In this insightful podcast episode, Alannah Boyle sheds light on the impact of ADHD and addiction on mental health. Drawing from her personal experiences and healing journey, she discusses how childhood trauma and family dynamics can shape our mental well-being. She shares her own struggles with addiction and the pivotal role youth played in inspiring her to change. Alannah emphasizes the importance of understanding these underlying factors to heal and thrive. From her work with youth, Alana highlights the power of connection in creating safe spaces for young individuals facing mental health challenges. She also delves into her work with adult women with ADHD, empowering them to embrace their unique wiring and find strategies for managing their lives effectively. Through routine, self-acceptance, and self-compassion, Alana encourages individuals with ADHD to navigate life with resilience and find their own path to success.
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Lisa/Host: How do ADHD and addiction impact mental health? Alana Boyle is my guest today, and she will explain all of this and more. It's real and raw. She doesn't sugarcoat the hard stuff, but instead uses it as fuel to light the way towards the good stuff. I'm Lisa, and this is right, rising strong mental health and resilience, where I share powerful interviews to inspire you on your own path. Don't forget to follow or subscribe so you don't miss a single episode. Now, let's get started. My guest today is Alana Boyle, who has taken her own experiences and healing and now works as a certified life coach. When you hear Alana's story, you'll understand why she's so passionate about helping youth overcome trauma and build trusting relationships. Welcome to the show, Alana.
Lisa/Host: I love the quote. We are shaped by where we come from, meaning our past influences are present. Tell us about your journey with mental health.
Alannah : I love that quote, too, Lisa, because it is something that is very important. And when I do talks on mental health, that's what I usually say is it's understanding our past and where we came from, and that's the only way we're going to heal our mental health. And so mine started when I was a little girl and my dad was not in my life and my mom drank until I was eight or nine. So unknowingly, these things impacted me. So I'm 45 right now. And so in today's world, we have a little bit more understanding how these things would cause abandonment, attachment issues, things like that. And then not until I hit university did I really start to struggle. And again, not talking about anxiety or talking things about different things, but I started drinking at that time. And so that was my way to cope. That was how I thought I could fit in. That helped with my self confidence, with that, with that transition and change from my small town in northern Saskatchewan to a university in Regina, which I felt like I felt comfortable in. But, yeah, so then the drinking started, and then there was drug use, and those things continued on and ended up losing my house and being a really bad car accident and just the things that come along with addictions, really. And then it was youth, really, that helped me change that. I was working in a facility, and I was like, if I'm going to be a role model to these people, I need to stop doing these things. And there was a fairly big incident that happened, too, as well. And then after that, I did quit drinking. I quit using. And there's been relapses since that. But it was then in the next two years, there's this thing called post of acute withdrawal symptoms and pause for short, but not many people know about it, but in the addiction world, we do. And so then in that time, there was more depression, there was more anxiety, there was more like I always tell people, I just kept hitting these brick walls. Not that I'm better than this, but I knew that I had more purpose or more potential to do things. And so one day in December 2012, I slipped on a piece of ice going to work, and I was like, I'm done. I'm done. Went to my doctor, and my doctor wanted to give me meds right away, and I'm like, what do I need meds for? Again, mental health. Not really knowing too much about it at that point, even though I worked in the industry, I was like, I'm stressed. I just can't take anymore. So I went on a leave, and that just started that search. I was going to call it a spiral, but it was more of a searching a journey. And so I was off work. And for those two weeks, then I went back. And then I agreed to the meds because my body started unwinding and I started things where I was paying attention to more things. And I had those thoughts of, like, I'd be better off dead or who would come to my funeral. All of those aspects, right? And then see my doctor. We worked through things. I ended up on accommodation at work. She encouraged me to go back. I was really reluctant, and I'm grateful that she kind of did that nudge because it's always harder to do these things the longer you wait, right? I still wasn't who I thought I was. Looking back, I really liked, I didn't mind my childhood in that sense, but I knew who more I was at that time, and I wasn't that same person anymore. And so eventually my doctor referred me to a psychiatrist, and we continued on the journey with meds and a lot of resistance and stuff from insurance companies because they're like, well, if you're depressed, then you shouldn't be doing this. And I'm like, no, I actually want to get better. I'm doing the things to get better. Thank you. And then I was diagnosed with ADHD. And it just like, I'm like, I'm myself again. I'm not hitting the walls. I'm going over bumps or having to navigate things like you do in life. But it was no longer just like banging my head against the wall or just hitting these big brick walls. And so that was kind of. In a nutshell, it's kind of my journey of finding out what was actually going on in the root of a lot of whether it was the addiction piece or even behaviors or then the mental health pieces.
