ADHD reWired

⭐ ADHD reWired's Monthly Live Q&A is next week, July 11th at 10;30am Pacific/1:30pm Eastern!  Go to adhdrewired.com/events to get registered to join the ADHD reWired team LIVE and ask your ADHD-related questions! ⭐  In this episode, Eric is joined by Renee Rosales!  Renee is a mother, educator, advocate, and transformational leader who has always possessed a deep passion for education.  As an innovator, Renee established two of the first virtual schools in Arizona.  She collaborated with educational partners, co-founding Marana Distance Learning K12 in 2004.  Then, less than two years later, she founded Northern Arizona Distance Learning. Also known as NADL, it is the first online public school in the northern half of the state!  As a visionary, Renee believes that with  the right amount of education and determination, anything is possible!  Renee has made it her mission to create a better way for the neurodiverse community! In addition to being a co-founder of the two virtual schools, she is also the founder of Theara - a business in supporting the neurodiverse community from birth to adulthood.  As a visionary, Renee consistently strives to make the intangible tangible by building bridges, connections, and relationships that positively transform all aspects of life!  Find out more about Renee at Theara.com Some of Renee’s acronyms shared in today’s episode: JOY: Journey forward, Organize & Optimism, Yield to wellness DREAM: Diet, Rest, Exercise, Activity outdoors, Mindfulness  ABC: Aware, Brave, Curious LIGHT: Listen, Integrate, Guide, Honor, Transform  Questions/Topics:  [00:01:06] Introducing Renee [00:02:34] What brought Renee into the world of ADHD and neurodiversity?  [00:03:58] Problem solving, big solutions, follow through, and coping strategies  [00:06:26] Joy and finding focus  [00:07:27] Dealing with trauma [00:12:03] The spark of Lighting the Way  [00:13:31] Living the D.R.E.A.M. and moving forward [00:16:51] Observing trauma in schools and feeling defeated [00:21:42] Organizing for optimism  [00:22:20] What’s a capsule wardrobe?  [00:25:47] Holding onto wellness  [00:29:50] Helping folks in the workplace and safely unmasking  [00:37:54] Environment Social Governance guidelines (ESG)  [00:39:33] Where to learn more about ESG  [00:40:58] Advice for employees bringing information & accommodations  to the workplace  [00:44:40] Closing thoughts and where to find Renee Resources & Honorable Mentions: Learn more about ESG by searching: Ernst & Young Deloitte   🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

In this episode, the owner of Organize365 - Lisa Woodruff -  joins Eric on the podcast!  Organize365 has conducted academic research, establishing the definitions of house work, home organization, and the weight of paper in the American home.  This ongoing research is making the invisible work at home visible to all, so we can eliminate it, free people from the monotonous tasks of daily living, and unlock our time for what we are uniquely created to do!  Lisa is also a natural tinkerer and a lover of puzzles, a kindergarten teacher, used to organize people’s homes when she used to babysit, and even used to organize teachers’ classrooms.   If you’re wondering how you can get your home organized, then this is the episode to listen to, because today, Eric and Lisa will discuss the idea that organization is a learnable skill!  You’ll hear some of Lisa’s rules for taking on new projects and her 24-hour rule, visual clutter, what to do with incomplete projects, where piles come from, and breaking down the Sunday Basket.   Find Lisa’s book, her research and her podcast at organize365.com! Find Organize365 on YouTube @organize365 Questions/Topics:  [00:01:51] Introducing Lisa  [00:03:11] What was the “why” for Lisa to get into becoming organized?  [00:07:11] What are the helpful questions that Lisa asks her clients?  [00:10:09] A brief discussion on (perceptions of) minimalism   [00:10:38] How do we live more through having less? (And is “less” the “right” answer?)  [00:12:26] “So what?” and a discussion about visual clutter and accumulating projects and hobbies  [00:16:20] Clutter, piles, and what to do with purchases and returns  [00:19:43] ADHD and home ownership  [00:23:27] What is the Sunday Basket? And Lisa’s thoughts about “being behind” when organizing  [00:27:03] What are the Four Binders? [00:31:51] Questions to ask yourself when utilizing your calendar and staying organized  [00:34:53] Taking care of financial documents  [00:41:57] Lisa shares her ADHD story and a discussion on executive function and working memory  [00:47:22] Diving into Lisa’s academic studies about organization as a skill  [00:51:18] How many people care about being organized?   [00:55:12] Lisa on investing in our household and what’s in our control  [00:56:58] Closing thoughts  Resources & Honorable Mentions: “If you have something that’s working for YOU, absolutely do not change it!” - Lisa  “Stop trying to get an “A” in your housework.” - Lisa  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community and want some real-time accountability? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

