ADHD coach Cathy Rashidian spent the first 20 years of her career climbing the corporate ladder. She was a workaholic with undiagnosed ADHD. Then two major life events shifted her path and perspective. At 35, she was diagnosed with cancer. She kept craving going back to work after treatment, even though she wasn’t ready. Then she had a baby at age 40. She felt overwhelmed and like she had control over nothing. Finally, after her doctor’s fourth suggestion, she got tested for ADHD. From there eve...
May 30, 2023•25 min•Ep. 49
Growing up, Henry Lang kept hearing that he was too disorganized and “not smart enough.” Then in high school, he was diagnosed with ADHD and started getting support through a 504 plan. Now, Henry is a teacher in Vermont dedicating his career to — and even writing his thesis on — teaching kids with ADHD. He has trouble giving himself the same empathy he shows his students, though. Henry, like many of us with ADHD, often calls the mistakes he makes because of his ADHD “dumb.” Henry and host Laura ...
May 16, 2023•25 min•Ep. 48
Mallory Band was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety when she was 8 years old. She has two brothers with ADHD, but their ADHD looked different. They were hyperactive on the outside. But Mallory felt hyperactive on the inside . She struggled with perfectionism, people pleasing, and big emotions. As with many women who have ADHD, imposter syndrome set in as she got older. Mallory’s “aha” moment came well after her ADHD diagnosis — when she was in graduate school learning about executive function. It w...
May 02, 2023•25 min•Ep. 47
Dr. Roberto Olivardia returns to the show to talk about ADHD and eating disorders in this bonus episode. He explains the different types of eating disorders — and why ADHD and eating disorders, like binge-eating disorder (BED), often co-occur. Dr. Olivardia shares how ADHD symptoms like impulsivity play a role in eating disorders. He also talks about treatment options and what to do if you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder and needs support. To find a transcript for this ...
Apr 25, 2023•28 min•Ep. 46
René Brooks was diagnosed with ADHD three separate times — at ages 7, 11, and 25 — so she’s had plenty of “aha” moments. When René was a child, mental health and medication stigma kept her family from receiving vital education about ADHD. But when she was diagnosed at age 25, she was ready to tell everyone about her ADHD diagnosis. René started Black Girl Lost Keys to empower Black women with ADHD. She’s an advocate, a content creator, and the host of the Life With Lost Keys podcast. In this wee...
Apr 18, 2023•35 min•Ep. 45
Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and ADHD expert who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. As he learned about ADHD in his career, the signs felt familiar: impulsivity, trouble with focus, and more. He procrastinated constantly in college and was mischievous as a kid. He was even kicked out of Sunday school. Once he got his sleep apnea under control, his ADHD difficulties became even clearer — and it wasn’t just what you’d typically find in the DSM. (That’s the handbook health car...
Apr 04, 2023•35 min•Ep. 44
Bonus episode! Laura talks with film writer and editor Ariel Fisher about Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once and its many connections to ADHD. How making the movie was an ADHD “aha” moment for director Daniel Kwan. How the film itself feels like a depiction of the ADHD brain. And how characters in the film show ADHD behaviors. Fisher, who has ADHD, also talks about how the film reflects her own ADHD journey — from getting evaluated and diagnosed to taking ADHD medication. To f...
Mar 28, 2023•36 min•Ep. 43
When Shaun saw a clip of someone describing ADHD as “squirrels running on a conveyor belt in your brain,” his ears perked up. Then his wife discovered his doom bags. (“Doom” stands for “didn’t organize; only moved.”) Shaun started thinking about his trouble with organization and other signs of ADHD, and he decided to get evaluated. Now just three months after his ADHD diagnosis, Shaun, a listener who wrote in, is reflecting on how ADHD impacted him as a kid. He remembers feeling bored all the ti...
Mar 21, 2023•26 min•Ep. 42
Tony Tran decided to get evaluated for ADHD during his last year of college, after starting a part-time IT job. His grades began to slip, and his brain would scream at him: “Don’t be lazy!” Then he realized that the fake scenarios he had to solve alone in class were boring compared to the real-life problems he collaborated on with his co-workers. When Tony was a child, his family immigrated to Australia from Vietnam. Growing up, Tony’s ADHD symptoms were missed. But now his mom even sees ADHD in...
Mar 07, 2023•27 min•Ep. 41
John Hazelwood was diagnosed with ADHD shortly after he graduated from college. He was in therapy and had trouble with test anxiety. Music was the only thing that helped him study and actually remember what he read. Then he got curious about ADHD medication and talked about it with his doctor, who recommended an ADHD evaluation. John, a mechanical engineer in Virginia, co-founded the Men’s ADHD Support Group, an organization aimed at helping men with ADHD find community and acceptance. John talk...
