What It’s Really Like to Love as a Neurodivergent Woman with Sara-Louise Ackrill | Ep 101

FEB 9, 202637 MIN
Mad About... with Maddy Alexander-Grout

What It’s Really Like to Love as a Neurodivergent Woman with Sara-Louise Ackrill | Ep 101

FEB 9, 202637 MIN

Description

This episode got real. I sat down with Sara-Louise Ackrill, founder of Wired Differently and co-author of The ND Lovers Club, to talk about something that's not spoken about enough: what it really means to be neurodivergent when it comes to love, money, and healing from trauma.We covered everything from late autism and ADHD diagnoses (Sara at 38, me at 37), to the impact of coercive control and abusive relationships, and how financial instability often shows up alongside neurodivergence. Sara opens up about going bankrupt at 26, the weight of debt and mental health, and why she refuses to be ashamed of any part of her journey.She also shares the behind-the-scenes of writing a book on ND relationships, the concept of limerence (yep, obsessive love was a big theme for both of us), and how masking, infatuation, and rejection sensitivity show up in romantic dynamics.It’s raw, it’s funny, and it’s brutally honest - from both of us.Resources mentioned: StepChange, Freedom Programme, Own My Life.Connect with Sara-Louise: https://www.sara-louise.co.uk/Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Neurodivergence and Entrepreneurship01:24 Personal Journeys of Neurodivergence04:24 The Impact of Diagnosis on Self-Understanding06:19 Navigating Financial Challenges and Debt14:37 Experiences with Coercive Control and Relationships20:37 Experiencing Coercive Control23:44 The Impact of Neurodivergence on Relationships24:44 The Endy Lovers Club: A Safe Space for Neurodivergent Women28:14 Understanding Limerence and Obsession33:41 Navigating Relationships and Neurodivergence---------------------- Visit Maddy's ⁠⁠⁠Stan Store⁠⁠⁠ Follow Maddy on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