The holidays hit different when you’re an ADHD woman trying to keep yourself regulated while your kids bounce between overstimulation, sugar crashes, and relative-induced chaos.

We talk about:

This episode is for every ADHD mom who’s trying to make the holidays feel safe, manageable, and actually enjoyable without sacrificing your sanity or your kids’ nervous systems.

If you’ve ever whispered “I need a timeout too,” this one’s your episode.

00:00 – Cold Open: Holiday Chaos Meets ADHD Brains

01:02 – Co-Regulation vs. Codependence (And Why It Matters Today)

03:10 – Curiosity Over Control: The ADHD-Friendly Parenting Reset

07:14 – Consent, Autonomy, and Holiday Boundaries for Kids

12:32 – Sensory Overload: Prevent, Support, Protect

17:30 – The Santa Survival Kit & Reset Rituals

22:07 – Survival Mode, Emotional Honesty & Staying Connected

December hits ADHD women differently and no one talks about it. One minute you’re thriving on holiday dopamine and twinkle lights, and the next you’re in the bathroom with a six-pack of Reese’s trees wondering why your nervous system has abandoned you for the holidays.

In this episode, Jess and Jeannine break down the real ADHD holiday arc: overstimulation, disappearing routines, perfectionism pressure, emotional labor, family triggers, and the “why am I suddenly seven years old?” regression that shows up every year.

We also talk about DESR, unapologetically, hitting emotional capacity, and how to build a December that actually fits your brain without shame, without perfection, and without the meltdown hangover.

If you’ve ever cried in the Target parking lot during the holidays, you’re in the right place.

The early-December dopamine surge, over-decorating, organizing, and the festive identity ADHD women know too well.

Two days before Christmas: bathroom Reese’s trees, sugar crashes, and the emotional flip that hits out of nowhere.

Jess & Jeannine introduce the episode: emotional whiplash, Target-parking-lot tears, and the ADHD reality of holiday season.

Overstimulation, emotional overload, disappearing routines, and why December hits different for ADHD women.

Why holiday gatherings send ADHD women straight back into childhood dynamics, old labels, and old wounds.

The invisible work behind “perfect holidays,” unrealistic expectations, and why ADHD women hit emotional capacity fast.

Regulation basics, lowering standards, cutting the list in half, redefining traditions, and building a holiday that fits your capacity.

Wrapping-paper crises, 2 a.m. cleaning, Clydesdale commercials, Reese’s trees in the bathroom — and why your holiday chaos is valid.

A grounding reminder: nothing about your December makes you weak, and you're not the only one feeling angry on the inside.

Gratitude season hits different when you have ADHD. While the world is shouting “just be thankful,” most of us are stuck juggling overwhelm, rumination, perfectionism, emotional intensity, and a brain that cannot seem to slow down long enough to notice the good stuff.

In this episode, Jess and Jeannine get honest about what gratitude actually looks like for ADHD women not the Pinterest version, not the toxic-positivity version, and definitely not the guilt-tripped version.

From Jess’s real-life run-in with an aggressively cheerful quote at her oncologist’s office, to Jeannine’s abandoned gratitude journal, to the science behind dopamine, serotonin, rumination, micro-gratitude moments, and why joy feels so huge (and so rare) when it finally breaks through this is gratitude told through the lens of real neurodivergent life.

Inside this episode:

Why gratitude for ADHD brains is awareness, not performance

The difference between gratitude and toxic positivity

How comparison, ableism, and internalized shame sneak into “thankfulness”

What the science says about gratitude, dopamine, serotonin, and ADHD emotional regulation

Joy as a form of gratitude (hello, “wee moments”)

Why perfectionism, RSD, and negative self-talk shut gratitude down

How neuroplasticity supports changing emotional patterns at any age

Micro-gratitude vs. forced routines and why tiny wins actually work

Why ADHD women feel undeserving of good things (and how to shift that)

The emotional power of handwritten letters and intentional connection

Jess and Jeannine keep it real, keep it funny, and keep it grounded in lived ADHD experience. No pressure, no journals required, no guilt if you haven’t felt thankful today. Gratitude isn’t a task it’s a moment. And you deserve to let the good stuff count.

If this episode hit home, share it with someone who gets it.

Holiday pressure, “just be grateful,” and why it doesn’t land for ADHD brains.

