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and People Don’t Talk About It Enough

Sometimes I wish people understood what it actually feels like to live with AUDHD the combination of Autism and ADHD. It’s not quirky, it’s not “cute,” and it’s definitely not just being distracted or socially awkward. It’s a daily battle inside your own mind, and most of the world never sees the internal exhaustion behind it.

Living with AUDHD means having a brain that can’t decide whether it wants absolute structure or total chaos. One moment you’re overstimulated to the point of shutting down, and the next moment you’re stuck in a spiral of hyperactivity and racing thoughts. You crave routine but get bored of it. You want to focus but your brain refuses to cooperate. You want calm, but everything feels too loud, too bright, too fast.

People see the outside the forgetfulness, the fidgeting, the sensitivity, the intense interests and they assume it’s manageable. But they don’t see the burnout that hits without warning. They don’t feel the sensory overload that makes small things feel unbearable. They don’t experience the guilt of wanting to do things but being unable to start, or the frustration of trying your absolute best while still being labeled “lazy,” “dramatic,” or “unmotivated.”

And the worst part is the loneliness. Because AUDHD often makes you feel “too much” for everyone. Too sensitive, too emotional, too intense, too overwhelmed. So you learn to mask. You pretend you’re fine. You try to act “normal,” even when your brain is screaming.

But here’s the truth: AUDHD is not a character flaw. It’s not a choice. It’s a reality that deserves understanding, compassion, and awareness. People who live with it are fighting battles every single day and doing it quietly.

The older generation doesn't understand the current economy because they all own their houses. They see the cost of electronics and consumer goods going down relative to income and think "kids these days own all these things that would have been expensive when I was a kid. They're wasteful."

They are correct that when they were in their 20s they would not have been able to afford the equivalent of a wide screen TV (a projector system). They are correct that the following generations take for granted many marvels around them.

The younger generation just wants to find a place to live that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. What the older generation doesn't understand is that, even if the younger generation gave up their $1,500 phone that they need for work and to access basic services, gave up their $500 TV, their biweekly $7 dessert coffee, and their weekly takeout for a year, that only saves them about one month's mortgage or rent payment in 2025.

Even if a young person gives up $500 of luxuries a month and puts that into saving for a house, the cost of housing will rise faster than their savings. They will be further away from being able to afford a house than they were before they started cutting out all luxuries and saving.

If you think an average young person has more than $500 of luxuries/slack in their budget, you're terribly mistaken. Their landlords take the lions share of their income. Saving more than that takes both very good jobs and 0 kids.