Danielle RalstonFounder, How Capacity Works · Founder of ND Hive | Building the productivity hub where work actually gets done | Execution spaces, body doubling & community accountability

Neurodivergent Community: Help Comes from Being Understood

22 Dec 2025 · 2 min

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1:38

Danielle Ralston describes struggling to start tasks and feeling isolated until she found a neurodivergent community. Her spouse offered practical help, but what actually eased her overwhelm was connecting with people who understood her experience. Shared empathy from peers who 'get it' made the difference.

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We had a, a community user get on and she was just so frustrated with herself cuz she felt like she should be more organized than she was and just couldn't get started. And I said, okay, take us to the kitchen with you and just get started. And she's like, but, but just take us to the kitchen with you and get started. She's like, by the time I walked to the kitchen, I felt better. There's always someone else that sees us, that hears us, that's like, oh my God, I got you. I'm, I'm there right with you. I get it. Hearing that is, I think that's one of the best things. My husband helping me and trying to be my arms and legs was amazing and it was helpful and I keep thanking him for that. Mm-hmm. But it still wasn't the same as me being able to do it. And I was still really frustrated and disappointed in myself and there was a lot of emotion behind it. But me getting on with a bunch of other neurodivergent people, men and women, not just women, and saying, oh my gosh, I'm so just disappointed and frustrated with myself. And somebody else said, I'm so frustrated with myself. my brain today. I can't do the thing. And somebody else said, like, we all had our reasons why we were disappointed in ourselves. And for me, it was like, oh, I'm not the only one who suffers with this. And, and people entertained me. There was no solve for me, but people started sending me memes and people started joking with me and just laughing with others who get it. There was no fix for me. There, this other person, we could help her fix it. There was no fix for me. Right. But still my disappointment just kind of dropped and it was so much less overwhelming.