Updated with improved page naming for clarity and accessibility
Main Site Index - /index.html Primary landing page introducing the site’s purpose and navigation to all major sections. Features 3-card layout: Conditions, Struggles, and Toolkits.
Conditions Index - /conditions/index.html Entry point to all neurodivergent condition pages with overview and navigation guidance.
Struggles Index - /struggles/index.html Comprehensive directory of daily friction points organized by experiential categories.
Toolkits Index - /toolkits/index.html Professional strategic resources for navigating institutional systems. Features mottled leather briefcase aesthetic with brown gradient palette.
AUTISM - /conditions/autism.html Brain differences that create predictable friction with neurotypical-designed social and sensory environments. Page covers core characteristics, common co-occurring conditions, and links to all autism-related struggles.
ADHD - /conditions/adhd.html
Brain differences in attention regulation, impulse control, and executive function that create friction with traditional productivity expectations. Page covers inattentive and hyperactive presentations, common co-occurring conditions, and links to all ADHD-related struggles.
BIPOLAR - /conditions/bipolar.html Mood condition involving episodes of mania/hypomania and depression that significantly impact daily functioning. Page covers different types, episode recognition, and links to all bipolar-related struggles.
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER - /conditions/borderline-personality-disorder.html Pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions with marked impulsivity. Page covers core features, trauma connections, and links to all BPD-related struggles.
OCD - /conditions/ocd.html Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that interfere with daily life and cause significant distress. Page covers different presentations, common themes, and links to all OCD-related struggles.
Workplace Accommodations Toolkit - /toolkits/workplace-accommodations.html Strategic guidance for navigating ADA accommodation requests, including legal rights, documentation requirements, professional scripts, and escalation procedures.
Educational Accommodations Toolkit - /toolkits/educational-accommodations.html Comprehensive guidance for IEP and 504 plan processes, special education law navigation, evaluation requests, and academic accommodation advocacy.
Healthcare Advocacy Toolkit - /toolkits/healthcare-advocacy.html System navigation for medical appointments, provider selection, insurance authorization, and securing neurodivergent-affirming healthcare.
ADHD/Autism Evaluation Preparation Toolkit - /toolkits/evaluation-preparation.html Strategic preparation for comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, including provider selection, documentation gathering, and appointment optimization.
Financial Management for Executive Dysfunction Toolkit - /toolkits/financial-management.html Practical systems for managing money with ADHD and autism brains, including automation strategies, banking solutions, and sustainable financial planning.
Task Initiation Paralysis - /struggles/task-initiation-paralysis.html Knowing what to do but being unable to start. Page explains the neurological basis of executive function differences and provides concrete strategies for overcoming the startup barrier, including body doubling, task breakdown, and environmental modifications. Related Struggles: Working Memory Difficulties, Attention Regulation, Unfinished Projects Piling Up, Can’t Get Organized, Interest-Based Nervous System
Attention Regulation - /struggles/attention-regulation.html Difficulty controlling where your focus goes, not a deficit but a difference in attention systems. Page reframes attention differences and offers tools for directing focus more intentionally through interest-based approaches and external structure. Related Struggles: Hyperfocus Episodes, Task Initiation Paralysis, Interest-Based Nervous System, Working Memory Difficulties, Stimulant Crash and Rebound
Unfinished Projects Piling Up - /struggles/unfinished-projects-piling-up.html Starting projects enthusiastically but struggling to finish them. Page addresses perfectionism, overwhelm, and practical completion strategies including project scoping and accountability systems. Related Struggles: Task Initiation Paralysis, Hyperfocus Episodes, Interest-Based Nervous System, Can’t Get Organized, Working Memory Difficulties
Can’t Get Organized - /struggles/cant-get-organized.html Difficulty structuring your environment and future activities in ways that work with conventional expectations. Page provides simple systems that work with ADHD brain patterns rather than against them. Related Struggles: Object Permanence Issues, Working Memory Difficulties, Time Blindness, Task Initiation Paralysis, Unfinished Projects Piling Up
