The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast

Paul Cruz: 00:04

Welcome to the Neurodiversity Voices podcast, a space where lived experiences take center stage and every story reminds us that there's no one way to be human. I'm your host, Paul Cruz, and today's episode is called Share Your Voice. In this episode, we hear from two incredible guests, Gabe and Stacy, who both found clarity and community later in life through their neurodivergent diagnosis. Their reflections aren't just about labels or conditions. They're about belonging, and learning to embrace the way our minds truly work.

Paul Cruz: 00:45

So settle in, take a deep breath, and listen as Gabe and Stacy share what it means to understand yourself, maybe for the very first time.

Gabe Galand: 00:57

Hi, my name is Gabe. I'm a producer in Vancouver, BC in Canada. I've lived here for about eight years, and for most of my life, I was undiagnosed with ADHD, and I'm also on the autism spectrum. I was born in 1991 in Paris, France. And to this day, France remains a country that doesn't really recognize ADHD, at least for the longest time, it's actually refuted all evidence.

Gabe Galand: 01:33

And so growing up in the '90s and early 2000s, I was marginalized by other kids at school, primary school, and then middle high, there was no one to turn to for help. And when I would speak to therapists and psychologists, they would treat my case as though I was a 50 year old man going through a self confidence crisis, and evidently it didn't work. So I grew up thinking I was a weirdo, that I didn't belong, that I didn't deserve, and that I was not able to do the same as other people. But it wasn't until I lived in other places, like, in The UK. I lived there for half a year in Australia.

Gabe Galand: 02:13

I lived there for two years in Korea for a year. And those experiences really showed me that people are allowed to act and think differently. I didn't get any treatment. I wasn't there long enough to, but when I did move to Canada in 2017, and shortly thereafter got a doctor, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 29 or 30, something like that. And so for the past five, six years, I've been looking back at my life, and so many things make sense now.

Gabe Galand: 02:42

And I wish I could go back and tell my younger self not to feel bad about, the way my brain works, the way I see the world. And I can see how knowing all this information is a double edged sword. It really offers a relief to explain past occurrences. But there's so much more to do to inspire and to just, like, make people feel better. So I would love to be part of your podcast.

Gabe Galand: 03:09

Thanks.

Stacey Smith: 03:14

Hi, everyone. My name is Stacey Smith, I'm just going to share a little something about my most recent diagnosis at the age of 35. So I've never hidden the fact that I'm a passionate advocate for neurodiversity. After awaiting almost three years, I finally had my autism assessment last week. And today the email arrived my formal diagnosis.

Stacey Smith: 03:41

I wasn't shocked, not really, in truth I've always known, but still something shifted. It's given me clarity and with it a chance to reflect on all the years that I've felt like an outsider in my own home, in classrooms, in friendships and in workplaces. I had recently posted a picture of myself hugging my younger self, an old school photo. It was an apology. It was a sorry to the little girl who hid herself away, who masked and coped and endured, who braved the lights, the smells, the sounds, the chaos of people even when it was too much.

Stacey Smith: 04:21

To the little girl who fought so hard for good grades because the pressure from society and expectations from those around her weighed heavy. When what she really wanted to do was to scream help. This is hard. To the girl who stayed gentle and empathetic even when the world felt unbearable. To the girl who suppressed, who binged and purged to manage the pain of each day, only to be force fed by dinner ladies in front of everyone.

Stacey Smith: 04:50

To the girl who bed wet through primary school, who longed for the noise in her head to quieten, for the tabs in her brain to finally close. To the girl who never felt enough, never funny enough, never liked enough, needed enough, caring enough, just never enough. And to the woman she became, the new mother who thought she was losing her mind, drowning under postnatal depression, not knowing that her senses were simply on fire from the hormones. You weren't a bad parent, you were overwhelmed, but still you persevered. To the woman whose social battery runs out completely, who walks into overstimulating environments for her family's sake, holding it together even when every sense is screaming.

Stacey Smith: 05:34

To the woman who finds it hard to give herself fully to one person because the world has always asked too much of her. I see you now. I'm holding you. I understand you now. I can't promise to always get it right, but I will try to give you grace.

Stacey Smith: 05:50

I promise I will try to cut you some slack.

Paul Cruz: 05:58

Thank you so much for listening to the Neurodiversity Voices podcast and for joining us on this episode, Share Your Voice. Huge thanks to our guests, Gabe Gallant and Stacy Smith for their honesty, courage and vulnerability. Their stories reminds us that every voice, especially the ones that have been quiet for too long deserves to be heard. If today's conversation resonated with you, take a moment to reflect what part of your story might help someone else feel seen. You can connect with us on our Instagram and share your thoughts using the hashtag neurodiversityvoices and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss the next episode.

Paul Cruz: 06:43

Do you have a story about neurodiversity you'd like to share? Visit our website at neurodiversityvoices.com to find out more. Until next time, keep sharing your voice. The world needs to hear it.