Feb 21, 2023•26 min•Ep. 40
From a very young age, Emily Hamblin’s son would have meltdowns and get intensely angry. He was also really bright. He was ahead of the curve academically and scored in the 99th percentile on standardized testing. His teachers would say he was just “smart and quirky.” That didn’t sit right with Emily, though. She knew something else was going on. Then one day, a friend suggested that Emily look into ADHD. Emily was skeptical at first. But when she learned more, it was clear that this was the mis...
Feb 07, 2023•26 min•Ep. 39
Nabil Abdulrashid was diagnosed with ADHD as a child growing up in Nigeria. Now a London-based comedian, Nabil credits his ADHD brain as an advantage in his comedy career. He’s quick-witted, both stifled and driven by inertia, tumbling into funny thoughts and scenarios as he speaks. He doesn’t even write down any of his material — it’s stuck in his head and just flows. Nabil’s teachers in Nigeria thought he wouldn’t amount to much. They didn’t even want him in their classes. He got into fights a...
Jan 24, 2023•31 min•Ep. 38
How might ADHD affect your sex life? Host Laura Key chats again with sex therapist Catie Osborn, this time about how executive function challenges can affect sex and intimacy. Spoiler: Sex is a task, and people with ADHD can struggle with task management. To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood . We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected] . Related resources ADHD and hormones (Catie’s story) ADHD, loving intensely...
Jan 10, 2023•14 min•Ep. 36
Catie Osborn’s ADHD flew under the radar until she had to get an ovary removed in her late 20s. Left with one ovary ( “Han Solo-vary”), she experienced a hormone shift that made her ADHD symptoms much more noticeable. Catie is a former “gifted kid” who excelled in school. Growing up, she didn’t fit ADHD stereotypes, aside from being a bit messy. Once she was diagnosed, she started seeing ADHD flags everywhere. Hear what she’s learned from her experience and her work, like how hormones — especial...
Jan 10, 2023•26 min•Ep. 37
Katy Weber’s ADHD symptoms took center stage during the pandemic. She was stuck in “waiting mode” and experiencing “time blindness.” And then she learned about executive function and dug into signs of ADHD in women. Before the pandemic, the stereotypes that surround ADHD never felt relatable to Katy. Once she was diagnosed, she started talking to other women with ADHD and found her community. Now, she sees how ADHD shows up in her children, and she’s getting them the support they need — earlier ...
Dec 20, 2022•29 min•Ep. 35
Before getting diagnosed with ADHD, comedian Jenny Lorenzo felt like she was “dumb” and “not good enough” — a race car without brakes that left disaster behind. As she learns more about ADHD and how it impacts her, she’s pushing back on people who think ADHD is “a joke” and who don’t believe ADHD is real. Jenny co-hosts the Hyphenated podcast , an English-language podcast about living in the hyphen that connects American and Latin culture. On this episode of ADHD Aha! , she shares her take on ho...
Dec 06, 2022•24 min•Ep. 34
What does ADHD sound like? What does hyperactivity feel like? Yinan Shentu, a voice actor, theme park performer, and world-class collector of hobbies, hits the nail on the head with his impressions and descriptions. Yinan was diagnosed with ADHD last year after starting yet another new hobby: stock trading. When reading about trading, he realized he was re-reading the same sentence seven times and still couldn’t remember what it was about. One online ADHD test later, and he felt certain he had A...
Nov 22, 2022•25 min•Ep. 33
Ange Nolan once suspected she had ADHD, but she was dismissed by her doctor. Years later, she saw an ADHD iceberg infographic and related to almost every ADHD symptom it listed — including forgetting to use the bathroom. That’s when she decided it was time to approach a different doctor about ADHD. After getting diagnosed with ADHD last year, Ange realized how it had been affecting her many romantic relationships. She’d crave the chaos of an intense connection and become a “chameleon” who fixate...
Nov 08, 2022•30 min•Ep. 32
Eric Tivers had always struggled with reading. Then someone told Eric her own story about how ADHD made it hard for her to read. Then it clicked with Eric that he could have ADHD, too. Before his “aha” moment, Eric had trouble studying and keeping his GPA up in college. He’d been evaluated as a child, and he’d had an IEP in school. But they hadn’t picked up on his ADHD. Reading his old report cards now, it’s obvious to Eric that he was struggling with ADHD all along. Eric, a licensed clinical so...
Oct 25, 2022•25 min•Ep. 31
Kids and adults with ADHD are more likely to be bullied than their peers. So in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month this October, we’re doing a special episode to shed light on the problem. Psychologist and Understood expert Dr. Andy Kahn — who has ADHD himself — answers Laura’s questions on ADHD and bullying. What behaviors make kids with ADHD targets for bullying? Are people with ADHD more likely to bully others? What can we do about it? You’ll also hear bullying stories from a number ...
