What does it mean to become someone you can trust — especially when living with ADHD and depression?

In this one-year anniversary episode, I reflect on how understanding my nervous system changed my relationship with effort, consistency, and self-belief.

For much of my life, I didn’t trust myself — my energy, my follow-through, or my ability to show up consistently. Living with depression and undiagnosed ADHD, difficulty with motivation and focus was often interpreted as personal failure.

In this episode, I slow things down and reflect on what has shifted over the past year, shaped in large part by creating this podcast and showing up for weekly episodes

I share how learning to befriend my nervous system — rather than trying to override it — became a turning point. Through a polyvagal and neurodivergence-informed lens, I explore how patterns of avoidance, shutdown, and inconsistency were not signs that I was broken, but signals that my system was in protection mode.

This episode is about repair — not only in relationship with others, but in relationship with Self. About what it has meant to build trust slowly, through repeated acts of showing up with compassion rather than force.

In this one-year reflection, I share what has supported my growth, including:

• Befriending my nervous system instead of fighting it
• Learning to rest without earning it
• Taking anchored, sustainable action rather than pushing through
• Acknowledging grief for what was lost and misunderstood
• Making room for celebration — even when growth has been uneven

In this episode, we explore:

• What “becoming someone I can trust” looks like in everyday life
• How ADHD and depression shape our relationship with effort and consistency
• Why willpower is often not the problem
• How honoring true capacity can yield more progress than trying to push through to do what you think you "should" be doing
• How self-attunement and pacing support sustainable change
• What one year of showing up — imperfectly — has taught me about healing

Gentle note for listeners:
This episode includes discussion of depression, ADHD, and nervous system states related to shutdown and overwhelm. Please listen with care and take breaks as needed.

If you and your partner are ready to co-create the roadmap to the relationship of your dreams, join us for the next in-person "Getting the Love You Want" Weekend Couples Retreat!

For support in how to have deeper connections and better communication in the relationships that matter most in your life, follow the host, Trish Sanders on Instagram , Bluesky or LinkedIn.