Time Blindness - /struggles/time-blindness.html Losing track of time or misjudging how long tasks will take. Page offers tools for time awareness and realistic scheduling approaches, including buffer time and visual time management strategies. Related Struggles: Can’t Get Organized, Interest-Based Nervous System, Hyperfocus Episodes, Impatience with Waiting, Sleep Rhythm Disruption
Working Memory Difficulties - /struggles/working-memory-difficulties.html Forgetting instructions or losing track of multi-step tasks while trying to complete them. Page provides external memory aids and cognitive strategies for information retention and task management. Related Struggles: Task Initiation Paralysis, Attention Regulation, Object Permanence Issues, Can’t Get Organized, Unfinished Projects Piling Up
Physical Restlessness - /struggles/physical-restlessness.html Need to move your body, fidget, or change positions frequently throughout the day. Page validates hyperactivity and offers movement solutions for different environments, from workplace fidgets to exercise integration. Related Struggles: Interrupting and Blurting, Impatience with Waiting, Sleep Rhythm Disruption, Impulsive Decision-Making, Attention Regulation
Interrupting and Blurting - /struggles/interrupting-and-blurting.html Speaking before others finish talking or saying things impulsively without considering the impact. Page covers impulse control strategies and communication awareness techniques for social situations. Related Struggles: Physical Restlessness, Impulsive Decision-Making, Emotional Dysregulation (ADHD), Impatience with Waiting, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Impatience with Waiting - /struggles/impatience-with-waiting.html Difficulty tolerating delays, lines, or slow processes without becoming agitated. Page offers mindfulness approaches and practical coping strategies for waiting situations and delayed gratification. Related Struggles: Physical Restlessness, Interrupting and Blurting, Impulsive Decision-Making, Emotional Dysregulation (ADHD), Time Blindness
Impulsive Decision-Making - /struggles/impulsive-decision-making.html Making quick choices without fully considering consequences, especially in emotional moments. Page provides decision-making frameworks and harm reduction approaches for important choices. Related Struggles: Interrupting and Blurting, Emotional Dysregulation (ADHD), Impatience with Waiting, Physical Restlessness, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria - /struggles/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria.html Intense emotional response to perceived rejection or criticism that feels overwhelming and disproportionate. Page validates this painful ADHD-related experience and offers emotional regulation strategies and reframing techniques. Related Struggles: Emotional Dysregulation (ADHD), Interrupting and Blurting, Impulsive Decision-Making, Interest-Based Nervous System, Masking Burnout
Emotional Dysregulation (ADHD) - /struggles/emotional-dysregulation-adhd.html Difficulty managing emotional intensity from dopamine regulation differences and executive function challenges. Page covers emotion recognition, coping techniques, and understanding how ADHD affects emotional processing. Related Struggles: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, Impulsive Decision-Making, Interrupting and Blurting, Impatience with Waiting, Stimulant Crash and Rebound
Hyperfocus Episodes - /struggles/hyperfocus-episodes.html Becoming so absorbed in interesting activities that you lose awareness of time and basic needs. Page helps harness this ADHD strength while maintaining life balance and meeting responsibilities. Related Struggles: Interest-Based Nervous System, Time Blindness, Attention Regulation, Unfinished Projects Piling Up, Sleep Rhythm Disruption
Sleep Rhythm Disruption - /struggles/sleep-rhythm-disruption.html Difficulty with conventional sleep schedules and sleep quality due to ADHD brain differences. Page addresses ADHD-specific sleep challenges and evidence-based solutions for sleep regulation. Note: Often comorbid with delayed sleep phase disorder. Related Struggles: Stimulant Sleep Disruption, Time Blindness, Physical Restlessness, Hyperfocus Episodes, Stimulant Crash and Rebound
Object Permanence Issues - /struggles/object-permanence-issues.html Forgetting about things when they’re not visible or immediately present in your environment. Page offers organizational strategies and reminder systems for managing “out of sight, out of mind” patterns. Related Struggles: Working Memory Difficulties, Can’t Get Organized, Task Initiation Paralysis, Unfinished Projects Piling Up, Attention Regulation
