The Black Neurodivergent Experience People say things like "just be yourself" with the expectation that you’ll just snap your fingers and turn the volume down on generations of pressure to fit in. But what does that even mean when your existence as 'yourself' stops conversations cold? When walking into every room means holding your breath, trying to shrink for comfort, or shapeshifting for someone else’s peace of mind? When you’re told your needs... your honest-to-goodness, human, biological and psychological needs... are either too much or entirely invisible? This week, we’re going in. All the way in. I sat down with Dr Carl Frizell, a phenomenal clinician, with his lived expertise in internal medicine, oncology, mental health and, yes, the absolute truth about thriving as a Black neurodivergent professional. Carl joined me for a conversation about what it means to fight for belonging, to crave quality over quantity, to be different—and not broken—in every aspect of his life. Want to talk intersectionality? Carl brings the receipts. Want to explore why so many Black and BIPOC kids are mis-labeled as “difficult” (or worse) instead of autistic? Or what happens when advocacy is weaponized against you? Want to hear the story of a patient—"The Difficult One"—who was never the problem, but simply demanded her humanity be respected? We’re covering all of it. (And, yes, Carl really did become a better clinician because he lived every single word he now tells his patients.) If you’ve ever questioned whether there’s space for your whole self, especially in systems built for someone else’s definition of acceptable—this is your episode. Love you. Mean it. Dr Carl Frizell's links: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/cafrizell_pac/ Timestamped summary 00:00 Embracing Autism: My Turning Point 03:10 Neurodivergent Advocacy and Speaking Journey 08:01 Seeking Acceptance by Mimicry 12:55 Redefining "Normal" for Health 15:04 Clinical Judgment in Autism Diagnostics 19:20 Patient-Centered Caregiver Approach 23:10 Advocacy in Healthcare Matters 27:00 Supportive Parents Foster Success 29:30 Misdiagnosis Due to Cultural Bias 33:51 Humanizing Lived Experiences Validates Life 34:56 Embracing Whole Identity Acceptance 39:16 Embrace Self-Compassion and Growth 41:17 "Transparent Living on Instagram" Have you joined our Patreon yet? https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/patreon Want to learn to write like me? https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/course Mentioned in this episode: Wanna learn to write like me? Here's how you can! Writing Course