Lisa/Host: That's a lot. There's a couple of things that I want to unpack. One, thinking back to my university days, when did you put two and two together to realize, okay, there's university partying, right? Especially when you're moving away from home and all that. But when did you separate that in your head and think, this has gone beyond university partying? When did you recognize that maybe there was a bit more of a problem?
Alannah : I didn't. That's the honest answer. I didn't. So I didn't even when. So I got my first degree. So I tell people, like, I got my first degree as an alcoholic, as an addict, and I had undiagnosed ADHD. I would drink and party the night before midterm. Because here's the thing again, I had undiagnosed. I didn't study in high school. I didn't know how. I couldn't retain things. I wasn't able to read. Well, I was able to read, but retain that information and focus. So me studying didn't mean anything to me. So I was like, oh, you want to go drink? Let's go party? Let's go. And back then, checkers was Open in Regina. So that was always a big. It was. It wasn't. And I'm from a small town, so in small towns, we glamorize the ability to drink. That that's what we. You know, all of the things. And it wasn't until I ended up moving back to Regina again. I think it was the third time I'd lived in Regina in my life that I realized it was problematic. People were talking about it. I always say people were talking about it behind me, but I don't remember a time that somebody said to me, alana, your drinking is impacting us, or it's out of control or that sort of thing. So luckily, I was able to navigate it and get out of it. But, yeah, no, in university, I was just fun and inappropriate, really. But I was a young person.
Lisa/Host: It sounds to me like the ADHD diagnosis was a big, pivotal moment for you. Can you explain how that tied everything together.
Alannah : In a few words? Hey. Like I said, I always felt I had this potential. I was smart enough. But like I said, I didn't study. I didn't read books. I didn't read books until I was Medicaid for ADHD. I have two degrees without reading a textbook, and my grade twelve. So having that diagnosis again, like I said before, when I was a teenager, I liked my life. I did like my life. There was like bullying and different things, but I liked my life. And once I got that diagnosis, I felt more like myself. I felt more connected, I felt more even ambitious or things like that. And so the diagnosis just helped me connect the dots again. And so many people with ADHD, often, especially in their teen years, will say they don't feel like they fit in, they don't feel like there's something missing or whatever, right? And so because of the path I took, it just answered everything in terms of both addiction. People with addiction and ADHD have low dopamine, right? So just seeking, so seeking so much stimulation in terms of fun or spontaneity or actual impulsivity. But yeah, I still struggle with finances. It's still my biggest thing to understand and comprehend. But again, these things just. And then you internalize things. So that diagnosis, actually, one of the biggest things I found, besides emotional regulation, it's helped me with, is that self esteem piece that I can be confident again. I can have these financial struggles or other struggles and still be myself and be confident. And it allowed me to be those separate pieces instead of really having that inner critic or having that negative conversation with myself all this time and having all the shame and all that lays you down. And so the ADHD diagnosis, I tell my clients most of the time, is that it did a 360 for me. And so would I have liked to have had it when I was a teenager or child, probably. But at the same time, the path I took has been able to help me help other people and to understand things a little bit better. And it never was like, I have such good support systems, my family, I never had to be on the street or different things like that. So it never went into, it was deep enough and dark enough, but it didn't ever go into those places that it would have been harder to get out of. Right? Yeah. It totally changed how I navigate my life, how I'm showing up in my life, how I even present in terms of tact and stuff and being. I'm not as sarcastic and I'm not as, like, our words hurt, right? And there's definitely times that ADHD is one of those things that we struggle to hold back. And so, yeah, definitely my words have hurt other people at times. And that was one of the, it's helped me to put that pause in to be like, should I say this? Shouldn't I say this? Right. Like just so many aspects, because I'm really curious.