Oct 11, 2022•41 min•Ep. 30
Miya Kofo is a 16-year-old high school student with ADHD — and the star of Understood’s “Be the Reason” campaign to fight stigma around learning and thinking differences. Miya was diagnosed in middle school. Her dad, who also has ADHD, helped her see it was nothing to be ashamed of and that she could accomplish anything. Host Laura Key and Miya talk about how ADHD is still often ignored in girls, and how the pressure to be perfect can make symptoms even worse. Miya also shares her thoughts about...
Sep 27, 2022•21 min•Ep. 29
Erin Lazoen is a listener who wrote in about her “aha!” moment during the pandemic. Working full time, and a newly single parent, Erin had a lot going on stuck inside four walls. She was diagnosed with ADHD and struggled with reading comprehension as a kid, but she didn’t realize just how much was going on inside her head as an adult. She decided it was time to revisit her ADHD diagnosis. During the pandemic, Erin wasn’t able to push all her thoughts to the back of her head like usual. Stuck ins...
Sep 13, 2022•19 min•Ep. 28
Kenny Friedman is a creative director with ADHD who’s driven to constantly do more and better. And yet he calls himself an underachiever. (Stay tuned to the 18-minute mark for a mini “aha” moment on that.) Kenny has been diagnosed with ADHD twice, but his true ADHD “aha” came after his second diagnosis. He realized ADHD is actually what makes him so creative and great at his job. Yes, ADHD has its ups and downs. But for Kenny, his ability to get bored quickly allows him to always be innovating a...
Aug 30, 2022•25 min•Ep. 27
Rebecca Phillips Epstein has ADHD. But as with many high-achieving girls, her symptoms were missed early on. Then, during the pandemic, it finally clicked: She discovered a Twitter thread about people who beat themselves up for being lazy when clearly they’re not. Rebecca has always been aware of her challenges — procrastination, being late, and having a million great ideas that never get finished. As a screenplay writer and essayist, she’d overcompensate so no one would be the wiser. Hear how a...
Aug 16, 2022•29 min•Ep. 26
Dr. Sasha Hamdani is a psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD and anxiety. She was diagnosed with ADHD in fourth grade after starting what she calls a “riot” in her classroom. But she didn’t find out she had ADHD until much later, when she hit a wall in the competitive medical school environment. After discovering her diagnosis, she unplugged from academics to learn more about herself — and about ADHD. Now she debunks ADHD myths one by one on social media. Dr. Sasha shares her story, including her...
Aug 02, 2022•29 min•Ep. 25
Jon Gardea has ADHD... and his wife Rachel doesn’t. She helped him spot the signs, though, including his hobby graveyard. Once Jon got diagnosed, it was clear that ADHD had been impacting their marriage over the years. Having an explanation created a positive mindset shift in their relationship, bringing them even closer. Rachel hosts a YouTube channel called Post-Mormon Parenting. In this episode, she and Jon also talk about how leaving the Mormon church contributed to Jon’s ADHD discovery. Lis...
Jul 19, 2022•32 min•Ep. 24
Laura and the ADHD Aha! team have been blown away by all of the thoughtful and candid emails we get from our listeners about their own ADHD “aha” moments. So with their permission, we’re sharing a few of them here! Find out which ADHD symptoms some of our listeners have struggled with and what their path to ADHD diagnosis was like. From all of us at the ADHD Aha! podcast, thank you for writing to us and for all of the kind words. Keep ’em coming! Email us at [email protected] . To find a tr...
Jul 05, 2022•13 min•Ep. 23
Jake Lambert watched his mother thrive once she was diagnosed with ADHD and getting ADHD treatment. That pushed him to look for answers about his own struggles to pay attention. He wondered why he was so irritable, why he had trouble managing emotions, and why he struggled to keep friends. He figured they were just “bad” traits of his — but in reality, it was ADHD. Growing up, Jake did well enough in school that no one caught his ADHD symptoms. He’d have to re-read a page three times because he’...
Jun 21, 2022•21 min•Ep. 22
Kai Liu thought she was doing a good job masking her distractibility and overall frazzled-ness. It wasn’t until a friend checked in with her that she realized she wasn’t masking her ADHD symptoms as well as she thought. After some reflection about her trouble with focus, she knew it was time to ask a doctor about ADHD. Kai grew up thinking she just had a “bad personality.” But this conversation with host Laura Key shows that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Through her ADHD diagnosis, an...
Jun 07, 2022•24 min•Ep. 21
Bonus episode! Learn about ADHD and sleep from our friends at Understood’s In It podcast. Hosts Amanda Morin and Gretchen Vierstra first hear from a mom whose son has ADHD, autism, and sleep challenges. Then they speak with clinical psychologist Dr. Roberto Olivardia about the connection between ADHD and sleep — including why people with ADHD may have sleep problems. Get a transcript of this show and check out more “In It” episodes at u.org/init . We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ...
Jun 01, 2022•40 min•Ep. 20