On today’s show, Eric is joined by Marcy Caldwell, Psy.D!  Marcy is a psychologist, writer, and proud mom of 2, who has been helping adults with ADHD thrive in their work, relationships, and parenting for over 20 years.  She is a passionate advocate for adults with ADHD and is dedicated to helping them create environments that unlock the unique genius of their brains!   Marcy is also the founder of ADDept.org, a blog and resource for adults with ADHD, and is also the owner of Rittenhouse Psychological Services, a practice specializing in adult ADHD in the Philadelphia area. In addition, Marcy is also the creator of Meltdown to Mastery!  Learn more about Marcy and find her masterclass, Meltdown to Mastery, at ADDept.org! Are you in the Philadelphia area?  Check out Rittenhouse Psychological Services!    Questions/Topics:  [00:00:57] Introducing Marcy and how she got into the world of ADHD  [00:03:31] A family with ADHD and being in the messy middle  [00:05:50] Regulatory differences between neurotypical and ADHD brains  [00:07:21] Activation, stopping, and on/off switches  [00:08:43] Three components of an ADHD experience  [00:15:32] “How do we know the difference between the emotional storms and emotional regulation challenges that are so often seen with ADHD… and the emotional storms / regulation challenges that come with other disorders, such as autism, borderline personality disorder, bi-polar, etc.?”  [00:20:11] Why does it matter to understand that an antecedent comes externally for emotional storms with ADHD compared to other differential diagnoses?  [00:22:08] How much of the emotional storms that are triggered by external events are more a trauma response vs. being organically related to ADHD?  [00:27:32] What is Meltdown to Mastery all about?  [00:30:21] Can the intentional use of distraction be a tool?  [00:32:02] A discussion on distraction vs. avoidance [00:36:31] Developing an understanding of identifying the “in-between” emotions and building conscientiousness  [00:40:35] Closing thoughts and more about Marcy  Resources & Honorable Mentions: “I believe in the power of understanding.” – Marcy  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

Join the ADHD reWired Team every second Tuesday of the month for our monthly Live Q&A!  Get this episode uninterrupted by ads when you become a Patron at $5.00 a month or more by going to adhdrewired.com/Patreon!  Questions/Topics: [00:01:06] Welcome & introductions  [00:02:03] A listener, who was diagnosed with ADHD within the week of the recording of this episode, asks the panelists about taking stimulant medication.   [00:08:51] “When you are trying to be open with your job or others about your ADHD, how would you handle your response?”  [00:19:29] Another listener who was also recently diagnosed with ADHD asks, “What is your advice?  How do you work with a leader at work who is very linear and very neurotypical when your best comes out when you’re not?” [00:28:00] “I have autism.  Is it true that ADHD drugs tend to not work for autistic patients?  Do we have any possible reasons why, if it’s true?”  [00:34:05] A listener, who has treatment-resistant depression, is unable to take ADHD medication, and has been experiencing fatigue, asks the panelist if fatigue is an ADHD symptom.   [00:41:29] A listener asks the panelists to recap the good sides of ADHD.   🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

