Challenging Social Norms: Neurodivergence and the Power of Self-Love with Sarah Russell

How does self-advocacy and compassion reshape life for neurodivergent individuals and families?

Sarah Russell shares her journey with ADHD, parenting a neurodivergent child, and founding the NeuroDivergent Report. Sarah explores how sociology illuminates the impact of societal norms on neurodivergent identities, while emphasizing the power of self-advocacy and self-compassion in personal growth.

The conversation highlights the importance of evidence-based coaching, the therapeutic benefits of art therapy for managing stress and anxiety, and the value of community support in fostering belonging. Sarah’s candid reflections offer encouragement for embracing and celebrating neurodivergence, reducing stigma, and helping others feel less alone through shared stories.

Whether you’re navigating diagnosis, parenting, or advocacy, this episode provides insightful strategies and heartfelt wisdom.

Connect with Sarah’s coaching services, website, and podcast platforms:

https://sarruss.my.canva.site/hi
Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-neurodivergent-report/id1807532078
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/3QQdXXVSFG4MMsqyR3L9wd?si=194b47baa8ee4af2
Website: https://www.ndreportpod.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ndreportpod/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Ndreportpod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@ndreportpod
Substack: https://ndreportpod.substack.com/

Connect With Us

• Learn more about the Neurodiversity Voices Podcast: www.neurodiversityvoices.com

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 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Neurodiversity and Podcasting
00:40 The Journey of Podcast Creation
01:39 Understanding Sociology and Deviance
02:22 Personal Experiences and ADHD Diagnosis
03:21 The Impact of Self-Acceptance
04:32 Parenting and Advocacy in Neurodivergence
06:08 Research and Podcasting Approach
07:23 Social Media and Community Engagement
08:54 Advice for Aspiring Podcasters
09:56 Key Takeaways on Embracing Neurodivergence

Disclaimer:

The content provided in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast.

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Episode Transcript

Paul Cruz (00:05):
Thank you for tuning into the Neurodiversity Voices
podcast. We are thrilled to haveyou here. My name is Paul Cruz
and I'm your host for thisepisode alongside my cohost
Karen Habashi. We are honored tohave Sarah with us today.
Welcome,

Sarah Russell (00:20):
Thank you so much for having me. It's really an
honor to be here. Honestly, veryexcited. I remember seeing some
of your early ads for when youeven before you started putting
out any episodes. And so, yeah,this feels wonderful to be
launching our shows together.

Paul Cruz (00:38):
So what inspired you to create the neurodivergent
report and the ADHD skills LabPodcast.

Sarah Russell (00:46):
Yeah. Well, I created the neurodivergent
report because I learned to lovepodcasting. When I was sort of
recruited for the ADHD SkillsLab Pod podcast, you know, it
was me and another co host atthe time. We tried to take on
different sort of roles. I hadpreviously been sort of a

(01:09):
wallflower, not really ever madea video for social media, that
sort of thing.
But over the last two years ofreading research papers and
learning how to give thatinformation back to people in
ways that they can use andunderstand, I learned to love
that. And I yeah. I feel like sonow I feel like I'm in showbiz

(01:31):
for myself, you know, sort ofcreating a show that's focused
on what I love aboutneurodivergence. And that's all
of us.

Paul Cruz (01:39):
What about your insights into your transition
from working with unconventionalorganizations to independent
podcasting?

Sarah Russell (01:49):
Yeah. So I really enjoyed my time at
unconventional organization. Butsort of as most businesses do,
it began to evolve and we sortof diverged in the woods. I
began to focus more on sort ofsomatic healing and they

(02:13):
continued in a very executivefunctioning direction. Yeah.
And so I'd love to talk aboutboth, and I'd love the freedom
to talk about both. So that'sreally why I'm sort of an
independent podcaster now.

Paul Cruz (02:28):
How about the role of societal environment in shaping
your podcast themes?

Sarah Russell (02:33):
I think that psychology has the tendency to
think just about the brain andthe biology. And what we're
starting to see now with theneurodivergence movement is more
of an understanding of thesocial factors that contribute
to someone looking weird. Youknow, sort of the difference
between someone looking crazyand just looking tired or sort

(02:58):
of like how they're pathologizedbased on how they look or how
they present. It's importantexplore that a little bit more,
I think, than psychologycurrently does.

Karen Habashi (03:09):
So before we discuss more about your podcast,
can you explain more to ourlistener what is the deviance
and the sociology expertise?Because some people might not
understand what that is and howit works on your

Sarah Russell (03:22):
Yeah, absolutely. Sociology very basically is the
study of society. So likebasically the study of how we as
people all work in groups,organize in groups. And deviance
is sort of what we call someonewho doesn't adhere to the social
norms, someone who doesn't sortof conform or fit the model that

(03:46):
they're given. So deviance issort of a social construct.
It's really just talking aboutlike the outliers of society. I
really loved when I learnedabout neurodivergence as a term.
It's been around for a lotlonger than I knew about it
because it really takes thepsychology and the deviance and
it tries to blend it together.Yeah, it tries to talk about

(04:08):
both the physical reasons whysomeone might behave or feel
differently, but then also thesocial factors, the social
resources that someone mighthave and then contribute to
their presentation or theirsymptoms, quote unquote, or
their emotions, how they showemotion. So I just love being

(04:30):
able to bring that focus onsocial constructs sort of being
like, at some point we allagreed that this was okay and
this was not okay.
And back then we couldn't seeinside brains to know if there
was a valid or an actual reasonwhy people were doing that. And

(04:50):
so we could probably stopjudging everybody else. I don't
know. I'm rambling. I'm going tostop talking now.

