Attention Different | Adulting with ADHD

💡 Why are so many adults suddenly getting diagnosed with ADHD, and what does it mean for our future?

Today, hosts Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith dive into one of the biggest mental health shifts of our time: the massive rise in adult ADHD diagnoses since the pandemic.

From telehealth loosening restrictions to TikTok stories going viral, from parents realizing their kids’ struggles mirrored their own to women reporting symptoms at historic rates—the numbers are staggering. New adult ADHD diagnoses rose 53.8% between 2019 and 2021, with women seeing an 84% increase, and adults aged 30-45 experiencing a jaw-dropping 91% rise.

But behind the stats are lived realities. This episode gets real about:

• Why ADHD self-disclosure has become normalized (and what’s lost when stigma drops).
• How telehealth changed the landscape, opening access while raising questions of misdiagnosis.
• ADHD vs. Autism traits: where they overlap, where they diverge, and what “AuDHD” means for adults today.
• Emotional dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, and why neurodivergent adults are more vulnerable in chaotic times.
• The hard truth about boredom, pain, and self-soothing—why ADHDers often struggle with substances and overstimulation.

This is more than a conversation about statistics: it’s about identity, community, and what it means to live through an era where ADHD is finally being seen, named, and understood.

📺 Watch the full roundtable now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

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We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

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Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
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💡Is ADHD ultimately good, ultimately bad, or ultimately neither good nor bad, but still largely misunderstood? 

In this episode, we are thrilled to visit with Dr. Roberto Olivardia—a clinical psychologist, lecturer at Harvard Medical School, expert on ADHD, dyslexia, and co-occurring conditions, and a dear friend and colleague of ours. 

From the challenges of executive dysfunction and procrastination, to the hidden strengths of creativity, imagination, empathy, and hyperfocus, Dr. Olivardia unpacks what it really means to live (and thrive) with ADHD. Always taking education and advocacy that “extra mile,” Olivardia also discusses ADHD as it “cooccurs” with related conditions like dyslexia, anxiety, Tourette’s, and depression.

Looking for emotionally charged and powerful true stories? Olivardia is one of the greatest storytellers we know: from his mother’s fierce risk-taking to his son’s early musical brilliance, he shows how the same brain chemistry that makes life difficult can also spark resilience, innovation, and deep connection.

✨ Highlights ✨

• ADHD and dyslexia as “two sides of the same coin”
• Why boredom fuels creativity and imagination in ADHD brains
• How hyperfocus can transform struggle into flow and purpose
• Why dyslexia can sometimes unlock unique musical ability
• The importance of treating ADHD challenges first, so strengths can shine

This episode is for anyone navigating ADHD, dyslexia, or other co-occurring conditions and wrestling with the question: What does it mean to be built differently?

We hope that you find this episode as awesome as we did recording it… we feel extra special about it because, earnestly, Dr. Olivardia holds an extra special place in our hearts. 💕 

📺 Watch the full conversation with Dr. Roberto Olivardia now on Attention Different YouTube: 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

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Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡 From Hustle to Burnout and Back Again

What happens when the drive to “do more” collides with ADHD? In this episode, Aaron and Stephen sit down with Eric Tivers, licensed clinical social worker, founder of ADHD Rewired, and host of one of the most successful ADHD podcasts with 500+ episodes.

Eric shares his raw journey from 90-hour work weeks, scaling too fast, and losing $100K in a year, to confronting burnout, exploring his identity, and rediscovering what it means to live with sustainable energy.

🎙️ Together we explore:

• The overlooked signs of burnout ADHDers often miss
• Why hustle culture is toxic for neurodivergent brains
• How perfectionism and pressure push us past our limits
• Learning to hit the “Nope” button and let go lightly
• Re-centering on values, community, and sustainable energy

Eric’s story goes beyond productivity hacks: it’s about survival, healing, and choosing life beyond burnout.

🎧 Watch the full episode now and drop a comment: what’s your telltale sign that burnout is creeping in? 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

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Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡 What happens when misinformation about ADHD and autism comes straight from the top?
When public officials spread conspiracy theories and dismiss neurodivergent lives as “less than,” the impact isn’t just political—it’s deeply personal and dangerous.

In this roundtable episode, Stephen Tonti, Devin Pitts-Rogers, and Aaron Smith unpack the rhetoric and policies of RFK Jr. as US Secretary of Health and Human Services, exploring how vaccine conspiracies, wellness farm proposals, and anti-medication agendas fuel fear, stigma, and real-world harm.

