What does it actually take to finish a book with ADHD? 

Cate sits down with Erik Gude, her co-author of The ADHD Field Guide for Adults, to unpack five years of starts, stops, and persistence. They get into taking advantage of accessibility options and overcoming the shame of looming, unfinished projects to get this one done. 

For more on this topic 

• Listen: Infinite Quest (Cate and Erik’s podcast)
• Listen: ADHD and procrastination

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. J breaks down why taxes are so hard for the ADHD brain — and walks through practical systems to turn the annual chaos into a manageable to-do.

For more on this topic 

• Listen: ​​ADHD and how guilt hijacks your brain
• Watch: ADHD and accountability: Why it turns into shame (and what to do instead)
• Try: ADHD Unstuck (a free self-guided activity)

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

But in reporting this episode, we found that “ring of fire” ADHD isn’t recognized by mainstream science. Nor are brain scans approved by the FDA as a diagnostic tool for ADHD.

Our guest today, clinical psychologist Roberto Olivardia, PhD, explains why he believes Dr. Amen’s approach is unethical — and how it may lead to real harm for patients seeking answers.

For more on this topic

• Listen: Why there’s no “gold standard” for adult ADHD tests
• Listen: The ADHD content economy: How algorithms and incentives turn help into grift

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

From gaslighting and age gaps to the weird magic of “new relationship energy,” we read posts that make us laugh, cringe, and wonder — can memory be used as a weapon in a relationship?

For more on this topic

• Listen: ADHD and dating
• Listen: Is it love or is it dopamine?

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. J digs into why your brain keeps hitting replay on minor mistakes, why “I shouldn’t have said that” can echo for hours, and how emotional overdrive makes tiny errors feel enormous. 

You’ll get clear strategies to pause, notice patterns, and respond without spiraling. 

For more on this topic 

• Listen: ADHD and shame
• Read: The 3 areas of executive function
• Try: ADHD Unstuck (a free self-guided activity)

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

For more on this topic

• Listen: Kids are at a breaking point, and school policies might be to blame
• Listen: The uncertain future of special education in the United States
• The discrepancy model: What you need to know

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Cate sits down with KC Davis to unpack the messy, deeply human reality of sharing work at home. They talk about resentment, perfectionism, time blindness, trust, and why keeping score almost never fixes anything.

For more on this topic

• Listen: Managing expectations in relationships
• Read: How to Keep House While Drowning (KC’s book)

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Some days your ADHD brain tells a tiny fib just to survive the social jungle. Saying “yes” when you mean “no.” Inventing excuses for forgetting something obvious. Lying isn’t villainy here — it’s impulsivity, executive dysfunction, and a dash of fear.

In this episode of ADHD and, Dr. J digs into why ADHD makes dishonesty feel automatic. Plus clever ways to notice, pause, and try something different in the moment.

For more on this topic

• Listen: The noisy ADHD brain — plus ADHD and lying
• Read: Why ADHD lying happens (from ADDA)

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

As an adult with ADHD, I think about this all the time because our diagnosis is so stigmatized and so misunderstood. It’s overdiagnosed. It’s underdiagnosed. Everybody has it. Nobody has it.

If only there were a silver bullet or some test that could definitively say yes or no.

So, I asked the two Chicago School faculty members who got me thinking about this after their presentation at the CHADD conference last year: Jessica Rosenfeld, a clinical psychologist, and Reneh Karamians, a  neurorehabilitation psychologist.

They explained why adult ADHD diagnosis is so difficult, and how new scan technology holds promise for spotting ADHD in the brain. 

For more on this topic

• Listen: Is ADHD genetic? We asked a Harvard scientist
• Listen: Understood Explains: ADHD in adults

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

We’re talking with Dr. Mark Schrime, a surgeon with a PhD in the science of decision-making. Hear about the exhausting cycle of analysis paralysis, second-guessing, and decision fatigue that’s a reality for many people with ADHD. 

For more on this topic

• Listen: Analysis paralysis
• Read: ADHD and analysis paralysis

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Dr. J walks through what’s actually happening in your brain and nervous system during an ADHD mood spiral and how avoidance becomes “relief with hidden fees.” 

You’ll leave with simple, science-backed ways to regulate, start small, and recover faster when your brain gets loud.

For more on this topic

• Try: ADHD Unstuck (a free self-guided activity)
• Listen: ADHD and emotional dysregulation
• Read: ADHD and mood swings

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Today, we’re chatting with licensed counselor Mandi Dixon about why focus, memory, sleep, and emotional regulation can suddenly fall apart in your 40s. We also dig into why ADHD meds may stop working the way you’re used to — and what actually helps when carefully built systems stop cooperating.

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: ADHD and hormones
• Read: A guide to hormones and ADHD
• Read: ADHD and periods
• Explore: The Menopause Society

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. J breaks down why traditional resolution culture doesn’t work for ADHD brains — and how to approach goal setting after the January hype has worn off. 

We talk about executive dysfunction, motivation, and dopamine. And we share practical ways to set goals that are flexible, realistic, and actually sustainable. No fresh start energy here!

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: ADHD and perfectionism
• Listen: When ambition doesn’t match output
• Read: Little goals can be better than big resolutions

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

The problem is that many prominent voices have little to no formal training. And algorithmic incentives encourage creators to bait their audience.

Cate Osborn, known online as @catieosaurus, joins Hyperfocus to explain how the ADHD content economy works. She looks at why grifting thrives and how power, profit, and trust in online mental health spaces affect our understanding of ADHD.

For more on this topic:  

• Read: What is an ADHD coach?
• Read: 50% of mental health TikToks contain misinformation (The Guardian)
• More on Cate: Cate’s book, tour dates, and podcast

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Dr. J is joining us to talk about rumination, overthinking, and getting caught in a mood spiral as a woman with ADHD. We’re breaking down why we get stuck and practical ways to interrupt those thought loops. 

For more on this topic: 

• Try: ADHD Unstuck (a free self-guided activity)
• Listen: How to climb out of mental rabbit holes (from Hyperfocus)
• Read: ADHD and mood swings

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. J explains why traditional routines can feel impossible for ADHD brains — and what actually works. 

Think tiny, doable habits. Attaching new routines to things you already do. And yes, leaving room for rest, fun, and even the occasional “I forgot my socks” day.

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: ADHD and time perception
• Read: One woman’s daily routine with ADHD
• Read: How to build habits with ADHD
• Watch: Jessica McCabe on sticking to habits and routines

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org

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Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode of Hyperfocus, journalist Jia Lynn Yang joins Rae to examine how major school policy shifts in the U.S. have changed what’s expected of kids, often with unintended — and serious — consequences. 

Drawing from her New York Times reporting and her personal experience as a parent, Jia Lynn explores whether school itself may be contributing to the crisis — and what kids actually need to thrive.

For more on this topic:

• Read: Jia Lynn’s piece: America’s children are unwell. Are schools part of the problem?
• Read: CDC youth mental health snapshot
• Read: The evolution of common core standards

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Today, Cate and our fabulous producer, Jessamine, dig into Reddit stories about work screw-ups, panic lying, and how pattern recognition can quietly turn everyday moments into emotional flashpoints in relationships. 