In this episode, Eric is joined by Vanessa Gorelkin! Vanessa is an east-coast transplant to Arizona where she lives with her son and husband (who both have ADHD)!  She graduated with a B.A. from Brandeis University and has a masters degree in Occupational Therapy from New York University.  Vanessa is also a Licensed Occupational Therapist in Arizona, and her career spans nearly 30 years!  She has served in both clinical and executive leadership roles, works with people all over the world, and is passionate about bringing out the best in all the people she works with! Learn more about Vanessa by visiting her website at vanessagorelkin.com & find her on Instagram at @humanist_therapist  In today’s show, you’ll hear about mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment based therapy (ACT).  Then, you’ll hear about deep breathing, using spicy food or sour candies to help regulate, setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion and resilience.  Finally, you’ll listen to ways to work on activation, sensory processing issues and the nervous system, sensory accommodations, and the importance of breaking down activities into smaller steps.   Questions/Topics:  [00:02:18] Introducing Vanessa [00:04:00] The importance of emotional self-regulation  [00:04:51] What is an Occupational Therapist (OT)?  [00:06:19] How does an OT help people with ADHD around emotional regulation skills?  [00:07:30] What is acceptance and commitment based therapy (ACT)? What about radical acceptance?  [00:08:23] What is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)?  [00:09:50] Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) [00:10:52] A discussion on rejection sensitivity, BPD, ADHD, and trauma  [00:17:28] Eric asks Vanessa about the common “chief complaints” she experiences in her practice  [00:18:48] What are some examples of the skills Vanessa helps clients work with, and how does she help them do that?  [00:20:34] What do I do when my brain gets “hijacked?” and TIPP skills [00:24:59] Vanessa talks about sour and spicy for regulation  [00:27:14] Proactive skills vs. responding in-the-moment  [00:31:18] The intersectionality between anger, boundaries, and boundary violations [00:32:26] ** You need to hear this.  [00:33:03] External pressures, checking your calendar, and your right to say “no”  [00:35:15] Saying “no” when it feels bad, and therapy vs. coaching  [00:37:26] What is the OT approach for activation? [00:43:18] Sensory processing issues being missed with ADHD  [00:45:24] Does sensory processing get worse with age?  [00:49:34] Closing Thoughts  Resources & Honorable Mentions: “People sometimes get really hung up on a diagnosis… What my attitude about a diagnosis is:  It helps us understand what tools we can use, but it does not define you as a human being.” - Vanessa  “Masquerading as 'normal' is exhausting.” - Eric  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

In today’s show, Eric is joined by Liz Angoff!  Liz is a licensed educational psychologist with a diplomate in school neuropsychology, providing assessment and consultation services to children and their families in the Bay area.  She is the author of the Brain Building Books and is constantly creating new tools to help parents and providers empower children to help them understand their unique brains.  Learn more about Liz and her books at brainbuidingbook.com! In this episode, you’ll hear about Liz’s mission to help neurodiverse kids understand and create their personal narratives, how parents can understand their kids better, how Liz has found purpose through her own anxiety, and using affirming language to communicate.   Then, you’ll hear about the importance of articulating and communicating intentions, engaging in self-awareness conversations with kids, acknowledging parent-guilt, when hyper-verbalism and auditory processing collide, transitions, screen time, and more!  Find more from Liz at   Questions/Topics:  [00:02.08] Introducing Liz [00:04:10] Having conversations with kids about their diagnoses &  [00:06:38] Liz shares her diagnosis story and her experiences with sensory overwhelm [00:10:11] Eric asks Liz about self-disclosure when talking to parents and kids  [00:19:24] Exploring the neurodivergent home of Eric Tivers and problem-solving at home [00:22:31] Identifying the problem and how to better understand a child’s experiences [00:29:02] Iterating: Experimentation, evaluation, and assessment  [00:31:42] Addressing concerns as a parent and needs as an adult  [00:33:51] Worrying about our kids growing up into adults; What-ifs, jumping to conclusions, and catastrophizing  [00:37:22] Eric opens up about what happens at home  [00:39:26] The importance of relearning and reintegrating skills when reaching milestones  [00:41:58] Transitions, outings, and screen time  [00:48:26] Closing thoughts from Liz  Resources & Honorable Mentions: Eric’s episode with his son - 483: Neurodivergence Runs in the Family Book: The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D Website: Collaborative & Proactive Solutions - Ross Greene, Ph.D at www.cpsconnection.com 🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

