October 4, 2025 • 9 mins
Guests: Gabe Galand and Stacey Smith — two individuals who found clarity and self-acceptance later in life through their ADHD and autism diagnoses.
Gabe, a producer from Vancouver who grew up in France, shares how years of being misunderstood shaped his sense of self — and how an ADHD diagnosis at 29 helped him rewrite his story.
Stacey, diagnosed autistic at 35, reads a heartfelt letter to her younger self about masking, sensory overwhelm, and learning to give herself grace.
This episode serves as a reminder that every voice matters — especially those that have been quiet for too long.
Memorable quotes
- “I wish I could tell my younger self not to feel bad about the way my brain works.” — Gabe
- “I see you now. I’m holding you. I understand you now.” — Stacey
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stacey Smith (00:00):
I, had recently posted a picture of myself
(00:04):
hugging my younger self, an oldschool photo. It was an apology.
It was a sorry to the littlegirl who hid herself away, who
masked and coped and endured,who braved the lights, the
smells, the sounds, the chaos ofpeople, even when it was too
much. To the little girl whofought so hard for good grades
(00:26):
because the pressure fromsociety and expectations from
those around her weighed heavy.When what she really wanted to
do was to scream help.
This is hard. To the girl whostayed gentle and empathetic
even when the world feltunbearable. To the girl who
suppressed, who binged andpurged to manage the pain of
(00:49):
each day.
Paul Cruz (00:54):
Hello and welcome to the Neurodiversity Voices
podcast. I'm your host PaulCruz, and I'm thrilled to have
you join me on this journey ofexploration, advocacy, and
celebration of neurodiversity.Together, we'll have meaningful
conversations, share inspiringstories, challenge
(01:14):
misconceptions aboutneurodiversity. This podcast is
for everyone, whether you'reneurodivergent yourself, an
educator, a parent, or justsomeone curious to learn more.
My goal is to amplify voices,foster understanding, and spark
change in the way we view andsupport neurodiversity.
I'm so excited to have you as wecelebrate the beauty of diverse
(01:38):
minds and work toward a moreinclusive future. So sit back,
relax, and let's get started.Welcome to the Neurodiversity
Voices Podcast, a space wherelived experiences take center
stage, and every story remindsus that there's no one way to be
human. I'm your host, Paul,today's episode is called Share
(02:02):
Your Voice. In this episode, wehear from two incredible guests,
Gabe and Stacy, who both foundclarity and community later in
life through theirneurodivergent diagnosis.
Their reflections aren't justabout labels or conditions.
They're about identity, longing,and learning to embrace the way
(02:24):
our minds truly work. Settle in,take a deep breath, and listen
as Gabe and Stacy share what itmeans to understand yourself,
maybe for the very first time.
Gabe Galland (02:41):
Hi, my name is Gabe. I'm a producer in
Vancouver, BC in Canada. I'velived here for about eight years
and for most of my life, I wasundiagnosed with ADHD, and I'm
also on the autism spectrum. Iwas born in 1991 in Paris,
(03:05):
France, and to this day, Franceremains a country that doesn't
really recognize ADHD, and atleast for the longest time, it's
actually refuted all evidence.And so growing up in the '90s
and early 2000s, I wasmarginalized by other kids at
school, primary school, and thenmiddle high, there was no one to
(03:26):
turn to for help.
And when I would speak totherapists and psychologists,
they would treat my case asthough I was a 50 year old man
going through a self confidencecrisis, and evidently it didn't
work. So I grew up thinking Iwas a weirdo, that I didn't
belong, that I didn't deserve,and that I was not able to do
(03:48):
the same as other people. But itwasn't until I lived in other
places, like, in The UK. I livedthere for half a year in
Australia. I lived there for twoyears in Korea for a year.
And those experiences reallyshowed me that people are
allowed to act and thinkdifferently. I didn't get any
treatment. I wasn't there longenough to. But when I did move
(04:09):
to Canada in 2017, and shortlythereafter got a doctor, I was
finally diagnosed with ADHD atthe age of 29 or 30, something
like that. And so for the pastfive, six years, I've been
looking back at my life, and somany things make sense now.
And I wish I could go back andtell my younger self not to feel
(04:30):
bad about, the way my brainworks, the way I see the world.
And I can see how knowing allthis information is a double
edged sword. It really offers arelief to explain past
occurrences. But there's so muchmore to do to inspire and to
just, like, make people feelbetter. So I would love to be
(04:50):
part of your podcast.
Thanks.
Stacey Smith (04:57):
Hi, everyone. My name is Stacey Smith, and I'm
just going to share a littlesomething about my most recent
diagnosis at the age of 35. SoI've never hidden the fact that
I'm a passionate advocate forneurodiversity. After awaiting
almost three years, I finallyhad my autism assessment last
(05:19):
week. And today the emailarrived, my formal diagnosis.