What actually can stop that spiral? 

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: ADHD and workplace stress
• Listen: Managing expectations in relationships (feat. KC Davis)
• Read: How to Keep House While Drowning, by KC Davis
• Read: Fair Play, by Eve Rodsky

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: Punishment for ADHD symptoms
• Read: ADHD and shame

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 book
• The Weak Link: Hypotonia in Infancy and Autism Early Identification - PMC
• ADHD-pain: Characteristics of chronic pain and association with muscular dysregulation in adults with ADHD
• Order 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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 ADHD

• ADHD and periods
• ADHD and menopause

For a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 overwhelm
• Listen: ADHD sensory challenges and sex
• Read: ADHD and hyperfocus

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 ADHD

For a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

But new telehealth rules also open the door for potential misdiagnosis. 

More on this story:

• ADHD symptoms in women
• How to handle a misdiagnosis
• A day in Danielle’s life

For a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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’s books have changed the lives of generations of women with ADHD. Her early research uncovered the truth that the disorder looks different in women.

More on this story:

• ADHD symptoms in women
• How ADHD can affect your mental health
• A history of ADHD medication
• ADHD and shame
• Meet the pioneers of research on ADHD in women

For a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 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 incompetence
• Watch: ADHD and people-pleasing
• Read: 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 burnout

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 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 found
• Three days with ADHD

For a transcript and more resources, visit Climbing the Walls on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 HQ
• Being trans with ADHD (Max’s story)
• Talking about neurodivergence and gender identity

Timestamps: 

(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 care

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Today we’re joined by psychologist and Understood Expert Dr. Ari Tuckman for a candid talk about impulsivity, ADHD, and intimacy. We’ll dig into the messy mix of consent, shame, and emotional regulation. And we’ll talk about how to slow down, stay curious, and find self-compassion after a spicy decision. 

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: Impulsivity, risky behavior, and obsessions (Chris’ story)
• Listen: ADHD, loving intensely, and impulsivity (Ange’s story)

Timestamps:

02:15 How ADHD-related impulsivity can influence sexual decisions

08:45 Consent, emotional regulation, and navigating pressure or fear of rejection

17:30 Differentiating shame from embarrassment after vulnerable sexual experiences

28:10 Strategies for slowing down and gathering insights from experiences

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

You’ll learn science-backed strategies to stop the mental replay loop, manage impulsivity, and start healing with compassion. If you’ve ever felt “too much” after a breakup, this episode is for you.

For more on this topic: 

• Listen: Dr. J’s breakup playlist
• Listen: ADHD and emotional regulation
• Listen: ADHD and dating: Why crushes feel so intense
• Listen: ADHD and dating: Why casual dating never feels casual

Timestamps:  

(00:47) Why heartbreak feels like withdrawal for ADHD brains

(01:26) How emotional intensity and slower recovery amplify grief

(02:54) The science behind stress, distraction, and impulsivity

(06:24) Practical tools to interrupt mental replay and reclaim focus

(09:48) Using your ADHD traits to support recovery and renewal

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

A federal judge has temporarily halted the layoffs, but it’s unclear what will happen next. For people who work in or rely on special education services — including 7.5 million kids — the chaos and worry have already begun.

So on this week’s Hyperfocus, we wanted to talk to smart people who could give us some perspective on what’s happening. What could it mean for families and for schools? And what does it say about how the administration views neurodivergent people in general?

Our guests are Meghan Whittaker, a former chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education, and Julian Saavedra, an assistant principal. 

For more on this topic: 

• What the special education layoffs mean for your child’s IEP and school services
• What happens to my child’s IEP if the U.S. Department of Education closes?
• The R-word is back: How do you get people to care? 
• Special education: Federal law vs. state law

Timestamps:

(03:04) A breakdown of the layoffs

(10:16) How worry is already hitting families and schools

(18:02) What to know about school vouchers

(29:50) “Find your space to serve”

For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

(Note: This episode does not dive deeply into diagnosed eating disorders — we’ll have another episode in the future focused entirely on that topic.)

For more on this topic: 

• The National Eating Disorders Association
• ADHD and eating
• Understood.org’s “Neurodiversity and the Holidays” survey
• Aleta’s website, www.wiseheartnutrition.com
• Aleta’s Instagram, @the_adhd_rd

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:05) Aleta’s personal story with ADHD and eating

(05:48) What’s the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating? 

(07:46) What about ADHD can affect our relationship with food? 

(13:39) Sensory challenges and food

(18:11) The consequences of ignoring our own needs

(20:12) Good food practices to support ourselves and the neurodivergent people in our lives

(26:23) Aleta’s parting advice for the holidays

(28:23) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

For more on this topic: 

• ADHD and dating: Why crushes feel so intense
• ADHD and dating: Why casual dating never feels casual
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Is it love or is it dopamine?

Timestamps:  

(00:00) Intro

(01:05) What is new relationship energy (NRE)?

(01:54) The ADHD brain and early romance 

(04:28) The difference between a fading spark and incompatibility 

(07:41) Tips for managing a new relationship

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Cate and Dr. Shauna also shares practical tips for tuning in to yourself, setting boundaries, and creating a plan for moving forward with greater awareness, balance, and resilience.

For more on this topic: 

• ADHD burnout
• ADHD and boundaries: Why saying no feels hard (and how to start)
• Setting boundaries in relationships with ADHD
• Dr. Shauna's list of Executive Functioning Resources

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Intro 

(01:44) We have more emotions to regulate while in burnout

(05:26) How can burnout impact relationships?

(14:32) Setting boundaries

(17:52) How can we show up for our partners when we’re burned out?

(23:11) Feeling “too much” for needing to have our needs met 

(24:44) What do we do if we don’t have a support system?

(28:01) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

For more on this topic: 

• ADHD and dating: Why crushes feel so intense
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Is it love or is it dopamine?
• Sorry, I Missed This: Online dating with ADHD

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:07) What is courting?

(01:40) The ADHD brain and courting 

(02:58) How emotional dysregulation impacts relationships

(04:42) Why courting can be challenging with ADHD

(08:37) How to tell chemistry from manipulation 

(12:46) Tips for managing the courting stage

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Boys with the inattentive type are especially overlooked — they don’t match the stereotype of what an “ADHD boy” is supposed to look like.

So when Brandon Saiz wrote to us about his experience getting diagnosed with ADHD later in life, we knew we had to talk to him. After meeting with Brandon, it was clear his story needed to be shared.

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Please skip it if that’s not something you’re up for right now.

For more on this topic:

• The 3 types of ADHD
• Listen: The “devastating” findings of a decades-long ADHD study
• Brandon Saiz on Substack
• Duck, Duck! It's a Goose: Brandon's video game

Timestamps

(01:54) Brandon’s background

(09:23) How Brandon’s inattentive-type ADHD was overlooked

(14:00) On suicidal ideation and inattentive ADHD 

(19:57) Brandon’s advice to others

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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Dr. Shauna Pollard is back for the second episode in our “Breaking the Burnout Cycle” series to answer the question: What is rest?  

