If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

Have you ever been called a “manic pixie dream girl” by someone you were dating? Is it hard to remember your partner when they’re not with you? ADHD can bring its own set of challenges to dating, and romantic relationships.

Producer Margie visits the podcast to share what she’s found on the ADHD Women subreddit, where women with ADHD ask questions and share their challenges and wins. Listen for Cate’s reactions and a chat about common romantic dilemmas for women with ADHD!

Related resources

• The ADHD Women subreddit
• ADHD Support for Women by Understood.org’s Facebook group

Timestamps

(00:00) Women with ADHD communities, and common dating tropes

(03:46) Post #1 “I was too much for him”

(06:37) Post #2 “I did 12 loads of laundry to avoid writing a dating profile”

(11:56) Post #3 “Anyone else chronically feel like they’re not in a place where they’re ready to date?”

(16:27) Post #4 “Having ADHD as a woman and still having to carry the mental load”

(22:20) Post #5 “The ADHD struggle of falling in love after every good date”

(27:04) Post #6 “Does anyone else struggle with accidentally ignoring their partner or friends?”

(34:28) Talking about what gives us shame helps everyone

For a transcript and more resources, visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Many women with ADHD face the constant struggle of ADHD combined with depression. It’s a battle that affects every part of their lives. And the weight of these challenges often leaves them feeling drained and discouraged.

In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson breaks down the connection between ADHD and depression. Listen as she explains how ADHD symptoms might be misinterpreted as depression. And learn ways to manage struggles with depression.

Related resources

• ADHD and depression
• Did my ADHD make me more likely to have postpartum depression?
• Signs and symptoms of ADHD in adults

Timestamps

(01:33) Common symptoms of ADHD and depression

(06:36) How ADHD and depression affect each other

(09:03) Ways to manage ADHD and depression   

To get a transcript and check out more episodes, visit the MissUnderstood channel at Understood.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

Editor's note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and self-harm. Please take care when listening and skip this one if you need to.

Dr. Stephen Hinshaw is one of the leading voices when it comes to ADHD in women and girls. 

That’s in large part due to his work on The Berkeley Girls Study. (Its full name is The Berkeley Girls with ADHD Longitudinal Study, but most people know it by that shorthand or acronym: The BGALs Study.)

Under Steve’s leadership, researchers began studying 140 girls with ADHD and a control group of nearly 90 girls without it. They’ve been following these girls into their adulthood, producing a reams of information that has helped shape current understanding of ADHD in women and girls. 

That said, Rae Jacobson had plenty of questions for Steve: Why did you want to study ADHD in girls at a time when it was typically seen as a boys’ disorder? Why is it that one type of ADHD seems to lead to such negative outcomes? What do we do about the stigma that still surrounds the disorder? 

Related resources

• Steve’s books
• The 3 types of ADHD
• How ADHD can affect your mental health

Timestamps

(2:20) The beginnings of The Berkeley Girls study

(4:26) Combined-type ADHD and negative outcomes

(9:18) Self-esteem, ADHD, and girlhood

(16:20) ADHD as a “trend”

(20:40) What to do about ADHD stigma   

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the Hyperfocus podcast page at Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

Do you wait until the last minute to write a paper, or complete something until it absolutely has to be done? Do you find it almost impossible to start any sooner? Does it make you feel guilty?

This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how the pressure and shame that comes with waiting until the last minute can push us across the finish line… until it doesn’t. Listen for some tips that can help.

Related resources

• ADHD and the myth of laziness (Rebecca’s story)
• ADHD and perfectionism
• ADHD and anxiety

Timestamps

(00:43) Rebecca’s quote

(02:22) Using pressure and shame to motivate ourselves

(08:30) What can we do instead?

(11:22) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.org

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at [email protected]

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

ADHD can impact pregnancy in a number of ways: Higher rate of postpartum depression, hormone surges that affect the brain’s functioning, increased demands on our executive function, and so much more. 

Our guest this week, Dusty Chipura, is an ADHD and pregnancy expert, ADHD coach, and doula in training. Dusty takes us through pregnancy with ADHD, what you might expect, and what conversations are important to have with your support network ahead of welcoming a baby. 

Related resources

• A guide to hormones and ADHD
• ADHD and pregnancy workbook by Alix Bacon and Dusty Chipura
• Dusty’s website, vancouveradhdcoaching.com

Timestamps

(01:27) Some ways ADHD affects pregnancy

(02:25) How did Dusty become an expert in ADHD and pregnancy?

(04:21) First trimester/early pregnancy and ADHD

(05:57) Sensory sensitivities and pregnancy

(08:44) Second trimester

(13:23) What conversations should we be having with our support system during this time?

(17:20) Third trimester

(20:04) What happens after the baby is born?

