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Patrick Casale | AuDHD + Chronic Illness + hEDs

@patrick.casale

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AuDHD Chronically ill Therapist + TEDx Speaker 🥄
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When I think back to my childhood, it's hard for me to understand how come nobody knew that I was Audhd.

It feels so obvious, especially when looking at it from the lens of discovery and understanding.

I know that they could not be diagnosed together until 2013, but it's shocking both got missed.

I still grieve young Patrick and wish that he knew that it was ok to be different, and to be weird. It was ok to love his special interests and to struggle socially.

I had no idea that what I was experiencing was sensory overwhelm. I had no idea about meltdowns and shutdowns.

And, because I was a quiet kid, who loved to read 📚 and got straight As, no one had a reason to ever really figure out how I was feeling.

The reality was that I was drowning. I felt alone, like an 👽, unable to understand why I felt so distant and disconnected.

Here's to healing our inner child, and to knowing that we are all deserving of love and understanding ❤️

#actuallyautistic #adultautism #innerchildwork #audhd #undiagnosed by @patrick.casale

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20 days ago

For most of my life these felt like random quirks. Small bladder. Clumsy. Sensitive stomach. Bruises from who knows what.

Then I got the hEDS diagnosis and started going back through my history. So many "weird little things" were pieces of the same picture.

A quick honest note: none of these symptoms alone means you have hEDS. Plenty of them overlap with POTS, MCAS, and a bunch of other stuff. But if you're nodding along to most of this list, it might be worth a conversation with someone who knows connective tissue disorders.

Which one surprised you? Tell me in the comments.

#hEDS #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #ChronicIllness #Hypermobility #Spoonie by @patrick.casale

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21 days ago

I've been in a hellacious battle with Autistic burnout for over 2+ years. (Reposted because it's still relevant)

It has felt like Frodo trying to destroy the one ring, only to end up depleted, exhausted, and on the verge of destruction. 💍 🌋

Like a husk of a human, or to quote the great Bilbo Baggins, "I feel thin, like butter scraped over too much bread."

Autistic burnout is not like general workplace burnout. While both are certainly exhausting, workplace burnout can be fixed from a few self care strategies, and taking some time off or away.

Autistic burnout can last years. It is neurological depletion, from the relentless demands of existence, combined w sensory overwhelm + masking fatigue.

I would not wish these last 2 years on my own worst enemy. Even Sauron. 🔥 👁 🔥

I talk and share about my experiences because I do not want people to feel alone in it. I do not want people to hit that wall, and inevitably self destruct.

There are ways to offset some of the intensity and to actively work towards coming out of it again. Some of those include:

- Reduce as many demands as humanly possible
- Reduce the unwanted and overwhelming sensory input, while increasing the enjoyable sensory input
-Actively try to incorporate special interests into daily life (hence all of my LOTR mentions)
-Work towards finding meaning in existence
-Include nature, animals, or anything else that feels regulating and sensory friendly

This is not an easy road. This path is treacherous. But, you do not have to walk alone.

Comment 🔥 if this feels useful, and share with a friend who could use some support while trying to destroy the one ring in Mt. Doom

#autisticburnout #autisticburnoutrecovery #burnoutrecovery #audhd #actuallyautistic by @patrick.casale

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21 days ago

“How do I set my prices?” 💸

I get asked this all the time about retreat hosting, and the answer is pretty simple.

It’s why I talk so much about the budgeting piece and the spreadsheets we use to host events. It’s really important to know the cost per person instead of taking a number, making it up, and throwing it against the wall to see what sticks.

You have to know what your event is going to cost you per person. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure and potentially losing a significant amount of money, which I do not want for you.

In the Beyond Private Practice Intensive, I’ll walk through every single step with you
🌎 Choosing your location
📊 Budgeting and cost per person
💸 Pricing it right
🎟️ Filling your first retreat

Plus crash courses on podcasting, group practice, and paid speaking.

Friday, October 23rd or 30th, 12 to 4 PM EST. $99 and 4 NBCC CEs.

Sign up and save your seat at the link in my bio 🔗

#retreathost #hostaretreat #retreatplanning #therapistsinprivatepractice #therapistbusiness by @patrick.casale

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4 hours ago

“How the hell are you so consistent with releasing episodes?” 🎙️

I get this question about podcasting all the time, and the answer is I batch.

There’s no way I could record episodes every single day. I just do not have the capacity or the energy.

So when I have the energy, I record multiple episodes a week. That way I have a long queue of episodes to get me through the next couple of months, because I never know what my energy is going to be like or what kind of season of life I’m going to be having.

There’s no reason for you to be creating every single day.

In the Beyond Private Practice Intensive, you’ll leave with
🎙️ Your podcast concept
📋 A plan for your first 10 episodes
🔋 A batching rhythm that works with your capacity

Plus crash courses on group practice, retreats, and paid speaking.

Friday, October 23rd or 30th, 12 to 4 PM EST. $99 and 4 NBCC CEs.

Link is in the bio - I hope to see some of you there!

#startapodcast #podcastingforbeginners #therapistpodcast #therapistsinprivatepractice #therapistbusiness by @patrick.casale

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a day ago

Sometimes all we want is for someone to say “dude, this fucking sucks.”

Not a tip. Not a protocol. Just that.

