A candid conversation about late-diagnosed ADHD, burnout, and the hidden cost of overachievement—featuring author and former academic Adva Shaviv. What does it cost to live for decades with undiagnosed ADHD—especially when you’re a high achiever?

In this episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, I’m joined by author and former academic Adva Shaviv, joining me from the Netherlands, for a deeply honest conversation about late-diagnosed ADHD, burnout, and the unseen toll of overcompensating for years.

We talk about growing up feeling “different,” pushing through higher education without support, parenting while neurodivergent, and why so many people with ADHD appear successful on the outside while quietly burning out on the inside.

Our conversation weaves through journaling, block scheduling, sensory needs, creativity, homeschooling, and the stormy-but-magical inner world of the ADHD brain.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing too much and still falling short, this episode will feel familiar.

Come be a butterfly on the wall and listen in.

Big emotions, black-hole hyperfocus, and caffeine just to function—sound familiar? In this episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, we sit down with neurodivergent author Jennifer Shaw to explore her family’s shared journey with ADHD and autism.

Diagnosed in adulthood, Jennifer found clarity and healing through writing, music, and deep self-discovery. She shares how late diagnosis transformed her parenting, mental health, and creativity. From navigating emotional dysregulation to using writing as a nervous system regulator, this conversation is packed with real-life strategies and relatable stories for anyone living with ADHD or autism—especially women and parents.

🧠 Topics include: • Late ADHD and autism diagnosis in adults and children • Writing for emotional regulation and mental clarity • Music, movement, and creative expression as neurodivergent coping tools • Parenting neurodivergent kids while navigating your own diagnosis • Reframing “too much” as a neurodivergent strength

👩‍💻 Guest: Jennifer Shaw is a writer from Airdrie, Alberta, whose family shares both ADHD and autism diagnoses. Learn more: https://jmshawauthor.com

🎧 Subscribe for more honest, unscripted ADHD conversations.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and entertainment only. Views expressed are those of the guests and do not substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Unspoken expectations are silent relationship killers — especially in ADHD marriages. In this episode, Janine VanStee sits down with leadership expert and relationship strategist David Kiwimagi (Kiwi Coaching) to unpack why unspoken expectations turn into resentment, how ADHD and RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria) amplify conflict, and what couples can do to communicate better right now.

Kiwi shares powerful stories from his marriage, his Navy background, and his work coaching couples in business together. From the “his business / her business / not your business” framework to the simple 3-page exercise that can transform household expectations, Kiwi gives practical tools wrapped in humor, vulnerability, and wisdom.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why unspoken expectations create chaos
• How to turn expectations into clear agreements
• How ADHD + RSD intensify misunderstandings
• The “You and Me vs. the Problem” argument-fixing mindset
• Why environment matters more than trying to “manage” feelings
• Hyperfocus, humor, and ADHD superpowers in relationships
• Why conflict doesn’t have to be destructive — it can be growth fuel

If you’re in a relationship impacted by ADHD, communication struggles, emotional intensity, or business-life overlap, this conversation will hit home.

🦋 Want more episodes like this? Follow the podcast, leave a review, and stay connected for more real-life ADHD conversations that feel like being a butterfly on the wall.

ADHD makes prioritizing, time blindness, and emotional regulation feel impossible — even when everything is important. In this cozy couch conversation, Janine sits down with her daughter Savannah and son-in-law Jack to answer listener questions about ADHD, teaching, deadlines, creative chaos, and the moments when humor turns into overwhelm. Real, relatable, and a little chaotic (in the best way).

Why does everything feel important when you have ADHD? Why is prioritizing so hard—even when you know what needs to happen first? And what do you do when creative energy suddenly turns into total chaos?

In today’s episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, Janine curls up on the couch with her daughter Savannah and son-in-law Jack for a relaxed, funny, and very real ADHD Q&A. Together they dive into:

✨ Why prioritizing is so emotionally draining ✨ The guilt of the task you didn’t pick ✨ ADHD in teaching and why the classroom is both magic and chaos ✨ Time blindness, “circle time” (analog clocks!), and clock confusion ✨ Why four appointments in one day feels like running a marathon ✨ Task stacking, body doubling, and dopamine-driven momentum ✨ Creative energy → chaos → RSD spirals ✨ How humor helps… until it suddenly doesn’t ✨ Why ADHD favorites change daily ✨ Little brain hacks that actually help (sometimes)

This episode is cozy, honest, warm, and full of those “oh my gosh YES!” ADHD moments. Grab your coffee, curl up, and be a butterfly on the wall for one of the most relatable family conversations you’ll hear all week.

