INTERVIEW: The diagnosis that changed this Vogue model's life
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Leanne Maskell, a former Vogue model and best-selling author, reveals how being diagnosed with both ADHD and autism in her 20s and 30s transformed her life—not by fixing her, but by giving her the language to understand decades of suffering. For years, she lived with a brain that felt like 'an entire class of toddlers screaming,' leading to self-harm, suicidal ideation, and a cycle of self-medication through alcohol and partying. Despite a seemingly perfect external life—modelling for global brands, earning a law degree—she was drowning internally. The diagnosis didn’t magically solve everything; instead, it triggered a deeper identity crisis, but also the beginning of healing. She now helps others navigate neurodivergence, emphasizing that the real power lies not in 'fixing' oneself, but in embracing the chaos, trusting unique ways of thinking, and reclaiming joy. Her journey underscores a painful truth: neurodivergent women are often exploited, misunderstood, and blamed for their own trauma—yet their resilience, creativity, and authenticity are extraordinary gifts. The episode confronts hard truths: one in four women with ADHD attempt suicide, 90% of autistic women experience sexual violence, and diagnostic systems are still biased toward neurotypical men. Yet Leanne’s story is ultimately one of radical self-acceptance. She doesn’t need a diagnosis to validate her experience—she already knows herself. Her message is clear: you don’t need to be fixed.
One in four women with ADHD have attempted suicide—highlighting the urgent need for mental health support in neurodivergent communities.
Neurodivergent women are 9 times more likely to experience sexual violence due to trust issues, hyper-empathy, and difficulty recognizing manipulation.
ADHD and autism overlap in 50–70% of cases, but diagnosis for both was only possible in the same person after 2013—leaving millions undiagnosed.
Self-medicating with alcohol and partying is a common coping mechanism for undiagnosed neurodivergent people, especially women, masking deeper emotional pain.
Rejection sensitive dysphoria causes intense emotional pain from real or perceived rejection, often triggering suicidal thoughts and relationship breakdowns.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Hidden Crisis Behind the Glamour
“From the outside, my life looked perfect. I was modelling for all these amazing Australian brands and had kind of the whole world in front of me, but I... would wake up every day and end up becoming so overwhelmed that I would end up trying to figure out how to take my own life.”
ADHD and Autism: A Late but Life-Changing Diagnosis
“It can be awful and it can be fun. This morning, I was woken up by my own brain at four o'clock in the morning being like, get up. So it's kind of like having a toddler exist in your brain all the time and not just one toddler but an entire class.”
The Dark Years: Self-Medication and Suicidal Ideation
“Oh, like every day for like two years. That was constantly rationalising this suicidality. I was like, I basically have no right to want to dying. Friends and family would obviously be very upset so I could see how irrational my thoughts were but I also couldn't stand really being alive in that one moment of just existing because it felt like my brain was on fire constantly.”
The Exploitative Modelling Industry
“It's like a debt economy. And then when Jeffrey Epstein, all of that information came out, he was very closely connected with that agency. And that's what we can see now where it's so seedy and connected with all of these very terrible power structures.”
From Burnout to Belonging: Embracing Neurodivergence
“You don’t need to be fixed. You just need to stop trying to fit into a world that wasn’t built for you. And when you stop fighting your brain, you can finally surf the waves instead of drowning in them.”
“From the outside, my life looked perfect. I was modelling for all these amazing Australian brands and had kind of the whole world in front of me, but I... would wake up every day and end up becoming so overwhelmed that I would end up trying to figure out how to take my own life.”
“Oh, like every day for like two years. That was constantly rationalising this suicidality. I was like, I basically have no right to want to dying.”
“It's like a debt economy. And then when Jeffrey Epstein, all of that information came out, he was very closely connected with that agency.”
Host
Guest
ADHD
other
autism
other
Leanne Maskell
person
Triple J Hack
media
Jeffrey Epstein
person
Vogue
brand
BBC
organization
Lifeline
organization
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