In this episode, Eric is joined by Kim Alexander!  Kim is a clinical social worker turned stay-at-home mom.  After being diagnosed with ADHD in 2022 at the age of 53, she enrolled in ADHD reWired’s Coaching & Accountability Groups.  Furthering her ADHD journey, at the time of recording, she became involved as a peer mentor, or “ADDmin” for the coaching groups.  In between parenting three kids (who all have ADHD,) Kim enjoys storytelling, political activism, skiing, or anything involving snow.  She is also a competitive acapella singer who has won three international medals with her show chorus!  On today’s show, you’ll hear Eric and Kim talk about inattentive ADHD, Kim’s experience and what she learned going through the coaching groups, how the pandemic affected her, and the positive impacts of self-acceptance and letting go of self-judgment.  Then, you’ll get to hear Kim narrate a short story she wrote, her passion for storytelling, her unique family experiences, and her hopes for others with ADHD who hear her story.   Questions/Topics:  [00:01:10] Introducing Kim  [00:02:12] Dear ADHD…  [00:04:18] What brought Kim back to seek out an ADHD diagnosis and start working on ADHD management?  [00:14:15] Kim takes us on her journey of the last 12 months  [00:17:29] Over the last year, what are some changes Kim has observed and experienced after going through ArC?  [00:19:40] Self-acceptance, self-compassion, and being a mom  [00:26:41] “I’m not going to have anything interesting to share.”  [00:28:51] Opening up on feelings of “not enough” [00:36:56] Long-term planning. bucket lists, and The Moth [00:40:25] Kim shares her moth story  [00:45:57] Kim on storytelling and her unique experience [00:48:55] Eric asks Kim to “sing” out the show  [00:51:16] Closing Thoughts  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

In this episode, Jessica Hicksted joins Eric on the podcast!  Jessica was late-diagnosed with autism and ADHD and brings together her life experiences and education to advocate for invisible disabilities.  Growing up the “awkward kid,” she faced life’s rough spots head-on, creating resilience and determination.  These skills proved valuable in completing her PhD and dedicating her research into invisible disabilities to help promote positive social change.  You’ll hear Eric and Jessica talk about workplace success for people with invisible disabilities, masking and executive-function drains, and ableism.  Then, you’ll also hear about how Jessica got diagnosed, self-advocacy, disclosure or nondisclosure in the workplace, what Jessica uncovered in her research, and the benefits and values to businesses for being more accommodating.   Find some of her writing on ADDitude Magazine!   Questions/Topics:  [00:01:06] Introducing Jessica & meeting at CHADD  [00:02:13] Diving into Jessica’s research, and, “How do we–from a systems perspective–help individuals be successful in the workplace?”  [00:05:23] Are the tides really starting to turn in the workplace about invisible disabilities?  [00:06:27] Masking in the workplace  [00:09:25] Jessica’s experience of being diagnosed as an adult after becoming a parent [00:16:14] What is an invisible disability? [00:18:56] Disclosure vs. intended disclosure [00:19:42] What does the data say about disclosure?  [00:21:10] What kinds of questions did Jessica ask while doing her research?  [00:24:24] A conversation on the prevalence of ableism in the workplace  [00:27:58] Transparency and opening the door of communication  [00:33:28] Money talk: What is the benefit and value for businesses to be more inclusive and accommodating for people with invisible disabilities?  What does the data show?  [00:38:30] In Jessica’s data, were there any industries that were ‘better’ with acceptance in the workplace than others?  [00:42:18] What are some questions a prospective employee could ask to try and gauge if they will be entering a friendly workplace for neurodivergent brains?  [00:44:52] If there could be one big change in the workplace to help individuals with invisible disabilities, what would that change look like?   [00:45:53] Closing thoughts  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

