Late-diagnosed autistic/ADHD coach and community leader Dave Grund on rebuilding identity after burnout — and why living out loud is a radical act.

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Duena speaks with Dave Grund — late-diagnosed autistic/ADHD coach, ND community builder, and creator of Living Out Loud, a movement for self-acceptance, truth-telling and sustainable neurodivergent lives.

Dave and Duena explore what it really means to hit burnout, lose yourself inside a world not built for your brain, and then slowly rebuild your identity in a way that finally fits.

Together they unpack:

• Late-diagnosis and the emotional “unpeeling” that follows
 • Autistic burnout, shutdown, and recovery cycles
 • Alexithymia, rejection sensitivity & masking fatigue
 • The psychology of hiding, shrinking and trying to “be normal”
 • Why so many ND adults lose their sense of self
 • What “Living Out Loud” means for autistic and ADHD adults
 • Reparenting, boundaries & rebuilding safety
 • How workplaces contribute to burnout and identity collapse
 • Healing through ND community and “found family”

This is one of the most emotionally impactful conversations in the series — about identity, truth, pain, survival, and the courage to become yourself after years of not being allowed to.

⭐ KEY THEMES 

autistic burnout, ADHD burnout, late diagnosis, masking, shutdown, ND identity, self-acceptance, emotional regulation, alexithymia, psychological safety, Human Debt, workplace trauma, reparenting, recovery, ND community, ND coaching

⭐ RESOURCES

Listen to all episodes: https://neurospicyatwork.com

Take the NeuroSpicy Self-Assessment: https://amineurospicy.com

Learn more about Dave: search “Dave Grund Living Out Loud ND Coach”
Learn more about Duena’s work: https://www.duenablomstrom.com

⭐ CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro & who is Dave Grund  
02:15 – Late diagnosis & the ND “unpeeling” process  
05:40 – Burnout, shutdown & identity collapse  
09:22 – Masking, alexithymia & emotional overload  
12:48 – Rejection sensitivity & why ND adults shrink  
16:10 – “Living Out Loud” and reclaiming identity  
20:30 – Reparenting, boundaries & healing  
24:42 – Workplaces, trauma & Human Debt  
28:58 – ND community, belonging & choosing yourself  
32:50 – What recovery really looks like  
36:15 – Final reflections  

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NeuroSpicy @ Work – S1E6 with Dave Grund. Key topics: late diagnosis, autistic burnout, ADHD burnout, shutdowns, masking fatigue, identity loss, reparenting, rejection sensitivity, alexithymia, workplace trauma, Human Debt, psychological safety, ND community, neurodivergent coaching. Guest: Dave Grund, autistic/ADHD coach and “Living Out Loud” creator. Host: Duena Blomstrom — autistic/ADHD author, Human Debt theorist, psychological safety researcher.
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