve felt around relationships. The classic “autistic bluntness” stereotype — and why my pattern has been different. How I’ve built a social “ruleset” over decades, and the emotional cost of running it. What happens when my logic meets someone else’s social shorthand — and why that can hurt so much. What’s already started to shift since diagnosis. Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    14 min

  7. FEB 20

    S3 E5 - Autism diagnosis: how it landed.

    In this episode of Glitchy Switch, I share what it actually felt like to be told — as an adult — that I’m autistic as well as having ADHD. I talk through the assessment process in plain terms, what surprised me most when I was answering the questions, and why the emotional “landing” of the diagnosis wasn’t dramatic — it was quieter than that. In this episode: What does an adult autism assessment actually involve — and how is it similar to an ADHD diagnosis? What was it like having Helen fill in the “someone close to you” questionnaire? What happens when you catch yourself giving the “socially acceptable” answers — and then have to decide what’s actually true? What did the consultation feel like in the moment — and why was it so exhausting? What did I feel immediately afterwards — and what started clicking into place in the days that followed? Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    18 min

  8. FEB 11

    S3 E4 - Autism: the question that changed everything.

    In this episode of Glitchy Switch, I share the start of a new realisation I didn’t see coming: once methylphenidate eased many of my classic adult ADHD struggles, a different set of sharper-edged traits started showing up more clearly.  If you’ve ever wondered why autism traits can become more noticeable after treating ADHD — or why you can feel “better” in one way but more sensitive in another — as usual this is my honest, lived experience. In this episode: How ADHD medication reduced the fog — and revealed other “louder” channels underneath.  Why lack of structure and unclear expectations started feeling genuinely anxiety-inducing, especially at work.  How noise, office overwhelm, and sensory stress began hitting differently — and what a quiet space changed for me.  What “justice sensitivity” felt like when it ramped up, and why it can be so emotionally draining.  The moment autism content started landing a little too accurately — and why I decided to pursue an assessment.  Get in touch: LinkedIn 👉🏻  https://bit.ly/3wK0pzz Email 👉🏻  glitchyswitchpodcast@gmail.com Note: This podcast is shared purely as first-hand experiences to help others and should not be considered medical advice. Listeners should seek proper guidance if they have concerns or questions of a medical nature.

    12 min
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5
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4 Ratings

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Explore the adult ADHD and autism journey from curiosity to diagnosis and then life with Glitchy Switch, a podcast unraveling the complexities of living with AuDHD.

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