I wasn't shocked, not really. Intruth, I've always known, but
still something shifted. It'sgiven me clarity and with it a
chance to reflect on all theyears that I've felt like an
outsider in my own home, inclassrooms, in friendships and
(05:41):
in workplaces. I had recentlyposted a picture of myself
hugging my younger self, an oldschool photo. It was an apology.
It was a sorry to the littlegirl who hid herself away, who
masked and coped and endured,who braved the lights, the
smells, the sounds, the chaos ofpeople even when it was too
(06:03):
much. To the little girl whofought so hard for good grades
because the pressure fromsociety and expectations from
those around her weighed heavy.When what she really wanted to
do was to scream help. This ishard. To the girl who stayed
gentle and empathetic even whenthe world felt unbearable.
To the girl who suppressed, whobinged and purged to manage the
(06:27):
pain of each day only to beforce fed by dinner ladies in
front of everyone. To the girlwho bed wet through primary
school, who longed for the noisein her head to quieten, for the
tabs in her brain to finallyclose. To the girl who never
felt enough, never funny enough,never liked enough, needed
enough, caring enough, justnever enough. And to the woman
(06:49):
she became, the new mother whothought she was losing her mind,
drowning under post nataldepression, not knowing that her
senses were simply on fire fromthe hormones. You weren't a bad
parent, you were overwhelmed,but still you persevered.
To the woman whose socialbattery runs out completely, who
walks into overstimulatingenvironments for her family's
(07:13):
sake, holding it together evenwhen every sense is screaming.
To the woman who finds it hardto give herself fully to one
person because the world hasalways asked too much of her. I
see you now. I'm holding you. Iunderstand you now.
I can't promise to always get itright, but I will try to give
you grace. I promise I will tryto cut you some slack.
Paul Cruz (07:41):
Thank you so much for listening to the neurodiversity
voices podcast and for joiningus on this episode, share your
voice. Huge thanks to ourguests, Gabe Gallant and Stacy
Smith for their honesty, courageand vulnerability. Their stories
reminds us that every voice,especially the ones that have
(08:04):
been quiet for too long deservesto be heard. If today's
conversation resonated with you,take a moment to reflect what
part of your story might helpsomeone else feel seen. Can
connect with us on our Instagramand share your thoughts using
the hashtag neurodiversityvoicessubscribe wherever you get your
(08:26):
podcasts so you don't miss theDo you have a story about
neurodiversity you'd like toshare?
Visit our website atneurodiversityvoices.com to find
out more. Keep sharing yourvoice. The world needs to hear
it. Hear from you. Until nexttime, take care, stay curious,
(09:24):
and keep celebrating the beautyof diverse minds.
Thanks for listening to theNeurodiversity Voices podcast.
I, had recently posted a picture of myself
(00:04):
hugging my younger self, an oldschool photo. It was an apology.
It was a sorry to the littlegirl who hid herself away, who
masked and coped and endured,who braved the lights, the
smells, the sounds, the chaos ofpeople, even when it was too
much. To the little girl whofought so hard for good grades
(00:26):
because the pressure fromsociety and expectations from
those around her weighed heavy.When what she really wanted to
do was to scream help.
This is hard. To the girl whostayed gentle and empathetic
even when the world feltunbearable. To the girl who
suppressed, who binged andpurged to manage the pain of
(00:49):
each day.
Paul Cruz (00:54):
Hello and welcome to the Neurodiversity Voices
podcast. I'm your host PaulCruz, and I'm thrilled to have
you join me on this journey ofexploration, advocacy, and
celebration of neurodiversity.Together, we'll have meaningful
conversations, share inspiringstories, challenge
(01:14):
misconceptions aboutneurodiversity. This podcast is
for everyone, whether you'reneurodivergent yourself, an
educator, a parent, or justsomeone curious to learn more.
My goal is to amplify voices,foster understanding, and spark
change in the way we view andsupport neurodiversity.
I'm so excited to have you as wecelebrate the beauty of diverse
(01:38):
minds and work toward a moreinclusive future. So sit back,
relax, and let's get started.Welcome to the Neurodiversity
Voices Podcast, a space wherelived experiences take center
stage, and every story remindsus that there's no one way to be
human. I'm your host, Paul,today's episode is called Share
(02:02):
Your Voice. In this episode, wehear from two incredible guests,
Gabe and Stacy, who both foundclarity and community later in
life through theirneurodivergent diagnosis.
Their reflections aren't justabout labels or conditions.
They're about identity, longing,and learning to embrace the way
(02:24):
our minds truly work. Settle in,take a deep breath, and listen
as Gabe and Stacy share what itmeans to understand yourself,
maybe for the very first time.
