From Breakdown to Breakthrough: Overcoming ADHD Burnout with Jodie Steele

Today, Cliff speaks with Jodie Steele about her experience with ADHD burnout, how it affected her health, her family and her life, and the steps she took to recover and rebuild. This episode is an honest look at what burnout really feels like when you have ADHD, and what can help you find your way back. EPISODE REVEALS True ADHD burnout goes far beyond exhaustion; it can trigger a severe, life-threatening neurological shutdown - Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Physical symptoms can include stroke-level hypertension, adult-onset asthma, and fibromyalgia. If you have ADHD, it is particularly important to learn to listen to your body, ignoring can allow burnout to creep up on you. Once that happens it can take several years to recover. Teach your children to look after themselves, recognise the signs they are not doing well and what to do should that happen. Masking is not healthy. Bottling things up and burying who you really are puts a huge strain on your body, which makes burnout more likely. We spend a lot of time at work, so it is particularly important that you work in an environment in which you can flourish. Do everything you can to support your body: eat well, exercise, socialise, have interests and sleep enough. You are not going to get everything right 100% of the time but do make looking after yourself in these areas a priority. Getting back to nature massively helped Jodie. If you do get ill, having a strong support community (tribe) will make a huge difference. Make building your network of family and friends and finding a supportive partner a priority. It will also help to make burnout a lot less likely. BEST MOMENTS "A flower might not flourish in one corner of the house, but you just move it into the other side of the house, and suddenly it's big. It's beautiful." "If you don't pay attention to your body and what your body's saying to you, it will keep throwing extra things at you until you do." "Before I had the diagnosis, I used to beat myself up. Whereas now I can be a lot kinder with myself about everything. I'll giggle at my own sort of mishap." "Put yourself with the right people. Find, like you say, - find your tribe." GUEST RESOURCES https://alchemysoulstravel.com alchemysoulstravel@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-steele RESOURCES Cliff´s book “What To Do When Your Child Shuts Down” - ⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/3trk6pw CONTACT ME Instagram: @cliff_kilmister08 Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/cliff.kilmister/⁠ X - @KilmisterCliff YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ParentingAutismandADHD HOST BIO Cliff Kilmister is a dedicated parent, advocate, and cat whisperer with firsthand experience raising a child with autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Having navigated the challenges of school refusal, meltdowns, and sensory sensitivities, Cliff brings an empathetic, real-world perspective to the podcast. When he's not helping his child thrive, he’s dodging the evil stares of his three cats, who are plotting to take over the world (fortunately, they still haven’t figured out how to use the tin opener). Cliff offers practical advice, expert insights, and personal stories to help families facing similar struggles. Cliff is focused on connecting with professionals and networks to raise awareness about the growing need for the education system to adapt to the increasing neurodiverse population. Join the community on Patreon to share experiences, access exclusive content, and work together for change!