Interest-Based Nervous System - /struggles/interest-based-nervous-system.html Functioning best with activities that are interesting, challenging, urgent, or novel rather than routine or mundane tasks. Page helps understand and work with ADHD motivation patterns. Related Struggles: Task Initiation Paralysis, Hyperfocus Episodes, Attention Regulation, Unfinished Projects Piling Up, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Stimulant Appetite Suppression - /struggles/stimulant-appetite-suppression.html Loss of appetite and eating difficulties while taking ADHD medications. Page covers maintaining nutrition, timing strategies, and working with providers on appetite-related medication concerns. Related Struggles: Stimulant Sleep Disruption, Stimulant Crash and Rebound, Attention Regulation, Working Memory Difficulties, Task Initiation Paralysis
Stimulant Sleep Disruption - /struggles/stimulant-sleep-disruption.html Insomnia and sleep difficulties caused by ADHD medications interfering with natural sleep patterns. Page addresses timing strategies, sleep hygiene modifications, and medication adjustment discussions. Related Struggles: Stimulant Appetite Suppression, Stimulant Crash and Rebound, Sleep Rhythm Disruption, Attention Regulation, Physical Restlessness
Stimulant Crash and Rebound - /struggles/stimulant-crash-and-rebound.html Evening mood drops and symptom return as ADHD medication wears off throughout the day. Page covers timing adjustments, bridging strategies, and crash management techniques. Related Struggles: Stimulant Appetite Suppression, Stimulant Sleep Disruption, Attention Regulation, Emotional Dysregulation (ADHD), Task Initiation Paralysis
Missing Social Cues - /struggles/missing-social-cues.html When conversations have hidden meanings you don’t catch, including nonverbal communication like body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Page covers recognizing when this happens and strategies for navigating social situations when explicit communication isn’t available. Related Struggles: Being Too Direct, Conversation Give-and-Take, Friendships Fading Away, Face Blindness, Masking Burnout
Being Too Direct - /struggles/being-too-direct.html When your honest, straightforward communication style is perceived as rude or blunt by neurotypical people. Page addresses how to maintain authenticity while understanding neurotypical communication expectations and social scripts. Related Struggles: Missing Social Cues, Conversation Give-and-Take, Masking Burnout, Friendships Fading Away, Late Diagnosis Grief
Conversation Give-and-Take - /struggles/conversation-give-and-take.html Difficulty with back-and-forth conversation flow and social give-and-take patterns expected in neurotypical interactions. Page covers understanding social rhythms and finding your communication style within social expectations. Related Struggles: Missing Social Cues, Being Too Direct, Friendships Fading Away, Special Interests Consuming Focus, Masking Burnout
Friendships Fading Away - /struggles/friendships-fading-away.html Not knowing how to keep friendships and relationships going over time without explicit guidance or structure. Page provides concrete strategies for sustaining connections without exhausting yourself through social performance. Related Struggles: Conversation Give-and-Take, Missing Social Cues, Masking Burnout, Being Too Direct, Alexithymia
Special Interests Consuming Focus - /struggles/special-interests-consuming-focus.html When intense interests take over your time and mental space, potentially impacting other life areas or social relationships. Page balances honoring your passions with managing their impact on daily functioning and social connections. Related Struggles: Conversation Give-and-Take, Autistic Inertia, Change and Routine Disruption, Friendships Fading Away, Hyperfocus Episodes
Change and Routine Disruption - /struggles/change-and-routine-disruption.html Distress when plans change unexpectedly, schedules get disrupted, or life transitions occur without adequate preparation time. Page offers coping strategies for handling uncertainty and building flexibility while honoring your need for predictability. Related Struggles: Autistic Inertia, Sensory Processing Challenges, Special Interests Consuming Focus, Masking Burnout, Late Diagnosis Grief
Sensory Processing Challenges - /struggles/sensory-processing-challenges.html Over- or under-responsivity to sounds, textures, lights, and other sensory input that creates daily discomfort or overwhelm. Page covers identifying triggers and creating sensory-friendly environments in various contexts. Related Struggles: Stimming and Sensory Regulation, Change and Routine Disruption, Masking Burnout, Autistic Inertia, Face Blindness
Stimming and Sensory Regulation - /struggles/stimming-and-sensory-regulation.html Repetitive behaviors and sensory-seeking activities that help you regulate but may draw unwanted attention or social judgment. Page validates both stimming and sensory seeking while offering strategies for different social contexts. Related Struggles: Sensory Processing Challenges, Masking Burnout, Change and Routine Disruption, Special Interests Consuming Focus, Late Diagnosis Grief
