Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast The Cycle of Accountability: Reclaiming Presence with Dr. Nachi Felt
Oct 30, 2025
Dr. Nachi Felt, a clinical psychologist and Columbia University professor, returns to explore the Cycle of Accountability. He emphasizes the shift from viewing accountability as punishment to recognizing it as a connection to personal values and purpose. Their discussion reveals how motivation for those with ADHD is deeply tied to meaning, and how small acts of self-acceptance can trigger significant change. Nachi also reframes attention as presence and delves into how early responses to ADHD shape our self-worth and identity.
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Ambiguity Fuels Avoidance
- ADHD leads to either too much or too little data, creating persistent ambiguity and confusion in decision-making.
- That ambiguity fuels anxiety which often drives avoidance as a habitual coping response.
Interrupt The Habit Loop
- Replace maladaptive reactions by changing the habit loop: cue, response, reward into a helpful alternative response.
- Do swap avoidance for a calmer adaptive action to gain a better reward like relief without self-criticism.
Begin With Honest Acceptance
- Start with acceptance: honestly acknowledge your overwhelm without turning it into resignation or self-pity.
- Then ask what you will do with that truth and plan the next adaptive step toward your goal.