Cate and Dr. Pollard talk about what true, restorative rest looks like (hint: it’s not just zoning out on your phone), and how to start taking small, doable steps toward rest when you’re already deep in burnout.

For more on this topic: 

• ADHD burnout
• Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Intro

(02:08) How do you realize that enough is enough and you need to rest?

(03:58) How do we know if the “rest” we’re taking is actually restorative? 

(09:10) Feeling guilty or uncomfortable with resting

(15:18) How to decide what to pursue, and what to wait on

(20:14) The relationship between perfectionism, procrastination, and burnout

(23:41) Finding small moments to integrate rest, and other suggestions from Dr. Shauna

(29:07) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit Sorry, I Missed This on Understood.org. You can also email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, you’ll learn:

• What’s happening in your brain during a crush
• Why women with ADHD often fall fast and hard in relationships
• How to stay grounded in reality without completely shutting down

For more on this topic: 

• ADHD and: Rejection sensitivity
• Sorry, I Missed This: Dating with ADHD
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Is it love or is it dopamine?

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(00:57) Why do ADHD brains fall in love fast?
(07:15) Strategies for remaining balanced while enjoying the butterflies
(14:18) Credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit MissUnderstood on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Depending on who you talk to, AI is the greatest thing ever or the thing that will destroy the world, with lots of room in the middle for discussion and experimentation. 

But within the bigger AI fascination, there’s a smaller yet critical conversation about how this technology might help or harm people who learn and think differently. That’s why we brought in Dr. Amy Gaeta for this week’s “Hyperfocus.” She’s an AI ethicist and researcher who also has autism, giving her a unique insight that she shares on our latest episode. 

For more on this topic

• Amy’s website
• What is assistive technology?
• 6 ways AI can help you manage ADHD symptoms
• How software and apps can help with math challenges
• Understood Assistant

Timestamps

(03:40) AI in the workplace

(10:16) Disability justice and technology

(13:45) AI’s built-in bias against disability 

(17:15) How to find helpful, safe AI uses

(21:08) Chatbot therapy 

(25:14) What does the future hold for AI and neurodivergence? 

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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

If you’ve been wondering whether what you’re experiencing is burnout, this episode is a good place to start.

Related resources

• ADHD burnout
• ADHD and depression
• Dr. Shauna’s website, https://drspllc.com/

Timestamps

(00:00) A word from Cate on burnout

(01:50) What is burnout? How is it different than depression?

(05:57) What happens when ADHD perfectionism and overcommitting meets burnout?

(08:06) How do we know that we’re starting to get burnout? How can we tell if it’s burnout or depression?

(12:11) How to recognize whether your battery is low or completely tapped out

(15:55) How to get to know ourselves and our bodies better to help us in the future

(22:57) Burnout spreading from work into the home

(26:39) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

For many women with ADHD, some clothing isn’t just uncomfortable — it can feel unbearable. This sensory overload can make even getting dressed a challenge. On this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why sensory overwhelm is more than being “too sensitive”
• How ADHD and sensory overload intersect, especially for women
• The common clothing triggers that spark discomfort (tags, textures, tight fits, etc.)
• Practical strategies to make daily routines easier

For more on this topic

• ADHD and emotional dysregulation
• ADHD and sensory overload
• ADHD, sensory systems, and communication
• Evaluating dopamine reward pathway in ADHD: Clinical implications
• Abnormal functional connectivity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• The impact of deep pressure stimulation on anxiety
• The effects of background white noise on memory performance in inattentive school children

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:58) What is sensory processing

(02:14) How to body responds to sensory overload

(03:17) What sensory processing challenges can look like 

(07:04) Why sensory discomfort is different for women

(08:32) Tips for managing sensory challenges

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood: ADHD in Women page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcasts@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

He’s less known for being a dad. For now, at least. He has a daughter, Celia, and a son, Elliot, who was born with Jacobsen syndrome, a genetic condition causing physical and developmental disabilities. 

When Elliot was born, Craig’s career was taking off with “How I Met Your Mother.” “I was living an hour drama show at home and then driving to work and doing a sitcom,” Craig says. His upcoming novel, “That’s Not How It Happened,” is based in part on his family’s experience.

If you heard our series on the resurgence of the R-word, you’ll recognize Craig’s voice. The conversation with him was so good that we’re sharing more!

For more on this topic

• Preorder Craig’s novel
• Check out Craig’s podcast
• Hear Craig on our R-word episodes, part 1 and part 2

Timestamps

(02:20) Craig’s backstory and current work

(09:45) How Craig relates to the disability community

(13:10) Disability and media depictions 

(29:04) Comedy, the R-word, and why language matters

(39:10) On parenting a child with disabilities

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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Cate answers some common ADHD questions from navigating ADHD as a woman, to what it means to have a diagnosis, to how symptoms can shift as we age.

Related resources

• Understood Explains podcast season 2: ADHD diagnosis in adults
• ADHD and: Aging
• Facebook group: ADHD Support for Women by Understood.org

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro
(00:27) The rules
(01:14) Why do previously stimulating activities become routine?
(02:48) What does an ADHD diagnosis provide?
(05:30) What are some tips for self kindness when dealing with problems we’ve created?
(09:56) How to not get too overloaded by a task
(14:52) Does ADHD become more calm as you get older? Are there future treatments other than medication being developed?
(21:38) A parting word from Cate
(23:04) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson breaks down what people-pleasing looks like in women with ADHD. Find out how this coping mechanism can impact your life. And learn helpful strategies to stop people-pleasing and live a healthier life.

For more on this topic

• ADHD and: Imposter syndrome
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: People-pleasing everyone but ourselves
• ADHD and: Setting boundaries

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:39) What does people-pleasing look like in ADHD?

(2:48) Why ADHD leads to people-pleasing

(4:31)The hidden costs of people-pleasing 
(7:10) Tips for managing people-pleasing 

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood: ADHD in Women page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcasts@understood.org

.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode of Sorry, I Missed This, Cate chats with Ellyce Fulmore, financial educator and author of Keeping Finance Personal, about how who you are affects how you deal with money. We cover how things like ADHD, race, gender, and queerness all shape your money habits. Ellyce explains how to understand your own “money story” and why some advice doesn’t work for everyone. We also talk about what happens when someone with ADHD gets into a relationship and has to mix money with a partner.

Related resources

• What is the ADHD tax?
• Ellyce’s website, queerdco.com
• Ellyce’s ADHD Aha! podcast episode: The pain of struggling with basic tasks — ADHD in the pandemic

Timestamps

(00:00) A word from Cate on ADHD and money

(02:44) The intersection of identity and finances

(07:57) Balancing treating yourself and impulse spending

(10:13) The word “should”

(14:09) Shame, guilt, and embarrassment about money

(17:50) The ADHD tax

(20:42) ADHD and finances in a relationship

(25:05) Ellyce’s advice for starting to think about your money story

(26:58) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit the “Sorry, I Missed This” show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains how too much shopping can become a form of self-sabotage for women with ADHD. She also shares simple tips to help take back control of spending and avoid money problems. 