Face Blindness - /struggles/face-blindness.html Difficulty recognizing faces, even of familiar people, which can create awkward social situations and relationship confusion. Page offers practical workarounds and social strategies for navigating this neurological difference. Related Struggles: Missing Social Cues, Sensory Processing Challenges, Conversation Give-and-Take, Friendships Fading Away, Masking Burnout
Alexithymia - /struggles/alexithymia.html Trouble identifying and describing your own emotions, making emotional communication and self-awareness challenging. Page teaches emotion recognition techniques and communication strategies for emotional experiences. Related Struggles: Friendships Fading Away, Being Too Direct, Missing Social Cues, Masking Burnout, Late Diagnosis Grief
Autistic Inertia - /struggles/autistic-inertia.html Difficulty starting new activities or stopping current ones once you’re engaged, related to autism’s preference for predictability and routine. Page explains this phenomenon and provides strategies for managing task transitions. Related Struggles: Change and Routine Disruption, Special Interests Consuming Focus, Sensory Processing Challenges, Task Initiation Paralysis, Stimming and Sensory Regulation
Masking Burnout - /struggles/masking-burnout.html Exhaustion from years of camouflaging your authentic autistic traits to fit into neurotypical environments. Page validates this experience and offers paths toward sustainable authenticity and recovery. Related Struggles: Late Diagnosis Grief, Being Too Direct, Missing Social Cues, Sensory Processing Challenges, Friendships Fading Away
Late Diagnosis Grief - /struggles/late-diagnosis-grief.html Processing missed opportunities and identity reconstruction after receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood. Page addresses the complex emotions and practical considerations of late recognition and self-understanding. Related Struggles: Masking Burnout, Being Too Direct, Alexithymia, Change and Routine Disruption, Stimming and Sensory Regulation
Medication Sensitivity Management - /struggles/medication-sensitivity-management.html Navigating heightened sensitivity to psychiatric medications and managing treatments for co-occurring conditions with an autistic nervous system. Page covers starting low, going slow, and working with providers who understand autistic medication responses. Related Struggles: Sensory Processing Challenges, Late Diagnosis Grief, Masking Burnout, SSRI Sexual Side Effects, SSRI Emotional Blunting
Elevated Mood Periods - /struggles/elevated-mood-periods.html Times of unusually high energy, mood, or activity levels during manic or hypomanic episodes. Page helps recognize episode warning signs and manage them safely while preserving positive aspects of elevated mood. Note: Includes guidance on managing increased libido and sexual behavior during episodes. Related Struggles: Decreased Need for Sleep, Racing Thoughts Flight of Ideas, Feeling Invincible, Increased Goal-Directed Activity, Poor Judgment During Episodes
Decreased Need for Sleep - /struggles/decreased-need-for-sleep.html Feeling rested on much less sleep than usual during mood episodes, often as an early episode indicator. Page covers sleep monitoring and the importance of maintaining sleep hygiene during episodes. Related Struggles: Elevated Mood Periods, Racing Thoughts Flight of Ideas, Sleep Disturbances, Increased Goal-Directed Activity, Feeling Invincible
Racing Thoughts Flight of Ideas - /struggles/racing-thoughts-flight-of-ideas.html Mind moving too fast to follow thoughts coherently or communicate clearly with others. Page offers grounding techniques and strategies for slowing down mental processes during episodes. Related Struggles: Elevated Mood Periods, Decreased Need for Sleep, Poor Judgment During Episodes, Feeling Invincible, Concentration Difficulties
Feeling Invincible - /struggles/feeling-invincible.html Unrealistic beliefs about your abilities or importance during manic episodes that can lead to poor decisions. Page helps distinguish between healthy confidence and grandiosity while maintaining self-worth between episodes. Related Struggles: Elevated Mood Periods, Poor Judgment During Episodes, Increased Goal-Directed Activity, Racing Thoughts Flight of Ideas, Manic Spending Aftermath
Increased Goal-Directed Activity - /struggles/increased-goal-directed-activity.html Excessive involvement in activities during manic periods, often with unrealistic goals or timelines. Page addresses channeling energy productively while avoiding overcommitment and eventual burnout. Related Struggles: Elevated Mood Periods, Feeling Invincible, Poor Judgment During Episodes, Decreased Need for Sleep, Manic Spending Aftermath
