Episode 20 - Self-Medication, Stigma, and the Search for Balance

Описание: Source:
https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-uczg6-...

In this episode of Unlabelled and Limitless, Lois and Krisana have a candid, nuanced conversation about neurodivergence, substance use, and the ways many people unconsciously self-medicate long before they understand how their brains actually work. What begins as a personal reflection on sobriety and past experiences opens into a deeper exploration of ADHD, brain chemistry, stigma, and the limits of a deficit-focused approach to mental health.
Lois shares insights from psychology, neuroscience, and positive psychology to unpack why substances like alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and even nicotine can feel regulating for neurodivergent nervous systems. Rather than framing this solely as addiction or moral failure, the conversation looks at what these coping strategies are trying to solve, and how better diagnosis, support, and education might reduce harm over time.
Krisana reflects on identity, creativity, career uncertainty, and what it means to reset in midlife without collapsing into shame. Together, they explore the difference between fixed traits and learnable skills, the pressure to monetize passions, and how scarcity thinking can push people into unsustainable choices. The episode also introduces key concepts from positive psychology, including resilience, agency, hopefulness, and sustainable goal-setting.
This conversation is not about promoting substance use or offering easy answers. It’s about curiosity, compassion, and reframing discovery as something grounded, supported, and human.
Key themes include:
✨ Neurodivergence, brain chemistry, and self-medication✨ Addiction, stigma, and harm reduction perspectives✨ Positive psychology versus deficit-based mental health models✨ Identity, creativity, and career sustainability✨ Agency, hopefulness, and rebuilding resilience✨ Setting realistic goals without shame or burnout