Danielle Dryden

watercolour image of person enjoying sunset Gratitude is often spoken about as a shortcut to happiness; a simple 'be grateful and feel better" formula. But for many Neurodivergent adults, especially Autistic ADHDers (AuDHD), that kind of framing can feel invalidating, pressuring or even shaming. When life feels overwhelming, when emotions are intense, or when executive functioning is low, being told to "just focus on the positives" can land as toxic positivity rather than gen