Attention Different | Adulting with ADHD "Hold On Tightly, Let Go Lightly" w/ Lindsay Quinn Pitre | Firesides Ep. 08
Nov 26, 2025
Lindsay Pitre, a director, producer, and lifelong ADHDer, shares her journey navigating ADHD since her teens. She discusses the struggle of understanding which habits, like her beloved Diet Coke, are comforting yet potentially harmful. Lindsay highlights the emotional anchors behind impulsive behaviors and the crucial need for self-compassion during relapse. With humor and honesty, she explores the importance of support systems and the challenge of masking in social settings, offering insights into healthier coping mechanisms.
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Medication Without Coping Skills
- Lindsay says medication was offered early but coping skills were not taught, leaving her to learn strategies decades later through therapy and practice.
- That gap turned into a long process of building habits and self-taught coping mechanisms.
Hold On Tightly, Let Go Lightly
- Evaluate which habits to 'hold on tightly' and which to 'let go lightly' to prioritize coping strategies that actually help.
- Use that framing to decide what to preserve for stability and what to release with compassion.
Diet Coke As A Stress Anchor
- Lindsay Pitre describes developing a Diet Coke habit while directing her first documentary and using fizzy drinks to cope with stress.
- The habit became severe enough to cause stomach problems and require a prescription (omeprazole) while filming.