32 - Stefan Glazer and Late-Diagnosed ADHD 04/03/24

Here's what to expect on the podcast:

• At what age was Stefan diagnosed with ADHD?

• In navigating life with ADHD, what are the key strategies that Stefan us to thrive?

• Joining online support groups can offer valuable assistance and guidance.

• ADHD individuals maintain their focus through various strategies.

• And much more!

About Stefan:

Stefan Glazer is a published author, published photographer, podcast host, and professional pug dad with a late diagnosis of ADHD that changed his life. Stefan's book, "Tools for Navigating Neurodivergence," and the free "Condensed Tools for Navigating Neurodivergence," are available at https://navigatingneurodivergence.org/.

ConNect with Stefan Glazer!

Website: https://www.stefanglazer.com/

For all Socials: https://linktr.ee/stefan.glazer

Connect with Samantha Foote!

Website: www.boisemusictherapycompany.com

Email: [email protected]

Consultation: https://letsmeet.io/boisemusictherapycompany/30-mi…

TRANSCRIPTION

This podcast is for parents like you, navigating the world of neurodiversity with love and compassion. I'm a neurodivergent mother of three amazing neurodivergent children and a board certified music therapist. Our mission is to create a supportive space where you feel understood, connected, and inspired.

With practical tips, strategies, and resources, we'll help you and your child thrive in your unique way. Join us as we dive deep into the diverse world of neurodivergent individuals exploring topics like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory processing challenges, and more. We'll cover it all to empower, educate, and uplift both neurodivergent individuals and those who walk alongside them.

Together we'll create a world where every brain is valued and celebrated. We're excited to embark on this enlightening journey with you. We are your hosts, Samantha Fuh and Lauren Ross, and this is the Every Brain is Different podcast.

Welcome to the Every Brain is Different podcast. We're here with Stephan Glaser and Stephan is a published author. Published photographer, podcast host, and professional pug dad with a late diagnosis of ADHD that changed his life. Stefan, we are so excited to have you on the show. Thank you for coming.

Thank you for having me. Uh, it's, it's, uh, yeah, it's fun always hearing the professional pug dad part of my life. 

And I saw your pugs before. They are very, they're very cute. 

Yeah, they're my cheerleaders. They're actually sleeping behind me on the floor right now. Actually getting mad because I'm talking.

Nice. So tell us more about your neurodivergent journey things that I obviously left out because I did not say very much. 

Yeah, so being 39 and diagnosed with severe inattentive ADHD was strange. Because I went my entire life without knowing that I had severe inattentive ADHD. But it was also like a continuous progression of The cornerstone, it was like the turning point of, of my life to go, well, the first 39 years were kind of, uh, kind of, um, tough, to put it mildly, because of the struggle I had with everything that I did from learning and getting through life.

And then the switch was, hey, what is ADHD? What is, um, like generalized anxiety disorder? What is all this stuff? And my curiosity and my wife's curiosity got us to a place of researching the heck out of everything. And that's, um, when we started on the path of, okay, since The first 39 years are kind of like a wash, we'll just, you know, it got me to where I was.

Uh, how can I go forward and thrive with this? And that's like the overview of my journey with, uh, neurodivergence. 

Yeah, so tell us about how, like, what strategies do you use to thrive now? 

Yeah, so now, uh, what I found out is I had put in place a lot of stuff when I was Growing up that I didn't realize were tools to help me actually get through um To do lists are a big part of my life and people go.

Well, yeah, everyone needs a to do list and I say Yeah, everyone could use a to do list. I actually need a to do list to kind of quote unquote function I use to do lists In a way to get little tiny tasks done throughout the day. Um, but it didn't start that way. It started super simple to kind of get me on track to making habits.

And it used to be embarrassing to talk about, but. It's life, and it's how I operated before, but my to do list came in the form of little pads and sticky notes, and I would put the sticky note right on our bathroom mirror, and they would say brush teeth, take shower, you know, wash face. Like simple things.

