The Hidden 20%

In this episode, Ben sits down with Dr Shyamal Mashru, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Lead for Adult ADHD, for a clear and compassionate deep dive into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

Often misunderstood or dismissed as being “too sensitive,” RSD is explored here as a real, neurological experience - one that can hijack rational thought, flood the body with emotional pain, and quietly shape relationships, work, and self-worth. Dr Shyamal explains what RSD is (and isn’t), how it shows up differently across people, and why ADHD brains may be especially vulnerable.

They unpack the science, the role of trauma and hormones, why RSD isn’t currently in the DSM, and what actually helps when rejection hits hard.

If rejection feels overwhelming, confusing, or deeply personal - this conversation offers clarity, relief, and language for what you may have been carrying alone.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Dr Shyamal Mashru’s ADHD Background & Clinical Work
03:15 What Surprises Clinicians About ADHD Assessments
04:41 Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Explained: What RSD Is & Why It Hurts
09:16 RSD Coping Mechanisms: Shutdown, People-Pleasing & Avoidance
11:44 Is It RSD or Something Else? How to Tell the Difference
15:05 The Neuroscience of RSD: Why Rational Thinking Switches Off
17:27 RSD in Romantic Relationships & Attachment
21:33 How to Support a Partner With Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
22:50 How Aware Is Society of RSD?
24:38 RSD, Hormones & ADHD: Menstrual Cycle, Perimenopause & Menopause
26:33 Is There an Upside to RSD? Emotional Depth & Sensitivity
29:56 Can Non-ADHD People Experience RSD?
31:55 RSD vs Trauma & Fear of Failure
34:46 Why RSD Is More Than “Not Handling Rejection”
36:15 Why Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Isn’t in the DSM
40:00 How RSD Shows Up in Children
41:29 Early Signs & Patterns Clinicians Look For
42:59 How Common Is RSD in ADHD — and When It Appears
46:20 Treating RSD: Therapy, Medication & Regulation
56:18 The One Thing Dr Shyamal Would Change About RSD Awareness

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Dr Shymal Mashru @adhdhealthclinic
www.adhdhealthclinic.co.uk

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Semi-Professional cyclist, Connie Hayes, joins Ben for a deeply personal conversation about growing up autistic, dyslexic and dyspraxic - and how cycling became both a regulator and a place of safety.

Connie reflects on the early signs of autism that were missed, the self-esteem battles that came with puberty, hormones and friendships, and the long road to understanding her neurodivergence.

She shares how sport - particularly cycling - helps regulate her nervous system, why environment matters so deeply for autistic performance, and how dyspraxia shows up at an elite level.

Together, they also explore autism in women, eating disorders in sport, disclosure, and the urgent need for more inclusive practices across the industry.

If you’re curious about neurodiversity, sport and identity, this episode is for you!

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
01:05 Connie Hayes: The Autistic, Dyslexic & Dyspraxic Professional Cyclist
02:20 Early Signs of Autism & Being Missed
03:07 How Cycling Regulates Connie’s Autistic Brain
04:41 Understanding Autism Through Sport (Post-Diagnosis)
05:57 Designing Environments Where Autistic Athletes Thrive
08:05 Autism, Dyslexia & Dyspraxia Diagnosis Journey: Self-Esteem, Puberty & Friendships
10:42 Dyspraxia in Elite Cycling: Coordination, Balance & Training
12:28 Fighting for School Support & Being Left With Questions
16:59 The Right University & Autism in Women: “It Saved My Life”
25:53 Identity: Seeing Herself as an Autistic Woman
26:38 Society’s Expectations vs Autistic Females
27:19 Neurodiversity in Sport: What We Get Wrong
29:21 Autism, Sport & Eating Disorders
39:43 Why Autism Can Be a Strength in Professional Cycling
46:45 Women’s Cycling Through an Autism Lens
55:06 Disclosing Autism: Regret, Relief & Reality
58:38 Is Cycling Good for Neurodivergent People?
01:02:07 Connie’s Green Dot Badge

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Connie Hayes @connie_hayes

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of this conversation, neurobiologist and author of The Lost Girls of Autism, Gina Rippon, rejoins Ben to focus on the women autism research left behind.

Picking up where part one ends, Gina traces how early brain science, diagnostic bias and cultural assumptions combined to hide autistic women in plain sight. She unpacks why autism was framed as a “male condition,” how masking became a survival strategy, and the real cost of decades of late or missed diagnosis.

They explore the neuroscience behind prediction and masking, the forgotten female figures in autism’s history, and why the language of “over-diagnosis” risks oversimplifying a much more complex history of under-recognition .

Gina also reflects on autistic bullying, and what meaningful change in diagnosis and research could look like next.