Lisa/Host: Was it the diagnosis itself, knowing that this is something that I have, or was it perhaps medication or a prescription that helped with some of these aspects?
Alannah : It's so interesting because to me it's been both. Like, it really has. The medication has helped me. I always like people to be coachable, right? So the medication has helped me be my own coach and be able to do those things because, again, I had, because 38, when I started medication, I had 38 years of telling myself I wasn't good enough or that I wasn't lovable or all of these negative things that kept showing up. So you have to unlearn all of those things. So the thing with ADHD, just this past couple of weeks, I've learned another thing that is affected by ADHD. And it's crazy because I'm like, well, that happened to me in high school, too. It's just crazy. And so to me, it really is a combination. When I'm working with people, that's their choice. Right? Like medication can help you. I also know the negative pieces of it, but the understanding, because it is so complex and it's actually very contradictory. I think it's just really important to find that acceptance that this is how my brain works and it's going to impact me in these ways. And to me, the acceptance piece is the biggest part. The medication definitely is a piece. It's just like having a coach. It's just something that helps get over a hill or whatever. But there is so much more to ADHD than just taking medication. And that is one of the things that I think is so important for people to know.
Lisa/Host: That's really great information. I appreciate you sharing that. Let's circle back a little bit to the topic of mental health. That's a big umbrella. But in your opinion, how do you think addictions and ADHD affect mental health?
Alannah : There's so many stigmas around both of them. In all of them, like mental health, addictions, ADHD, all of the things. And then I think that's where we, for whatever reason, as humans, we get stuck in those stereotypes or those stigmas or whatever about things, right? And so I think it's just really important. And I know that's why there's a big fear about people who have ADHD taking medications. They think they're going to be addicted, and it's actually the opposite. Right. You're less likely to have addiction issues if you're medicated and properly managing ADHD. So I think it's, um. I'm trying to remember your questions. Here's my ADHD popping. It's just they all impact each other. And if we're not. So Gabor mate is an amazing canadian doctor. I'm not even sure what his actual credentials are, but he's just amazing. And it comes back to not why the addiction, but why the pain, right? And so if we look at mental health, and if we look at addiction, ADHD, all of the things, if we look at all of these things that are impacting, then we can help create a healthier mental health. And lots of people don't understand if we're not managing or treating ADHD, we end up with a lot of physical health symptoms, right? So many people, especially women untreated, end up with things like fibromyalgia or like rheumatoid arthritis. There's so many things because of the stress that is caused by ADHD. And so, again, if we can find those ways to understand the mental health pieces. So, like, okay, so my dad wasn't in my life. How is that affecting me? And during my journey, I actually went to a psychologist. He's like, you're good. And I'm like, can I talk? When I was trying to quit drinking? And he's like, you're good. And I'm like, I'd actually like to talk about my dad is. I'm sure I've got issues. And he's like, no. He's like, if you relapse, you can come back. And I was like, what? Again, it's having the supports, it's having the people, it's having the recognition that, hey, this might have impacted me. Maybe it didn't impact somebody else, but it might have impacted me because that's how trauma works. It's so different. We're individual people and so we have to look at it that way, right? And so, for the most part, again, using my dad as an example, it didn't impact me because my mom parented it in a way that this was normal. So he wasn't in and out of my life. There wasn't even conversations about that. It wasn't until I got older and I was like, oh, I was technically supposed to have a dad kind of thing, right? And of course, it's likely impacted relationships, but it hasn't necessarily impacted who I am. And it doesn't make me depressed because I didn't have one. It doesn't make me lonesome because I didn't have one. Right. But it could be for somebody else. And it's just, again, hearing those stories and understanding that. So again, and I'm going on and on. But that's where I think it's really important when we go see a counselor, a therapist, a coach, or whomever, that we give that big picture. That's why we ask. That's why there is those initial intake kind of appointments, and we get all that information and so that we can understand what's kind of all going on or what's all transpiring, so that we can help have that person be whole and be there to support them and guide them through whatever they need to be guided through.