Which, to most people, you'd go, well, yeah, that's what you're supposed to do when you go in the bathroom. I would just, I would forget sometimes. I would just Keep going, and my day would go by, and I would be like, hmm. Something feels off. I'm like it sounds gross, but I'd be like, oh my teeth feel fuzzy. 

Yeah.

Well, yeah I forgot to brush my teeth this morning and it it was a source of shame until I Found these different ways to to make sure I remember and that's a big part of Me and my, my actual path has been how can I get myself to remember and to be aware of these things? Because having a sticky note and just putting it somewhere, I'll probably lose track of it.

But having it where I'm forced to look at it, in the mirror, right where my face would be. Sure, it's annoying for other people that might be there to look in that mirror, but for me, I'm like, oh, yeah I have to do these things. Let me do them here in the, uh, in the actual, uh, bathroom and also For me like some of my other tools like my three go to's and like the to do list is that's always been there I've been doing them since I was a kid 

kind 

of like just Hey, I want to do this today and I want to do this today, even if it was just like fun stuff.

So it's been to do lists. Meditation is a strange one for me because I do it every day. It's an everyday practice for me. Sometimes it's just for five minutes. Sometimes it can be like, you know, an hour guided meditation. It never used to be like that. It used to be just, um, sit down and try to meditate for.

Five minutes or 10 minutes or five seconds, and it would just be a constant battle against my inner monologue and all the thoughts. And that took a lot of practice to get to a point where I could sit there and just kind of wipe the slate clean and get moving forward through the day. And then one of my other favorite tools that I kind of used but didn't understand is social.

Media is a double edged sword. One side, it could be a black hole of time or it sucks every ounce of energy out of you and you're doing, you know, you're doom scrolling. However, I found my first support group online after I was diagnosed and Being in the company, not even interacting, just being in the company of other people that were experiencing the problems that they were having, that I was also having, was calming.

It was um, it let me know like, hey, other people are going through this too. It's uh, it, it was kind of like a beautiful thing and it's something I always check in with. Like every day, even if I am doom scrolling, like my brain will kind of just go, hey, check on Check on the group and I'll pop into the group and just see what people are talking about and it's like a, um, it's not so much like a venting space, but it's more like a Yeah, yeah, we're all going through it.

It's okay. And uh, those are probably like my three favorite tools 

Yeah, I love it. Um, I want to talk about the meditation and then the support group but for meditation What tips do you have to get started because I know for Like I've tried meditation and I'm like, people are lying when they say that they meditate like you, there is no way that you can just sit here and like, not just think about your whole life while you're trying to be meditating.

Yeah, I, I, um, I used to be that way with, with meditation because I never understood it. I never understood the idea of sitting still and being present, um, which is, seems like an impossibility. And it was, but then I started finding meditation in other things that I was enjoying doing. Uh, like being mindful and present while I was making a cup of coffee.

It's actually an example I put in my book that I, that's where it started for me was I really like coffee. So I was really particular on how I would grind beans, uh, get the water ready. And I would do a French press and I would sit there. And what I was realizing is when I was doing that, I wasn't thinking about what I had to do after, I wasn't thinking about the past, I was just there, with the coffee, in the process of making a cup of coffee, and sure, it might have lasted five minutes, um, even when I would just pop in a little K cup and Keurig, last five seconds, that's all I was thinking of, and something clicked in my head, like, You know, I, I feel really good when I do this because I'm not thinking about everything else.

So I took that practice of, okay, I'm focusing on the one thing and I brought it into. Well, what if I just go sit over here in my meditation corner, I'll just put on like maybe some light music and I'm just going to sit there and I'm just going to like, listen to the sound and just be here for this. And I was finding myself drifting away constantly like, Oh, okay, this is interesting music, man.

I really. Missed this one band. Oh, I remember when I saw and then, you know, the, the logical steps that your brain keeps taking and well, I say logical, logical for a neurodivergent brain. And then you end up, you know, in some memory from 20 years ago that you're like, well, how did I get here? I would do this thing as soon as I would start coming off the path, I would refocus just back on the music.