Why does grief hit so differently when you have ADHD?

In this heartfelt episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, host Janine VanStee welcomes returning guest Cheryl Dics, an ADHD coach from British Columbia, for an open, compassionate talk about grief, love, loss, and emotional regulation.

Together, Janine and Cheryl explore why ADHDers and other neurodivergent individuals often feel emotions more deeply and for longer periods, and how that affects the grieving process. They discuss time blindness, rejection sensitivity, guilt, and shame, and share personal stories of loss—including Cheryl’s moving reflection on the death of her sponsor after five years of sobriety.

Listeners will learn gentle, practical ways to process overwhelming feelings: breathing techniques, Cheryl’s “Five Things” grounding exercise, and a visualization for creating a sacred space to connect with loved ones who have passed.

💜 Key themes:

• ADHD & emotional intensity in grief
• Coping with loss, guilt, and “shoulds”
• Using mindfulness and grounding to self-regulate
• Spiritual tools for healing and connection
• Finding meaning and letting love continue

Whether you’ve recently experienced loss or simply want to understand ADHD emotions on a deeper level, this conversation offers comfort, wisdom, and permission to feel it all.

🦋 Be a butterfly on the wall as Janine VanStee and Cheryl Dics share authentic insight on what it means to love, lose, and heal—ADHD style.

Listen on RSS, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Former teachers bring something powerful into ADHD coaching—deep empathy, practical strategy, and the ability to translate complex executive function skills into real-life change.

In this episode, Janine VanStee talks with Kate Sage, founder of Sage EF Coaching, about the natural overlap between teaching and ADHD coaching. They discuss how understanding executive function helps both educators and adults with ADHD develop self-trust, create sustainable systems, and learn to adapt instead of trying to “fix” themselves.

If you're a teacher curious about ADHD coaching, or you want to understand how executive function affects learning, working, and daily life—this conversation will hit home.

🕒 Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction to Kate Sage 01:00 – From Teaching to ADHD Coaching 05:45 – Teaching Neurodivergent Students in Small Group Settings 09:20 – Time, Structure, and Executive Function in Schools 12:45 – Coaching as Teaching in Disguise 16:10 – Why Adults with ADHD Feel “Behind” 20:00 – Adaptation vs. Fixing Yourself 24:30 – Executive Function vs. Real-World Expectations 27:50 – Frontal Lobe Development and Compassion for ADHD Brains 29:55 – What We Wish We Could Have Told Our Students 32:40 – Final Reflection & Closing Message

🎤 Guest

Kate Sage | Sage EF Coaching 🌐 https://sageefcoaching.com

🎙 Host

Janine VanStee | J VanStee ADHD Life Coaching 🌐 https://jvansteeadhdlifecoaching.net

What if the only place your brain ever feels right… is on stage? This episode dives deep into ADHD, autism, OCD, RSD, and the neurodivergent need for creative expression—not as a hobby, but as regulation.

My guest is a wildly artistic neurodivergent performer who shares how poetry, music, and live shows became the only place his mind goes quiet. We talk about dopamine, hyperfocus, OCD spikes, emotional ignition, and why traditional systems like school and college simply cannot hold a brain wired for passion over compliance.

If you've ever felt “too much”—too intense, too sensitive, too creative, too emotional—this conversation is a love letter to the way your brain works.

“Give it time. It will grow beautifully.”

🧠 What We Explore

• ADHD, autism & the dopamine rush of being truly seen
• Stage as meditation — when performance quiets the noise
• OCD spikes, undiagnosed epilepsy & misunderstood behaviors
• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) & emotional firestorms
• Creativity vs conformity — why some brains cannot be contained
• The power of finding one adult who sees your potential
• Advice to our 13-year-old neurodivergent selves

🎧 Chapters

00:00 Welcome & why the stage is the only place the brain feels right 01:00 Poetry, music & the first dopamine hit of performance 02:20 ADHD, autism & finding brain quiet through creative focus 03:45 Hyperfocus, presence & stage as meditation for neurodivergent minds 05:10 Growing up "too much" in traditional schools 07:00 OCD spikes, undiagnosed epilepsy & being misunderstood 09:00 RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria) & emotional ignition moments 11:00 Creative wiring vs academic conformity — leaving college behind 12:30 The one teacher who saw something different — and why it mattered 14:00 Final reflection: “Give it time. It will grow beautifully.”