Lisa/Host: Absolutely. Even, I mean, you are the expert in ADHD, and that's actually something that I don't know a lot about. So I'm really grateful that you're sharing this information, but what I'm hearing from you, and correlates to my way of thinking as well, is that we are like Shrek says, we are like an onion, right? We've got so many layers, and there are so many aspects to our well being, even just the mental, spiritual, physical, blah, blah, blah. But everything affects everything else. You're absolutely right. I think mental health affects our physical well being, our spiritual well being. And even when we start taking care of parts that maybe aren't directly in line with our mental health, it does help our mental health. Even with my background in grief, I have this picture in my head of like a pie, if you will, and that every aspect that we work on helps us in our grief journey. That's really interesting that you said it. I think very much the same, but in a different way.
Alannah : And that's where I really like the medicine wheel. When you look at indigenous cultures, right? If we're not filling each aspect of those things, the wheel goes like. It doesn't flow. There's been. And so that's the thing. If we're depleted in those areas or we're not filling those areas where there's going to be some aspect of our human piece that isn't going to function properly, and it's hard to make. This is a very complex machine that we're trying to drive. Right?
Lisa/Host: 100% agree. Tell us a little bit about the work that you do with youth.
Alannah : Well, I actually really love the youth. They're fun little creatures. And so I currently have a contract with one of the first nation communities just near Regina, and I work with youth in their school I have worked with youth for probably since I've been out of university, and so they've always been my go to in the city here. I work more with adults, and that's just who I'm attracting into my space. So I am really fortunate that I do have this contract with them. And so we get to spend time, like, in a one to one kind of counseling session and work through whatever they're going through. And it's so important for me for youth to know that there's people out there that care about them, that will show up into their space, that build that relationship and build that rapport, that they can feel safe with other people. Because we all know as youth, there's so many things going on for them these days, right? And so that's my favorite aspect. And then creating, like, we just talked about whether it's a spiritual or emotional or physical need, right? And that was a lot of my work in the city here when I was working for an organization was like, okay, so you don't get to practice this skill. Let's go do that. Right? So whether we were going for lunch and they had to actually order their own lunch, we'll do it, because you know what? These life skills are things that you're never going to eat food because you can't order it. Some of us take going to a restaurant for granted, but this was a real thing, or, like, asking for a box to get or paying for something, all of these things. And so it was like, those opportunities are still my favorite pieces of being able to work with youth or showing up, like, if they're playing basketball, showing up and cheering them on or doing those things. So I have a kinesiology degree as well. And so that was the thing that I did as a rec coordinator for a community school. And so that was what we did. We did fun things and created those relationships. And so that's one of the things that I think I'm really good at, is really just creating that structure in that relationship and that rapport so that they know, like, hey, you can come to me. And I really just believe in showing up. So, yeah, maybe I'm your counselor, maybe I'm your coach or whatever, but I'm going to show up in the gym and play volleyball with you. Or, I had a kid a couple of weeks ago be like, hey, Alana, you want to play table tennis? He called it ping pong. But where I'm from, it's like, a kid has to be table tennis. And so we did that, and you know what? They don't even know. I felt so good that he asked me to do that, but they don't even know how therapeutic that is for them. And that's the best thing. But the fact that he could be like, hey, what are you doing? I'd like to beat you. Like, a little bit of competition, but just creating those relationships so that they know, because it is uncomfortable to talk to people about your feelings or in general, as kids, we feel like we're talking bad about our parents or whatever, but having those moments that we can do those things. Yeah, that's my favorite part with working with youth, is just, they help light me up as much as I'm helping them along in their journey.
Lisa/Host: That's the beauty, I think, with connection. And as you were talking there, my brain was kind of cycling back to my conversation with Dr. Jody Carrington and her underlying message about just the power of connection between human, you know, in your situation, how to make a youth feel seen, heard, and validated. And I think that spreads into all areas of our lives. We all need that, no matter what our backgrounds, no matter what our trauma, no matter what anything. Even as adults, as somebody who's almost 55 years old, we need to still be seen, heard, and validated. So I think that is such a gift that you're offering these kids.