For more on this topic

• ADHD and: Impulsive spending
• Impulse buying, negative bank balances, and the ADHD tax (Paulette Perhach’s story)
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Coping skills with consequences

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:50) What is Compulsive Buying Disorder?

(03:01) What are signs of shopping addiction?

(03:37) Consequences of  shopping addiction 

(06:56) Tips for managing shopping addiction

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood: ADHD in Women page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcasts@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

The question is loaded with assumptions and pressure. It also seems to ignore the fact that having kids is supposed to be a choice, not a requirement. 

For neurodivergent people, especially those with ADHD, deciding whether to become a parent can be even more complex. 

On this episode of “Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson,” we talk with author and editorial director Jordan Davidson. She’s interviewed hundreds of people about their decision on whether to become a parent. 

Related resources

• Jordan’s book: “So When Are You Having Kids?”
• Podcast series: Climbing the Walls

Timestamps

(03:06) What inspired Jordan’s book

(08:35) Jordan’s findings from hundreds of interviews

(12:28) How to break schemas attached to parenthood

(24:28) The fantasy of the “idealized parent” 

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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains why ADHD makes it hard for women to talk about boundaries. Find out how communication styles can help make setting limits easier.

For more on this topic:

• ADHD and setting boundaries 
• Setting boundaries in relationships with ADHD
• ADHD and: Oversharing

Timestamps: 

(00:56) Why communicating boundaries is hard
(05:55) How to make boundaries easier to set
(08:37) Tips for communicating boundaries 

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood channel page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcasts@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Today, we meet a comedy writer who shares his personal evolution with the word and hear from a disability advocate. 

We’ll also learn more from our research correspondent, Dr. KJ Wynne, and have producer Cody Nelson back on to hear from host Rae Jacobson about what she’s learned. 

Related resources

• Andrea Moore Arts
• Craig Thomas’ upcoming novel
• Dr. Chris Cipriano’s website

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Host Cate Osborn and Elizabeth dig into how different types of therapy work, how to tell if therapy is actually helping, and what kinds of conversations are and aren’t fair game in the therapy room. Whether you’re starting therapy for the first time or reevaluating a long-term fit, this conversation will help you trust your instincts and advocate for what you need.

Related resources

• Dr. Kilmer’s website, elizabethkilmer.com
• Treatment for mental health issues
• Dialectical behavior therapy: What you need to know
• Cognitive behavioral therapy: What is CBT?

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:43) What inspired this episode

(01:53) Relationship between therapist and client basics

(04:45) How do we know if a therapist is a good fit for us?

(06:50) What is a ‘therapeutic modality’? What is a ‘manualized treatment’?

(09:36) How do we know if therapy working?

(13:51) How do we give feedback to our therapist?

(17:29) How do we breakup with a therapist?

(19:35) What do we talk about in therapy?

(23:52) What do we do if we don’t have access to therapy?

(26:09) Advice on how to start therapy

(29:22) Outro and credits

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains how ADHD makes it harder to manage emotions. Find out why feelings like anger, sadness, and frustration can feel so strong for ADHD women to manage. And learn effective strategies to help you deal with these emotions.

Related resources

• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Psychological safety
• ADHD and emotions
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcasts@understood.org

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

We weren’t the only ones who’d spotted this upsetting trend. Researchers, disability advocates, and other journalists were also concerned. If this word, long considered a slur, was being used by some very powerful people, what did that mean for people with disabilities?

So we dove in, talking to researchers, members of the community, and even a famous comedy writer. (You’ll see!) And we surfaced with another, deeper question: 

If the R-word can, and does, cause harm, how do you get people to care? 

Related resources

• Spread the Word campaign
• Disability Discourse Matters
• The ‘R-Word’ Is Back. How a Slur Became Renormalized (Special Olympics)
• Rosa’s Law

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye discusses how it’s common for those of us with ADHD to have a lot of clutter in our home — clutter that we have a lot of emotional connection to, and also, a lot of frustration about.

This is also the last episode of Tips from an ADHD Coach. Find Jaye on her socials below!

Related resources

• Jaye’s website, jayelin.com
• Jaye’s instagram, @adhdjaye
• Jaye's other podcast, Now Presenting: ADHD
• ADHD and messiness

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:52) Carly’s quote

(02:35) ADHD and clutter

(07:18) What can we do if we want to organize/get rid of our clutter?

(12:19) Recap

(13:30) Credits

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Host Cate Osborn talks with clinical sexologist Dr. Borneman about the intersection of BDSM, neurodivergence, and executive function. They explore how some people with ADHD use parts of BDSM, like structure, sensory input, and clearly defined roles. These can help support attention, reduce overwhelm, and build emotional regulation.

Listen as Cate and Leann challenge outdated assumptions, and learn how destigmatizing your desires can help you show up more fully in your life.

Related resources

• Leann’s website, bornemancoaching.com
• Leann’s dissertation, The Intersection of ADHD and BDSM Engagement in Heterosexual Women

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:48) A comment from Cate on stigma

(02:35) BDSM as a coping strategy, not just a preference

(03:58) Society’s stigma versus the scientific research

(06:37) Pick and choose what works for you, you don’t have to label yourself

(10:53) ADHD and sexuality: Incapability versus lack of access

(13:10) What is causing this lack of access to good sex?

(17:27) Unmasking is key to authenticity and figuring out what you like

(19:11) BDSM creates space for safety through it’s collaborative and consentful nature

(21:54) Leann’s advice for those curious about BDSM and kink

(24:33) Outro and credits

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains how ADHD can lead to forgetfulness. Find out how this ADHD symptom affects women in unique ways. And learn helpful strategies to better manage it.

Related resources

• ADHD and women
• ADHD symptoms in women
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

Timestamps

(03:08) Why ADHD forgetfulness sparks feelings of shame
(05:19) Effects of forgetfulness 
(06:56) Strategies to manage ADHD-related forgetfulness 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcasts@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how ADHD can make it harder for us to manage our emotional responses and how this can create a snowball effect of negative emotions.

Related resources

• Trouble with self-regulation: What to know
• ADHD and emotions

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(00:45) Janice’s quote

(02:50) ADHD and emotional regulation

(06:00) Impulsivity and big feelings

(08:19) What can we do?

(14:37) Recap

(15:55) Credits

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Therapist Rachel Hopkins joins host Cate Osborn to unpack the intersection of ADHD and grief. They discuss how time blindness, emotional intensity, and memory challenges can shape the grieving process — and how ADHDers might mourn in nonlinear, unconventional ways. Rachel also offers some insights for anyone struggling to grieve “the right way” while living with a neurodivergent brain.

