ADHD Aha!

Psychotherapist, author, and ADHD pioneer Terry Matlen shares what led to her ADHD diagnosis. Terry’s path started with years of shame and the feeling that everyday life was inexplicably harder than it should be. She describes getting overwhelmed by ordinary moments: making dinner, figuring out what to wear, and freezing at the sink with a wooden spoon in her hand.
Terry is an expert on ADHD in women. She talks about mood regulation and self-esteem with empathy. And she offers hard-won guidance for women with ADHD, especially moms. The conversation is honest — and likely to feel familiar to anyone who’s ever felt like everyday life is too much to handle.
For more on this topic
Listen: She broke the silence on ADHD shame in women (Sari Solden’s story) 
Listen: She wrote the book on women, shame, and ADHD
Read: ADHD and mood swings
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood.org 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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Debbie Reber — author, podcast host, and founder of Tilt Parenting — shares her unexpected journey of discovering her ADHD as an adult. She talks about the imposter syndrome that came with it, especially after years of writing about executive function and advocating for neurodivergent kids.
Debbie explains how being extremely organized her whole life — hacking her ADHD without realizing it — kept her from seeing the signs sooner. She reflects on believing she “should” be someone who has natural balance, feels accomplished every day, and can simply unwind at night.
She also opens up about growing up as the class clown, being told she was too loud, and how therapy is helping her untangle those early messages and better understand herself.
For more on this topic: 
ADHD and imposter syndrome in women
Personal story: What I do when imposter syndrome creeps in 
Check out Debbie’s books, including Differently Wired: The Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
.

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood.org 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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, we’re sharing a powerful episode from our friends at Hyperfocus — a deeply personal story with its own “aha” moments. Inattentive ADHD is often missed, especially in boys who don’t fit the typical ADHD stereotype. Brandon Saiz shares his later-in-life diagnosis and what it meant to have been overlooked for so long. 
If you’re not already listening to Hyperfocus, check it out here.
Content warning: Mentions of suicide
For more on this topic: 
Read: The 3 types of ADHD
Listen: The “devastating” findings of a decades-long ADHD study
Follow: Brandon Saiz on Substack   
For a transcript and more resources, visit our friends at Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
.

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood.org 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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back by popular demand… it’s Ange Nolan! Ange returns to ADHD Aha! to share how her ADHD journey has evolved since we last spoke. That includes her decision to study disability theology and help make worship spaces more supportive for neurodivergent people. 
Going back to school brought up old memories of past academic struggles. Ange talks openly about navigating those feelings with more clarity and self-understanding. She also gives an update on her personal life — this time, celebrating a calm, steady relationship that looks very different from the intense dynamics she experienced in the past.
For more on this topic: 
Ange’s first interview: ADHD, loving intensely, and impulsivity
A guide to  ADHD and emotions
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
.

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood.org 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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we’re revisiting one of our favorite ADHD Aha! episodes. 
Ange Nolan once suspected she had ADHD but was dismissed by her doctor. Years later, an ADHD “iceberg” graphic that visualized how so many ADHD symptoms live beneath the surface finally made everything click. 
After her diagnosis, Ange recognized how much ADHD had shaped her romantic relationships, her drive for intense connection, her “chameleon” behavior, and her impulsive career changes. 
Be sure to tune in next time! Ange is coming back to tell us how life has changed in the three years since her episode aired. Spoiler: She’s doing great.
For more on this topic:
Listen: ADHD and messiness (Jeannie’s story)
Read: ADHD and emotions
Read: Understanding impulsivity
Listen: ADHD and marriage (Rachel and Jon’s story)
Timestamps: 
(00:50) The ADHD iceberg moment that revealed hidden symptoms
(05:20) Early warning signs, misdiagnosis, and feeling dismissed
(09:40) Career pivots, masking, and finding work that finally fits
(15:30) Impulsivity, hyperfixation, and burnout in relationships
For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood.org 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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.