Alannah : Well, and I find it healing. Right. It is so healing to have that connection and to create those opportunities. I think Covid was a wake up call in a lot of ways, but in the sense of now, people are slowly finding their way back to that connection. And I spoke with somebody this morning. They were talking about how difficult it was to find a counselor or whatever, but it was even more difficult to find somebody in person. Right? And so just that. And as much as I love keeping my energy safe, the in person stuff is so much better. Right? And so that's the thing. It's interesting, right? And being able to connect just on a deeper, different level.
Lisa/Host: 100%. Now, let's switch gears a little bit and talk about the work that you do with adult women. And I know you work with men somewhat, too, but women with ADHD tell us about.
Alannah : Have a. I have a workshop that I created, and it's crazy how even just over the last few years, there's just been more research that come out. So it went from a six week program. I had a few people say, hey, alana, why don't you do it one day? And I'm like, because it's a lot of information. But, you know, what people showed up for it because that's what they, what they could give a day. Six weeks was hard, but I just revamped it just not too long ago. And because there's just so much more information on women. So I do individual work with women. And then, like I said, I have this workshop again, going back to what I talked about with myself, like finding that acceptance. These women, especially in that group setting, get to know that they're not alone like that. These struggles are struggles of other women. I just love hearing that they learn that they're not alone in this and just learning from each other. I'm there basically as a lead or almost like a consultant, like, here we go, like a know. And they get to know, oh, Sally said this and Jean said this. And now I get to, I can try know at home because as much as I know a ton about ADHD, I don't know how people's lives run, right? So for, like, I help myself by, I always have tech issues. So typically I either give myself a lot of time because I know I'm going to get frustrated. I need to find a way to regulate and be patient, or I get somebody else to do things for me. And so that's the thing. It's like knowing that it's okay to do these things because lots of women with ADHD have that perfectionism. So then it's ingrained that they have to do it. So working with these women, they get to learn that there's nothing wrong with them, that their brain is just wired differently. And we can still live and have productive lives and we can work through the challenges, whether it's emotional dysregulation or whether it's like our executive functioning or whatever it is, our relationships, all those things. And so that we can find that productivity that we love and find the dopamine and the stimulation all those things and decrease the burnout and the stress that ADHD tends to have. And so working with these women, it's always empowering, it always is interesting. But ADHD, not that it's always changing, but there's always more information coming out, especially more research being done on how it's impacting women. Right? Yeah. I love that they show up for themselves. I love that they are taking that time to learn, right? Taking that time, because I think that's the biggest thing. It's just learning about that and then it's genetic. And so you can get that mum factor in there and be like, well, if you learn about it for yourself, then you'll be able to pair. Right. And so it's great to work with these women.
Lisa/Host: The burnout, I did not know that. But now that you've said that, it makes a lot of sense. And what I'm hearing from you is that not only are you sharing your experience, teaching, facilitating, but I would say that you are empowering these women to make life changes, to make maybe not even changes, but adaptations.
Lisa/Host: Working with their ADHD, not against it. You're helping them grow. You're giving them the tools to adapt to a life with ADHD. So not changing their lives, but learning to live with the ADHD. I would say that you're also teaching them to be resilient.
Alannah : Do you consider yourself resilient? Yeah, I don't know if it's an ADHD thing, but I'm definitely resilient. And so you know what? Again, like you said, there's so many pieces of ADHD that are just like the research I was telling you about earlier. It's actually talking about hypermobility. And there's another term, but there's so many pieces to it that we don't even know. And so we're just learning. And so it is helping them. And my thing is, this is why I like working with youth, is prevention is super important to me. So if we're looking at prevention, like, say, even of addictions, well, then if we know that addictions and ADHD are comorbid, so, meaning that they go hand in hand, then why are we not looking after our youth and assessing them or treating them or looking at these things, right? And so, same for women. If we can prevent them from having something like fibromyalgia or another car accident or falling down the stairs or whatever it may be, then why aren't we doing that? And so that really is a lot of the basis of my work and why I enjoy doing these groups, because I want them to have as much information as possible so that they can, again, like you said, they can create better lives for themselves by knowing that, hey, if I'm doing too much, then I might burn out and I need to cut back at work. There's so many different things. And people look at. There's so many people out there saying, like, ADHD is my superpower, okay? ADHD can be very. We can get a lot of things done because we have ADHD, but if we're utilizing it as a superpower, this is kind of my belief, or how I've been looking at it lately, is that we are leading ourselves to that burnout. So again, if we're like all out on all of our cylinders, we're not going to be able to sustain that. So I'm not going to be able to be, if I go to twelve events and I'm away from home and I'm doing whatever it is and I return home, I'm going to be flat out on the couch, right? I'm not going to be able to. So again, it's like finding those ways and those pieces that help us sustain and be good parents or wives or partners or humans or whatever it is, right? And navigating all of that and being okay with communication is very difficult for people with ADHD and expressing ourselves and all of that stuff. And so going like, hey, giving ourselves that break, like, okay, I didn't say that the way I needed to say that. And so you can kind of bring yourself back to going, oh, wait a minute, I need to say that differently, right? Because I just caught myself in how I was projected because I wasn't recognizing how I feel. And so it's a lot of work, but at the same time there's so much benefit.