From historical parallels with eugenics to the lived pain of hearing children devalued on national television, the hosts dive into why these attacks on neurodivergent communities matter to everyone. With both anger and humor, they call for solidarity, truth, and community as antidotes to fear and misinformation.

✨ Highlights ✨

• Why linking vaccines to autism and ADHD is harmful pseudoscience
• How dismissive rhetoric about autism/ADHD echoes eugenics and dehumanization
• The real risks of pulling people off necessary psychiatric medications
• Historical lessons: from “refrigerator mothers” to forced sterilizations.
• Why solidarity and community voices are essential for protecting neurodivergent rights

This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered: What’s at stake when misinformation meets policy—and what can we do about it?

📺 Watch the full roundtable with Stephen, Devin, and Aaron now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

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Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡 What if laughing at yourself was the key to radical self-acceptance?

For years, Ron Capalbo masked his ADHD, relied on urgency to get things done, and pushed himself until panic attacks forced him to stop. What followed was a complete reframe of how he approached ADHD through humor, creativity, and compassion.

In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Ron Capalbo—ADHD coach, content creator, and founder of the nonprofit The Monoceros Initiative. Ron shares how his middle school diagnosis was buried under stigma, how urgency and “try harder” became his only system, and how rediscovering play, imagination, and self-acceptance changed everything

From basketball hoops in his bedroom to viral TikToks about three-day-old coffee mugs, Ron shows how embracing the quirks we often hide can become powerful fuel for connection, creativity, and growth.

✨ Highlights ✨
  • Why “eat the frog” doesn’t work for ADHD brains, and why “eat the cake” does.
  • How urgency and shame trap ADHD adults in cycles of burnout.
  • Using childhood play and imagination as a real motivation strategy.
  • Why laughter is an antidote to shame, and the start of radical acceptance.
  • Ron’s mission is to support under-resourced ADHD coaches through The Monoceros Initiative.

This episode is for anyone who’s tired of hacks that don’t stick and ready to embrace ADHD with humor, authenticity, and self-compassion.

📺 Watch the full episode with Ron Capalbo now on Attention Different YouTube: 👉 ‪https://www.youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

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Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡 Radical acceptance starts with self-love.

What would change if you stopped fighting your ADHD and began accepting it as part of who you are?

In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Xai Yang, a licensed social worker, advocate, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, who shares his journey from shame and stigma to building a life rooted in radical acceptance. From growing up in a Hmong American community where mental health carried heavy taboos, to finally receiving a diagnosis in 2018, Sai opens up about the long road toward self-acceptance, healing, and advocacy.

🌲This conversation explores the New Year’s tension between resolutions, routines, and relapse, and how ADHD adults can break cycles of shame by embracing identity, compassion, and community.

✨ Highlights ✨

• Why ADHD “loves structure but hates routine” and what to do about it.
• How cultural stigma and late diagnosis shape ADHD identity.
• The concept of “macro invalidation” and how reframing it with affirmations can shift self-talk.
• Why are identity-based habits (from Atomic Habits) more powerful than quick fixes?
• How radical acceptance and healing can turn ADHD into a tool for connection and advocacy.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt shame for their ADHD or wondered what true self-acceptance really looks like.

📺 Watch the full Fireside Chat now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡 ADHD isn’t about striving for perfection. It’s about learning how to activate your potential. 

What if you could build a toolbox that helps you manage the chaos, stay consistent, and grow your confidence week after week?

In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Brooke Schnittman, an award-winning ADHD and executive function coach, host of the Successful with ADHD podcast, and founder of Coaching with Brooke. Brooke shares her late-diagnosis ADHD story, how years of teaching and administration shaped her perspective, and the journey that led her to create her signature 3C Activation Program.

From being bullied in childhood to becoming a leading ADHD advocate, Brooke brings both vulnerability and practical tools to this conversation. With over a million people impacted daily through her work, she opens up about why ADHDers need systems, how to build habits that last, and why “bouncing” out of toxic environments is sometimes the healthiest choice.

✨ Highlights ✨

• Brooke’s unique path to becoming an ADHD coach, even before her own diagnosis.
• The power of the 3C Activation Program: Control, Consistency, and Confidence.
• Practical tools like brain dumps, mind maps, and “STOP” activities to reduce overwhelm
• Why identity-based habits (not quick fixes) help ADHD adults stay motivated.
• How to reframe shame, build accountability, and find community.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in survival mode and wondered how to create traction without burning out.