Poor Judgment During Episodes - /struggles/poor-judgment-during-episodes.html Making decisions that seem reasonable during episodes but have negative consequences when viewed from baseline mood. Page covers episode awareness and decision-making safeguards during mood episodes. Related Struggles: Elevated Mood Periods, Feeling Invincible, Manic Spending Aftermath, Racing Thoughts Flight of Ideas, Mixed States
Persistent Low Mood - /struggles/persistent-low-mood.html Extended periods of sadness, hopelessness, or emotional numbness during depressive episodes that interfere with daily functioning. Page validates depressive experiences and offers gentle coping strategies for difficult periods. Related Struggles: Anhedonia, Fatigue Energy Loss, Concentration Difficulties, Suicidal Ideation, Sleep Disturbances
Anhedonia - /struggles/anhedonia.html Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you normally enjoy, a core feature of bipolar depression. Page addresses motivation challenges and finding small ways to reconnect with meaningful activities during depressive episodes. Related Struggles: Persistent Low Mood, Fatigue Energy Loss, Concentration Difficulties, Identity Confusion (Bipolar), Sleep Disturbances
Sleep Disturbances - /struggles/sleep-disturbances.html Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much, often varying between episode types. Page covers sleep hygiene specific to mood disorders and recognizing when sleep changes signal episode shifts. Related Struggles: Decreased Need for Sleep, Persistent Low Mood, Fatigue Energy Loss, Mixed States, Lithium Side Effects
Fatigue Energy Loss - /struggles/fatigue-energy-loss.html Physical and mental exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest, particularly during depressive episodes. Page distinguishes between depression-related fatigue and other medical causes while offering energy management strategies. Related Struggles: Persistent Low Mood, Anhedonia, Sleep Disturbances, Concentration Difficulties, Anticonvulsant Side Effects
Concentration Difficulties - /struggles/concentration-difficulties.html Problems with focus, memory, and decision-making during mood episodes that affect work and daily tasks. Page offers cognitive strategies and accommodations for thinking challenges during both manic and depressive episodes. Related Struggles: Racing Thoughts Flight of Ideas, Fatigue Energy Loss, Persistent Low Mood, Poor Judgment During Episodes, Anticonvulsant Side Effects
Suicidal Ideation - /struggles/suicidal-ideation.html Thoughts of death or self-harm during depressive episodes that feel overwhelming or persistent. Page provides crisis resources, safety planning, and immediate coping strategies with clear guidance on seeking professional help. Related Struggles: Persistent Low Mood, Mixed States, Identity Confusion (Bipolar), Rapid Cycling Patterns, Antipsychotic Side Effects
Mixed States - /struggles/mixed-states.html Experiencing depression and mania symptoms simultaneously, creating confusing and distressing combinations of mood symptoms. Page explains this challenging experience and offers strategies for managing contradictory feelings and impulses. Related Struggles: Rapid Cycling Patterns, Suicidal Ideation, Poor Judgment During Episodes, Sleep Disturbances, Identity Confusion (Bipolar)
Rapid Cycling Patterns - /struggles/rapid-cycling-patterns.html Frequent mood episode changes (four or more per year) that disrupt stability and make treatment more challenging. Page covers pattern recognition and lifestyle modifications to reduce cycling frequency. Related Struggles: Mixed States, Identity Confusion (Bipolar), Sleep Disturbances, Mood Swings Hurting Relationships, Lithium Side Effects
Lithium Side Effects - /struggles/lithium-side-effects.html Managing hand tremors, increased thirst, weight gain, and cognitive effects from lithium treatment. Page covers side effect management strategies and working with providers on dosing adjustments while maintaining mood stability. Related Struggles: Anticonvulsant Side Effects, Sleep Disturbances, Concentration Difficulties, Rapid Cycling Patterns, Antipsychotic Side Effects
Anticonvulsant Side Effects - /struggles/anticonvulsant-side-effects.html Dealing with cognitive dulling, hair loss, weight changes, and other effects from mood stabilizers like lamotrigine and valproate. Page addresses balancing quality of life concerns with mood stability needs. Related Struggles: Lithium Side Effects, Concentration Difficulties, Fatigue Energy Loss, Antipsychotic Side Effects, Identity Confusion (Bipolar)
Antipsychotic Side Effects - /struggles/antipsychotic-side-effects.html Managing sedation, movement disorders, metabolic changes, and other effects from medications like quetiapine and aripiprazole used in bipolar treatment. Page covers working with providers on medication optimization and side effect mitigation. Related Struggles: Akathisia, Lithium Side Effects, Anticonvulsant Side Effects, Suicidal Ideation, Sleep Disturbances
