ADHD Aha! When simple things aren’t simple with ADHD (Terry Matlen’s story)
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Jan 20, 2026 Terry Matlen, a psychotherapist and leading expert in ADHD for women, shares her personal journey from feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks to finding her voice in the ADHD community. She discusses the shame often associated with domestic expectations and the clarity brought by her diagnosis. Terry highlights the struggles of executive function and emotional dysregulation, offering practical advice for moms with ADHD. With warmth and encouragement, she emphasizes the importance of community and understanding in navigating life with ADHD.
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Wooden Spoon Moment
- Terry Matlen froze holding a wooden spoon while a chatty guest kept talking and she didn’t know what to do next.
- That moment illustrated how mundane tasks can become overwhelming for someone with ADHD.
Executive Function Blocks Simple Steps
- Terry links the wooden spoon overwhelm to executive functioning failures that block moving from A to B.
- She highlights sensory and social stimuli plus perfection worries as triggers for that breakdown.
Emotional Dysregulation Amplifies Overwhelm
- Emotional dysregulation amplifies executive dysfunction so reactions escalate quickly.
- That mix produces shame and surprise at one's own behavior, which compounds the problem.