So like, no, no, no, no. I gotta stop now. I'm saying this like it's like, Oh yeah, I figured this out overnight. This took years of doing it just every day, getting into it. And it wasn't like, I tell a lot of people this, I didn't do it overnight. Did I try? Yes. I got to a point where it would be like five seconds of presence.

Then it got to like 15. And then I tried different types of meditations, guided meditations, uh, mantra meditations. Mantra meditations work really well. Uh, same thing with using like, uh, rosary beads or mala beads, like things that keep you focused on one thing. It's, um, really good for a neurodivergent mind, but I, I think after a couple of years, it got to a point where I was actually being able to sit down for 10, 15 minutes without any issue.

And I would just be there and find an intention or focus and just be on that for that time, which was amazing. And I, I stressed to everyone, it's like, is it possible? Yes. Is it going to be easy? No, not at first. It just takes time to, and it takes time and taking it in little chunks, little tiny chunks, that's, that's the key to it.

Yeah, definitely. I like how you said it took you years. It wasn't overnight. Yeah. And so if someone is starting to do it, then if it doesn't happen within a month Just keep going, because I like also, um, tracking your progress. So, like, write down how long you're able to focus when you first start. And then maybe, if you want to write it down, like, weekly or monthly, whatever.

Because then you can track, I know a lot of times, I'm like, oh, I've always been like this. And I definitely have not been, so yeah, so just writing where you are now and then where you're going. 

Yeah, that's really good. And I want to state like, I'm, I get really weird with some apps, but I remember the Calm app was actually pretty good at tracking like, hey, Good job.

You, you've done this like 38 days in a row. It's like, it's like, oh, oh, I did. I actually did this for 38 days. Now, was I always completely in it? No. I mean, there'd be times where my mind would stray, but I always say sticking with like guided meditation guided meditations work good for reasons because you don't have to focus on nothing.

You can focus on the voice helping you through it, which is a, is a help. Um, same thing with the mantra meditation, it's a, just a generally a phrase to repeat over and over again, which. Sometimes this is really soothing to do. So those are like great entry points to a good example is this year I went to a Joe Dispenza retreat, a meditation retreat.

Not just a meditation retreat, it was an advanced meditation retreat. And there was even a five hour meditation that we did. Five hours! But it felt like that was a strange experience because it felt like maybe 30 minutes went by but it was five hours That I was in it. 

Yeah 

So it can happen you can get there 

Cool.

Well, let's talk about the support groups that you found How did you find it? And how do you recommend other people like how would they find something like that? Yeah So 

yeah, that is I, it's actually really funny because I was like, I just, I need to find maybe, uh, an ADHD support group. And I literally just typed ADHD support group and a whole bunch came up and I was like, Ooh, this is a little overwhelming.

But then I found one that worked with a lot of humor and they posted a lot of memes and did a lot of silly stuff. And I was like, this is my speed. This is my flavor. I like this. I can be serious, I like the scientific side, the clinical side, that's, that's interesting. But if I can't laugh at it, then we have a problem.

So let's laugh. And when you find a group that you like, and that's what's great, especially about Facebook, you know, with all the knocks against the company, I find these groups and I've made friends and I've made connections with people. That, uh, I've, some of my, I've still yet to meet, but we've bonded over our same things like the, our same quirks, our same, uh, likes and dislikes, the things that trigger us, the things that, that actually get the creative juices flowing and our ideas going.

It's invaluable. And if you don't like a group, you can just leave. There's no membership fees. That's the good thing. Yeah. 

Yeah. 

And. For everyone out there, you don't have to leave your house. I mean, if I had to go to a group here in the metro Atlanta area, I would dread it because to drive around would just be annoying.

I'd have to leave and my pugs couldn't be here. 

Yeah. Yeah, I love that you said that you can just leave if you don't like it. So try some out and if you don't like them, Then just leave, you know, no one's gonna make you stay. So that'd be really interesting if you left a group and the group admin was like, Hey, you need to come back.

Yeah. 

So 

awkward. 

That would be so awkward. 

Yeah. How do you know I'm not here? Stalking everybody. Yeah. 

