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Drinking to Mask and Unmask

Drinking to Mask and Unmask

Written by: Autistic Culture Podcast Network
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Drinking to Mask and Unmask is an Autistic-led podcast exploring the complex relationship between autism, masking, addiction, and the strategies people develop to survive in a world that often demands they hide who they are.


Hosted by Chelsey Flood, novelist and late-diagnosed autistic writer, the series examines the coping mechanisms autistic people use to navigate everyday life — from the habits that help us get through difficult situations to the behaviours that can become harmful over time.


Through conversations with researchers, writers, clinicians, and people with lived experience, each episode explores how masking, addiction, recovery, creativity, and identity intersect. The inaugural season focuses on what it takes to appear “okay” in environments that often feel overwhelming, uncovering the emotional, social, and cultural pressures that shape that reality.


Blending personal reflection, lived experience, and thoughtful discussion, Drinking to Mask and Unmask creates space for honest conversations about vulnerability, coping, recovery, and the costs of constantly performing normality.


Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.


🎧 Drinking to Mask and Unmask is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Autistic Culture Podcast Network Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Trailer: Welcome to Drinking To Mask And Unmask

    Trailer: Welcome to Drinking To Mask And Unmask
    Jun 17 2026

    What happens when coping becomes survival?


    Welcome to Drinking to Mask and Unmask, a podcast exploring autism, masking, addiction, and recovery through an autistic cultural lens. Part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.


    Hosted by Chelsey Flood, the series examines the strategies autistic people develop to navigate a world that often demands conformity, and the costs those strategies can carry over time. Through conversations with researchers, professionals, and people with lived experience, the show explores masking, substance use, creativity, identity, and what it means to find healthier ways of existing in the world.


    🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.

    🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

    🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
  • Building an Identity You Need Alcohol to Maintain

    Building an Identity You Need Alcohol to Maintain
    Jun 22 2026

    What happens when the person you've spent years trying to be turns out to be built around survival rather than authenticity?


    In this episode, Chelsey Flood is joined by Bre Ransome to explore late diagnosis, drinking culture, and the unsettling experience of discovering that many traits you thought were part of your personality were actually coping strategies. Together they discuss identity, self-understanding, and what happens when long-held assumptions begin to unravel.


    In this episode:


    • Late diagnosis and self-discovery
    • Alcohol and social expectations
    • Coping strategies and identity
    • Rethinking the past through a neurodivergent lens


    Content Note: This episode includes discussion of alcohol use, late diagnosis, and mental health.


    🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.

    🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

    🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Looking for the Perfect Fix

    Looking for the Perfect Fix
    Jun 30 2026

    How many of us spend our lives searching for the one thing that will finally make everything easier?

    Musician Rosalie James joins Chelsey Flood to discuss addiction, self-understanding, and the hope that the next solution might be the one that changes everything. Together they explore the appeal of quick fixes, the realities of living with ongoing challenges, and the search for ways to make life feel more manageable.


    In this episode:


    • Addiction and coping strategies
    • The search for self-understanding
    • Hope, change, and personal growth
    • Finding ways to navigate life's challenges


    Content Note: This episode includes discussion of alcohol use and mental health.


    🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.

    🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

    🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
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