The Hidden 20%

Writer, podcast host and mental health advocate Gemma Styles joins Ben for a deeply honest conversation about ADHD, anxiety, depression and the emotional weight of going through life feeling constantly overwhelmed without understanding why.

Gemma reflects on being treated for mental health struggles long before anyone recognised ADHD, and how her diagnosis reframed years of self-blame, exhaustion and internal chaos. She speaks openly about the experience of internalised hyperactivity - where the mind never fully slows down, even when everything looks calm externally - and the pressure of trying to hold things together while quietly struggling underneath.

Together, they explore rejection sensitivity dysphoria, social anxiety, motherhood, burnout and the emotional toll of living in a world that often rewards productivity while misunderstanding overwhelm. They also unpack the growing public conversation around ADHD in women - including the tension between increased visibility and the backlash that can come with it.

This episode is about the reality underneath the headlines, labels and stereotypes - the lived experience of trying to navigate a world that often misunderstands overwhelm, emotional intensity and difference. And why finally understanding your brain can change the way you understand your entire life.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

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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
04:30 Gemma Styles on ADHD, Mental Health & Public Perception
05:35 “My ADHD Was Completely Missed”
06:40 Depression, Anxiety & Knowing Something Else Was Going On
07:17 The Relief of Finally Understanding Your Brain
08:32 Why Talking About ADHD Publicly Matters
09:12 ADHD, Boundaries & Being Online
12:41 Late Diagnosis Grief & “What If I’d Known Earlier?”
13:45 Why So Many Women With ADHD Were Missed
14:13 ADHD in Adults: The System Wasn’t Looking For It
19:00 What Inattentive ADHD Feels Like Internally
20:00 ADHD Brains in Crisis Mode
28:05 Therapy, Overthinking & Anxious Thought Loops
29:37 ADHD & Anxiety: “It Never Fully Switches Off”
30:18 Social Anxiety, Fame & ADHD
31:27 Can You Be Authentic Online Without Oversharing?
32:20 Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria & ADHD
34:15 Motherhood, ADHD & RSD
40:32 “ADHD Doesn’t Feel Like a Superpower To Me”
42:57 Writing a Book With ADHD
52:23 ADHD Community, Visibility & Feeling Seen
53:02 ADHD Social Media & The Attention Economy
56:41 Motherhood, Work & Stepping Back From Social Media
57:43 What Gemma Styles Finds Frustrating About ADHD Discourse
1:00:00 Gemma’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
Gemma Styles @

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.

Dyslexic entrepreneur and Talamo co-founder Jamie Wace joins Ben for a conversation about why so many children with dyslexia are still being missed - and how technology could radically change access to support.

Jamie reflects on his own experience of school, including being told not to pursue subjects he loved because his dyslexia was misunderstood. He shares how years working in tech and entrepreneurship eventually led him to question why dyslexia assessment systems remained so inaccessible, expensive and outdated.

Together, they explore the emotional impact of unidentified learning differences, why schools often rely on “wait until they fail” models, and how understanding a child’s cognitive profile can shift the conversation from blame to support. Jamie also unpacks the future of assistive technology, overlapping neurodivergent conditions, and why early identification could change life trajectories for millions of children.

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
01:30 Jamie Wace’s Dyslexia Story
05:07 Being Told Not To Take History GCSE Because of Dyslexia
06:00 Has Awareness of Dyslexia Actually Improved?
08:31 Why Schools Need To Understand Cognitive Profiles
08:48 How Talamo Was Created
09:54 The Statistic That Changed Everything: 80% of Dyslexic Children Go Undiagnosed
10:21 Why Traditional Dyslexia Assessments Don’t Scale
19:19 Dyslexia, ADHD & Understanding The Whole Child
29:24 The Future of Assistive Technology For Neurodivergent Students
31:16 Dyslexia, Schools & Assistive Technology In The Classroom
40:32 Early Dyslexia Screening & Why Schools Are Changing
44:24 Why Dyslexic People Often Make Great Communicators
46:20 Dyslexia, ADHD & Neurodivergent Overlap
50:51 Building Talamo For Impact, Not Profit
55:46 Jamie’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
Jamie Wace @jamiewace

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.

Content creator and author Luke Grosch joins Ben for an honest conversation about late-diagnosed autism, emotional overwhelm, grief, identity and learning to understand yourself in a world that often misunderstands autistic people.

Luke reflects on losing his dad at a young age, and how many of his autistic traits - meltdowns, sensitivity and shutdowns - were mistaken for grief rather than signs of neurodivergence. Diagnosed in 2019, he shares what changed once he finally had language for the way his brain works, and why being openly emotional online has become such an important part of his work.