If you can relate, swipe through. And comment 268 to listen this week's episode where I talk all about this.

🎧 Listen to Ep 268: The Energy Cost of Being a Chronically Ill Entrepreneur featuring Patrick Casale on The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur Podcast

#chronicillness #invisibleillness #neurodivergententrepreneur #chronicallyillentrepreneur #chronicillnessbusiness by @patrick.casale

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a day ago

WARNING! Diversifying your income as a therapist may lead to:

🐕 more afternoon walks
❤️ more time with family and friends
🧝 more time for special interests
✨ more creativity
😴 more sleep
✈️ more travel

Friday, October 23rd or 30th, 12 to 4 PM EST
4 hours live, 4 topics, 4NBCC CEs for only $99

Together we’ll cover podcasting, paid speaking, group practice, and retreat hosting 🌴

Comment INTENSIVE and I’ll send you the link.

#therapistentrepreneur #therapistsinprivatepractice #therapistbusiness #diversifyincome by @patrick.casale

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2 days ago

Nobody wants to talk about this one. So I will.

When you're chronically ill and two years deep in burnout, mortality stops being abstract. I think about the time I've lost. The time I have left. The things I still want to make.

I don't have a tidy takeaway. Some days this makes me more present. Some days it just hurts.

If thinking about death ever turns into wanting to die, please reach out. In the US, call or text 988.

What would you want more time for? I'm reading every comment.

#AuDHD #ActuallyAutistic #PDA #AutisticAdult #Neurodivergent by @patrick.casale

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2 days ago

“Do I need to be on social media to fill a retreat?” 📱

This is the marketing piece I get asked about all the time. Do I need to market these events? How do I make sure people sign up?

The answer, and I know you’re not going to want to hear it, is yes. You do need to be available. You do need to be present. But you don’t have to be online all the time, despite what you may think.

Even if you see my face online all the time, I batch my content. I don’t make it every day.

In the Beyond Private Practice Intensive, I’m going to teach you how to market and sell your events, how to show up authentically without losing yourself in it, and how to get in front of your ideal attendees.

I have lots of tricks, tips, and strategies, plus lots of support so you can avoid the mistakes I’ve made.

Friday, October 23rd or 30th, 12 to 4 PM EST. $99 and 4 NBCC CEs.

Comment INTENSIVE and I’ll send you the link 💛

#retreathost #hostaretreat #wellnessretreats #therapistsinprivatepractice #therapistbusiness by @patrick.casale

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3 days ago

I know I need support for all of these ailments. But it takes so much mental energy and executive function that I don’t have.

Specialty care visits, different providers for different things, keeping track of medications. Having a chronic illness is like having a full-time job, except I’m the one paying endlessly to find solutions, strategy, and support.

So many of us end up feeling alienated and alone in it, and that makes it almost impossible to navigate. A lot of people will gaslight you, dismiss you, or use toxic positivity. Or they’ll offer suggestions you never asked for.

Can you relate? Comment 268 to listen.

🎧 Listen to Ep 268: The Energy Cost of Being a Chronically Ill Entrepreneur featuring Patrick Casale on The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur Podcast

#chronicillness #invisibleillness #neurodivergententrepreneur #chronicallyillentrepreneur #chronicillnessbusiness by @patrick.casale

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3 days ago

Being Autistic & ADHD can often feel like a game of tug of war…👇

AuDHD folx, do you ever struggle to balance your autistic and ADHD parts?

Let me know what your experience is like in the comments 💭

#audhd #adhdcommunity #neurodivergententrepreneur #audhder #autisticadults by @patrick.casale

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4 days ago

How do you keep making money when your energy is so low it’s basically painful to be awake?

On this week’s episode of The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur, I go solo to get real about being a chronically ill, neurodivergent entrepreneur and human.

I’m an AuDHD chronically ill entrepreneur, therapist, speaker, and community builder. I live with POTS, mast cell activation syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, HEDS, and chronic pain, and I’m in autistic burnout plus chronic illness. Yeah, it’s a lot.

Together we cover a lot of ground:

⚡ My energy is so low it’s painful to be awake, but I still can’t fall asleep
⚡ Chronic pain, chronic illness, and neurodivergence stacked on a system that’s already running on fumes
⚡ Still having to make money for my healthcare, my pills, my mortgage, and my staff
⚡ My capacity versus my necessity for survival, and how they don’t play nice together
⚡ Guarding my energy like Smaug guarding the gold, and asking if the juice is worth the squeeze
⚡ Why I’d rather hear “dude, this fucking sucks” than “have you tried yoga?”
⚡ Grief and joy being two sides of the same coin

I recorded this one on a day I was running on fumes after a bad pain flare and bailed on trivia with a friend. It’s a heavier episode, but I hope it’s at least normalizing or humanizing, because we need that too. Be easy on yourselves in this season of life. I’m trying so desperately hard to be easy on myself, so maybe we can do it together.

Comment 268 to listen to this episode 🤍

🎧 Listen to Ep 268: The Energy Cost of Being a Chronically Ill Entrepreneur featuring Patrick Casale on The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur Podcast

#ChronicIllness #Neurodivergent #AuDHD #ChronicFatigue #SpoonieLife by @patrick.casale

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4 days ago