Yeah, that is um, a really good, um, good thing about Facebook is. I was in probably 20 different ADHD support groups and now I've dwindled it down to four and one is like a men's only group which is actually a non profit that was, uh, I got in contact with the owner of that and I joined it and I was like, Oh, this is not what I was expecting because in your head, you have this stereotype of like, Oh, it's a men's group.

I know what you guys post about. I'm like, Oh no, this is actually just guys that it's like, it's okay to have feelings and talk about emotions. So it was actually kind of interesting to see and, and then like another one is literally just memes. It's just, that's all it is. I don't think anyone posts any text in that group.

And there's just hundreds and hundreds a day. And yeah, I doom scroll in there, but it's, it's okay. And then I have one that's, it's a more serious, they post, uh, articles, uh, and they have like weekly meetups on zoom and they talk about, uh, like new studies done. And, you know, there's, Groups for every single facet of everything on Facebook.

So, if you can't find a group to get on in Facebook, you're not looking, you're not looking hard enough. 

Yeah, there's a plethora of groups that you could join, so. And definitely join a bunch and then whittle it down to the ones that you like. Because you never know what you're gonna like just by Like, don't just pick one and be like, this is my group for effort.

Yes. 

If you don't like it, get out. We're just talking to someone else about that. Um, Barb Hubbard on her episode, we were saying, if you don't like something, it's okay to leave. And I know a lot of people who are neurodivergent, like they get something and they're like, okay, this is my thing. And then they feel like shame and sadness and all of that when they want to leave it.

And so it's fine. And like, you can let it go and. You'll be okay. 

Yeah. I, I, um, that, that's actually a really good point too, because there is this strange thing that happens in a neurodivergent mind where you're like, I can't, I can't, that's, that's the thing. And I looked back just recently and left a whole bunch of old groups I was in because there were groups I joined in like 2010 and 2012, and there were groups that.

I have no idea what they are. Like, why, why am I still in here? And I'm like looking, I'm like, oh my, I, I have a mutual friend in there, and I'm looking at all the posts and I don't even know what it is. I was like, I stayed in there because I thought I, it was my thing. And ten years later, It's not my thing.

It's I don't even know why I'm here. Click. Leave. Alright. That's it. 

Yeah. I love it. Uh, my sister says I hold on to things too much, like digital, material, all the things. And I'm just like, leave me alone. But I think that's good to just force yourself if it's not serving you. Just let it go and it will be okay 

That that's another great point.

Um, it's just letting go even physical things which That's a that's a tough one because you might have emotions attached to it memories attached to it, whatever My wife and I have been going through a purge. We've been going through the house, like, room by room, like, and this is probably the best way that I've ever approached to getting rid of stuff we don't need, is, if we were moving, do we want this in the new house?

And we looked at all this stuff. I'm like, no, what? No, let's just go donate it all. Like why, why even bother with this though? It's like, this is just stuff. It's not like furniture. Like, yeah, I want the furniture and that it's like, or my computer or like my instruments. But then I started going through my old camera equipment.

I'm like, I have a whole bunch of stuff here that I can either donate to the schools, I can sell it on Facebook Marketplace, another plug for Facebook there. 

Yeah. 

Or, you know, or I can just donate it and it's stuff that I don't use anymore or I've never used which, because sometimes I just acquire things.

And that Act of actually getting it out of the house and into other people's, you know, hands or into businesses or schools. That is actually more rewarding than anything that I realized. I was like, Oh, somebody else is going to be able to use this now. So that's, that was definitely hard. 

I'm going through that process right now, like I'm moving and I'm like, I want to keep this.

I don't want to just throw it away. And that's like what people are telling me. They're like, well, if you give it to this, it's going to someone and they can use it and blah, blah, blah. You don't need it here. Like it's going to benefit. And like, that's making me feel better about letting go of some stuff that I'm like.

Yeah, I don't really need this in my new place. 

Yeah. 

Yeah. Very hard. 

Yeah. It's not an easy process at all. You know, it, it, it took a little, like the, the first trip I, I like went to Goodwill and I just had a small box of stuff and I was like, here you go. And they gave me a little receipt. I was like, Oh, that felt good.