Akathisia - /struggles/akathisia.html Inner restlessness and overwhelming urge to move that feels impossible to satisfy, often from antipsychotic medications. Page covers recognizing this neurological condition, distinguishing it from typical restlessness, and strategies for managing movement needs while addressing potential medication causes. Related Struggles: Antipsychotic Side Effects, Physical Restlessness, Mixed States, Rapid Cycling Patterns, Impulsive Actions
Identity Confusion (Bipolar) - /struggles/identity-confusion-bipolar.html Feeling unsure of your “real” self across different mood states and between episodes. Page explores identity integration and maintaining sense of self through mood changes while building a stable core identity. Related Struggles: Mixed States, Rapid Cycling Patterns, Mood Swings Hurting Relationships, Anhedonia, Anticonvulsant Side Effects
Mood Swings Hurting Relationships - /struggles/mood-swings-hurting-relationships.html Impact of unpredictable mood episodes on family, friends, and romantic relationships over time. Page offers communication strategies, relationship maintenance approaches, and helping loved ones understand bipolar disorder. Related Struggles: Identity Confusion (Bipolar), Poor Judgment During Episodes, Manic Spending Aftermath, Rapid Cycling Patterns, Mixed States
Manic Spending Aftermath - /struggles/manic-spending-aftermath.html Dealing with debt or poor financial decisions made during manic episodes when judgment was impaired. Page covers financial safety planning, recovery from money-related episode consequences, and preventing future financial damage. Related Struggles: Poor Judgment During Episodes, Feeling Invincible, Increased Goal-Directed Activity, Mood Swings Hurting Relationships, Identity Confusion (Bipolar)
Fear of Abandonment - /struggles/fear-of-abandonment.html Intense anxiety about being left alone or rejected by important people, often leading to desperate efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Page covers recognizing abandonment triggers and building more secure attachment patterns. Related Struggles: Hot and Cold Relationships, Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues, Favorite Person Dynamics, Losing Yourself in Others, Emotional Flashbacks
Hot and Cold Relationships - /struggles/hot-and-cold-relationships.html Relationships that alternate between idealization and devaluation, creating patterns of intense closeness followed by conflict or rejection. Page addresses relationship patterns and strategies for building more consistent, stable connections. Related Struggles: Fear of Abandonment, All-or-Nothing Thinking, Favorite Person Dynamics, Identity Confusion (BPD), Losing Yourself in Others
Identity Confusion (BPD) - /struggles/identity-confusion-bpd.html Unclear or rapidly changing sense of who you are, often shifting based on relationships or external circumstances. Page explores identity development and maintaining sense of self across different relationships and situations. Related Struggles: Losing Yourself in Others, Hot and Cold Relationships, Chronic Feelings of Emptiness, Favorite Person Dynamics, All-or-Nothing Thinking
Impulsive Actions - /struggles/impulsive-actions.html Acting quickly in ways that could harm your finances, relationships, safety, or wellbeing during emotional intensity. Page offers impulse control strategies and harm reduction approaches for high-stakes situations. Note: May include sexual impulsivity as emotional regulation strategy. Related Struggles: Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts, Rapid Mood Changes, Intense Anger, Akathisia, Emotional Flashbacks
Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts - /struggles/self-harm-and-suicidal-thoughts.html Repeated thoughts or actions involving self-injury or suicide as ways of coping with emotional pain. Page provides crisis resources, safety planning, alternative coping strategies, and clear professional referral guidance. Related Struggles: Impulsive Actions, Rapid Mood Changes, Chronic Feelings of Emptiness, Intense Anger, Emotional Flashbacks
Rapid Mood Changes - /struggles/rapid-mood-changes.html Intense mood changes that happen quickly and feel overwhelming and unpredictable, different from bipolar episodes. Page covers emotion regulation techniques, understanding mood triggers, and maintaining stability during emotional storms. Related Struggles: Intense Anger, Impulsive Actions, Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts, Emotional Flashbacks, Dissociation and Paranoia
Chronic Feelings of Emptiness - /struggles/chronic-feelings-of-emptiness.html Persistent sense of inner void or meaninglessness that feels different from depression. Page validates this difficult BPD experience and offers strategies for finding purpose, connection, and meaning. Related Struggles: Identity Confusion (BPD), Anhedonia, Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts, Shame Spirals, Losing Yourself in Others
