Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

Happy summer, everyone! Because of the holiday weekend, we’re re-airing one of our favorite Hyperfocus episodes yet, which happens to be our very first one. We’ll be back in your feeds with a fresh show in two weeks. After her daughter was born, Rae Jacobson was hit by a bout of severe postpartum depression. Back then, there wasn’t much out there about ADHD and women, let alone ADHD and postpartum mental health.Rae had heard that there was a link between ADHD and postpartum depression. But with a tiny baby to care for and a life to navigate, she had more pressing things to deal with. But the question kept bugging her: Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression?This week on Hyperfocus, Rae finally gets some answers to questions she has had for years. Her guest is Dr. Catherine Birndorf, an expert on postpartum mood disorders and co-founder, CEO, and medical director of The Motherhood Center of New York.We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.Timestamps(02:55) ADHD as a postpartum concern(09:47) PMADs: Not just the ‘baby blues’(14:21) What can struggling parents do?(21:07) Medication and pregnancyRelated resourcesCatherine’s book: What No One Tells You3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHD 72 hours in the life of a working mom with ADHDParenting tips when you and your child have ADHD Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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 you think about someone taking a psychedelic drug like magic mushrooms, the first images that come to mind probably don’t involve a medical professional in a white coat or any sort of clinical setting. However, the perception of these drugs is changing as researchers and health professionals continue to learn new ways these drugs can treat a variety of mental health conditions. Much of the research has to do with microdosing, or taking such a small dose of a drug that it doesn’t produce a “trip.” One of the more commonly microdosed drugs is psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms.” That led our small-but-mighty team at Hyperfocus to wonder, “What could this all mean for ADHD treatment?” So, we looked for someone who might know, and it led us to Dr. Richard A. Friedman. He’s a professor, psychiatrist, and director of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University’s medical school. Richard has also written about his areas of expertise for The New York Times and is a contributing writer at The Atlantic.  On this week’s episode of Hyperfocus, he sits down with mental health journalist Rae Jacobson to answer all her questions on microdosing, psychedelics as medicine, and what it could mean for ADHD and more. Related resourcesADHD alternative treatmentADHD treatment without medication: What are my options?Richard’s piece on microdosing in The AtlanticTimestamps(02:58) What is microdosing?(10:43) What do we know about ADHD and microdosing?(15:30) How do psychedelics work in the brain?(30:44) Richard’s hopes for future research and microdosingWe love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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 gets mentioned a lot in the new report from the Make America Healthy Again commission. It’s pitched as part of the “childhood chronic disease crisis,” and the authors make a lot of big claims:Food additives cause behavioral disordersTime outside can help treat ADHDADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreatedBut are any of these claims legit? We asked a licensed psychologist who specializes in learning and thinking differences like ADHD. Dr. Andy Kahn also happens to be Understood’s Associate Director, Behavior Change and Expertise.He’s spent decades working with kids and families with ADHD, and he joins this episode of Hyperfocus to talk us through more of the MAHA report and what it has to say about kids with ADHD.(PS…if you didn’t listen to our last episode breaking down the science in the report, definitely  go check it out.)Related resourcesThe MAHA report on ADHD is misleading — a researcher explains whyADHD meds at risk? Unpacking the new executive order, DEA proposalADHD alternative treatmentTimestamps(02:00) How do food additives interact with ADHD?(04:58) Can exposure to environmental toxins cause ADHD?(10:07) Does lack of exposure to nature lead to ADHD?(16:55) All about ADHD diagnosis and treatment levels(28:55) Recap of takeaways from the reportFor a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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

On this bonus episode of Hyperfocus, we dive into the controversial new “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, released by a commission led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The 73-page document claims to explain what it calls a rise in “childhood chronic diseases” like ADHD, by pointing fingers at antibiotics, food dyes, and even a lack of outdoor play. But there’s a major catch: some of the report’s sources don’t actually exist. In the first of a two-part series, Dr. KJ Wynne — a Harvard-trained population health researcher — joins the conversation to unpack how the report was assembled and where it falls short, particularly regarding ADHD. From debunking flawed claims to clarifying what real research actually says, this episode sets the record straight. Related resourcesADHD meds at risk? Unpacking the new executive order, DEA proposalRead the MAHA report A history of learning disabilities and ADHDHow ADHD medication worksTimestamps(02:40) Questionable methodology and AI hallucinations (06:26) Are more people developing ADHD, or are we getting better at diagnosing?(10:04) Do antibiotics really increase the risk of ADHD?(17:02) Parsing through big claims on stimulant medications(26:00) Do stimulants cause height loss? For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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