And then the very next day I came back again and I had just a, the entire back of my car was just filled with things. And he says like, you had a little more? I'm like, I have a lot more apparently. 

That's awesome. Um, and if you need help with organizing and letting go of things, we have an episode with Abby.

I keep plugging other episodes, but I just want people to know that we have these resources. Um, Abby came on, she did an episode. She's a professional organizer and she helps you with the emotions of getting rid of things. And she'll actually, if you live in the Boise, Idaho area, she will come and actually take it away for you.

So you don't even have to do that. But, um, but yeah, so I, she came to my house and we haven't like officially hired her yet, but, um, just, and she's so kind and compassionate cause I'm like, my house is a dumpster fire and I need help. So she's like, don't worry about it. Like I've seen everything, you know, and she's just so kind and compassionate where I'm just like freaking out cause my house is a mess and I'm, I'm not a hoarder, but I sometimes feel like a hoarder, you know?

So, um. Yeah. So check out that episode. 

Yeah. Organization is something that neurodivergent people either. Get or they just understand but they don't get. 

Yeah. Yeah 

I I am I will always have the best intentions and I'm really good at organizing Certain things around the house. I can organize things but the problem is is it's organized to my Specifications and my wife is is neurotypical.

So she will come in and be like What did you do? Like, well, I don't understand any of this. I was like, uh, I organized it. She's like, what? I was like, well, it works for me. And then I remember I'm like, oh yeah, it works for me. So that's why, like when it comes to my own, my office right now, it's a disaster area.

I did a, a reel on Instagram about it today, but I also, when I do straighten it up, it is organized and she'll come in and she goes, Oh, it looks really good. She's like. Why is this like this? I was like, Oh, because it's like a workflow because if I go here and do this the next logical thing I'm going to want to do is this.

She's like, How is that the next logical thing? It has nothing to do with the other thing. I'm like, Well, that's how it works in my brain. So that's what's next. And then I'll go down the line. And she's like, Interesting, just interesting. 

Hey there, it's Samantha. Are you a dedicated parent? Overwhelmed with navigating the unique challenges of raising a neurodivergent child?

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Join us on the second and third Thursdays of each month on Zoom. Visit www. everybrainisdifferent. com for more details. Let's embark on this journey together. I do the same thing that my husband because we are both neurodivergent. But we're different neurodivergent and so we do not make sense to each other and I'm like why would you put that there and he's like that's where it goes and I'm like, sure, 

cool.

Let's move on. 

I think that my boyfriend has ADHD and like I find it so fascinating, because I always ask, I'm like, How did we go from here to here? Like, can you walk me through that? Because I really want to share, because I just think it's fascinating. Because sometimes I'm like, what in the hell? And I'm like, okay.

Because once he explains it, I'm like, I can see that, but that's just wild to me. Like, that's how your brain works every day. 

Yeah, uh, I, I try to, I try to explain that to people too. The, the, The logical steps for me are not logical for everyone else because it could be a Long list of things that happen in an instant in your head.

So you're like, oh, yeah, I have Well, this is a good example on my desk right now. I have my water bottle. That's fine. But I also I also have another cup down here. Now this cup is normally filled with water, but that's the cup for the dogs. So when I fill this one up, I know like, okay, I have water. If I fill this up, this has pugs on it.

I got to go get the other thing because that's the water for the pugs. And I'm going to take that. So they have water. So they don't interrupt me on my pocket. Oh crap. I have a podcast and that's the logical train of thought. 

Yeah. 

Yeah. 

That's how I work with my husband. He does not understand how I get from one thought to the next because if he takes too long to respond when I say something and he doesn't respond, I will be thinking and thinking like of other things and then I'll just start talking about a totally different topic and he's like, just please tell me how you got there in less than a minute.

How did you get from talking about this to talking about this in less than a minute? And I'm like, and then I tell him, I'm like, well, I went here and then that reminded me of that. And just like you said, you know, so, I was funny. 

