ADHD Aha!

Musician and content creator Weston Gardner discusses his experience with ADHD, rejection sensitivity, and the power of failure. Topics include ADHD and gaming, therapeutic benefits of tabletop role-playing games, understanding and managing neurodivergency, and Weston's act of giving to the community through royalty-free music for tabletop games and more.

Max Willey, an expat living in Norway, shares his journey of being diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression in adulthood. He discusses the challenges of complex tasks, the relief of his diagnosis, and the downsides and positives of ADHD. The podcast explores early signs and symptoms of ADHD, writing a thesis with the condition, maintaining friendships, and living with ADHD by emphasizing self-awareness and coping strategies.

Allison O’Keefe, a UX designer in Detroit, discusses her journey with ADHD, including social awkwardness and accidentally ghosting people. They explore her childhood experiences, overthinking in relationships, and the benefits of therapy. Allison expresses gratitude for being interviewed and shares her aspirations for starting her own podcast.

Lawyer Adam Sosnik was miserable in his job. Miserable when he couldn’t concentrate, which was often. Miserable because it was physically uncomfortable to focus on even a small thing, like writing a single sentence. The trouble was, he was being treated for anxiety and depression, but not ADHD.  When he began working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, his wife noticed his frustration. And with her encouragement, he booked an appointment with a new psychiatrist. That led to an ADHD diagnosis, which validated the discomfort Adam felt. But it also marked the beginning of a new struggle. Also in this episode: Adam talks about ADHD and tics and his experience with Tourettic OCD (TOCD). And how he’s charted a new way of living that’s finally made him happy.To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org.We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.  Related resourcesADHD and ticsADHD and mood swingsA day in the life of an employee with ADHD Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Pediatrician Josh Maxwell had two “aha” moments that led to his ADHD diagnosis. One came from talking with a teenage patient whose ADHD symptoms were different from what he’d seen in other patients. It wasn’t that the teen couldn’t pay attention, but rather that they were paying attention to everything all at once. Josh related to that feeling.  Josh’s other ADHD “aha” came from his experience with depression. After starting antidepressants, he could more clearly see his own ADHD symptoms. Now, the coping strategies he’d put in place for himself, the masking, and even the childhood poem he wrote about fidgeting made perfect sense. Listen to this episode of ADHD Aha! to learn what Josh would rename ADHD, and why pediatrics is the only specialty for him.   To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org. Related resourcesADHD and depressionHow attention worksShould I get tested for ADHD as an adult? Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Have you ever noticed that people with ADHD say some pretty negative things about themselves? After recording 50 episodes of the ADHD Aha! podcast, we certainly had noticed this. In this special episode, host Laura Key and producer Jessamine Molli count down the five most common labels and adjectives guests use to describe their ADHD symptoms and behaviors. They listen to clips and dive deep into ADHD myths and stereotypes. Laura also shares her take on what the ADHD Aha! podcast is really about.  To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.  Related resourcesCommon ADHD mythsADHD and the myth of laziness (Rebecca’s story)Remember: ADHD is real Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Max Siegel (he/they) was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Throughout that process, Max encountered some of the same fears and myths around ADHD as he does around transness: “You just want an excuse.” “You just want to be lazy.” Max, an LGBTQ+ transgender and neurodiversity inclusion speaker and consultant, found that coming out gave him resilience. And that same resilience helped him cope with his ADHD diagnosis.  Max and host Laura Key also talk about ADHD symptoms and gender identity. Max, who was assigned female at birth, was socialized as a woman until his 20s. He talks about anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and other ADHD-related challenges he’s faced — and how ADHD can get missed because of a person’s gender.  A note about this episode: Max talks about how he felt he needed to “convince” his doctor he had ADHD. We can’t speak to the differences between how ADHD is diagnosed and treated in the UK vs. the United States. However, well-trained and credentialed evaluators should be capable of making accurate diagnoses without convincing. For detailed, easy-to-understand information on ADHD diagnosis in adults, listen to Season 2 of our Understood Explains podcast.  To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.  We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.  Related resources ADHD and myth of lazinessLGBTQIA+ and ADHD: Tips to support your childADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

ADHD coach Cathy Rashidian spent the first 20 years of her career climbing the corporate ladder. She was a workaholic with undiagnosed ADHD. Then two major life events shifted her path and perspective.  At 35, she was diagnosed with cancer. She kept craving going back to work after treatment, even though she wasn’t ready. Then she had a baby at age 40. She felt overwhelmed and like she had control over nothing. Finally, after her doctor’s fourth suggestion, she got tested for ADHD. From there everything started to make sense.  Cathy, who’s also the host of the Proudly ADHD podcast, talks about being a working mom with ADHD, her PMDD diagnosis, and “compassionate scheduling” to feel and function as best as possible. Join host Laura Key and Cathy’s discussion on ADHD in women, parenting, shame, and more. To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.  Related resourcesCathy’s podcast Proudly ADHDADHD and hormones (Catie’s story)8 common myths about ADHD Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Growing up, Henry Lang kept hearing that he was too disorganized and “not smart enough.” Then in high school, he was diagnosed with ADHD and started getting support through a 504 plan.  Now, Henry is a teacher in Vermont dedicating his career to — and even writing his thesis on — teaching kids with ADHD. He has trouble giving himself the same empathy he shows his students, though. Henry, like many of us with ADHD, often calls the mistakes he makes because of his ADHD “dumb.” Henry and host Laura Key unpack what he really means when he says “dumb” — and how other ADHD-ers might internalize and misuse that word, too.To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.  Related resourcesCheck out some of Henry’s Understood content: How to declutter your CPU desktop screenAnother ADHD Aha! episode: Not “dumb” or a “hot mess” … it’s ADHD (Jenny’s story)Classroom accommodations for ADHD Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Mallory Band was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety when she was 8 years old. She has two brothers with ADHD, but their ADHD looked different. They were hyperactive on the outside. But Mallory felt hyperactive on the inside. She struggled with perfectionism, people pleasing, and big emotions. As with many women who have ADHD, imposter syndrome set in as she got older.  Mallory’s “aha” moment came well after her ADHD diagnosis — when she was in graduate school learning about executive function. It was the first time she had stopped to think about how her own brain worked, and how burnt out she was from pushing herself against it. Now she’s an executive function coach who helps people with ADHD lean into the power of saying “no.”  To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.  We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.  Related resourcesMore from Mallory: Imposter syndrome at work: How I stopped feeling like a fakeADHD and anxietyADHD in girls Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give