Shane Thrapp always felt different. As an adult, he found out he has both ADHD and autism — two parts of his brain that sometimes work against each other.
In this episode, Shane shares the weight of masking his symptoms, and how society’s ideas about “real men” can make it even harder to speak up. Today, Shane is helping other men with ADHD as the Operations Director of the Men’s ADHD Support Group. He’s on a mission to show that being yourself shows more strength than pretending to be someone you’re not.
Related resources
Timestamps
(01:19) Shane’s ADHD and autism diagnoses story
(05:48) The three-way battle between ADHD and autism
(09:12) How is Shane as a boss?
(10:21) Learning social cues, trying on identities, and societal expectations
(15:04) The Men’s ADHD Support Group, and building a community that supports each other in healthy ways
(18:34) The biggest misconceptions about men with ADHD
(21:38) Building a world that’s better for his children
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! Show page on Understood.org.
We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdaha@understood.org or record a message for us here.
ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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