Related resources

• From the ADHD Aha! Podcast, Love and grief with ADHD (Steve Wesley’s story)
• Grief-Fueled ADHD: Strategies to Manage A Complex Combination by Rachel Hopkins
• The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
• The Grand Hotel of Feelings by Lidia Brankovíc

Timestamps

(00:48) A word from Cate on ADHD and grief

(03:05) Nonlinear ADHD grief

(06:11) Executive function challenges and grief

(09:34) Emotional regulation and planning immediately following a loss

(11:03) Time perception challenges and processing grief

(15:34) Rejection sensitivity and worrying about others’ judgement of our grieving

(20:19) Balancing distraction and avoidance

(26:24) The importance of acknowledging that your ADHD will affect your grief, and celebrating your wins

(27:29) ADHD and delayed grief reactions

(29:30) Advice for neurotypical people supporting an ADHDer through grief

(30:44) Rachel’s last thoughts and advice for any ADHDer going through grief right now

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson takes a closer look at how ADHD manifests differently in women at work. Learn about common stressors women with ADHD face. And get strategies on how to better manage workplace stress and feel more in control.

Related resources

• ADHD and women
• 5 ways ADHD can affect you at work
• Sorry, I Missed This: ADHD and self-advocacy at work

Timestamps

(00:00) How ADHD impacts work performance

(00:00) Common workplace stressors 

(00:00) Ways to manage workplace stress

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood channel page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 resources

• ADHD alternative treatment
• ADHD treatment without medication: What are my options?
• Richard’s piece on microdosing in The Atlantic

Timestamps

(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 microdosing

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye explains why mornings can be harder for ADHDers. And she shares tips for following through with our intentions when mornings are tough. 

Related resources

• Waking up is hard to do 

Timestamps

(00:43) Sandi’s listener letter

(02:17) Why can mornings be hard with ADHD?

(05:57) Do we need to do intense mental work in the morning?

(08:30) Strategies to help do mental work in the morning if necessary

(12:23) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Tips from an ADHD Coach show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week, host Cate Osborn chats with psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Lotta Borg Skoglund about how hormone cycles affect ADHD in women. From PMS to perimenopause, we explore how shifting hormones can change how ADHD shows up — and how that impacts mood, focus, and relationships.

Dr. Borg Skoglund shares what the research says, what often gets overlooked in diagnosis and treatment, and how understanding the patterns in your cycle can make everyday life a little easier.

Related resources

• ADHD Girls to Women by Dr. Lotta Borg Skoglund
• Lotta’s research group, GODDESS ADHD
• A guide to hormones and ADHD
• From the Climbing the Walls podcast: Are hormones the final frontier for women with ADHD?

Timestamps

(01:42) The changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle, and how they can affect ADHD symptoms

(04:57) ADHD symptoms across hormonal life milestones like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause

(10:21) The formation of Lotta’s research group GODDESS ADHD

(14:25) The importance of this overdue research, and the constant dismissal of women’s hormonal challenges

(17:12) Mapping your cycle to help understand your ADHD symptom fluctuations

(21:10) How do we track these things if our cycles are non-traditional?

(24:06) How do hormones connect to Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains the connection between ADHD and the constant drive to overachieve.  Learn how to recognize the signs and give yourself permission to slow down. 

Related resources

• ADHD and perfectionism
• From ADHD perfectionism to empathy and grace (Livingston’s story)
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

Timestamps

(00:58) What is overachieving?

(01:42) How overachievement is related to ADHD 

(03:01) Why ADHD women are prone to overachieving 

(04:44) Strategies to combat overachieving

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood channel page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 resources

• Impulse 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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye explores why imposter syndrome is so common in ADHD brains, how it impacts your confidence, and what you can do to start believing in your own achievements.

Related resources

• ADHD and: Imposter syndrome
• From the ADHD Aha! podcast: Anxiety, imposter syndrome, and ADHD (Mallory’s story)
• Imposter syndrome at work: How I stopped feeling like a fake

Timestamps

(00:39) Anne’s quote

(02:42) How ADHD can make imposter syndrome more common

(07:44) Imposter syndrome is lying to you

(09:47) What can we do if we’re feeling like an imposter?

(14:29) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Tips from an ADHD Coach show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week, psychologist Dr. Lyne Piché joins us to discuss how ADHD and sensory challenges can shape our sex lives, and how to talk about it. From touch sensitivity to struggling to focus, we dive into why things might feel like “too much” one minute and “not enough” the next—and how to figure it all out.  

Related resources

• Dr. Piché’s website, drlynepiche.com
• Dr. Piché’s ADHD and Sex workbook
• An earlier Sorry, I Missed This episode: ADHD, sensory systems, and communication

Timestamps

(2:07) What is a sensory issue? 

(05:16) How do we build awareness and language about our sensory issues in the bedroom? 

(09:45) How do we tell the difference between sensory overload and just not being in the mood for sex? 

(12:15) The importance of trust in your partner, and not “enduring” something just for someone else

(15:22) How kink can help with sensory issues in sex

(16:42) Letting go of the shame over not liking the things that you’re “supposed” to like

(19:07) How can we talk to our partners about our sensory needs if we’re scared of hurting their feelings or disappointing them?

(22:47) Building “yes” spaces and talking to our partners about our sexy sensory dos and don’ts—without feeling unsexy

(27:44) Trying things out more than once to determine whether it’s a sensory issue or a preference

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains self-medicating and breaks down why some women with ADHD turn to it. Find out how self-medicating can be harmful and what healthier ways to cope might look like.

Related resources

• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Coping skills with consequences
• Experts weigh in: Marijuana and ADHD
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

Timestamps

(00:59) What does self-medicating look like?

(02:34) Ways self-medicating can be harmful 

(07:53) Healthier ways to cope with ADHD

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood channel page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Together, they discuss how they met, their journey to legitimize ADHD in women, and what they hope for the future. 

Related resources:

• Climbing the Walls
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

Timestamps:

(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 superpower

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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how, with ADHD, we can be consistently inconsistent—often showing extreme behaviors that seem to contradict each other. Listen for insights and tips that can help!

Related resources

• How to get motivated with ADHD

Timestamps

(00:40) Tanica’s quote

(01:30) ADHDers can often feel full of contradictions

(03:32) Common reasons ADHD can make us less consistent

(08:42) What can we do to be more reliable going forward?

(11:10) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Tips from an ADHD Coach show page on Understood.org.

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Self-care and ADHD Coach Stephanie Antoine joins us to talk about what it’s like caring for our loved ones while managing executive dysfunction, burnout, and more. She also offers a few mindfulness practices to help us recenter when the stress feels like too much. If you’ve ever struggled to care for someone else while trying to keep yourself afloat, this one’s for you.

Related resources

• Stephanie’s website, stephanieantoine.com
• Download: Feeling stressed? Try the 5-4-3-2-1 mindfulness technique 
• From the ADHD Aha! podcast, Jessica McCabe on motherhood, social anxiety, and ADHD medication

Timestamps

(02:59) Why did Stephanie start helping others in caregiving roles?