Karen Habashi (04:56):
No, it's good to get your thoughts out. It's what
this podcast is about. So howdid this experience help you
with your own diagnosis and alsowith the podcast?

Sarah Russell (05:09):
Yeah, so I didn't receive an ADHD diagnosis until
sort of 2019 maybe. So I alreadyknew about sociology and
deviance. I think it's reallyhelped me to be more accepting,
more compassionate for myself,to realize that there's a reason

(05:29):
that I cannot control for why Iam the way I am. People always
said to me, Oh, you're sodramatic. You're just sensitive.
As it turns out, I am just extrasensitive. My nervous system is
just so sensitive and there'snothing I can do to change that
as far as I'm aware. Yeah. Itreally was sort of like a

(05:54):
process of grieving that, youknow, like, oh, I've looked for
so long to get better, but Icould have just loved how I was
this whole time. Yeah, I thinkbefore I had my ADHD diagnosis
sort of when I was a kid, my momjust said that we were a weird
family.
And I was like, Okay, yeah,totally. Like, you're weird.
Totally. We must just be weird.But I didn't have the words

(06:17):
ADHD.
I didn't know I knew depressionand alcoholic and stuff like
that. Again, I think what I knewabout mental health as a kid was
very much pathologizing someoneelse, you know, like other
people judging how somebodyelse's mental health was
presenting. So I guess from thevery earliest view, I was taught

(06:38):
to pathologize bad behavior.Yeah. Or deviance in general.
But basically my podcast existsto show that, yeah, there's a
little bit of uncomfortablestuff in the deviance world, but
also there's some beautifulstuff in the deviance world. And
so we can just learn to loveeach other and learn to show our

(07:02):
differences. Or I mean, justshow our differences but also
show our similarities becausesometimes we're afraid to even
be who we are because we don'twant to be judged. So we never
truly are loved. Anyway, I'mrambling again.

Karen Habashi (07:16):
No, you're actually making a lot of
important points, like the griefyou had that, oh, I could have
loved myself all along, but Iwas taught to think I shouldn't
accept this or be comfortablewith this. So this is something
I think a lot of people wouldlove to explore more. How if you
knew back then, since an earlyage, that this is who you are

(07:39):
and it's okay and to loveyourself with the difference
that you might have. How do youthink that would have changed or
impacted your life differently?

Sarah Russell (07:47):
I can only guess, but I probably wouldn't have
developed so many poor copingmechanisms. You know, I don't
drink anymore because it makesme very dizzy. I have POTS as
well. But, you know, I used todo everything in excess. You
know, with ADHD, I struggle withbalance.

(08:08):
So everything is like to themax. I did some very troubling
behaviors when I was a teenagerand I can't believe I got away
with it. I'm lucky to be alive.And so I think if I had known
that I needed somethingdifferent, like, you know, you
get all that basic advice like,oh, exercise, like have friends,

(08:31):
go get a hobby, you know? Andme, like, I always did those
things and people like me.
Like, I've had friends, but Ialso have always been acutely
aware that I am different thanthem and that they don't really
understand why I am the way Iam, but they love me. So in that
way, I've been very lucky tohave people who love me and show

(08:52):
me that they love me, but Ireally needed to love me sooner.
And I can only assume that Iwould have if I had known. I
don't know. Maybe not.
Maybe I wouldn't be soresilient.

Karen Habashi (09:05):
Yeah, that's true. Wow, that's a beautiful
thing to, you know, that youwould love yourself more. But I
think now that you're openingabout this and showing your
vulnerability, you're alsogiving a chance to people to
embrace their own strengths andtheir own differences and to
love themselves. And I hope thatyou came to a point where you

(09:29):
feel happy with yourself, asfrom what I hear that you are at
that point.

Sarah Russell (09:33):
I am very much so. It has been a journey, but I
am genuinely happy with theperson that I've become. And I
don't think I could have saidthat twenty years ago, honestly.
Thank you.

Paul Cruz (09:45):
So, Sarah, what personal experiences have shaped
your journey as a creator andcoach? And any similarities
between you and your child?