(22:33) ADHD and the postpartum period

(25:55) Best practices and tools

(28:41) Dusty’s top tips

(30:35) Dealing with parental guilt

(31:59) Where you can find Dusty

For a transcript and more resources visit the Sorry, I Missed This page on Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

Many women feel pressure to create the “perfect” holiday season. From decorating and hosting to gift-giving, all while staying cheerful and calm. But for some women with ADHD, these expectations can make the holidays feel more stressful than joyful.

In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson shares how common ADHD symptoms like trouble focusing and managing time can make the holidays feel overwhelming. Hear why some women have a hard time managing tasks and their emotions during what should be a season filled with joy. And learn practical ways to tackle holiday stress. 

Related resources

• 11 ADHD holiday tips
• Understood.org’s 2024 Neurodiversity and the Holidays Survey

Timestamps

(00:33) How holiday pressures affect women with ADHD

(01:09) What holiday stress can look like in women

(02:10) Ways having ADHD can impact holiday stress

(03:04) How sensory overload plays a role

(04:48) Effective strategies for reducing holiday stress

To get a transcript and check out more episodes, visit the MissUnderstood channel at Understood.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

At work, neurodivergent people face a bunch of different hurdles — stigma, burnout, firings, higher unemployment rates, and more. 

In recent years, all kinds of businesses have begun various types of neurodiversity initiatives. On the surface, these initiatives are supposed to foster inclusion and make working better for everyone.

But host Rae Jacobson wondered: Do these initiatives actually do anything, or are they just good marketing? 

She put the question to Rachel Lowenstein, a brand consultant and content creator whose job involves working with business leaders to make workplaces more inclusive.

Rachel explains how these efforts can create positive change and aren’t just neurowashing (think greenwashing, but for neurodiversity inclusion). And she also shares why these efforts are personal for her as a woman with autism. 

Related resources

• 5 ways you can help your workplace be more inclusive
• Survey reveals workplace stigma for neurodivergent employees
• What is neurodiversity?

Timestamps

(4:11) How to make people relate to neurodiversity

(11:18) The curb-cut effect: What helps me can help everyone

(14:50) What does a neuroinclusive retail job look like?

(20:39) Why a larger community is a stronger one

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the Hyperfocus podcast page at Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

Have you ever had a painful experience or received feedback that made you vow to change yourself? Did you swing a bit too far in the other direction? 

This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach, Jaye talks about how overcorrecting ourselves can lead to not feeling great about the new outcome. Listen for some insight and tips to stay true to yourself.

Related resources

• ADHD, social awkwardness, and ghosting (Allison’s story)
• How to build confidence when you know you’re different
• ADHD and feelings of remorse

Timestamps

(00:47) Allison’s quote

(02:22) Receiving negative feedback that changes our perception of ourselves

(03:34) Emotional dysregulation and processing our emotions

(04:23) Overcorrecting

(07:34) What can we do in this position?

(10:39) Recap

For a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood page on Understood.org

Have a challenge you’d like Jaye to talk about in an episode? Email or send a voice memo to us at [email protected]

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

Sometimes, romantic relationships just don’t work out. And breaking up with someone can be really tough — including having the breakup conversation. With ADHD, overthinking, people-pleasing, and rejection sensitivity can make it even harder. 

This week, ADHD coach and author of I Don’t Hate My Ex-Husband Jess DuBose visits Sorry, I Missed This. Listen to learn how to check in with yourself about your relationship, and some tips to help you through a breakup conversation. 

Related resources

• ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)
• Jess’ website, jessdubose.com
• I Don’t Hate My Ex-Husband by Jess DuBose
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• Rainn.org

Timestamps

(02:08) Why did Jess write her book?

(04:13) How does ADHD impact breaking up?

(05:19) Staying in a relationship because of people-pleasing

(07:42) Jess’ growth process: ASPIRE

(10:22) Guided meditation exercise about whether or not to break up with someone

(14:08) What can help you through a breakup

(19:32) Initiating the conversation to end a relationship

(24:10) How to avoid the impulse to backpedal during the breakup conversation

(27:37) Jess’ parting advice

(29:14) Where you can find Jess

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the Sorry, I Missed This podcast page at Understood.org.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.

It’s a scenario some women with ADHD know all too well. Glancing over at the clock after being so immersed in a project or task and realizing that hours have flown by. This common occurrence is often referred to as trouble with time perception, or time blindness.

In this episode, listen as Dr. Monica Johnson explains the link between ADHD and time perception. Discover why some women with ADHD have trouble keeping track of time. And learn practical strategies to help manage time more effectively.

To get a transcript and check out more episodes, visit the MissUnderstood Channel at Understood.

We love to hear from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

Related resources

• ADHD and “time blindness”
• ADHD and: Time management

Timestamps

(00:39) What is time perception?

(02:35) Why can time perception be a struggle for women with ADHD?

(06:07) Ways to manage trouble with time perception

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give