(04:52) Executive function and caregiving, and beating yourself up

(07:51) How do we manage big feelings like frustration and resentment while caregiving?

(12:33) Perfectionism and caregiving

(17:14) The one thing Stephanie wants you to hear today

(19:09) A short guided meditation exercise from Stephanie

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Related resources

• ADHD and: Oversharing
• Setting boundaries in relationships with ADHD
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: People-pleasing everyone but ourselves

Timestamps

(01:43) How ADHD affects setting boundaries 

(04:18) Why setting boundaries is a challenge for some women with ADHD

(06:28) Strategies for setting boundaries 

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 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 resources

• Rolling with my ADHD Mom Brain
• Building self-compassion skills
• 3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHD

To 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.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about sharing our ADHD diagnoses with the people we love and what we can do to make those conversations go better. 

Related resources

• What to do when someone doubts your ADHD diagnosis
• I’m letting go of the shame I felt about my ADHD and learning disabilities

Timestamps

(00:42) Kirby’s quote

(02:51) Unfortunately, it’s common to have a bad experience when sharing that you have ADHD

(05:36) Questions to ask yourself before having this conversation

(06:59) Setting time aside for this conversation, or asking for their full attention, not just a passing chat

(07:58) Front-loading our expectations for their response

(12:06) Work through the raw emotions of a diagnosis before having these conversations by doing some practice runs

(13:13) You don’t have to share your ADHD with someone if you don’t think they’ll respond well

(15:00) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Tips from an ADHD Coach show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

ADHD and kink might seem like an unexpected pairing, but for a lot of people, they go hand in hand. From rituals that help with focus to play that taps into the need for stimulation, BDSM can be more than just fun — it can be a real tool for regulation and connection.

In this episode, host Cate Osborn chats with author and forensic sexologist Stefani Goerlich about how BDSM can actually support ADHD brains by offering structure, sensory input, and clear communication. 

Related resources

• Stefani’s website, stefanigeorlich.com
• Stefani’s books

Timestamps

(02:46) The broad umbrella of ‘kink’

(04:16) Focusing on BDSM in particular, and breaking down the acronym

(08:38) Kink is always relational, only sometimes sexual

(09:48) Why might someone gravitate towards kink/BDSM?

(12:30) Common kink myths

(15:44) Power exchange, and consent as foreplay

(16:32) The benefits of BDSM/kink

(18:24) How kink can help with claiming agency

(21:10) How negotiated arrangements can take some of the strain off executive function challenges

(23:39) What to do when one partner is kinky, and one is not so much

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

For women with ADHD, asking for help can feel really hard, even when they need it. The pressures to be perfect and the fears of being judged can make staying quiet feel much easier. But reaching out can open the door to real support and relief.

Listen as Dr. J breaks down why asking for help is especially tough for women with ADHD. Then get her advice for ways to break the cycle, get the support you need, and how to feel less alone in the process. 

Related resources

• ADHD and: The fear of failure
• How ADHD can affect your mental health
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

Timestamps

(00:42) Why asking for help is a challenge for women with ADHD

(02:58) Strategies for asking for help

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

For a transcript and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how ADHD can nudge many of us to jump from job to job, and career to career. 

Related resources

• ADHD burnout
• 5 ways ADHD can affect you at work

Timestamps

(00:42) Taylor’s quote

(02:45) Why ADHDers might have a long list of past college majors and jobs

(05:57) The burnout to quitting cycle

(08:58) What can we do about this?

(12:57) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Tips from an ADHD Coach show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Clinical Psychologist Dr. Shauna Pollard visits the show to talk about what she’s noticed while working with ADHDers on online dating. Join this conversation on the dopamine chase that can happen while using dating apps, and setting boundaries with yourself. 

Related resources

• Dr. Pollard’s website
• A dating coach talks ADHD and super-connecting
• ADHD and emotions

Timestamps

(01:58) ADHD and online dating challenges

(09:17) Hyperfocusing on dating, and how to slow down

(11:41) “Marketing yourself” on online dating, and how to show the whole picture of who you are

(14:01) Figure out your “filter” for online matches, and include offline dating in addition to online

(17:03) Snap judgements, biases, and discrimination

(19:02) Feeling overwhelmed? Do what feels best for you

(20:02) ADHD disclosure on dating profiles

(22:42) Best practices for ADHDers to build meaningful relationships

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. J explains what burnout is and the ways it can appear in daily life. Listen as she breaks down the impact it can have on women with ADHD. Plus, get practical tips for recognizing early signs of burnout and how to stop it before it gets worse.

Related resources

• ADHD burnout
• How ADHD can affect your mental health
• Mental load: The invisible weight women with ADHD carry

Timestamps

(00:50) What is burnout?

(01:33) How ADHD impacts burnout

For a transcript and more resources, visit our episode page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

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 resources

• Listen to Climbing the Walls
• I’m a journalist with ADHD. Here’s how I get it done.
• ADHD and women

Timestamps

(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 show

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how pleasing others all the time can turn from selfless into self-serving. Listen for tips on what to do if we’ve spent our whole lives trying to please others at a cost to ourselves. 

Related resources

• ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)
• Setting boundaries in relationships with ADHD
• Core values exercise

Timestamps

(00:39) Laura’s quote

(03:08) ADHD and people pleasing

(07:49) When people pleasing changes from selfless to self-serving

(10:37) What can we do?

(13:25) Recap 

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Tips from an ADHD Coach show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Producer Margie visits the podcast for another round of ‘Reddit reactions’ with more posts from the ADHD women subreddit. Listen for host Cate Osborn’s reactions on a few different scenarios related to cheating and weaponized incompetence.

Related resources

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline
• The ADHD Women subreddit
• ADHD support for Women by Understood.org’s Facebook group

Timestamps

(02:00) Post #1 “ADHD and cheating/Adrenaline and dopamine”

(09:24) Post #2 “Narcissist cheater and ADHD”

(15:30) Post #3 “Does anyone else sometimes identify with those ‘weaponized incompetence’ guys you hear about?”

(21:22) Post #4 “I’m so tired of trying to compensate for myself AND my partner”

(27:51) ADHD can be challenging, and you’re not alone

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explores how fear of failure uniquely impacts women with ADHD. Tune in as she shares insights on transforming that fear into growth—and offers practical strategies for breaking free of this cycle.

Related resources

• How ADHD can affect your mental health
• The ADHD failure cycle (Jared Robson’s story)

Timestamps

(01:27) How ADHD can influence the fear of failure

(07:46) How to manage the fear of failure

For a transcript and more resources, visit our episode page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

If your social media feeds are anything like mine, that’s definitely the case. Especially when it comes to science. 

One of those often-oversimplified things is dopamine. This neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, has become a target for catchy headlines promising new ways to “hack your dopamine.” Seriously. If you don’t believe me, type in “dopamine hacks” on YouTube and enjoy the endless scroll.

This week on Hyperfocus, we take a deep dopamine dive with psychologist Dr. Ari Tuckman and sort out fact from fiction.