If you’ve ever wondered why so many autistic women are only being seen now - or why you still don’t feel seen - this conversation is for you. We hope it offers some clarity, context, and hope.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Gina Rippon’s Career in Autism & Neuroscience
02:00 The Brain Questions That Changed Autism Research
05:12 Autism & the Brain: Predictive Coding Explained
08:11 Why So Many Autistic Women Were Missed
09:09 The Forgotten Female Psychiatrist Who Identified Autism Decades Earlier
16:52 Autism Diagnosis Ratios: Female vs Male Explained
18:02 How Many Autistic Women Have We Missed? The “Overdiagnosis” Myth
24:02 Masking in Autistic Women: The Breakthrough Moment
29:30 The Reality of Bullying for Autistic Girls
31:18 The Cost of Late Autism Diagnosis in Women
35:59 Autism, Hormones & PMDD: What Research Still Lacks
37:00 Debunking the “Refrigerator Mother” Myth
40:15 What Neuroscience Tells Us About the Autistic Brain
44:11 Neurodivergent vs Neurodiversity: Why Language Matters
46:00 The Future of Autism Diagnosis in Women
47:54 What Gives Gina Rippon Hope
50:45 Gina Rippon’s Top Tips for Autistic Women
51:44 Gina’s Green Dot Badge

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Gina Rippon https://www.ginarippon.com/

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part one of this two-part conversation, neurobiologist and author of The Gendered Brain and The Lost Girls of Autism - recently awarded the British Psychological Society’s Popular Science Book Prize - Gina Rippon joins Ben to unpack what we really know, and don’t know, about the human brain.

From left-brain/right-brain myths to the rise of gendered brain science, Gina explains why many of the ideas we’ve grown up with simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. Drawing on decades of research, she explores how brains change across the lifespan, how experience actively shapes neural pathways, and why no two brains - neurodivergent or not - are ever the same.

They dive into alpha rhythms, brain plasticity, ageing, and the cultural bias baked into neuroscience, including why the idea of distinctly “male” and “female” brains has caused more confusion than clarity.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction
00:57 Why Gina Rippon Became Obsessed With the Brain
2:54 What Science Really Knows About the Neurodivergent Brain
7:18 Brain Waves Explained: Alpha Rhythms & Neurodivergence
10:24 Debunking Common Myths About the Neurodivergent Brain
12:00 Left Brain vs Right Brain: Does It Actually Exist?
17:14 The Best Analogy for How Brains Really Work
18:17 Why London Taxi Drivers’ Brains Change
19:30 How the Brain Changes With Age
21:46 Brain Plasticity, Careers & Learning Over Time
23:27 Why Every Brain Is Different And Neurodiversity
26:45 Gender Bias in Neuroscience: “Neuro Trash” Research
27:53 Is There Such a Thing as a Male or Female Brain?
35:18 The Real Impact of Gendered Brain Science
40:56 Neurodivergence, Gender & Brain Differences Explained
44:07 Moving Beyond Gendered Brains to Human Brains
45:22 What Are Thoughts, Really?
48:40 Why Gina Decided To Write “The Lost Girls of Autism”

The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Gina Rippon https://www.ginarippon.com/

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian, presenter and creator Holly Morris joins Ben for a candid conversation about living with AuDHD, the hidden cost of masking, and why being “funny” is often a survival strategy rather than a personality trait.

Holly shares how her comedy career grew out of lifelong hyper-vigilance - constantly scanning rooms, people and conversations and how that same awareness fuels both her humour and her exhaustion. She opens up about navigating networking, friendships and online spaces as a neurodivergent adult, and why masking can feel automatic, ingrained, and hard to switch off.

They explore Holly’s later diagnoses of ADHD and autism, imposter syndrome, her experience of Emetophobia, and how her Autism and ADHD overlap and show up in daily life.

If you’ve ever felt socially switched on but internally depleted, this episode will feel quietly familiar.

AD Head to https://bit.ly/hidden20_getdopa and use code Hidden20 for 10% off.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.
________

Host: Ben Branson
Production Manager: Phoebe De Leiburné
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Head of Marketing: Kristen Fuller

00:00 Introduction & AD
1:48 Holly Morris’ AuDHD Comedy Journey
5:04 Masking as an AuDHD Comedian & Networking Pressure
8:36 How Masking Shapes Holly’s Online Content
13:14 Discovering AuDHD & Living With Emetophobia
17:25 Hypervigilance, Anxiety & the AuDHD Nervous System
21:50 ADHD vs Autism: How AuDHD Shows Up Day to Day
27:30 Being Open About Neurodivergence: Online vs In-Person
30:39 Adult Friendships, Social Energy & Neurodivergence
44:40 Masking vs Unmasking: What Actually Helps
46:48 The Hidden Cost of Being a Neurodivergent Creator
50:09 AuDHD, Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt
51:30 Thinking Differently: Strengths, Creativity & Hope
1:02:00 What’s Next for Holly Morris
1:10:30 Holly’s Green Dot Badge
The Hidden 20% is a charity founded by AuDHD entrepreneur, Ben Branson.

Our mission is simple: To change how the world sees neurodivergence.
No more stigma. No more shame. No more silence.

1 in 5 people are neurodivergent. That’s 1.6 billion of us - yet too many are still excluded, misunderstood, or left without support.

To break the cycle, we amplify voices, challenge myths, and keep showing up. Spotlighting stories, stats and hard truths. Smashing stereotypes through honest voices, creative campaigns and research that can’t be ignored.Every month, over 50,000 people turn to The Hidden 20% to feel safe, seen and to learn about brilliant brains.

With your support, we can reach further, grow louder, and keep fighting for the 1 in 5 who deserve more.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Become a monthly donor.
Be part of our community where great minds think differently.

Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
______________

Follow & subscribe…

Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20charity
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Holly Morris @hollymorrisss

If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.