Join the ADHD reWired Team every second Tuesday of the month for our monthly Live Q&A!  Get this episode uninterrupted by ads when you become a Patron at $5.00 a month or more by going to adhdrewired.com/Patreon!  Questions/Topics:  [00:01:06] Welcome & introductions [00:02:44] A listener, who has treatment-resistant depression and asks for tips (other than exercise) to help manage ADHD, moods, and depression [00:13:29] “How are you using ChatGPT and how do you think it is most beneficial to someone with ADHD?” [00:22:14] “Why is it that, with ADHD brains, we can think really fast and great in some situations, but fail in traditional work situations?  If our brains work fast, why do we struggle in the real world?”  [00:28:50] A listener asks about non-prescription nootropics [00:34:43] “What is a good password manager?” [00:36:56] One of the panelists asks for tips to help the transition between seasons easier  [00:44:45] “How should I handle the fact that my ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) - Level 1 diagnosis dismissed my ADHD-combined diagnosis in 2019 as being better explained by autism? Am I ADHD or not? And should I stop by ADHD therapy and focus on Autism therapy, in that it might help indirectly with ADHD?”  [00:50:47] “Is there any research that indicates baseline dopamine levels are negatively impacted, over time, by taking stimulant medication?”  [00:52:44] Closing thoughts 🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

This week, Eric is joined by Abby Wilson!  Abby runs a global facilitation, mediation, and coaching practice from her beloved home in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.  She uses methods from the design field–A.K.A. design-thinking–to help individuals navigate career change, and helps organizations to lead with empathy, reframe challenges, and generate ideas.   Her ADHD diagnosis, 8 years ago at the age of 35, is one of those before-and-after life moments that so many of us can probably relate to, and is thrilled to be connecting the dots between design-thinking, her life’s work for the last 12 years, and her naturally “curly” mind!  Abby’s “curly” mind has lived in 6 countries, she has birthed a child she adores, has worked in many governments, and has enough letters after her name for a competitive Scrabble game!  In this conversation, you’ll hear Eric and Abby talk about design thinking, how it’s beneficial for ADHD folks, the messiness of the creative process, and solving for the right problem.  You’ll also hear about how having a lot of great ideas also means having a lot of not-so-great ideas, prioritizing, risk-taking, the importance of specificity, and why design-thinking is helpful for relationships, tapping into your creativity, and more.   Get in touch and learn more about design thinking and Abby at her website: abbywilson.com   Questions/Topics:  [00:01:10] Introducing Abby [00:02:41] What is design thinking?   [00:04:11] Abby on teaching iterative process, roadblocks faced during design thinking, and the messiness of the creative process  [00:05:13] Eric shares a real-life example and asks Abby about applying design thinking to this situation [00:07:09] The most basic framework for a design process is…  [00:08:04] The “Rose, Thorn, Bud” method for being endlessly curious and to start to add an additional layer of meaning  [00:11:35] Abby on finding a specific problem-definition and methods to help reframing  [00:13:55] What do we do when one idea spawns 20 other ideas?  How do we go back to the original idea when we get sidetracked with other ideas? [00:21:27] A discussion on prioritization: What do we do first? How do we say no?  [00:22:56] The sweet spot of ideas and Abby’s favorite method for prioritization: The Importance/Difficulty Matrix [00:25:42] Eric asks Abby, “What kinds of questions do you ask yourself when you’re trying to identify a ranked order of importance?” and defining “importance”  [00:27:21] Executive function use, observing energy and emotional investments, and emotional temperatures [00:32:17] Why do design thinking skills matter?  [00:37:12] Whether it’s a boss, a partner, a friend, or a group: How do we help them understand the value of design thinking?  [00:39:50] What do we do and how do we communicate when ideas happen “too fast?” [00:42:33] Abby shares a book recommendation [00:43:27] Connect with Abby and closing thoughts Resources: Article: The Double Diamond: A Universally Accepted Depiction of the Design Process  Article: Framework for Innovation: Design Council’s Evolved Double Diamond at designcouncil.org.uk  Article: Rose, Thorn, Bud at luma-institute.com Article: The Importance/Difficulty Matrix at luma-institute.com Book: The One Thing by Gary Keller Book: What Do You Do With an Idea? By Kobi Yamada Website: Stanford d.school at dschool.stanford.edu    Honorable Mentions: “...the things that we have captured become a participant in the conversation.”  “We can only define our challenges effectively if we’ve got good data and observations.”  “We don’t have to kill our darlings.”  “Design thinking helps us harness our natural curiosity and creativity to bring new things into the world.”  🌟 Check out the Other Podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network by going to adhdrewired.com/podcastnetwork 🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired's award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!