ADHD Aha!

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

Dr. Roberto Olivardia returns to the show to talk about ADHD and eating disorders in this bonus episode. He explains the different types of eating disorders — and why ADHD and eating disorders, like binge-eating disorder (BED), often co-occur. Dr. Olivardia shares how ADHD symptoms like impulsivity play a role in eating disorders. He also talks about treatment options and what to do if you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder and needs support. 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 resourcesFind support at The National Eating Disorders Association.And learn more about:ADHD and eating disordersADHD and depression 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

René Brooks was diagnosed with ADHD three separate times — at ages 7, 11, and 25 — so she’s had plenty of “aha” moments.  When René was a child, mental health and medication stigma kept her family from receiving vital education about ADHD. But when she was diagnosed at age 25, she was ready to tell everyone about her ADHD diagnosis.  René started Black Girl Lost Keys to empower Black women with ADHD. She’s an advocate, a content creator, and the host of the Life With Lost Keys podcast.  In this week’s episode of ADHD Aha!, René unpacks her childhood ADHD diagnoses. She shares how she’d mask her ADHD symptoms, and how that led to anxiety and depression in adulthood. Also in this episode: Is ADHD really a superpower? 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 resourcesRené Brooks’ podcast: Life With Lost KeysAll about ADHD medicationFrom The Opportunity Gap podcast: ADHD and race: What Black families need to know 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

Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and ADHD expert who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. As he learned about ADHD in his career, the signs felt familiar: impulsivity, trouble with focus, and more. He procrastinated constantly in college and was mischievous as a kid. He was even kicked out of Sunday school. Once he got his sleep apnea under control, his ADHD difficulties became even clearer — and it wasn’t just what you’d typically find in the DSM. (That’s the handbook health care professionals use when diagnosing things like ADHD.) Roberto is the host of Season 2 of Understood Explains, where he unpacks the ins and outs of adult ADHD diagnosis. He also has two kids with ADHD. Listen to this episode of ADHD Aha! to learn about ADHD and trouble sleeping, plus ADHD time zones (the “now” and the “not now”). 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 resourcesDriven to Distraction, by Edward M. Hallowell, MD, and John J. Ratey, MDHow ADHD affects sleep — and what you can do to helpIs it ADHD or a sleep disorder?Understood Explains Season 2: ADHD diagnosis in adults 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

Bonus episode! Laura talks with film writer and editor Ariel Fisher about Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once and its many connections to ADHD. How making the movie was an ADHD “aha” moment for director Daniel Kwan. How the film itself feels like a depiction of the ADHD brain. And how characters in the film show ADHD behaviors.  Fisher, who has ADHD, also talks about how the film reflects her own ADHD journey — from getting evaluated and diagnosed to taking ADHD medication.  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 Read about director Daniel Kwan’s ADHD “aha” momentCheck out Ariel Fisher’s piece about Everything Everywhere All at Once and ADHDLearn about the ADHD brain 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

When Shaun saw a clip of someone describing ADHD as “squirrels running on a conveyor belt in your brain,” his ears perked up. Then his wife discovered his doom bags. (“Doom” stands for “didn’t organize; only moved.”) Shaun started thinking about his trouble with organization and other signs of ADHD, and he decided to get evaluated. Now just three months after his ADHD diagnosis, Shaun, a listener who wrote in, is reflecting on how ADHD impacted him as a kid. He remembers feeling bored all the time and being labeled a slacker. Also in this conversation: Shaun’s love for graphic design and how he’s coping with ADHD at work.  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 messinessADHD and the myth of lazinessADHD and boredom 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