It’s just AuDHD

Dearest Gentle Reader, rarely is society faced with such a vexing debate over a member of “The Ton”. Could it be that Miss Francesca Bridgerton is autistic? This author will humbly endeavor to set the record straight, not through gossip and speculation, but through science and fact. It is our greatest wish that in your journey to understand Miss Francesca, you discover yourself, for this, dear reader, would make the fruits of our labor worthwhile, indeed.
Sources:
Tony Attwood
Francesca Autistic Compilation
Francesca Compilation
Autistic adult brains name recognition
Different emotional facial expressions
Double empathy problem
Eye contact triggers amygdala
GABA and Glutamate
The theory of monotropism
Most common special interests
What causes special interests?
Autistic women more vulnerable
Thalamus explains sensory issues
Autistic people have weaker autobiographical memory
Fear of being perceived
Debunking the Empathy/Systemizing Quotient in autism
Autistic adults enjoy being in the same space without direct interaction
Study on autistic special interests
CAT-Q Autism Assessment

You know that “new crush” feeling where your heart is pounding and you've got butterflies in your stomach? It can feel exhilarating! But imagine if you got stuck in a loop where you experience it every single day for years. Suddenly, it becomes a little less fun. This is the plight of people suffering from limerence, where you become addicted to your own fantasies of being in a relationship with someone who is unavailable in real life. 

So how do you know if it's love or limerence? In today's episode, we'll break down all the ways you can tell the difference. Curious what causes limerence? We dive into the neuroscience behind it in our previous episode “Why do ADHDers get addicted?”

Sources:
What causes limerence?
Dr. Kirk Honda's limerence deep-dive
Dr. Tom Bellamy's limerence introduction
Dr. Tom Bellamy’s YouTube channel about limerence 
Limerence meta analysis
Dr. Kirk Honda's borderline personality disorder deep-dive
Dr. Kirk Honda's Baby Reindeer deep-dive
OCD vs ADHD and Autism

We all know people with ADHD are more prone to addictions like gambling, alcoholism, and substance abuse. But what if you could be addicted to your own fantasies? And how do addictions form in the first place? In this two part episode, we’re examining limerence, a condition where you become addicted to compulsive, consuming fantasies about a romantic relationship with someone who does not express interest in you.

In order to truly grasp limerence, you need to understand the neuroscience behind addiction, which is the topic of this episode. We take an in-depth look at the brain changes that occur when you become addicted to something, and we explore why ADHD brains are exceptionally vulnerable. This episode will help you understand ADHD struggles on a whole new level! Give us a listen, and be sure to come back for the second part of this special, where we tackle the precise symptoms of limerence and the conditions it's commonly mistaken for. 

Sources:
Dr. Kirk Honda's deep dive on limerence
Addiction neuroscience research with Professor Kent Berridge
Understanding addiction and how it's treated
Statistics about ADHD and addiction 
The overlapping neurobiology of addiction in ADHD
Research on ADHD and low hedonic tone
Research on ADHD and attachment styles 
General information about attachment style
ADHD and divorce rates

Diagnosis rates are rising, and people everywhere are being prescribed medications with major side effects. But what if it's actually a misdiagnosis? We're talking, of course, about dementia.

Although dementia can look similar to ADHD and autism in older populations, treatment options are wildly different, and very few clinics perform ample screening to distinguish between these conditions. In this episode, we'll break down the similarities and differences. We'll also talk about the pitfalls of aging gracefully with ADHD and autism, so you and your loved ones can navigate the complexities armed with knowledge.

Sources
Survey about menopause with ADHD
Stories about aging with autism 
Meta-analysis about aging well with autism
Video about aging with ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D. 
Clinics rarely screen for ADHD in older populations
Study on ADHD and dementia risk
Common conditions that look like dementia
Up to 13% of diagnosed dementia cases are actually liver failure
ADHDers have poor autobiographical memory
ADHD memories don't have context about time or location 
Dementia side effects reported by pharmacists and caretakers
Severe side effects to dementia anti-psychotic drugs
Severe side effects from anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody medications for dementia 
Only 31% of ADHDers would be eligible for a randomized controlled trial about ADHD meds

Have you ever been completely obsessed with a video game and you can't pull yourself away? Video games have a nuanced and important role in the lives of AuDHDers. In this episode, we'll dig into the good, the bad, and the ugly side of video games. In the right context, they serve as a powerful, therapeutic tool for self regulating and even improving challenges associated with ADHD and autism. Unfortunately, they can also be addictive and drain your time, money, and willpower.

Sources:
Basic stats about video games
Using Dungeons and Dragons as a therapeutic technique for autism
Meta analysis on using games for ADHD treatment
CogCubed ADHD assessment game
Research on EndeavorRX to treat ADHD
EndeavorRX gameplay demo
Using Tetris to prevent PTSD after traumatic experiences
ADHD and video game addiction
Autism and video game addiction 
Autistic people are less likely to purchase loot boxes
Loot boxes increase gambling addiction risk in adolescents by 3.7x to 6.0x
32% of children regret their online purchases and 41% don't understand what they purchased 
Adolescents who purchase loot boxes are at 1.87x higher risk of severe psychological distress
Blind boxes increase suicide risk in children
Australia automatically classifies games with loot boxes as Mature