It's, um, it is. It's, uh, I had a, uh, a talk with a client of mine today because I, I was Mentioning something about, I wasn't, she brought it up because she saw it on Instagram because I had posted something about what goes on in our head.

If we are sitting there trying to concentrate on something that it's not interesting to us, that we're just really trying to like, we're trying to people and we're, we're doing every ounce of using every ounce of energy we have to do it. And. She said, I don't understand, like, is that what you hear in your head when you're trying to do this?

I'm like, yeah, because if we're trying to make sure we're making eye contact and sitting up straight and engaging, like, With the person that's talking to us and not fidgeting or not doing, you know, not stimming, not doing anything We're using like 500 percent more energy than you are and what happens is there's this voice in our head that's going Oh my god, there's so much going on.

I can't focus on anything. Oh, did they just talk about I think they mentioned something about a dog I like dogs and I it's it's one of those things where I try to explain it to everyone and she's a therapist but she doesn't really deal with a lot of ADHD people. She was like, you know, that I've never had somebody explain it like that and it makes much more sense now because with her son also has ADHD, like.

She, she, she couldn't understand why there, she, he'd be sitting there like not paying attention but still listening because he was stimming unbeknownst to her. And I was like, Oh, this is, um, this is quite interesting that as long as somebody's explaining it, I think that's the, a big thing is I like trying to explain it to people of how I.

See it and feel it and understand it, because at least one time out of ten, it'll come across as understandable. 

Yeah, and I think that's an important thing that you brought up, um, with kids especially. We have been trained that you make eye contact, you're, like, you have, um, quiet hands, and make eye contact, and quiet body, you know, that's what they teach in school, to be an active listener, and I struggle so much when I'm talking to people.

About this because I'm just like no if they're making eye contact with you if they're sitting still if They're not doing anything except looking at you I guarantee they are not listening to you because they're like how much do I do I break eye contact now? Like how much is too much eye contact like do I look away?

And then if they need a fidget, and they're not fidgeting they're like Trying to hold their hands together. And like, I really, really, really need to move. I need to move right now, you know? And so I think we just need to remember that not everyone listens the same way. And if they're not making eye contact, that is, they're probably listening to you better if they're not making eye contact with you, because.

When I make eye contact with people, I literally sit there and I'm like, okay, it's been like five seconds. Do I break eye contact now? Or is this weird? Am I too long making eye contact? Can, I'm going to look away now. And then I have no idea what they're talking about. 

Yeah. Yeah. That, that internal dialogue goes, goes haywire and, and overrides anything trying to come into your ears.

Yeah. Yeah. 

Yeah. For me, like, and. I, I think the, the format of podcasting is great for me and I, I mean, I, I love one on one conversations and, and small groups. I can do like, you know, four or five people. That's cool. More than that, I start getting overwhelmed, but for me, a big thing is if I'm talking or in a conversation, I don't mask anymore.

Uh, because masking used to be a big part of interacting with people. You had to, or else they just didn't understand what you're doing. Um, the whole platform of podcasting is great, even if it's a video podcast for me, because I stim, I do this a lot with my fingers. I rub them together. And what that is for me is when I'm listening, because when I'm doing that, I can actually listen.

Yeah. And 

it's one of those things where people are like, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm listening. Why are you rubbing your fingers? And you're like, I'm listening. What are you talking about? Stop it. Like, don't question this. Cause if I stop this now, I'm going to be like, why I have to, and I'm just going to be looking at my hands, but like.

And then they're going to be like, did you, did you hear what I said? And no, I, I need to do this or else I can't, like, it's, it's a thing. And 

yeah, 

so it's, um, I, that's why I love like this type of, uh, interaction because I can do it. And like, oh, well talking to other neurodivergent people isn't a problem, but when I don't, and they're just, they have no idea, they can't tell that I'm sitting here just like, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm stimming because.

It's keeping me focused and in this and most people can tell because I'm like normally waving back and forth and and Rubbing my fingers and if I'm doing it too close you can hear it on mic, but 

yeah 

but uh, it's uh, it is It's, it's made life a lot easier, um, to connect and to be able to have these conversations because it shows that, hey, we have things to say and we want to talk to people and we want to have these things.

