When a neurodivergent brain hits its limit, it doesn’t politely ask for rest, it shuts the entire system down. In this episode, we break down what actually happens during a shutdowrn, why it’s not laziness or avoidance, and how the nervous system forces a full power reset when overload becomes too much to process.

Order Here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/overclocked-ashley-olson/1148792119;jsessionid=B3B1C059B52DD7354AC0FF2676E901D7.prodny_store01-atgap15?ean=2940185006788&st=EML&2sid=NPR0051_Press_Author_Title_On_Sale_v1

Perfectionism isn’t about wanting things to be perfect. It’s about the nervous system trying to calm itself by correcting patterns the rest of the world doesn’t even see. In this episode, we talk about what perfectionism really is for an ADHD/autistic brain: not vanity, not pride, and definitely not a personality quirk. It’s survival.

Order Here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/overclocked-ashley-olson/1148792119;jsessionid=B3B1C059B52DD7354AC0FF2676E901D7.prodny_store01-atgap15?ean=2940185006788&st=EML&2sid=NPR0051_Press_Author_Title_On_Sale_v1

Every gift has a price, and in this episode we talk about the side of neurodivergence nobody glamorizes: the overload, the shutdowns, and the quiet burnout that hits long before the world notices.

If you’ve ever disappeared for a few days to reset, needed silence instead of words, or felt guilty for burning out from “normal” life… this one will feel like coming home.

Preorder Here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/overclocked-ashley-olson/1148792119;jsessionid=B3B1C059B52DD7354AC0FF2676E901D7.prodny_store01-atgap15?ean=2940185006788&st=EML&2sid=NPR0051_Press_Author_Title_On_Sale_v1

This episode is all about the part of neurodivergence people barely talk about, the strengths.

Everyone knows about burnout, overstimulation, anxiety, shutdowns and overwhelm. No one talks about the other side of that same wiring: the reflexes, the creativity, the empathy, the pattern recognition, and the superhuman hyperfocus that can turn chaos into clarity.

We don’t just react to the world, we predict it. We build systems in real time. We feel what people feel. We connect dots that shouldn’t make sense but always do.

This isn’t a motivational speech and it isn’t toxic positivity. It’s about how the brain actually functions and why the same mechanisms that drain us also make us powerful.

This episode goes deeper into:

Hyperfocus and flow states

Predictive reflexes

The ADHD + Autism wiring

Emotional pattern recognition

When creativity and systems thinking collide

Why “too much” is actually the reason we survive

It’s not about pretending neurodivergence is easy. It’s about finally talking about the full picture aka both sides of the lightning.

If you’ve ever been told you’re “too intense,” “too sensitive,” or “too complicated,” this episode is proof that the world has just been reading the wrong user manual for our brains.

Preorder Here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/overclocked-ashley-olson/1148792119;jsessionid=B3B1C059B52DD7354AC0FF2676E901D7.prodny_store01-atgap15?ean=2940185006788&st=EML&2sid=NPR0051_Press_Author_Title_On_Sale_v1