Related resources

• How I beat my social media habit (and how you can too)
• Tips from an ADHD Coach: Is it love or is it dopamine?
• Attention: How it’s different from working memory

Timestamps

(3:01) What is dopamine? 

(8:48) How do dopamine and ADHD relate? 

(16:59) The truth behind dopamine “hacks” 

(25:25) What a clinician wishes we knew

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how it can be common for late-diagnosed adults, especially women, to feel overlooked, misunderstood, and somewhat cheated out of the life they could have had. Listen for some tips to help you through this grief.  

Related resources

• How do I emotionally prepare for ADHD diagnosis?
• ADHD in girls
• The 3 types of ADHD

Timestamps

(00:35) Alexis’ quote

(03:06) Why do women so often have their ADHD missed in childhood?

(07:15) What about the people whose siblings were diagnosed in childhood, but they were not?

(10:44) What can we do?

(14:01) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Host Cate Osborn chats with Understood.org Vice President of Expertise and licensed therapist Sarah Greenberg about  the listening strengths and weaknesses that can come with ADHD. They also unpack different modes of listening like listening to understand, listening to solve, and listening to connect.

Related resources

• How attention works
• From the ADHD Aha! podcast, “Why don’t you listen?” Paying attention vs. hearing (Peter’s story)

Timestamps

(00:41) Feeling self-conscious about our ability to listen with ADHD

(05:56) Different modes of listening

(07:40) Figuring out our listening strengths and weaknesses

(14:32) Anecdotal communication

(16:48) Asking what a person needs out of a conversation

(21:47) What can we do?

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.org.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson breaks down the connection between ADHD and menopause. Hear how these two factors interact and influence each other. And get practical strategies for how to manage this life change. 

To get a transcript and check out more episodes, visit the MissUnderstood episode page at Understood.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Related resources

• A guide to hormones and ADHD
• ADHD and: Hormones

Timestamps

(00:38) What is menopause?

(06:59) How to manage menopause and ADHD

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Genetic science is tough to understand. And, as you’ll hear in this interview, we had a lot to learn and a lot of questions. Is ADHD genetic? And if it is, what does that mean for people who have it? What does it mean for treatment? 

Luckily, Dr. Anne Arnett, a scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical school, was kind enough to brave a chilly, windy outdoor recording. In this conversation, she help us understand more about what we know (and what we don’t) about ADHD and genetics. 

Related resources

• Video: Dyscalculia, dyslexia, and genetics
• Can genetic testing help me find the right ADHD medication?
• Is ADHD hereditary?
• ADHD runs in the family (Michelle’s story)
• The Arnett Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital

Timestamps

(2:01) Is ADHD genetic?

(8:28) Genetic vs. environmental factors and ADHD co-morbidities

(11:50) What does the latest research mean for people with ADHD?

(13:55) Is there genetic testing for ADHD?

(18:56) Why bother with early detection?  

(21:44) Anne’s goals for her research

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how people with ADHD, especially women, can fall into the habit of apologizing too much. Listen for some tips on how to turn these knee-jerk “sorries” into positive statements that explain what we really mean to say.

Related resources

• ADHD and feelings of remorse
• ADHD and shame

Timestamps

(00:34) Jordan’s quote

(02:46) Apologizing for how we show up in the world with ADHD

(04:48) Protecting ourselves by saying sorry before confronted

(07:25) What can we do to avoid saying sorry all the time?

(11:33) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.org

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Host of the ADHDAF podcast and UK ADHD community builder, Laura Mears-Reynolds, visits the show to talk about how sharing experiences with others can ease shame, and create support. 

Related resources

• adhdasfemales.com
• The ADHD Women subreddit
• ADHD Support for Women by Understood.org’s Facebook group

Timestamps

(00:57) How do we find value in a community with ADHD?

(03:58) How did Laura get started building the ADHDAF community?

(09:39) Feeling alone in what you’re facing without community

(14:36) Being compassionate with others helps us be compassionate with ourselves

(18:14) Feeling isolated with ADHD

(19:56) How do I find community? How do I build it myself?

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode, Dr. Monica Johnson breaks down how ADHD uniquely impacts women as they age. Listen as she offers valuable insights on how to thrive with ADHD at any stage of life. And find out how small changes can lead to big improvements in daily well-being.

Related resources 

• ADHD and menopause
• A guide to hormones and ADHD
• ADHD and: Hormones

Timestamps

(00:41) What happens to the ADHD brain as you age? 

(03:35) How ADHD impacts aging in women

(06:53) How to manage challenges of aging

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood episode page on Understood.org.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

A conference of ADHD professionals might not sound fascinating, but it was — and we learned a ton. But there was one person and one talk I really wanted to find: A keynote speech about how ADHD affects women’s bodies by Dr. Sandra Kooij. 

What Sandra is doing is something so sensible and radical: Looking at ADHD as a whole-body issue. Digging into how it can affect women’s hormones, our health, and especially our hearts. 

I find Sandra’s research fascinating and was thrilled when she agreed to sit down for a conversation with me. We didn’t waste any time and quickly set up a makeshift studio for this week’s episode of Hyperfocus. 

Also, a quick note on the audio this week: We had to record this episode outside the conference hotel, on a bustling patio full of ADHD professionals and some noisy birds. So, please forgive the extraneous sounds. 

Related resources

• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel
• Did my ADHD make me more likely to have postpartum depression?
• ADHD Powerbank: Sandra’s video platform
• The Head, Heart, Hormones foundation (in dutch with translations) 
• Prevalence of hormone-related mood disorder symptoms in women with ADHD 
• The heart health and ADHD connection

Timestamps

(4:07) Swedish registry study data on diseases in people with ADHD

(7:06) ADHD and hormones  

(13:56) Cardiovascular disease in women

(20:21) Talking to your doctor about diseases related to ADHD

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.org.

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how people with ADHD might go hard on new interests and hobbies, then lose interest and move on to another one. Listen for some tips on how to combat the shame that can come with this.

Related resources

• What is the ADHD tax?

Timestamps

(00:46) Alex’s quote

(02:30) Why people with ADHD try and abandon hobbies often

(07:11) Comparing our work to others

(08:09) Monetizing hobbies

(09:33) Feeling guilty and ashamed about abandoning hobbies

(10:28) What can we do if we’ve had a history of abandoned hobbies?  

(13:58) Recap 

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Host Cate Osborn chats to ADHD coach Jaye Lin about why this happens, and what we can do to “reverse the train” to stop the spiral. Jaye is the host of another show on the MissUnderstood podcast channel, Tips from an ADHD Coach. 