We have a lot going on in here. And being able to do it without having to hide behind a mask or, or, you know, the shame of, of having these tics and these stimming issues or even sensory issues, it's, it's, um, it's really, it's, it's powerful for a lot of people. 

Yeah, exactly. So I was thinking about the sensory issues that you were saying.

Um, my. My son hates jeans. He hates them and he does not like wearing them and I always envisioned him wearing like the jeans and the collared shirt and he was gonna look so cute going to school, right? And I'm like, and I feel judged because he goes to school in like a t shirt and a graphic t shirt and sweats every day.

And then I was thinking about it and I was like, well. He already has a hard time with school. If I can help him be comfortable in his clothing, it does not matter what he wears. And so just for all the parents out there that had visions of what their kid was going to look like, and they're going to be so cute going to school.

And I know some parents like don't even care and they're like, why would you even think about that? But that's just something that I had to let go. Um, so yeah, definitely think about like sensory needs of your kids or sensory needs for yourself. And if you need certain clothes, then wear those clothes, it does not matter.

So, yeah, anyway, that just reminded me of that. 

Well, yeah, sensory issues are always a huge, like, I'm one of those ones that the coin is constantly flipping on socks. 

Yeah. 

Socks are on my feet, it could be fine. Until it's not, and then they have to be, and people come and see like a pile of socks next to my computer and there's like, um, and I'm like, no, it just, I got to the point where all of a sudden my feet didn't feel right in socks, so I have to take them off.

And you're like, what? I'm like, you'd understand, like, cause then I'll start walking around and it just doesn't feel right, and I need to take them off, and it's hard to explain sensory issues to people. Yeah, yeah. 

So, yeah, if you don't understand the sensory issues that people have, just trust them, that they're real.

I know a lot of people are like, that's not real, and I'm like, how would you know? You know, this is this person's experience, so just respect that and let it go. So. Yeah. I, 

I think for me, one of the worst, um, sensory things that I, I had that all of a sudden in the past, I would say year, year and a half completely stopped, which blows my mind 'cause it was a sensory issue my entire life.

And that's like a terracotta pot, like unfired, clay, like unglazed clay. I used to not be able to look at. that without having that feeling of, it's funny cause I'm doing the stimming thing, but it's, it was, it would make me like audibly invisibly like do things and I could never touch them. It would drive me like crazy.

I just remember waking up one day and grabbing a clay pot and like putting, moving it. And I was like, Wait, what just happened there? Cause I just realized what I did and I picked it back up and I rubbed it. And I'm like, what's happening. And I showed my wife, I'm like, anything weird about this? And she's like, um, yeah.

How are you handling that right now? I'm like, I don't know, but it's not causing a physical reaction anymore. And. I mean, that's one of those strange things that, of course, brain is wired differently, it does weird things, and does it mean everything can go away? No. But can it mean that things like that can change?

Yeah. Your brain just decides to rewire it. 

Well that's awesome. That gives me hope that one day I can look at tape and stickers without having a visceral response. So, and I'm already like, when you started talking about that, I thought of like the tape. And so I started doing my little finger thing that I do.

Um, yeah. So that just gives me hope that one day I can be like you and not have that bother me anymore. 

Yeah, and then, you know, you never know, a month from now I might wake up and touch it and have the same old response that I did, but, but yeah, it's, it's, it's definitely a possibility. Um, it wasn't something I like actively like, I'm going to overcome this sensory issue.

I don't know. Maybe it was just some weird dream that broke that part of my brain, and I'm happy with that. 

That's awesome. So, um, let's talk about your resources that you have. You have a podcast and you have a book. Can you tell us more about that? 

Yeah, so, uh, the podcast and the book, uh, share a lot of the same title, uh, the podcast is called Navigating Neurodivergence, Steph and Glazer, that's me, um, and it's a platform where I kind of invite people on that.

have or assist people with, uh, or are just discovering that they or somebody in their family might have, uh, some sort of neurodivergence and what they have done in their life to mitigate it, to thrive with it, to overcome obstacles and really just grow. And then to also hear their stories of like where they're going with it and what they do and it's.

