Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. Many women with ADHD get stuck in a never-ending cycle of burnout. Trying to manage work, family, and social commitments can feel overwhelming, leaving them tired and unable to keep up. This stress can make everyday tasks seem even more difficult and lead to feelings of frustration. In this episode, Dr. J explains what burnout is and the ways it...
Apr 22, 2025•12 min•Ep. 82
Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. If you follow ADHD news, you might’ve heard that diagnosis rates in women nearly doubled during the pandemic. Danielle Elliot was one of them, receiving her diagnosis just before she turned 37. Danielle is also a science and health journalist. So, she did the thing that many reporters are inclined to do — she began investigating this big, new th...
Apr 17, 2025•28 min•Ep. 81
Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. Many people with ADHD, especially women, consider themselves people pleasers. It can become a habit to start putting others first without thinking, even when it goes against what we really want. This can lead to some resentment down the line. This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how pleasing others all the time can turn from s...
Apr 15, 2025•16 min•Ep. 80
Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. Are ADHD and cheating related? What about weaponized incompetence and ADHD? These are a few questions that surround the ADHD community. 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 ...
Apr 10, 2025•31 min•Ep. 79
Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. For some women with ADHD, the fear of failure can feel overwhelming, causing them to second-guess their every move. They might avoid taking risks or stepping out of their comfort zone, even when they have the skills to succeed. It’s a cycle that’s tough to break, but there are ways to face this fear and move forward with confidence. In this epis...
Apr 08, 2025•13 min•Ep. 78
Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. It often seems that the more complex a subject is, the more people tend to oversimplify it. 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 pr...
Apr 03, 2025•30 min•Ep. 77
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . A lot of adults with a late ADHD diagnosis can look back on their childhood and see clear signs that they had ADHD. But, it just didn’t get noticed at the time. It can be painful to think about where we would be if we’d had the diagnosis earlier. This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how it can be common for late-diagnosed adults, es...
Apr 01, 2025•16 min•Ep. 76
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . People with ADHD can often get a bad rap for being “bad listeners.” So, instead of actually listening, we’re often focusing on: Do they know I'm listening? Am I making enough eye contact? Do I look engaged? Host Cate Osborn chats with Understood.org Vice President of Expertise and licensed therapist Sarah Greenberg about the listening strengths and we...
Mar 27, 2025•27 min•Ep. 75
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . Hormonal changes during menopause can make managing ADHD symptoms more challenging, and their impact can vary from woman to woman. 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 g...
Mar 25, 2025•13 min•Ep. 74
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . We’re back with another episode from our Hyperfocus field trip to San Diego. While we were at the APSARD (American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders) conference, one of the talks that really piqued our interest was on genetics and neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD. Genetic science is tough to understand. And, as you’ll hear...
Mar 20, 2025•25 min•Ep. 73
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . People with ADHD have likely had to apologize for their ADHD traits more than once. So, it can be easy to fall into a habit of saying sorry all the time out of shame. Even before someone has brought up that we’ve done anything wrong. This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how people with ADHD, especially women, can fall into the habit...
Mar 18, 2025•13 min•Ep. 72
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . Without community, ADHD can feel isolating and shameful. Like you’re the only one facing these challenges and “can’t get it together.” Community provides a space to share the wins and the embarrassing moments. And it can be especially helpful for women processing late diagnoses. Host of the ADHDAF podcast and UK ADHD community builder, Laura Mears-Rey...
Mar 13, 2025•27 min•Ep. 71
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . As women get older, they often notice changes in their body and mind that can be difficult to adjust to. And for women with ADHD, these changes can be even more challenging. 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...
Mar 11, 2025•14 min•Ep. 70
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today . Earlier this year, Hyperfocus took a field trip to San Diego for an ADHD conference called APSARD, which stands for the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (quite a mouthful). 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...
Mar 06, 2025•26 min•Ep. 69
Everyone tries out different hobbies from time to time. With ADHD, the intensity of these interests, and the number of interests we’ve abandoned, tend to be higher. 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 wit...
Mar 04, 2025•16 min•Ep. 68
A lot of shame can come up when a person with ADHD is confronted about a mistake they’ve made. They might start to spiral into bad feelings, and negative self-talk, when really the person bringing up the mistake most likely wants to repair their relationship, and even strengthen their bond. 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...