Intense Anger - /struggles/intense-anger.html Anger responses that feel too big for the situation or cause significant relationship problems and regret. Page addresses anger management, communication during intense emotional states, and understanding anger triggers. Related Struggles: Rapid Mood Changes, Impulsive Actions, All-or-Nothing Thinking, Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues, Emotional Flashbacks
Dissociation and Paranoia - /struggles/dissociation-and-paranoia.html Feeling disconnected from yourself or becoming suspicious of others’ motives during high stress periods. Page covers grounding techniques, reality-checking strategies, and managing stress-related symptoms. Related Struggles: Emotional Flashbacks, Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues, Rapid Mood Changes, Shame Spirals, Fear of Abandonment
Emotional Flashbacks - /struggles/emotional-flashbacks.html Suddenly re-experiencing intense emotions from past traumatic situations without clear triggers. Page explains this trauma response phenomenon and provides coping strategies for managing emotional overwhelm and time distortion. Related Struggles: Dissociation and Paranoia, Rapid Mood Changes, Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts, Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues, Impulsive Actions
Favorite Person Dynamics - /struggles/favorite-person-dynamics.html Intense attachment to one specific person that significantly affects your emotional stability and daily functioning. Page addresses healthy relationship boundaries, reducing emotional dependence, and maintaining individual identity. Related Struggles: Fear of Abandonment, Losing Yourself in Others, Hot and Cold Relationships, Identity Confusion (BPD), Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues
All-or-Nothing Thinking - /struggles/all-or-nothing-thinking.html Seeing people and situations as entirely good or entirely bad without middle ground or complexity. Page offers strategies for recognizing nuance, maintaining balanced perspectives, and reducing relationship conflict from splitting. Related Struggles: Hot and Cold Relationships, Intense Anger, Identity Confusion (BPD), Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues, Shame Spirals
Losing Yourself in Others - /struggles/losing-yourself-in-others.html Losing sense of yourself when in close relationships, adapting completely to others’ preferences and losing your own identity. Page covers maintaining individual identity while building intimate connections and healthy interdependence. Related Struggles: Identity Confusion (BPD), Favorite Person Dynamics, Fear of Abandonment, Hot and Cold Relationships, Chronic Feelings of Emptiness
Shame Spirals - /struggles/shame-spirals.html Overwhelming feelings of being fundamentally flawed or bad that create cycles of self-criticism and emotional pain. Page validates shame while offering self-compassion techniques, cognitive strategies, and shame resilience building. Related Struggles: Chronic Feelings of Emptiness, All-or-Nothing Thinking, Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts, Dissociation and Paranoia, Identity Confusion (BPD)
Hypervigilance to Rejection Cues - /struggles/hypervigilance-to-rejection-cues.html Constantly scanning for signs that others might leave or reject you, often misinterpreting neutral social cues as threatening. Page addresses anxiety management and realistic assessment of social situations. Related Struggles: Fear of Abandonment, All-or-Nothing Thinking, Intense Anger, Emotional Flashbacks, Dissociation and Paranoia
Finding the Right Meds (BPD) - /struggles/finding-the-right-meds-bpd.html Working with healthcare providers on off-label medications for BPD symptoms when no specific BPD treatments exist. Page covers navigating the trial-and-error process, managing expectations, and advocating for medication support alongside therapy. Related Struggles: SSRI Sexual Side Effects, SSRI Emotional Blunting, Antipsychotic Side Effects, Akathisia, Medication Sensitivity Management
SSRI Sexual Side Effects - /struggles/ssri-sexual-side-effects.html Sexual dysfunction and decreased libido from antidepressants used for various neurodivergent conditions or co-occurring depression. Page covers managing intimate relationships, discussing alternatives with providers, and medication adjustment strategies. Related Struggles: SSRI Emotional Blunting, Finding the Right Meds (BPD), Medication Sensitivity Management, Chronic Feelings of Emptiness, Losing Yourself in Others
SSRI Emotional Blunting - /struggles/ssri-emotional-blunting.html Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected while on antidepressants, which can be particularly challenging for emotional processing. Page addresses maintaining emotional connection and having treatment balance discussions with providers. Related Struggles: SSRI Sexual Side Effects, Finding the Right Meds (BPD), Medication Sensitivity Management, Chronic Feelings of Emptiness, Alexithymia
