What Happens When Your Brain Never Stops? ADHD, Autism, and the Non-Stop Life [Dr. Portia Preston]

We’re back with another powerful guest episode featuring Dr. Portia Jackson Preston, DrPH – professor, speaker, author, and one of our newest friends in the neurodivergent space. She just released her first book Hustle, Flow, or Let It Go, and today we dive deep into what it means to live a “non-stop” life.

We kick things off with Disney+’s Hamilton and the song Non-Stop, which Dr. Portia connects with personally. That constant movement, constant thinking, constant planning – a rhythm many of us with ADHD or autism know all too well. It isn’t always about stress or anxiety; sometimes our brains are just wired to go, go, go. We break down how this can be both a superpower and a risk for burnout, exhaustion, and mental health struggles.

From there, we explore:

Wellness as survival: How to recognize when to hustle, when you’re in the healthy flow of self-care, and when to finally let things go.

Late autism diagnosis: Dr. Portia shares her story of receiving an autism diagnosis later in life – how it reframed her past, explained her quirks, and gave her new language for joy, self-regulation, and resilience.

Masking and authenticity: What it means to drop the mask, even in professional settings, and the courage it takes to live openly as neurodivergent.

The toll of being non-stop: How high-functioning momentum can quietly break us down, and the practices we need to build sustainability and soulfulness.

Identity and intersectionality: The unique experiences of being a Black woman navigating academia, neurodivergence, and the constant push to achieve.

Dr. Portia takes us through her journey as a professor, wellness retreat leader, TEDx speaker, and now author. Together, we laugh, dig deep, and challenge what it really means to live well while being wired differently.

This episode is more than a conversation – it’s an invitation to pause, breathe, and ask yourself: Where am I hustling, where am I in flow, and what do I need to let go?

Questions???

Do you ever feel like your brain is “non-stop”? How do you handle it?

What’s harder for you – learning when to hustle, staying in the flow, or letting things go?

For those diagnosed later in life, what was the biggest shift in how you understood yourself?

Thanks for checking out Different Spectrums! 🎙️ We're a podcast led by licensed therapists and neurodivergent individuals who explore emotions in movies and shows. Our mission is to normalize mental health challenges and promote understanding.

Join your founders and hosts, Dr. Nazeer Zerka and Spencer Srnec, as we process some key scenes to help you better understand your emotions and maybe even find some validation in them.

To find our new guest: Dr. Portia Jackson Preston

https://www.instagram.com/drportiapreston/

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 Attention

0:59 Intro

6:48 Scene

13:21 Discussion

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