Feb 27, 2025•28 min•Ep. 67
For many women with ADHD, self-care is usually the last thing they think about. It’s hard to focus on taking care of yourself when you have so many things to juggle. 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 a...
Feb 25, 2025•15 min•Ep. 65
Dr. Kathleen Nadeau is someone who I’d call one of the godmothers of ADHD in women. She was one of the first people to stand up to the medical establishment and say, “Yes, ADHD affects women and girls, and we need to do something about it.” 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 fo...
Feb 20, 2025•28 min•Ep. 64
ADHD medications have been in the news a lot lately, especially stimulants. 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 preva...
Feb 19, 2025•17 min•Ep. 66
Do you find yourself holding off on starting something because you’re waiting for the conditions to be perfect? Do these perfect conditions ever happen? 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: Procrastina...
Feb 18, 2025•15 min•Ep. 63
Emotional intimacy is about sharing an emotional connection and presence with yourself and other people. But a lot of ADHD traits, and lived experiences, can get in the way. This could be due to trouble with emotional regulation, the emotional labor it takes to feel believed, masking, and more. 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 ...
Feb 13, 2025•32 min•Ep. 62
For many women with ADHD, oversharing is more than just a social misstep. It’s a response that often feels automatic. And it can be quite difficult to get under control. 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...
Feb 11, 2025•19 min•Ep. 60
This week on the show, I’m hyperfocusing not on a topic or a question, but a person: the neurodivergent comedian and actor Emma Willmann. 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 dy...
Feb 06, 2025•23 min•Ep. 61
Sometimes when we start on something important with ADHD, we find ourselves unable to make any real progress on it. This can be really frustrating, but that frustration doesn’t always turn into focus. 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...
Feb 04, 2025•15 min•Ep. 59
Romantic partners often support and help each other out with different things. And with ADHD in the relationship, there might be some extra support needed here and there. But what happens when that support crosses the line into parentification, or taking care of your partner like they’re your child? Or the other way around, where your partner is responsible for taking care of you? Psychologist Lesley Cook (@lesleypsyd) visits the podcast to talk about how to notice parentification happening in y...
Jan 30, 2025•35 min•Ep. 58
Many women with ADHD often feel like they’re constantly fighting against a wave of shame. Whether it’s trying to meet demands at work or in the household, the emotional strain is often hidden beneath the surface. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explores the unique struggles women with ADHD face in managing shame. Watch as she offers strategies to help ADHD women foster healthier lives. Related resources ADHD and women ADHD and emotions Timestamps (00:58) What is shame? (01:44) How shame affe...
Jan 28, 2025•13 min•Ep. 57
Sometimes, our brains spiral and it seems like there’s nothing we can do about it. This can happen to anyone. Maybe you have an awkward social interaction and can’t stop thinking about it — then your mind jumps to worse and worse scenarios, far from what actually happened. And for those of us with ADHD, it can be extra difficult to exit that spiral. A situation like this happened to Rae Jacobson recently. Thankfully, she had an interview on the books with Dr. Jodi Gold, a psychiatrist who also h...
Jan 23, 2025•26 min•Ep. 55
ADHD traits such as forgetfulness and impulsivity are often viewed as ‘bad behavior’ while growing up. Kids with ADHD might get punished for these things that are actually due to their brains working differently. So what happens when these kids grow up into adults with ADHD? Some might continue to punish themselves. This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye breaks down why the threat of punishment is not the most effective motivator for people with ADHD, and gives some tips that can help end t...
Jan 21, 2025•13 min•Ep. 56
Monogamous romantic relationships have been seen as the norm for a long time. They’re the kind most commonly represented in the media, often as the only “right” kind of relationship. However, open relationships, polyamory, and other consensual non-monogamous relationships are more common than you might think. People with ADHD often find ways of living life outside of the typical standard. This could include being non-monogamous! Martha Kauppi is a marriage and family therapist and sex therapist....
Jan 16, 2025•35 min•Ep. 54
Imagine sitting down for a meal, but somehow, you can’t quite focus on the food in front of you. You’re either distracted by the things around you, or the never-ending to-do list in your head. For many women with ADHD, eating often feels like an afterthought. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains how ADHD impacts eating habits. From planning meals in advance to impulsive eating and forgetting to eat altogether. Listen as she shares the unique challenges women face in maintaining healthy e...
Jan 14, 2025•11 min•Ep. 53
