26: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 2626: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 26
UK Health Radio Podcast
Natasha M. Nurse talks about receiving an autism and ADHD diagnosis as an adult and raising her autistic son, sharing how this has changed her life, parenting and self-care. The conversation highlights masking, immigrant family expectations, community support and building a more authentic way of living.
43:51•22 Jul 2026
Autism, ADHD and Motherhood: Natasha M. Nurse’s Brave New Chapter
Episode Overview
- Adult neurodivergent diagnosis can reframe a lifetime of confusion and burnout as a coherent story rather than a personal failing.
- Parents’ needs matter alongside their children’s, and scheduled rest, alone time and sensory breaks can be essential, not selfish.
- Modelling emotional honesty with phrases like “mommy needs quiet time” teaches children to advocate for their own needs.
- Community support and simple tools such as visual checklists and structured breaks can make daily life more manageable for neurodivergent families.
- Aligning work with lived experience and values helps reduce masking and constant self-proving, creating space for authenticity.
“At 37, I was diagnosed with autism, high functioning and ADHD. Honestly, this has changed everything for me. It was the missing puzzle piece.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s Brave Together Podcast focuses less on alcohol itself and more on how neurodivergence, identity and parenting intersect – a topic that speaks directly to many people in recovery or living with mental health challenges. Susanna Peace-Lovell sits down with guest Natasha M. Nurse, a neurodivergent innovator and mum, who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 37.
Natasha describes the diagnosis as “the missing puzzle piece” that suddenly made sense of years of sensory overload, social exhaustion and intense masking. She contrasts feeling “like nothing” in most social spaces with feeling like “pop rock candy” when she’s with her autistic four-year-old son. You’ll hear Natasha reflect on a childhood of high achievement but deep loneliness, growing up in a productivity-driven immigrant household where the question was always “What are you doing?” rather than “How are you doing?”.
She talks about how becoming a parent magnified her internal struggles and pushed her towards finally seeking her own assessment and support. The episode leans into practical lessons: Natasha’s insistence that “my needs matter, too”, her unapologetic use of alone time and sensory breaks, and her commitment to showing her son what emotional honesty looks like in real life.
She shares how community, tools like visual checklists and noise-cancelling headphones, and a values-aligned workplace all help her step away from hustle culture and constant overcommitment. For parents newly facing a diagnosis – for themselves or their child – Natasha offers grounded reassurance: take a breath, name what you need, and be prepared to move heaven and earth for your kid.
Her story may resonate if you’ve ever felt the world wasn’t built for you and you’re ready to start writing a life that actually fits. What parts of your own journey might be a “missing puzzle piece” just waiting to be named?
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