Together, they explore masking, burnout, relationships, loneliness, internet culture and the pressure many autistic people feel to appear “fine” while struggling internally. Luke also opens up about writing his first book based on diary entries and emotional reflection, and why vulnerability can be a form of connection rather than weakness.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Buy Luke's new book 'Diary of a Neurodivergent' at https://dashbook.com/book/diary-of-a-neurodivergent

________

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
01:08 Luke Grosch’s Late Autism Diagnosis Story
03:42 Losing His Dad Young & Missing The Signs of Autism
07:15 When Autism Traits Get Mistaken For Grief
10:54 What Finally Led Luke To Seek a Diagnosis
14:02 Late Diagnosed Autism: “Everything Started Making Sense”
17:40 Masking & Pretending To Be Fine
21:18 Emotional Overwhelm, Shutdowns & Internal Struggle
25:11 Why Luke Shares Vulnerably Online
28:45 Autism, Loneliness & Feeling Misunderstood
32:04 Burnout & The Pressure of Social Media
35:27 Relationships, Friendship & Communication Differences
39:18 Why So Many Autistic Adults Feel Exhausted
42:56 Writing a Book Through Diary Entries & Reflection
46:21 What Luke Wishes More People Understood About Autism
50:12 The Power of Emotional Honesty
54:30 Luke’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
Luke Grosch @lukegrosch

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.

Chef, content creator and food waste activist Martyn Odell - better known online as Lagom Chef - joins Ben for a chaotic, funny and emotional conversation about ADHD, creativity, food, and finally understanding his brain.

Diagnosed with ADHD midway through writing his first cookbook, Martyn reflects on growing up in kitchens where chaos and intensity were normalised, and why that made it difficult to recognise the difference between personality, coping and neurodivergence. They explore ADHD creativity, burnout, internet culture, the pressure of social media, and what happens when your job relies on constantly turning your brain into content.

Martyn shares why “eat the food you buy” became his philosophy, how cooking can help people reconnect with themselves, and why perfection is ruining the way we think about food.

This is a conversation about ADHD, identity, creativity, and learning to trust your own way of doing things.

Join us at hidden20.org/donate.

Eat The Food You Buy: 15 Everyday Ingredients, Endless Delicious Meals by Martyn Odell is publishing on 16th July 2026 (Penguin Life, £25)
________

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
01:12 Martyn Odell: ADHD, Cooking & Internet Chaos
03:44 Why Kitchens Made ADHD Feel “Normal”
06:20 The Link Between Creativity, Chaos & Cooking
09:18 Growing Up With Undiagnosed ADHD
12:42 Social Media Pressure & Going Viral Online
16:10 Why Humour Can Become a Mask
19:25 Burnout, Content Creation & Internet Pressure
22:14 Being Diagnosed With ADHD Midway Through Writing a Book
25:39 ADHD, Executive Dysfunction & Writing Struggles
26:43 “Eat The Food You Buy”: Martyn’s Philosophy on Food Waste
28:30 Why Cooking Intuition Matters More Than Recipes
31:11 Social Media Pressure, Trolls & Public Perception
34:02 Why Perfection Is Ruining Cooking
38:16 ADHD Hyperfocus & Creativity in the Kitchen
42:05 The Emotional Connection Between Food & Memory
46:20 Why Simplicity Matters More Than Perfection
50:12 What Cooking Actually Gives Martyn’s Brain
54:40 Martyn’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
Martyn Odell @lagomchef

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.

Clinical neuroscientist and nutrition researcher Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas returns to The Hidden 20% to challenge one of the most persistent myths in ADHD: that it’s just about the brain.

In this conversation, Ben and Dr Miguel explore ADHD through a whole-body lens - from nervous system regulation and eating patterns to capacity, sensory sensitivity and the gut–brain axis.

They unpack why food isn’t just fuel but a regulatory tool, why so many ADHDers struggle with inconsistent eating, and why “just eat better” advice often misses the point entirely. The conversation then goes deeper into why the same food can feel fine one day and intolerable the next, and how what we often label as “food sensitivities” may actually be linked to stress, overload and nervous system state.

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: ADHD Beyond The Brain
01:42 Why ADHD Is a Nervous System Condition
05:18 Fight, Flight, Freeze: ADHD & Regulation
09:12 Why Food Impacts ADHD More Than You Think
13:40 ADHD Eating Patterns: Skipping, Binging & Dopamine
18:25 Why “Just Eat Better” Doesn’t Work for ADHD
22:10 Regulation Before Optimisation: Rethinking Food
26:30 Simple Food Changes That Support ADHD Brains
31:05 Food, Mood & Energy Crashes Explained
35:22 Why The Same Food Feels Different Day to Day
38:40 Understanding Capacity in ADHD
42:15 Sensory Sensitivity, Stress & The Body
45:50 The Gut–Brain Axis Explained Simply
49:10 “Food Sensitivities” vs Nervous System Overload
53:05 Stress, Digestion & ADHD Explained
56:10 What Actually Helps: Supporting Regulation First
59:30 Dr Miguel’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
Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas @drmiguelmateas

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.