Lisa/Host: What would be your top two tools that you've learned over the years?
Alannah : I think routine is one of them. I think whether it's a sleep routine or a morning routine or just an everyday routine, like whatever it is, having some sort of structure and routine and then again giving myself that grace and acceptance that, you know, what if I blow up, okay, well, I missed a queue and I can go back and I can learn. It's just again, creating room that I'm going to screw up, right? Instead of being that somebody's going to like I'm going to be in trouble again kind of thing, but creating room and being acceptant of that. There's so many takeaways over the years and some of it is just like, again, that education and knowing that, you know what, people with ADHD are more likely to get into a car accident. Okay, so I can be more aware that, you know what you need to be more. Or making sure I'm sleeping really well. There's so many little pieces because of my kind degree too. I know how our body works a little bit more. And so even just like, hey, what else does my body need? And I'm not 100% all the time and it's not always good, but I'm aware of it and I'm accepting of I'm still going to drink Pepsi every day even though I know that it's not good for me. Right? It's just finding those pieces. It's like, what am I? Wow, this is a long answer for this question. What am I willing to accept and what am I not? Right? Yeah.
Lisa/Host: So really, what I took away from that, I love the routine. I think we can all benefit from routine and giving ourselves grace. And I'm just going to change what you said a little bit, I think. Give yourself grace as a human.
Lisa/Host: We're all human. None of us are going to be perfect. None of our days are going to be perfect. We're going to say things. We're going to do things with regret. We're going to need to go back and apologize because we're human. So maybe we can take some of those labels away, too, and just say I'm. And that's okay.
Alannah : And you know what? I like that you said that, because that's one of the biggest things for me, is like, yes, I have ADHD, but at the end of the day, I'm a la. I have an addiction, all of those things. I have this history, but at the end of the day, I'm a laugh. And so that is something that is super important to me. The ADHD is an understanding. It's not who I am. Right. And so I'm really glad you said that because that is something that's super important to me. I look at these things for understanding so that we can unravel some things, but it's not who you are.
Lisa/Host: Exactly. It's like me saying I have irritable bowel syndrome. I have know another thing that has letters.
Lisa/Host: It's part of something I deal with, but it's not me. I'm Lisa. You're Alana. So I love that. So let's talk about where people can find you on social media, your website, and all of that good stuff.
Alannah : Well, you know what? We kind of make that simple around here because it's just my name. It's Alana Boyle. Like, Alana is hard to spell, but it really is. It's alanaboil.com. That is my website. So A-L-A-N-N-A-H-B-O-Y-L-E was in Ireland this summer, and they're like, dear, you do not need to spell your last name here. And I was like, oh, okay, that's fun. And so then my instagram is Alan of oil, YQR. So, yeah, it's pretty easy to find me if you can spell my. So.
Lisa/Host: Absolutely. And I will link up those links in the show notes as well. So folks are listening, and you're not sure how to spell it, you can check it out in the show notes. Alana, it has been so awesome to have this conversation. I have learned so much from you today, really and truly. So thank you so much for being here again.
Alannah : I appreciate you asking me to be here. It's always my pleasure.
Lisa/Host: Awesome. Well, to my listeners, stay well, be resilient, and we'll catch you next time.