It's one of those things that makes me feel just, I don't know, I, I love it, my listeners love it, it's, it's like inspiring to hear that all these people out here, you know, my motto is always that we are not alone, all these people that were struggling found a way. Through whatever means to overcome and thrive and I think that's that's really important so that's that's That goes out weekly.

It's on every platform out there. You can find podcasts on and You know, I am I honestly I love doing it because I get to connect with people and that connection Uh, to do that podcast, which is something that's been like brewing in me forever. But it came from writing the book, Tools for Navigating Neurodivergence.

And that was Uh, an accidental writing, you know, I, I didn't mean to write a book. I just, I had a, what I called a, a brain dump one night, wrote out 25 pages of just a wall of text and sorted it out with a. A business coach that I had and basically went bit by bit, pulled it apart and pulled out some information to write a book and has the three types of tools, mental tools, physical tools and social tools.

And uh, I go over what worked for me and how I was able to get through and, and overcome some of the obstacles out there. And, uh, you know, it's been, it's been a wild ride because I wrote the book in seven months from concept, first draft, editing, published on Amazon, available on Kindle, hardcover, and paperback, and did it all in seven months, and it still doesn't, like, I'm looking at it right now, it's like sitting over here, and I'm staring, and I'm like, this doesn't seem like it's a real thing.

Yeah. 

It's a breeze. 

That I did, but you know, it's me, it's me and my pugs on the back because I had to put them on there. Um, but I, I can't believe how much it resonates with people because everyone that's bought it and reads it, they'll reach out to me about different things in it that have helped them.

And it's not like, oh yeah, I'm going to write this thing to help everyone. It was, these are the things that I did to help myself. And I think that was the important part was like, will this work for everyone? No. Well, something like quick it might. I'm not going to say like, Oh yeah, this is going to cure your ADHD because that's not a thing, but it'll help you get a starting point because maybe you don't like journaling or you don't like to do lists and sticky notes, but you see how I use them and you're like, wait, I.

I could use something like that, but I'm maybe in an app or maybe on my computer, like something. And that's really the end goal is like to find your way to create routines, to, to thrive with your neurodivergence and move forward in life without having to use twice as much energy to get the same thing done.

Awesome. Well, I've read, I haven't read the whole book because I. Didn't meet you that long ago and I just haven't read it all yet, but I have it and it's great. So definitely check it out. If you need help navigating neurodivergence and the podcast also fantastic. So definitely check that out and we'll have links to those in the show notes for everyone.

And where can people find you online? 

Uh, the easiest place, I mean, stephenglazer. com is, I mean, it's my name, dot com, and it's, uh, it has links to everything, because I have too many url's and websites and social media platforms and all these things, but I put everything in one place. Oddly enough, I put it in both there, and I also have navigatingneurodivergence.

org. Which also has all the same links in it, so, uh, but those are like the easiest ways if you want to find me, that's the way to do it. 

Awesome. And our final question is, what do you do for fun? 

Ah, for fun. For me, even though I'm a photographer and you would think like, well that's, you do that for business.

For fun, I go out into the middle of the night and do long exposure photography. And it's my fun, which is strange because people go, you go out alone into the middle of nowhere and sit there with your camera for hours. And I say yes, because like I mentioned earlier about making a cup of coffee as a meditation, I found that the fun in the long exposure photography is I'm so dialed into it.

It's just that moment with my camera and it creates this, this wonderful base for me to, to do what I love doing and sure it's not going out and partying or, you know, I play video games, I write music, I do all that stuff, but there's nothing like going out and just like capturing the universe with your camera.

And. You know, late at night. That's, that's my, that's my font. 

I love it. I love that so 

much. 

Yeah, I was like, that sounds like something Laura would love. I'm like, I want to go to that. Yeah, that's awesome. Well, thank you for coming on the show. We really appreciate your time. 

No, well, I, I really appreciate being here and, uh, it was, uh, it was really fun.

Good. Cool. Okay. Well, thank you. 

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