Episoder
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Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick â best friends and co-hosts of Youâre Wrong About ADHD â compare their very different reactions to being diagnosed with ADHD. Katie came to her ADHD diagnosis through her teenage son and felt a sense of excitement and clarity. Sam felt shaken. He began to see his years of depression, emotional crashes, and coping habits in a new way.
Hear how ADHD shows up uniquely in the two of them, from emotional dysregulation and sensory struggles to disorganization and missed signs in childhood. Also in this episode: gender differences, late diagnosis, and the quiet grief of wondering what might have been.
For more on this topic
Listen: Building ADHD community Read: 8 common myths about ADHD Watch: ADHD and depressionFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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
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ADHD symptoms can be easy to miss â even when youâre someone who knows a lot about ADHD. Kim Holderness shares her adult ADHD diagnosis and the complicated feelings that came with it.
Kim felt embarrassed and like a fraud. For years, she assumed her anxiety and emotional ups and downs were simply part of the very real load many busy moms carry.
Kim and Penn Holderness â creators, authors, and the couple behind the Holderness Family â have long been surrounded by ADHD in their life and work. In a quick, sweet cameo, Penn (who also has ADHD) shares how he supports Kim in practical ways, like handling paperwork and day-to-day logistics.
For more on this topic
Listen: ADHD and emotional dysregulation Read: 3 surprising skills ADHD affects Watch: Are people with ADHD oversensitive?For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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
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Mangler du episoder?
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Carla Ciccone, author of Nowhere Girl: Life as a Member of ADHDâs Lost Generation, shares what itâs like to grow up thinking youâre the problem. She talks about learning to mask when she was just 6 years old and living with constant negative self-talk. Like many girls with ADHD, Carla hid her struggles and felt like a lost cause.
Carla opens up about her inner voice â the one that says âyouâre stupidâ â and how fear, failure, and pressure from others can build deep self-doubt. Motherhood became a turning point, pushing her to change the way she spoke to herself so her daughter wouldnât continue the cycle. Also in this episode: Carla draws parallels between her experiences with asthma and ADHD.
For more on this topic
Listen: ADHD and self-medicating Read: 3 things Iâm learning as a new mom with ADHD Watch: How to combat negative self-talk with ADHDFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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Marriage and family therapist Kaitlin SoulĂ© shares her story and expertise. She opens up about rage â especially âmom rageâ â and the sensory overload and shame that often come with it. Kaitlin and Laura talk about what rage actually feels like (itâs more than just yelling), and how constant noise at home can push them past their limits. They also look at how ârageâ is often framed as a womenâs issue. (Have you ever heard anyone talk about âdad rageâ?)
Kaitlin shares practical ways to come down from intense moments and repair things with loved ones. The conversation also touches on masking â why it can be easier to hold it together at work, but not at home. ADHD and mood swings come up too, and why some women are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.
For more on this topic
Listen: She broke the silence on ADHD shame in women (Sari Soldenâs story) Read: ADHD and emotions Watch: ADHD and mood spirals: How to calm down fastFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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Kim Tran spent years chasing perfection: a high achiever who believed struggle wasnât an option. As an Asian American woman raised with the pressures of the model minority myth, asking for help felt like failure.
But after being encouraged three separate times to get evaluated for ADHD, Kim finally said yes â after becoming a mom and realizing she wanted something different for her child.
In this conversation, Kim talks about perfectionism, cultural expectations, and why martyrdom isnât a badge of honor. She shares how learning to ask for help reshaped her life, and how sheâs modeling a healthier path for the next generation.
For more on this topic
ADHD and perfectionism ADHD and model minority mask (Emilyâs story)For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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Matt Klein thought he was dealing with depression. After a job change and the arrival of a new baby, he found himself in a fog. Listless. Unmotivated. And vaguely âoff.â He just didnât want to do anything. His wife noticed the shift, too. But the depression diagnosis never fully explained it. It wasnât until he was evaluated as an adult that inattentive ADHD and slow processing speed brought his story into focus.
Matt, a software engineer, shares a story about a door that hung slightly askew â and how intensely it bothered him. He couldnât stop thinking about it. That crooked door became a metaphor for his experience with undiagnosed ADHD: the mental friction, the fixation, the sense that something was out of alignment.