If you haven’t heard of financial therapy before reading this, don’t worry. It’s new for us, too. But when a past Hyperfocus guest told us to look up Dr. Christine Hargrove, we listened, and were so curious we had to get her on the show. Fortunately, she was game to share her expertise with us and our listeners. She kindly answered our basic questions (what is financial therapy, really?) and some of the trickier ones, like how to manage finances with a partner when one of you has ADHD and the other doesn’t. Listen or watch now for a truly enlightening episode. Related resourcesImpulse buying, negative bank balances, and the ADHD tax (Paulette Perhach’s story)Podcast: ADHD and impulsive spending  Timestamps(02:41) What is financial therapy? (10:15) How can I get better at managing money with a partner? (20:43) What’s your best advice on ADHD and money? For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.org.We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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

On this very special episode of Hyperfocus, host Rae Jacobson interviews three of these women — Sari Solden, Terry Matlen, and Dr. Ellen Littman — along with Dr. Michelle Frank, a psychologist taking up the torch for a new generation. Together, they discuss how they met, their journey to legitimize ADHD in women, and what they hope for the future. Related resourcesClimbing the WallsMissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women ChannelTimestamps(06:22) Discovering you aren’t alone(13:18) The disconnect between academia and the rest of the world(21:22) The benefits of treatment and community (28:05) ADHD isn’t always a superpowerFor a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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

Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now.In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, we’re sharing an episode of our sibling podcast from Understood.org, ADHD Aha! The episode features our very own Rae Jacobson and, appropriately, it’s a conversation about motherhood. More specifically, it’s about being a mom (and a woman) with ADHD. Hope you enjoy, and see you in two weeks.  What makes being a mom with ADHD so hard? Navigating executive functions and emotional labor, for one. And feeling burned out when burnout isn’t an option — because there’s always something else that needs your very limited attention!Talking about it with someone who just “gets it” is such a relief. In this episode, Laura talks to her friend and colleague Rae Jacobson, also a mom with ADHD. Listen to their conversation and insights on this bonus Mother’s Day episode.Related resourcesRolling with my ADHD Mom BrainBuilding self-compassion skills3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHDTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the “ADHD Aha!” podcast page at Understood.We’d love to hear from you. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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

Sarah Greenberg, a seasoned psychotherapist and vice president at Understood.org, joins the discussion on what it truly means to thrive, particularly for those with ADHD. They propose that thriving isn't just about external success but involves personal fulfillment. The SPARK model is introduced, highlighting purpose, autonomy, and meaningful relationships. Delving into happiness, they contrast surface-level joy with deep, meaningful contentment. This insightful conversation challenges societal norms, advocating for a more individualized understanding of thriving.

We have a special treat for you this week on the usual off-week in our feed. It’s an episode of a brand new, investigative podcast called Climbing the Walls.If you caught our last episode, you heard from the podcast’s host, Danielle Elliot. She’s been working with a team of us at Understood.org to put together the limited series, which just launched.  On Climbing the Walls, Danielle digs into the reasons behind the rise of ADHD diagnoses in women since the pandemic and uncovers what going undiagnosed for so long has cost women.The first episode is called “I didn’t want to have ADHD.” Give it a listen and if you like what you hear, check out Climbing the Walls wherever you get your podcasts.See you next week!For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the Climbing the Walls page on Understood. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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

If you follow ADHD news, you might’ve heard that diagnosis rates in women nearly doubled during the pandemic. Danielle Elliot was one of them, receiving her diagnosis just before she turned 37. Danielle is also a science and health journalist. So, she did the thing that many reporters are inclined to do — she began investigating this big, new thing in her life and how it fit into the world around her.As she dug in deeper, she landed on two big questions relating to the pandemic diagnosis boom: Why women? And why now? Her answers culminated in a new podcast from Understood.org called Climbing the Walls. It’s a six-episode series, and the first installment is out now. This week on Hyperfocus, Danielle visits the show to talk about her ADHD experience and what it’s like reporting a story where you’re one of the characters. Related resourcesListen to Climbing the WallsI’m a journalist with ADHD. Here’s how I get it done.ADHD and womenTimestamps(1:25) The origins of Danielle’s story (7:50) Surprises during the reporting process (12:05) What it felt like to get a diagnosis (22:14) Danielle’s big takeaways from making the showFor a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.We’d love to hear from you. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Introducing “MissUnderstood,” the first-ever podcast channel for women with ADHD. Listen now: lnk.to/missunderstoodUnderstood 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