The Cost of Perfectionism in Childhood

Episode 108 with Robin Zheng.

“My family always called me the absent-minded professor. I’d walk into a room and forget what I was doing, and I’d have to walk back to the room I came from in order to remember.”

Trigger Warning: Talk about suicide and suicidal ideation.

Dr. Zheng is an academic philosopher. She’s originally from the U.S. but spent several years working in Singapore and currently lives in Scotland working as a Lecturer in Political Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Her research and teaching focus on moral, social, and political philosophy with special emphasis on issues of gender, race, and class. 

It was only very recently that Dr. Zheng’s therapist suggested that she might have ADHD, and she’s still in the midst of the long and drawn-out process of getting a formal diagnosis through the NHS (National Health Service). 

Nevertheless, simply learning the truth about ADHD has already led to major improvements in her mental health. We talk about her experience with anxiety and depression in an academic setting. 

She notes that she was particularly motivated to share her experiences on this podcast because she’s come to realize that ADHD manifests in a diverse multitude of ways and each new personal story makes it possible for another person to feel that self-recognition and potentially start living a more flourishing life.

Dr. Zheng and I also talk about mental health stigma especially in the Chinese-American community, as well as some of the barriers to understanding ADHD and neurodiversity within Chinese culture.

Website: robin-zheng.me

Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a Women & ADHD listener, you’ll receive 10% off your first month of BetterHelp when you use this link: betterhelp.com/womenadhd

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