Sarah Russell (09:56):
Okay. So my child really started suspecting that
my child might have ADHD aroundkindergarten. And I know that
that might even seem young toyou. But just the things that he
would come home and tell meabout sort of being exhausted

(10:16):
from having to behave all dayand then really just, I think
struggling, like always hearingthe same things from his
teachers, you know, he strugglesto be in his seat. He talks to
everybody that he's around.
This child would do so good ifonly they could focus during

(10:36):
independent work time. And itwas just like shell shock of
reading my own report cards overthe years. But since I was a
girl, it was always sort ofexplained away as, oh, just a
chatterbox, you know, just ateacher's pet.' I was very well
behaved otherwise. It didn't getcaught by my adults but I

(10:59):
started to pay attention becauseI also remembered that my
younger brother had beendiagnosed with ADHD when we were
kids, but my mom didn't want tomedicate him. And he really
struggled through high schooland through college.
I don't anyway, so I didn't wantto watch that movie again, so to
speak. I wanted my child to gethelp. So I brought them in. We

(11:21):
went to see his pediatrician andI basically was just like, I
think my kid has ADHD. This isall of the reasons why.
And she just looked at me andwas like, Wow, I wish all
parents came in and knew how toself advocate for their kids
because I had a ton ofinformation. I pretty much
became an ADHD coach so I couldhelp my kid be more successful.

(11:44):
And now I have a toddler who'sabout to be evaluated and
diagnosed with autism. And soI'm going to have to become an
autism coach as well so I canhelp that person too. Very
exciting.

Karen Habashi (11:57):
How does your love for research shape the way
you approach podcasting andcoaching?

Sarah Russell (12:02):
I think it's extremely important to have the
most evidence based information.And unfortunately, by the time
information gets from theresearch labs to public
knowledge or even doctors'knowledge, it's already been
sort of ten years. The researchis already outdated. So

(12:23):
basically, I read papers thatcame out last week and I sort of
talk about them and I distillthem and I share that
information with my listeners. Ido the same thing for my
coaching clients, albeit in amuch more personalized way.
Yeah. With my coaching clients,I really like to take a super

(12:44):
personal approach. Like if youwere to ask me about my method,
I would be like, I ask a lot ofquestions. It's an interrogation
at first, sort of aboutdifferent executive functioning
stuff, different emotionalregulation stuff, and also your
coping and your tools. And thenfrom there we sort of talk about
what you're looking for.
But my podcast is really justabout establishing sort of a

(13:07):
place to go and learn aboutneurodivergence research and
also hear stories fromneurodivergent people.

Paul Cruz (13:14):
Sarah, what are your aspirations for your podcasts
and coaching work in the nextfew years, such as your art
therapy and your chronic illnessadvocacy?

Sarah Russell (13:24):
My main goal is to manage my own health and my
own chronic physical conditionsbecause, I have ADHD, but I also
have sort of autoimmuneconditions like my thyroid
disorder, which requires verydelicate balance. And so if I
push myself too hard, I'll getsick. If I eat the wrong thing,

(13:46):
I'll get sick. Too much, toolittle. So finding balance, like
their journey to the medium.
I used to hate how I was soplain. You know, I have brown
hair, brown eyes. My name isSarah Russell. I mean, that is
so boring. But now I realizethat I'm very unique in lots of
other ways.
And so I'm actually not plain atall. Also, so yeah, pretty much

(14:09):
that's my spiel on avoidingburnout. But some of my like you
mentioned art therapy and Iokay, I'm just going to say I am
not an artist, but I do makeart. I love to color in little
coloring books. I love to makelittle knitting.
Basically anything that worksboth of your hands at the same

(14:30):
time is called bilateralstimulation, and it's really
calming for the vagus nerve andthe autonomic nervous system. So
if you're feeling superstressed, do some freaking
spirals with your hand andyou're going to start feeling
better. Hey, that looked likestimming, didn't it?
Interesting. Crazy.
Sorry, listeners who couldn'tsee that.

Karen Habashi (14:49):
So if we want to leave our listeners with one key
takeaway about embracingneurodivergence,

Sarah Russell (14:57):
what would For the last seven years, I have
been answering this question inthe same way and leaving people
with pretty much my ultimatemantra. And I think it's gonna
make sense given some of theother things that we've talked
about today, but that is if yourcompassion does not include
yourself, is it incomplete. Andso I leave that for all you
fellow people pleasers andperfectionists. Do not self

(15:20):
sabotage into burnouts. Comemeet your like minded friends.
We're all around you on theInternet.

Paul Cruz (15:26):
Can we find our social medias or your podcast
platforms?

Sarah Russell (15:32):
Yeah. So you can find me at my website, which is
ndreportpod.com. You can alsofollow me on, like, all of the
socials, Instagram, TikTok,YouTube. I'm n d report pod on
all of them. I'm even on bluesky for now.
I have a substack with the samename. Yeah. Really a one stop

(15:53):
shop. N d report pod. You'llalso be able to find my personal
website sort of through that.
So if you wanna, you know, comemeet me, come book a meeting,
come be on my podcast, I'd besuper excited to hear from you.
Thank you so much for having me.And to everyone who's listening,
thank you for being here.

Karen Habashi (16:12):
Thank you so much, Sarah.