✨ If this conversation made you feel seen, you’re not alone. Subscribe, share it with another creative brain, and keep being beautifully too-much.

Journaling can help ADHD brains manage emotions, resolve conflict, and clarify goals. Guided journal creator Ada Gore shares strategies for self-regulation, manifestation, and personal growth.

Journaling is more than just writing — for people with ADHD, it can be a lifeline. In this episode, I talk with guided journal creator and manifestation coach Ada Gore about how journaling has helped her manage ADHD, improve emotional regulation, and stay grounded during conflict.

Ada shares her journey from conflict mediator to creative journal designer, and how she uses tools like if/then planning, emotional processing, and cyclical wisdom to help people — especially neurodivergent folks — thrive.

We cover:

• ADHD and emotional regulation through journaling
• Conflict resolution skills for neurodivergent communication
• Why most guided journals don’t work for ADHD (and what does)
• The connection between curiosity, grace, and self-discovery
• How Ada’s “Soft Discipline” journal reframes failure and perfectionism

Chapters:

0:00 – Ada’s ADHD Story & Early Diagnosis4:00 – Conflict Management & Emotional Overload7:00 – Journaling as Self-Regulation16:30 – Designing ADHD-Friendly Journals18:00 – Soft Discipline & Graceful Growth

🛒 Find Ada’s journals on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ada-Gore/author/B0CGRXNYKZ

💬 Share your thoughts with us or leave a review if this resonated — we love hearing from you!

Psychotherapist Laurie Singer shares how movement, structure, and executive function tools helped her manage adult ADHD, thrive in endurance sports, and support clients through real-life tools.

Laurie Singer—licensed psychotherapist, board-certified behavior analyst, and ultra-endurance athlete—was diagnosed with ADHD in her 50s after years of treating others. In this episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, Laurie shares how she unknowingly managed her symptoms through structured athletic training, daily movement, and sensory breaks long before she had a diagnosis.

She talks with Janine about how ADHD showed up in her childhood, why executive functioning tools were key to her success, and how she helps clients implement behavioral systems that stick. Laurie also shares a harrowing near-death experience on the John Muir Trail and how movement continues to ground her as she trains for hiking across Switzerland and biking 100+ miles around Lake Geneva—at age 66.

Whether you're newly diagnosed or decades in, Laurie's story offers relatable insight, encouragement, and practical tips to manage ADHD with compassion and creativity.

Topics Covered:

• Adult ADHD diagnosis story
• How movement improves executive function
• Using athletics to manage ADHD symptoms
• Structure, planning, and sensory breaks
• The link between physical activity and dopamine
• Coaching vs. therapy in ADHD support
• Near-death hiking experience and ADHD risk-taking
• Practical exercise motivation tips for beginners

🔗 Links & Resources

📖 📖 Laurie’s book – You’re Not Crazy: Living with Anxiety, Obsessions and Fetishes– Get it on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Not-Crazy-Obsessions-Fetishes/dp/1735944823📍 Laurie Singer Behavioral Services: www.lauriesingerbehavioral.com 📷 Follow Laurie 🎙️ More episodes: jvansteeadhdlifecoaching.net/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow, rate, and share it with someone navigating life with ADHD. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an unscripted, real-talk episode of ADHD Eavesdrop.

Is it just behavior—or is it their brain? In this episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, Janine and Dr. Takon discuss how an ADHD diagnosis can unlock support and understanding for kids, parents, and schools.

What if the behavior you’re seeing isn’t defiance, but a neurological difference? In this episode of ADHD Eavesdrop, Janine VanStee is joined by Dr. Takon to explore how an ADHD diagnosis opens the door to real support, clarity, and compassion—especially for children.

Together, they unpack:

✅ Why “bad behavior” is often misunderstood ADHD

✅ How diagnosis leads to better accommodations and emotional support

✅ What parents and educators can do differently

✅ The long-term impact of getting answers early

✅ How brain-based approaches change everything

💡 Whether you're a parent, teacher, or caregiver, this episode will help you see ADHD through a new lens.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Takon: 🌐 Website: www.school-doctor.com 🎧 Podcast: www.drtakon.com/podcast

📬 Contact Janine: 🌐 Website: https://jvansteeadhdlifecoaching.net 📧 Email: [email protected] 📺 YouTube: @janinevanstee

🎯 Tags (comma-separated): ADHD parenting, ADHD diagnosis, ADHD in kids, executive function, neurodivergent children, ADHD help for parents, Dr. Takon, ADHD podcast, ADHD support, school accommodations, ADHD Eavesdrop