Today, we're talking about the convoluted connection between reality and personal experience. You can expose several people to the exact same event, and yet everyone involved will walk away with unique and often conflicting accounts of their experience. This becomes even more complicated in dysfunctional families where secrecy, isolation, and complex relationship dynamics cast a long shadow over each family member's perception. Beyond just being confusing, these drastic differences in perception complicate our ability to heal from the trauma we endured, to maintain our relationships within the family, or even to trust our version of the events that transpired. Join us as we blind-record our individual accounts of a single traumatic event in our childhood and then discuss the contradictions in our stories, as well as how our subjective experiences have shaped the adults we are now. Patreon members at our two highest tiers get access to bonus content for this episode, where we do an even deeper dive into the roles we each played in the family and how the differences in how we were raised influence our memory of events. https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

Last time we talked about all the things we hated being told while growing up in a dysfunctional family. This time, we hope you'll listen in for a more light-hearted and humorous discussion about what gets under our skin to hear as neurodivergent adults living in a "normative" world. And please, join our chorus of angry laughter and take a jab at society too by telling us what things you hear that annoy the heck out of you as a neurodivergent person. You can vent it out to us here https://www.differentfunctional.com/contact Also, there's a bonus number 11 for this list that you can find on our Patreon for free at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

If you grew up in a dysfunctional family and traumatic home we're guessing there were a few things you really hated being told as a kid. Today, we're discussing some of the frustrating and infuriating messages we heard while growing up, both from within and from outside our family. What phrases did you hear that got under your skin? Click here https://www.differentfunctional.com/contact to vent to us about it to your heart's content. And if you'd like to support us on Patreon you can find us at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

Last episode, we discussed what it's like to live with reduced functioning, and we covered the many daily challenges that come with just not having enough internal resources. Today, we're talking about how you can begin to budget your f*cks or spoons or pies or whatever you choose to call those limited resources. Laugh with us as we share our own struggles and victories with f*ck budgeting; and gather some shiny, new budgeting tools to add to your own toolbelt too. To see our resources for this episode https://www.differentfunctional.com/podcast-resources and if you'd like to support us on Patreon you can find us at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

This time we're talking about the difference between "I don't give a f*ck." and "I can't give a f*ck." When you have mental health struggles, a trauma background, or are neurodivergent there is a distinction between the two. In this episode, we're covering a few examples of how ingrained societal pressures and differences in the way our minds work can influence us and challenge out ability to budget our limited number of f*cks. We'd love to hear from you about your own experiences with limited functioning and about what factors influence how you budget your inner resources so let us know at https://www.differentfunctional.com/contact And if you'd like to support us on Patreon you can find us at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

Last time we talked about what it's like to have social anxiety and what drives that anxiety. This time we're sharing some inspiration and strategies for how to cope with, embrace, and work around social anxiety. Maybe you'll take a page from Autumn's book and do a recon mission in advance or shut down small talk with poop. On the other hand, Ivy's bathroom hideout and extrovert-boyfriend summoning skills might be more your style. We've got lots of suggestions and even some last-ditch desperation maneuvers to share with you. Come listen in as we discuss all the rational and ridiculous ways we can live...mostly peaceably, with our social anxiety. You can find our resources for this and all our other episodes at https://www.differentfunctional.com/podcast-resources And if you'd like to support us on Patreon we are at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

Do you ever shake like a chihuahua when a stranger speaks to you? Do you make a mad dash to the bathroom just to avoid people at parties? Does your mind go blank during conversation, or maybe you're compelled to talk about the most inappropriate things you can think of? Does small talk make you feel like people around you are speaking in coded language? Do you seem confident and fun-loving in social situations but you're actually screaming on the inside? Have you ever just felt so different from everyone around you that socializing like a "normal" person feels impossible? We've been there too, and today we're talking about our own struggles with social anxiety. This is a much more lighthearted episode than our last one, and we hope you'll join us as we discuss our frustrations and confusion about social scripts, share our stories, and laugh at ourselves a bit too. It'll be like being at a party, except nothing is required of you and there's no pressure. If, however, you do want to share your own stories or thoughts you can send them to us at https://www.differentfunctional.com/contact and if you'd like to donate to our Patreon you can find us here https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

This time around we're talking about the antiheroes of the psyche. These are the double-edged swords of coping skills and mechanisms that we all use to help us survive. There are some that we abandon along the way, some we aren't yet ready to give up, and still others that we consciously choose to hold onto even when society tells us that we're wrong. Join us as we explore the antihero in us all. ***Trigger Warning*** This episode includes discussion of violence, abuse, sexual assault, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised. If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to support us in making it even better you can find us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

Today we're talking all about baggage! We've all got some! We all bring it into our relationships! That's why it's so important, when we're looking for love, to find someone who has baggage that fits well with our own. What does that look like? Let's figure it out together. Check out our resources for this episode here: https://www.differentfunctional.com/relationship-baggage Check out the our blog episode The Science of Love https://www.differentfunctional.com/blog/the-science-of-love You can also find us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/differentfunctional?fan_landing=true

Happy Valentine's Day! Or Not! You'll get no judgement from us either way. We all know this is a commercial holiday so embrace it by grabbing yourself some chocolates, flowers, wine, or whatever else strikes your fancy; and join us as we break down and bust some myths about love and relationships.