For more on this topic
Read: What is slow processing speed? Listen: ADHD and emotions in men (Marcâs story)For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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When Fellisia Robinson was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, everything started to make sense.
In this episode, she talks with Laura about what it was like to finally get answers later in life. For years, she struggled with burnout. She felt relentless pressure to achieve â like she always had to prove herself. Her diagnosis helped her understand herself in a new way and then rethink what productivity even means.
Fellisia shares what it was like growing up as a first-generation eldest daughter and navigating corporate spaces as a Black woman. She talks about perfectionism, masking, and choosing soft productivity over constant hustle. Along the way, sheâs learning to slow down and give herself grace. And sheâs seeing ADHD as a doorway to self-awareness and strength, not a limitation.
Fellisia is the founder of Brown Girl ADHD, which provides education and community for Black women and women of color with ADHD.
For more on this topic
Listen: Masking ADHD to go above and beyond (RenĂ© Brooksâ story) Listen: Breaking the burnout cycle Read: ADHD and perfectionism Follow: Fellisia on IG and TikTokFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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Andrea Jones-Rooy â data scientist, comedian, and fire-eating acrobat â talks candidly about feeling like a failure even when all evidence points to the contrary. With sharp humor and vulnerability, she describes having âno self-esteemâ (not low â none), limited willpower, and a reliance on fear and external pressure to get things done.
Andrea, who hosts the podcast Behind the Data, gives herself very little grace. She remains skeptical of her ADHD diagnosis. But one ADHD challenge feels impossible to dismiss: time blindness. Together, Andrea and Laura explore what it means to be present â and why that presence often comes more easily at work or on stage, where the stakes feel high, than with the people we love most.
For more on this topic
Read: ADHD and time blindnessListen: Behind the Data podcastFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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Brandon Hogstad â a scientist, musician, big thinker, and co-host of a dream interpretation podcast â talks about how ADHD showed up in his adult academic life. As challenges emerged, finishing projects became a persistent struggle.
A high school valedictorian, Brandon entered college with confidence and a strong academic track record. College didnât derail him. But it brought him down to earth. For the first time, he realized heâd never really learned how to study â and that raw intelligence only goes so far. The experience reshaped his ego and deepened his understanding of his ADHD brain.
Brandon reflects on working with, not against, his ADHD. And the conversation turns when, right on the spot, he interprets a dream that host Laura Key shares.
For more on this topic:
Read: ADHD and the brain Watch: ADHD and: Overachieving Listen: Brandonâs âLetâs Talk About Dreamsâ podcastFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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Psychotherapist, author, and ADHD pioneer Terry Matlen shares what led to her ADHD diagnosis. Terryâs path started with years of shame and the feeling that everyday life was inexplicably harder than it should be. She describes getting overwhelmed by ordinary moments: making dinner, figuring out what to wear, and freezing at the sink with a wooden spoon in her hand.
Terry is an expert on ADHD in women. She talks about mood regulation and self-esteem with empathy. And she offers hard-won guidance for women with ADHD, especially moms. The conversation is honest â and likely to feel familiar to anyone whoâs ever felt like everyday life is too much to handle.
For more on this topic
Listen: She broke the silence on ADHD shame in women (Sari Soldenâs story) Listen: She wrote the book on women, shame, and ADHDRead: ADHD and mood swingsFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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Debbie Reber â author, podcast host, and founder of Tilt Parenting â shares her unexpected journey of discovering her ADHD as an adult. She talks about the imposter syndrome that came with it, especially after years of writing about executive function and advocating for neurodivergent kids.
Debbie explains how being extremely organized her whole life â hacking her ADHD without realizing it â kept her from seeing the signs sooner. She reflects on believing she âshouldâ be someone who has natural balance, feels accomplished every day, and can simply unwind at night.
She also opens up about growing up as the class clown, being told she was too loud, and how therapy is helping her untangle those early messages and better understand herself.