Intrusive Thoughts Images Urges - /struggles/intrusive-thoughts-images-urges.html Unwanted, disturbing thoughts that pop into your mind against your will and feel completely foreign to your values. Page validates that thoughts don’t equal actions and provides strategies for managing intrusive content without engaging with it. Related Struggles: Fighting Unwanted Thoughts, Pure-O Mental Compulsions, Moral Scrupulosity, Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals, OCD Wearing You Down
Fighting Unwanted Thoughts - /struggles/fighting-unwanted-thoughts.html Trying to make unwanted thoughts go away through mental or physical actions, which typically makes them stronger and more frequent. Page explains why suppression backfires and offers alternative responses to intrusive thoughts. Related Struggles: Intrusive Thoughts Images Urges, Pure-O Mental Compulsions, Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals, Never Sure Enough, Moral Scrupulosity
Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals - /struggles/compulsive-behaviors-and-rituals.html Physical or mental rituals performed to reduce anxiety from obsessions or prevent feared catastrophic outcomes. Page addresses the compulsion cycle and building tolerance for uncertainty without performing rituals. Related Struggles: Never Sure Enough, Contamination Beyond Germs, Pure-O Mental Compulsions, Intrusive Thoughts Images Urges, Life Getting Smaller
Pure-O Mental Compulsions - /struggles/pure-o-mental-compulsions.html OCD that involves mostly mental rituals rather than visible physical behaviors, making it harder to recognize and treat. Page validates this often-misunderstood presentation and offers recognition strategies for mental compulsions. Related Struggles: Intrusive Thoughts Images Urges, Fighting Unwanted Thoughts, Moral Scrupulosity, Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals, OCD Wearing You Down
Moral Scrupulosity - /struggles/moral-scrupulosity.html Obsessions focused on being a perfectly good person or avoiding any moral wrongdoing, creating excessive guilt and moral anxiety. Page addresses perfectionism in ethics and finding balance in moral concerns without compulsive checking. Related Struggles: Intrusive Thoughts Images Urges, Pure-O Mental Compulsions, Never Sure Enough, OCD Wearing You Down, Contamination Beyond Germs
Contamination Beyond Germs - /struggles/contamination-beyond-germs.html Fear of emotional, moral, or abstract contamination that goes beyond physical cleanliness concerns. Page expands understanding of contamination OCD to include non-physical contamination fears and their management. Related Struggles: Moral Scrupulosity, Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals, Life Getting Smaller, Never Sure Enough, Pure-O Mental Compulsions
Never Sure Enough - /struggles/never-sure-enough.html Repeatedly verifying things like locks, emails, or safety measures but never feeling certain they’re done correctly. Page addresses tolerance for uncertainty and breaking checking cycles that provide only temporary relief. Related Struggles: Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals, Contamination Beyond Germs, Life Getting Smaller, Fighting Unwanted Thoughts, Moral Scrupulosity
Life Getting Smaller - /struggles/life-getting-smaller.html Limiting activities, places, or experiences to avoid triggering obsessions or compulsions, which gradually shrinks your life. Page covers gradual exposure approaches and reclaiming restricted activities safely. Related Struggles: Contamination Beyond Germs, Never Sure Enough, Compulsive Behaviors and Rituals, OCD Wearing You Down, SSRI Sexual Side Effects
OCD Wearing You Down - /struggles/ocd-wearing-you-down.html Mood problems that develop from the emotional burden and exhaustion of living with untreated or poorly managed OCD. Page addresses the emotional toll of OCD and integrated treatment approaches for both conditions. Related Struggles: Intrusive Thoughts Images Urges, Pure-O Mental Compulsions, Moral Scrupulosity, Life Getting Smaller, SSRI Emotional Blunting
Struggle Pages: 20+ tooltips including neurodivergent terminology AND NT social code-switching terms that invalidate ND experiences Toolkit Pages: 15+ tooltips focusing on legal, professional, and institutional terminology with concrete definitions Consistency Rule: Once a term is jargon, it’s always jargon throughout the page
Struggle Pages: Warm, validating, phenomenology-first approach using “many people experience” language Toolkit Pages: Professional strategic consultation tone focusing on legal protections and bureaucratic navigation Both: 5th grade reading level with respect for reader intelligence
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