Drinking to Mask and Unmask

What happens when coping becomes survival?Welcome to Drinking to Mask and Unmask, a podcast exploring autism, masking, addiction, and recovery through an autistic cultural lens. Part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.Hosted by Chelsey Flood, the series examines the strategies autistic people develop to navigate a world that often demands conformity, and the costs those strategies can carry over time. Through conversations with researchers, professionals, and people with lived experience, the show explores masking, substance use, creativity, identity, and what it means to find healthier ways of existing in the world.🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

What happens when the person you've spent years trying to be turns out to be built around survival rather than authenticity?In this episode, Chelsey Flood is joined by Bre Ransome to explore late diagnosis, drinking culture, and the unsettling experience of discovering that many traits you thought were part of your personality were actually coping strategies. Together they discuss identity, self-understanding, and what happens when long-held assumptions begin to unravel.In this episode:Late diagnosis and self-discoveryAlcohol and social expectationsCoping strategies and identityRethinking the past through a neurodivergent lensContent Note: This episode includes discussion of alcohol use, late diagnosis, and mental health.🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

How many of us spend our lives searching for the one thing that will finally make everything easier?Musician Rosalie James joins Chelsey Flood to discuss addiction, self-understanding, and the hope that the next solution might be the one that changes everything. Together they explore the appeal of quick fixes, the realities of living with ongoing challenges, and the search for ways to make life feel more manageable.In this episode:Addiction and coping strategiesThe search for self-understandingHope, change, and personal growthFinding ways to navigate life's challengesContent Note: This episode includes discussion of alcohol use and mental health.🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

What is masking, why do people do it, and can it actually be measured?Chelsey Flood speaks with researcher Dr Laura Hull about the science of masking, the experiences that masking describes, and why having language for these behaviours matters. Together they explore what masking looks like, what people may be masking, and the growing body of research helping us better understand neurodivergent experiences.In this episode:What masking isThe science behind masking researchWhy people maskThe importance of language and recognitionNeurodivergent identity and understandingContent Note: This episode includes discussion of mental health and masking research.🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

Why can alcohol feel so useful for autistic and neurodivergent people?Chelsey Flood speaks with Associate Professor Dr Felicity Sedgewick about friendship, belonging, and the social challenges that can make alcohol feel helpful, necessary, or even protective. Together they explore loneliness, connection, and the pressures that shape social experiences for many neurodivergent people.In this episode:Friendship and belongingSocial challenges and connectionAlcohol as a social toolLoneliness and isolationNeurodivergent experiences of communityContent Note: This episode includes discussion of mental health and loneliness.🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com