📺 Watch the full episode with Brooke Schnittman now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡Gratitude is a practice. What you choose to remember shapes your experiences and how you feel about your life 🙏♥️.

What would shift if you trained your brain to hold on to the good moments instead of the painful or difficult ones?

In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Alexis Schwartz, environmental organizer, planner, and fellow ADHDer. Alexis shares her journey of navigating ADHD from diagnosis in childhood through her adult routines, setbacks, and strength-finding. From externalizing reminders to gratitude journaling, she opens up about what it takes to build sustainable habits and self-acceptance while living with ADHD.

This conversation explores the balancing act of ADHD adulting: how to adapt when routines stop working, why accountability matters, and what radical acceptance looks like when “perfect” isn’t on the table.

✨ HIGHLIGHTS ✨

• How gratitude journaling reshapes memory and builds a positive inner dialogue
• Why external reminders (phones, notes, calendars) help ADHDers stay grounded
• The reality of constant medication adjustments and tolerance
• The ongoing challenge of finding a work-life balance
• Why accountability and community support are crucial for ADHD follow-through
• How learning Spanish became both a personal goal and part of Alexis’s environmental justice work  

This episode is for anyone who wants to rewrite their ADHD story—not by erasing the struggles, but by emphasizing the times when they prevailed.

📺 Watch the full Fireside Chat with Alexis now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡 How do we stay informed without drowning in stress?

When the world feels chaotic, the political climate is relentless, and the news never stops, it’s easy for ADHD brains to spiral into overconsumption and burnout.

In this Roundtable episode, Aaron Smith, Stephen Tonti, Devin Pitts-Rogers, and David Grabowski gather to unpack the weight of political anxiety, media overload, and what it means to care for your mental health in uncertain times. Through raw stories and honest reflection, the hosts explore how ADHD intensifies emotional flooding—and how resilience, boundaries, and community can help us stay grounded.

🌲 Recorded against the backdrop of real-world stress and social upheaval, this conversation is a mix of clinical insight, lived ADHD experience, and heartfelt storytelling all about finding sustainable ways to engage without burning out.

✨ Highlights ✨
 🧠 ADHD, emotional flooding, and why “doomscrolling” hits harder for neurodivergent brains
 💬 How to balance staying informed with protecting your mental health
 🌿 The power of boundaries, routines, and intentional media “containers”
 🔥 Why protest, activism, and joy all matter in the fight for resilience
 ❤️ Community care as a radical act of survival in anxious times

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the constant noise but still wants to stay engaged, informed, and hopeful.

📺 Watch the full Roundtable episode now on Attention Different YouTube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent  

💡When failure becomes a checkpoint instead of a dead end, it reveals itself as progress in disguise.

❓What would change in your life if you embraced failure as a checkpoint of progress instead of a sign to stop?

In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Tom Franchi—ADHD adult, storyteller, and creative spirit—who shares his journey of burnout, resilience, and finding peace with his ADHD. From reframing failure as growth to exploring radical self-acceptance, Tom opens up about what it means to build a life that celebrates spontaneity, creativity, and the fire of passion that ADHD can bring.

🌲 This conversation dives into routines, relationships, and the daily reality of living with ADHD—complete with the struggles of “one more thing-itis” and the breakthroughs of learning when to stop, rest, and start again.

✨ Highlights ✨

 🧠 Why a “failure is the goal” mindset reframes discomfort as progress
 💬 What radical acceptance looks like in everyday ADHD life
 🌿 Breaking free from “one more thing-itis” and reclaiming time
 🔥 The strengths of ADHD: creativity, spontaneity, and drive

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt like failure defined them—in reality, it might be the very thing moving them forward.

📺 Watch the full Fireside Chat with Tom now on Youtube:
 👉 youtube.com/@attentiondifferent

Send us Fan Mail

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

If you enjoy the podcast please like, share, and subscribe!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0lWgdvEhaI4p5MyxM5w3A?sub_confirmation=1

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow all of these if you want to be inspired in your ADHD journey
•  Website - https://www.attentiondifferent.com
•  Instagram -   https://www.instagram.com/attention_different
• Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/attndifferent
• X -   https://www.x.com/attndifferent