For more on this topic:
ADHD and imposter syndrome in womenPersonal story: What I do when imposter syndrome creeps in Check out Debbieâs books, including Differently Wired: The Parentâs Guide to Raising an Atypical ChildFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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This week, weâre sharing a powerful episode from our friends at Hyperfocus â a deeply personal story with its own âahaâ moments. Inattentive ADHD is often missed, especially in boys who donât fit the typical ADHD stereotype. Brandon Saiz shares his later-in-life diagnosis and what it meant to have been overlooked for so long.
If youâre not already listening to Hyperfocus, check it out here.
Content warning: Mentions of suicide
For more on this topic:
Read: The 3 types of ADHDListen: The âdevastatingâ findings of a decades-long ADHD studyFollow: Brandon Saiz on SubstackFor a transcript and more resources, visit our friends at Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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Back by popular demand⊠itâs Ange Nolan! Ange returns to ADHD Aha! to share how her ADHD journey has evolved since we last spoke. That includes her decision to study disability theology and help make worship spaces more supportive for neurodivergent people.
Going back to school brought up old memories of past academic struggles. Ange talks openly about navigating those feelings with more clarity and self-understanding. She also gives an update on her personal life â this time, celebrating a calm, steady relationship that looks very different from the intense dynamics she experienced in the past.
For more on this topic:
Angeâs first interview: ADHD, loving intensely, and impulsivityA guide to ADHD and emotionsFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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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.
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This week weâre revisiting one of our favorite ADHD Aha! episodes.
Ange Nolan once suspected she had ADHD but was dismissed by her doctor. Years later, an ADHD âicebergâ graphic that visualized how so many ADHD symptoms live beneath the surface finally made everything click.
After her diagnosis, Ange recognized how much ADHD had shaped her romantic relationships, her drive for intense connection, her âchameleonâ behavior, and her impulsive career changes.
Be sure to tune in next time! Ange is coming back to tell us how life has changed in the three years since her episode aired. Spoiler: Sheâs doing great.
For more on this topic:
Listen: ADHD and messiness (Jeannieâs story)Read: ADHD and emotionsRead: Understanding impulsivityListen: ADHD and marriage (Rachel and Jonâs story)Timestamps:
(00:50) The ADHD iceberg moment that revealed hidden symptoms
(05:20) Early warning signs, misdiagnosis, and feeling dismissed
(09:40) Career pivots, masking, and finding work that finally fits
(15:30) Impulsivity, hyperfixation, and burnout in relationshipsFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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When Atira Roberson was in first grade, she was evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD, dyscalculia, and a specific learning disability. But she didnât find out about those diagnoses until college â when she went through all of her old paperwork herself.
Growing up, Atira knew she was different and was bullied because of it. Her mother was her biggest advocate, but her parents chose not to tell her about her diagnoses at the time.
In this episode, Atira â now an English language arts teacher â shares how learning the truth changed the way she saw herself, and how it shaped her passion for teaching and education policy today.
For more on this topic:
Why Black girls with learning disabilities need more visibility, from the Opportunity Gap podcastTo be Black in America with a learning disability, by Atira RobersonWhat are learning disabilities?For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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Jim Tews is a comedian, Coast Guard veteran, and New York Times bestselling author whoâs not shy to talk about ADHD in his stand-up act. Jim shares how he went from doing admin work in the Ohio Coast Guard to community college, where panic attacks finally led to his ADHD diagnosis. Jim shares what it was like trying medication for the first time and why he thinks he wasnât diagnosed sooner. (âI had girl ADHD.â)
These days, heâs channeling all of it into comedy. With a new special (With Pictures) and album (Without Pictures), Jim talks about how stand-up keeps him grounded and what heâs learned along the way. He also looks back on a childhood full of distractions â like hiding behind doors and watching squirrels â and how those moments still show up in his life and work.
For more on this topic:
Jimâs book: Felines of New YorkADHD and distraction in the militaryADHD and the brainTimestamps:
(01:52) Starting out in the Coast Guard in Ohio
(05:51) Jimâs doctors dismiss a possible ADHD diagnosis
(07:30) How college made ADHD more obvious
(15:29) Going alcohol-free with ADHD
(16:45) ADHD stories from childhood
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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This week, host Laura Key sits down with her co-worker Dr. Ann Bennett, who leads applied research and evaluation at Understood.org. Ann shares her own autism and ADHD diagnosis story â one that didnât unfold until the end of her PhD program.
