MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

If you have ADHD or autism, research shows you’re at a much higher risk for developing chronic pain — a connection many doctors and patients still don’t know about. In this episode of Hyperfocus, we talk with a doctor who’s trying to change that.Dr. Michael Lenz, a Wisconsin-based pain specialist, explains what the medical community is discovering about the connection between ADHD, autism, and chronic pain, including conditions like fibromyalgia and migraines. He also shares stories from his practice, including times when treating a patient’s ADHD unexpectedly improved their chronic pain symptoms.For more on this topic:  Dr. Lenz’s podcast and bookThe Weak Link: Hypotonia in Infancy and Autism Early Identification - PMCADHD-pain: Characteristics of chronic pain and association with muscular dysregulation in adults with ADHDOrder friend of the show Craig Thomas’ book NIH study on joint hypermobility For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this listener Q&A, Cate tackles two wildly relatable ADHD questions: sudden sensory discomfort during intimacy, and the maddening cycle of not being able to start a task… then not being able to stop. From sensory overload and burnout to hyperfocus, momentum anxiety, and emotional regulation, Cate breaks down what’s going on and how to navigate it without losing it. Thanks to our listeners for these deeply ADHD-coded questions! Keep ’em coming.For more on this topic: Listen: ADHD and sensory overwhelmListen: ADHD sensory challenges and sexRead: ADHD and hyperfocusFor a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this final episode of Climbing the Walls, Danielle explores the frustration women with ADHD feel toward a medical community that can’t answer their questions about how hormones impact ADHD. Searching for answers, they turn to online communities for information and support.Danielle talks to experts about the latest research on ADHD in women and what the future of treatment could look like.More on this story:A guide to hormones and ADHDADHD and periodsADHD and menopauseFor a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On episode 5 of Climbing the Walls, Danielle attends an ADHD camp in Michigan and hears stories from several women about being diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Many of them have one thing in common.More on this story: I’m sure my mom has ADHD. Should I tell her?What is the ADHD tax?“Who are we missing?” One doctor’s lifelong fight for women with ADHDFor a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Climbing the Walls, ADHD finds itself at the center of mental health discourse — and some see it not as a disorder but as a strength. Danielle investigates the origins of this theory and questions who benefits from the rebranding of ADHD.More on this story: What does “thriving” with ADHD actually look like?The myth of the ADHD “superpower”For a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On episode 3 of Climbing the Walls, we see that as ADHD content explodes during the pandemic, many people seek care for the first time. That includes many Black women. But new telehealth rules also open the door for potential misdiagnosis. More on this story:ADHD symptoms in womenHow to handle a misdiagnosisA day in Danielle’s lifeFor a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sari Solden, a therapist and author, has been pivotal in shedding light on the unique experiences of women with ADHD. In this discussion, she shares her own struggles with memory and organization, the shame often felt by women, and how their symptoms frequently go unnoticed. Sari emphasizes the cultural pressures that exacerbate these feelings and highlights the importance of her groundbreaking book, which has validated countless women's experiences. Her insights reveal the deep emotional legacies of ADHD and its impact on identity.

We’re back with another spicy Reddit Reactions episode!This week, we dive into two wildly relatable ADHD relationship posts: one about a partner claiming “you lost your sparkle” (eye roll), and another spiraling over chores, shame, and new-job burnout. We unpack toxic dynamics, people-pleasing, clutter blindness, and why you’re not weaponizing incompetence. For more on this topic: Listen: ADHD, cheating, and weaponized incompetenceWatch: ADHD and people-pleasingRead: What IS weaponized incompetence?Timestamps:(01:00) A sparkle-stealing husband(04:10) Is it ADHD… or a toxic partner?(08:20) ADHD shame spiral: “I can’t do anything right!”(11:40) Clutter blindness and burnoutFor a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This month, we’re featuring our limited series Climbing the Walls. Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she explores the surge in ADHD diagnoses among women. She shares her own story and speaks with experts and women across the country to uncover why it’s happening — and why now.In this first episode, when Danielle finds herself among the many women diagnosed with ADHD during the pandemic, she gets curious. Why women? Why now? This question takes her to northern Michigan, to meet a friend’s mom.More on this story: ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)Older women and ADHD: How the lost generation got foundThree days with ADHDFor a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the most urgent ADHD research gaps has to do with ADHD and trans people. We know there are lots of trans folks with ADHD. But when it comes to understanding how best to treat them, it’s a whole different story. That’s why we wanted to talk to someone who knows this experience well. Ivan Hsiao is the founder of Trans Health HQ. He joined this week’s Hyperfocus to share his own diagnosis story and to talk about what we do (and don’t) know about being trans with ADHD. For more on this topic: Trans Health HQBeing trans with ADHD (Max’s story)Talking about neurodivergence and gender identityTimestamps: (01:26) Ivan’s diagnosis story(11:18) Trans broken arm syndrome(13:56) What research is there on ADHD in trans people? (17:23) How to practice better careFor a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.