Jess’s oncologist-office moment & why forced positivity feels invalidating.

What gratitude is not — and how comparison hijacks it.

ADHD joy, emotional intensity, and why gratitude hits differently.

How negative self-talk blocks gratitude and keeps ADHD women small.

ADHD brains can change — even later in life.

Why writing feels safer, deeper, and emotionally clearer for ADHD folks.

A relatable, classic Jess story about overwhelm, appearance, and RSD.

Why pausing is hard, and how ADHD blocks access to positive moments.

Realistic, ADHD-friendly gratitude without guilt, pressure, or perfection.

Many ADHD women move through Thanksgiving with a mix of joy, pressure, sensory overload, and invisible labor that most people never see. This episode offers a grounded, honest look at how the holiday actually feels for neurodivergent women without shame, without judgment, and without telling you how you’re “supposed” to handle it.

Jess and Jeannine explore the very real contrast between the parts of the holiday that feel comforting and the parts that drain us. From early-Christmas dopamine and all-day cooking marathons to childhood split-holidays and overstimulation before noon, they walk through the full spectrum of ADHD holiday experiences with warmth, humor, and compassion.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

The playful chaos of getting into holiday mode early

Why cooking energizes some ADHD women and overwhelms others

How invisible labor shapes the emotional weight of Thanksgiving

Delegating tasks in a way that feels supportive rather than stressful

Building a “Minimum Viable Thanksgiving” that actually fits your nervous system

Setting boundaries that keep the day peaceful, not perfect

Why small or unconventional Thanksgivings count just as much as the traditional ones

How to stay present enough to be part of the memories—not just the labor behind them

This episode is for anyone who wants permission to make Thanksgiving simpler, calmer, and more reflective of how their brain actually works. You’re not alone in the way you experience this season, and you deserve a holiday that gives back more than it takes.

00:00 – Cold Open: Mariah in November & ADHD Holiday Vibes

Ever gone from fine to furious in half a second?

They dive into:

Why cortisol floods ADHD systems faster and sticks around longer

The addictive hit of control you feel mid-rage

What happens during the crash and why shame keeps you stuck

How to interrupt the cortisol loop and step back into calm

This isn’t about managing anger it’s about understanding what your body is actually doing when it thinks it’s in danger.

No shame. No “shoulds.” Just truth, clarity, and compassion.

🎧 Angry on the Inside is where two late diagnosed ADHD women, Jess and Jeannine, talk honestly about the intersection of brain chemistry, identity, and burnout. It’s real talk for women who’ve been told they’re too much, when really they were just running on empty.

00:00 – Fine to Furious in Seconds The ADHD Rage Experience

00:21 – Welcome to Angry on the Inside Real Talk for ADHD Women

00:57 – What ADHD Rage Really Is (and Why It Isn’t Just Anger)

02:23 – Cortisol Explained Your Body’s Stress Alarm System

03:59 – Why Cortisol Feels Like Fuel for the Fire

04:40 – Chemistry First, Reaction Second Reframing ADHD Rage

05:21 – When Triggers Stack Electronics, Traffic, and Tiny Explosions

09:44 – The Crash and Shame Cycle After ADHD Rage

13:07 – Regulation and Recovery Finding Your Exit Ramp

15:54 – You’re Not Broken Just Wired Differently

Jess & Jeannine explore the ADHD tipping point.  The moment everything you’ve been holding together finally slips, and what it really means to rebuild without shame, burnout, or masks.

When ADHD women hit the tipping point, it’s not failure, it’s the truth finally catching up.

In this episode of Angry on the Inside, Jess and Jeannine unpack why coping systems collapse, what “going over the edge” really means, and how to steady yourself when the scaffolding falls away.

From masking fatigue and burnout to the relief and grief of diagnosis, this is the real conversation about ADHD overwhelm that most people don't get to hear.

You’ll hear how life transitions, new jobs, parenthood, perimenopause, or pandemic chaos push many ADHD women to their limit, and how to recognize when that moment is coming again.