Gabe Galland (02:41):
Hi, my name is Gabe. I'm a producer in
Vancouver, BC in Canada. I'velived here for about eight years
and for most of my life, I wasundiagnosed with ADHD, and I'm
also on the autism spectrum. Iwas born in 1991 in Paris,
(03:05):
France, and to this day, Franceremains a country that doesn't
really recognize ADHD, and atleast for the longest time, it's
actually refuted all evidence.And so growing up in the '90s
and early 2000s, I wasmarginalized by other kids at
school, primary school, and thenmiddle high, there was no one to
(03:26):
turn to for help.
And when I would speak totherapists and psychologists,
they would treat my case asthough I was a 50 year old man
going through a self confidencecrisis, and evidently it didn't
work. So I grew up thinking Iwas a weirdo, that I didn't
belong, that I didn't deserve,and that I was not able to do
(03:48):
the same as other people. But itwasn't until I lived in other
places, like, in The UK. I livedthere for half a year in
Australia. I lived there for twoyears in Korea for a year.
And those experiences reallyshowed me that people are
allowed to act and thinkdifferently. I didn't get any
treatment. I wasn't there longenough to. But when I did move
(04:09):
to Canada in 2017, and shortlythereafter got a doctor, I was
finally diagnosed with ADHD atthe age of 29 or 30, something
like that. And so for the pastfive, six years, I've been
looking back at my life, and somany things make sense now.
And I wish I could go back andtell my younger self not to feel
(04:30):
bad about, the way my brainworks, the way I see the world.
And I can see how knowing allthis information is a double
edged sword. It really offers arelief to explain past
occurrences. But there's so muchmore to do to inspire and to
just, like, make people feelbetter. So I would love to be
(04:50):
part of your podcast.
Thanks.
Stacey Smith (04:57):
Hi, everyone. My name is Stacey Smith, and I'm
just going to share a littlesomething about my most recent
diagnosis at the age of 35. SoI've never hidden the fact that
I'm a passionate advocate forneurodiversity. After awaiting
almost three years, I finallyhad my autism assessment last
(05:19):
week. And today the emailarrived, my formal diagnosis.
I wasn't shocked, not really. Intruth, I've always known, but
still something shifted. It'sgiven me clarity and with it a
chance to reflect on all theyears that I've felt like an
outsider in my own home, inclassrooms, in friendships and
(05:41):
in workplaces. I had recentlyposted a picture of myself
hugging my younger self, an oldschool photo. It was an apology.
It was a sorry to the littlegirl who hid herself away, who
masked and coped and endured,who braved the lights, the
smells, the sounds, the chaos ofpeople even when it was too
(06:03):
much. To the little girl whofought so hard for good grades
because the pressure fromsociety and expectations from
those around her weighed heavy.When what she really wanted to
do was to scream help. This ishard. To the girl who stayed
gentle and empathetic even whenthe world felt unbearable.
To the girl who suppressed, whobinged and purged to manage the
(06:27):
pain of each day only to beforce fed by dinner ladies in
front of everyone. To the girlwho bed wet through primary
school, who longed for the noisein her head to quieten, for the
tabs in her brain to finallyclose. To the girl who never
felt enough, never funny enough,never liked enough, needed
enough, caring enough, justnever enough. And to the woman
(06:49):
she became, the new mother whothought she was losing her mind,
drowning under post nataldepression, not knowing that her
senses were simply on fire fromthe hormones. You weren't a bad
parent, you were overwhelmed,but still you persevered.
To the woman whose socialbattery runs out completely, who
walks into overstimulatingenvironments for her family's
(07:13):
sake, holding it together evenwhen every sense is screaming.
To the woman who finds it hardto give herself fully to one
person because the world hasalways asked too much of her. I
see you now. I'm holding you. Iunderstand you now.
I can't promise to always get itright, but I will try to give
you grace. I promise I will tryto cut you some slack.
Paul Cruz (07:41):
Thank you so much for listening to the neurodiversity
voices podcast and for joiningus on this episode, share your
voice. Huge thanks to ourguests, Gabe Gallant and Stacy
Smith for their honesty, courageand vulnerability. Their stories
reminds us that every voice,especially the ones that have
(08:04):
been quiet for too long deservesto be heard. If today's
conversation resonated with you,take a moment to reflect what
part of your story might helpsomeone else feel seen. Can
connect with us on our Instagramand share your thoughts using
the hashtag neurodiversityvoicessubscribe wherever you get your
(08:26):
podcasts so you don't miss theDo you have a story about
neurodiversity you'd like toshare?
Visit our website atneurodiversityvoices.com to find
out more. Keep sharing yourvoice. The world needs to hear
it. Hear from you. Until nexttime, take care, stay curious,
(09:24):
and keep celebrating the beautyof diverse minds.
Thanks for listening to theNeurodiversity Voices podcast.
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