Ann was valedictorian of her high school. She also had a disciplinary record. Sheâd get bored and sometimes fall asleep in class because sheâd already taught herself the material. First diagnosed with autism and later with ADHD, Ann reflects on what those labels helped her understand about herself and her brain.
She also shares findings from our recent âWomen With ADHD: The Power of Podcastsâ study, where she surveyed and interviewed women who listen to Understood podcasts â including ADHD Aha! Along the way, Ann found herself having her own âahaâ moments.
For more on this topic:
Women with ADHD: The power of podcastsWhat is AuDHD?ADHD and womenTimestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:08) Growing up undiagnosed
(06:13) Being diagnosed with autism and ADHD during her PhD
(11:07) Meeting her husband, and unmasking for the first time
(13:28) Sharing her story more with others
(14:19) âWomen With ADHD: The Power of Podcastsâ study Ann conducted on Understood.org podcasts
(23:44) Specific statistics from the study
(32:00) Outro and credits
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].
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.
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Lisa McNeil grew up being called the âbadâ twin â the one who talked back and couldnât do well in school. Her sister was the âgoodâ one. It wasnât until years later, when Lisa joined a Duke University study to earn some extra cash, that she discovered she had ADHD.
In this episode of ADHD Aha!, host Laura Key talks with Lisa about how that ADHD diagnosis reframed her childhood, why being a paramedic suited her brain, and how playing violin in fourth grade unexpectedly helped her with reading.
For more on this topic:
ADHD and siblings: Tips from an expertHow to deal with sibling rivalry when one child learns and thinks differentlyTimestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:19) Growing up as a twin
(09:22) The impact of music on Lisa in the fourth grade
(11:23) Early adulthood before ADHD diagnosis
(12:33) The Duke study Lisa took part in to be diagnosed
(16:02) How religion has affected Lisaâs relationship with her family as an adult
(18:10) Life after diagnosis
(23:27) Outro and credits
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us [email protected].
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.
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Have you ever felt like a fraud, even in the work you know best? Dr. Nerissa Bauer has. After years as a researcher, teacher, and childrenâs doctor, burnout led her to step away from academia. Not long after, she found out she had ADHD herself. At first, the diagnosis left her embarrassed and full of questions. How could she have missed it for so long?
That turning point brought both sadness and relief, and it changed the way she connects with families. Since then, Nerissa has built a new path in telehealth and started Teach Me ADHD, an online course for families. In this episode, she talks about how burnout and her own ADHD diagnosis reshaped her work â and how they help her show up more honestly for others.
For more on this topic
Nerissaâs organization, Letâs Talk Kids HealthADHD burnoutADHD and: Imposter syndromeTimestamps
(00:00) Intro
(01:23) ADHD and burnout, and losing structure
(08:23) Nerissaâs ADHD evaluation as a physician herself, and imposter syndrome
(16:42) What is the value of an ADHD diagnosis as an adult? As a parent?
(21:08) Nerissaâs online course, Teach Me ADHD
(26:28) Outro and closing
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.
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.
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Derek Miller wears many hats: money coach, musician, athlete, performer, cider guide, and more. His ADHD story is just as full of twists. Derek didnât find out he had ADHD until college. The jump from high school left him struggling to focus â especially while also caring for his wife during her cancer treatment. To get through the stress, he often used caffeine, while also working on managing his emotions and finding ways to improve himself.
Derekâs view of life and money also changed during his time in Mozambique, where he served as a Mormon missionary. That experience shaped how he thinks about community and resilience. In this episode of âADHD Aha!,â host Laura Key talks with Derek about majoring in math even though he had math anxiety, how he learned to handle his emotions and focus, and why he now helps others build a healthier relationship with money.
For more on this topic
ADHD and managing moneyADHD and caffeineDerek's financial education instagramTimestamps
(00:00) Intro
(01:07) Derekâs college ADHD diagnosis story
(05:53) Math anxiety
(09:04) Self awareness and introspection
(12:32) How emotional money can be
(15:49) Derekâs time living in Mozambique, and what he learned about rejection sensitivity
(21:40) Whatâs next for Derek
(22:53) Outro and credits
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org.
We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here.
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.
- Se mer
