Art, Masking, and Finding Presence

💡 Hold on tightly, let go lightly.

Sometimes the hardest part of ADHD adulting is figuring out which habits help us, and which ones quietly harm us.

In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Lindsay Pitre—director, producer, twin, and lifelong ADHDer—to explore the New Year tension between resolutions, routines, relapse, and real-life coping. Diagnosed in her teens and now navigating her 30s, Lindsay reflects on the habits she clings to for comfort (like her beloved Diet Coke), the ones she’s learning to release, and the decades-long journey of building real coping mechanisms after years of being handed only medication.

In this inspiring talk, we dig into the emotional anchors behind our behaviors, the social pressure to fit in, and the often-overlooked health implications ADHDers face—from impulsive habits to addiction-adjacent coping. Lindsay’s story moves from humor, to honesty, to a deeper truth: some habits protect us, some soothe us, and some slowly hurt us. And, learning the difference is the work of adulting.

✨ Highlights ✨
 ✔️ADHD “comfort habits” and how they form (Diet Coke, nicotine, sugar, etc.)
 ✔️Why overstimulation hits ADHDers harder, and how Lindsay masks in large rooms
 ✔️“Hold on tightly, let go lightly”: the habits worth keeping and worth releasing
 ✔️How impulsivity and compulsive behavior impact long-term health
 ✔️Relapse, self-compassion, and learning not to shame yourself
 ✔️Why support systems, therapists, and healthy partners matter

This episode is for anyone who’s ever said: “I know this habit isn’t helping me… but it’s the only thing keeping me steady.”

📺 Watch the full Fireside Chat with Lindsay Pitre now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

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We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

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