Related resources

• The MissUnderstood podcast channel (where you can find Jaye’s podcast, Tips from an ADHD Coach)
• ADHD and: Shame
• ADHD and emotions

Timestamps

(00:41) Being scared of making mistakes or showing ADHD traits

(04:38) “Reversing the train” instead of spiraling when someone brings up a mistake we’ve made

(08:23) Slipping into the shame spiral easily

(11:28) Directly addressing the damage caused by your actions, intentional or not

(15:51) The element of repair

(16:30) Perfectionism and internalized judgement

(20:28) Rejection sensitivity and how we react to things

(23:19) The “scary moment” when someone brings up your mistake

(25:55) Jaye’s last piece of advice

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Listen as Dr. Monica Johnson dives into the unique challenges women with ADHD face when it comes to self-care. Find out why it can feel so hard to find time for yourself and how ADHD makes it even more difficult. And get practical strategies for how to reclaim your time and make self-care a priority.

Related resources

• How ADHD can affect your mental health
• ADHD symptoms in women
• ADHD and women
   

Timestamps

(00:49) What is self-care?

(01:45) Types of self-care

(05:17) How to overcome self-care challenges  

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood episode page on Understood.org.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

She persisted against the gatekeepers who’d call her and her peers “ADHD wannabes,” responding to their dismissal by writing books, conducting research, and being fierce advocates. 

Dr. Nadeau is also one of my personal heroes, and someone I’ve looked up to for years. That’s all to say: I’m very excited to share with you this week’s episode of Hyperfocus. 

Listen or watch as we discuss the history of ADHD in women and girls, what the DSM misses on ADHD, gender inequality in the medical community, and more. 

Related resources

• Dr. Nadeau’s biography at The Chesapeake Center
• MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel
• What is the ADHD tax?

Timestamps

(1:55) Dr. Nadeau’s early days and “ADHD wannabes”

(14:33) How should we diagnose ADHD in women?

(16:30) Women being shut out of the medical establishment

(20:25) “Ask the women”

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus episode page on Understood.

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 bonus episode of Hyperfocus, host and mental health journalist Rae Jacobson talks about two U.S. policy items that could affect people with ADHD.

First, an executive order from February 13 established the “Make America Healthy Again Commission.” The executive order specifically mentions ADHD and the rise in diagnoses and medication usage among children. 

The order also requires the commission to “assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs.” 

Dr. Andy Kahn, a licensed psychologist, joins Rae to discuss the notion that people with ADHD, especially kids, are overmedicated. 

Plus, Rae discusses proposed regulatory changes for controlled substances, including ADHD stimulants. 

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued its proposal on January 17, before the current administration took office. If accepted, the proposed changes would affect telehealth prescriptions for ADHD stimulant medications. The DEA is accepting comments through March 18.

Related resources

• All about ADHD medication
• Full text: White House executive order
• Read the DEA’s proposed telemedicine regulations 
• What happens to my child's IEP if the U.S. Department of Education closes?

Timestamps

(0:38) What does the new executive order say about ADHD? 

(4:04) What does “overmedicated” mean today? 

(6:08) On stigma and ADHD

(9:56) What is the new DEA telehealth proposal?

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus episode page on Understood. 

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how sometimes with ADHD we put off something we think is important, because we’re waiting for a perfect solution, or perfect conditions, which may never come. Listen for some tips to jumpstart yourself, even when it doesn’t feel like the perfect time.

Related resources

• ADHD and: Procrastination
• How to get motivated with ADHD

Timestamps

(00:49) Listener Leanne’s email

(01:49) Going through Leanne’s valid challenges

(03:46) Inability to get started because of too many barriers to be successful

(04:46) ADHD factors that make us feel like we need perfect conditions to do something

(08:19) What can we do when we get into this perfectionist trap?

(13:12) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Michelle Frank is a clinical psychologist and the co-author of A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD. Listen to this conversation exploring how shame can be a roadblock to emotional intimacy, and how this intimacy can look different within every relationship.

Related resources

• Michelle’s book, A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden and Michelle Frank

Timestamps

(02:46) What is emotional intimacy?

(04:14) Barriers to emotional intimacy with ADHD

(09:33) Shame and ADHD

(15:29) What steps can we take to build emotional intimacy?

(17:28) Sitting in uncomfortable feelings, and rejection sensitivity

(20:48) People pleasing versus building authentic connections

(22:36) What about when we’re in a relationship without emotional intimacy?

(28:41) Where can you find Michelle? 

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 episode of ADHD and, watch as Dr. Monica Johnson explains the link between ADHD and oversharing. Find out why oversharing happens so often for some women with ADHD, sometimes without them even realizing it. And get strategies to better manage those urges to share a little too much information.

Related resources

• ADHD and oversharing
• ADHD, oversharing, and mom guilt (Lacey’s story)

Timestamps

(01:10) What is oversharing?

(04:00) Why women with ADHD overshare

(11:35) How to manage oversharing  

To get a transcript and check out more episodes, visit the MissUnderstood channel at Understood.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

You might know Emma from her comedy (she’s done stand-up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) or her acting (she played “Beth” on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).

But I didn’t want to know about any of that. I wanted to spend some time with the person who has made a career out of smart, inclusive humor and understand how she does it. Plus, we talk about her ADHD and dyslexia diagnoses.

Related resources

• Emma’s website
• Emma on Instagram
• Listen: How to manage ADHD at work
• ADHD and creativity

Timestamps

(1:58) Breaking up with your phone

(5:39) Comparing and contrasting ADHD types

(9:53) If you could get rid of your ADHD, would you?  

(15:04) Is ADHD good for a stand-up comic?

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at podcast@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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 week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye tackles what happens when we’ve gotten ourselves to start work on something important, but our brains aren’t working with us. Listen for some tips to help when stuck in an unproductive headspace.

Related resources

• Rachel’s How’d You Get THAT Job?!  episode, Changing focus between two jobs fights off my ADHD boredom
• How the Five-Second Rule changed my ADHD life
• Trouble getting work done is real. Executive function challenges may be the culprit.

Timestamps

(00:46) Rachel’s quote

(01:53) Being set up to start a task, but unable to make any progress

(02:56) Differences in neurotransmitter activity

(05:37) Personal ideal stimulation points

(08:45) What can we do to help?

(12:52) Recap and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at adhdcoachtips@understood.org

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.

Psychologist Lesley Cook (@lesleypsyd) visits the podcast to talk about how to notice parentification happening in your relationship, and the resentment that can build when it goes unnoticed. 

Related resources

• Lesley’s TikTok, @lesleypsyd
• A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden and Michelle Frank

Timestamps

(03:03) What is a parentified relationship?

(05:37) When an ADHD partner is the “parent” in the relationship or takes on too much responsibility

(07:33) Are parentified relationships typically gendered?

(08:48) Fairness versus equity in relationships

(11:44) Weaponized incompetence

(14:49) What happens to a relationship when it’s parentified for too long?

(17:19) Notice, shift, repair

(18:45) What to do when you notice yourself taking on too much responsibility for your partner

(21:08) People pleasing, and the need to fix things

(22:46) How to ask the right questions to your partner

(24:07) Noticing your ADHD at play, and using it as an explanation, not an excuse

(28:02) Setting an example as a parent to kids

(32:24) Lesley’s parting advice

(33:00) Where you can find Lesley and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at sorryimissedthis@understood.org.

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

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.