✨ What You’ll Hear:

Why ADHD women hit tipping points (and how to see them sooner)

How “structure” and “control” are often different things

The link between burnout, hormones, and executive dysfunction

Relief, grief, and what comes after diagnosis

Why your next tipping point is a checkpoint, not a collapse

Ways to communicate, prepare, and rebuild community support

00:00 – All the Plates Drop

It’s Halloween, the dopamine’s high, and the masks are off, literally and figuratively for ADHD women.

From glow-stick jokes and dirty puns to executive dysfunction and dopamine hits, this episode celebrates the freedom, laughter, and chaos that come when the masks finally drop. It’s explicit, ridiculous, and weirdly validating exactly how AOI does Halloween.

If you’re a late-diagnosed ADHD woman who’s ever loved the ritual, the chaos, or the permission to be someone else for a night, this one’s for you.

Why ADHD women love Halloween (and what dopamine has to do with it)

Masking, unmasking, and the joy of pretending

Chaos, costumes, and permission to be loud

The AOI kind of “After Dark” unfiltered, funny, and a little filthy

This bonus episode is NSFW in the best way. Headphones recommended candy optional.

00:00 – The Neurodivergent Super Bowl

01:01 – Hot Glue Guns and False Starts

01:20 – Masking Meets Costume

02:23 – Legalized Dopamine

03:40 – Glow Sticks and Dirty Jokes

04:23 – The Only Holiday That Doesn’t Demand Happy

06:10 – Belonging in the Weird

For many women with ADHD, burnout doesn’t start with chaos it starts quietly. The slow burn builds in the background as we push harder, over-function, and hold everything together until it all gives way.

In this episode of Angry on the Inside, Jess and Jeannine unpack the hidden signs of the slow burn, the exhaustion you dismiss, the scaffolding you build to stay afloat, and the moment you realize willpower isn’t enough anymore.

Through humor, honesty, and lived experience, they name what ADHD women often don’t recognize: the creeping overwhelm that comes before collapse. If you’ve ever wondered why “holding it together” feels harder every year, this one’s for you.

Topics include: ADHD burnout, late diagnosis, executive-function fatigue, masking, medical gaslighting, and finding self-compassion when the system breaks down.

You’re not alone in this and it’s not just you.

00:00 – Juggling Everything

00:45 – Naming the Slow Burn

01:45 – Jeannine’s Story: Losing Structure

04:03 – Jess’s Story: When the Structure Fades

07:18 – Dopamine and the Disappearing Drive

08:43 – Comparing ADHD Stories

09:53 – When You “Should” Be Happy but Aren’t

11:42 – The Burnout Loop

15:26 – Misdiagnosis and Medical Gaslighting

19:12 – The Shame Cycle

20:00 – Running Out of Willpower

22:03 – The Warning Before Burnout

ADHD women, ADHD burnout, ADHD slow burn, executive dysfunction, masking, medical gaslighting, late-diagnosed ADHD, burnout recovery, neurodivergent exhaustion.

October isn’t quiet for anyone living with ADHD. In Part 2 of “October Is Loud,” Jess and Jeannine continue their deep dive through the month’s overlapping awareness causes. From domestic-violence and bullying prevention to dyslexia, LGBTQ+ visibility, disability employment, and cyber-safety. They connect every theme back to empathy, inclusion, and how visibility changes lives. Thoughtful, grounded, and real. This bonus episode closes the series with compassion and community.

00:00 – Intro & Content Warning

Ever feel like your ADHD brain only runs on two settings? All in or completely shut down. In this episode, Jess and Jeannine dive into the gray space between perfectionism and paralysis. They unpack rest guilt, hyper-independence, and why balance feels impossible for ADHD women. Honest, funny, and validating this conversation is a reminder that rest isn’t lazy, and living in the gray is its own kind of strength.

00:00 – The ADHD All-In or Shut-Down Cycle

00:25 – Welcome to Angry on the Inside

01:14 – Rest vs. Laziness: The Myth That Won’t Die

02:42 – Feeling Perceived: ADHD, Help, and Hyper-Independence

09:31 – Burnout and the Invisible Labor Load

11:37 – Social Media, Comparison, and Negative Independence

11:48 – The Perfectionist Cycle

16:17 – Reframing and Self-Compassion

21:28 – What Else Could Be True? Tools vs. Tricks

22:41 – That’s Not Normal: Turning Rest into Competition

23:57 – Reclaiming the Gray

24:33 – Outro: Still Learning to Live in the Gray