ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast

Looking for further guidance and support on⁠⁠⁠ ADHD Women's Wellbeing⁠⁠⁠? Check out my workshop library ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ or search for any topic on the ⁠⁠⁠Podcast here⁠⁠⁠.

So many of us arrive at an ADHD diagnosis carrying years of shame, self-criticism and the quiet belief that something is fundamentally wrong with us. This episode is about what starts to shift when we finally have the right information.

Welcome to this week's summer compilation. This one follows the journey from diagnosis to self-acceptance: the barriers so many of us still face in getting taken seriously, the practical tools that can help us quieten the inner critic, and a completely different way of seeing our ADHD traits, not as defects to fix, but as strengths that just need the right context and support.

We hear from three guests across three different conversations. Vicki George, clinical nurse specialist and founder of The ADHD Nurse, on what the DIVA-5 assessment is really meant to be, why ADHD still carries more stigma than almost any other mental health condition, and how to advocate for yourself with a GP even when it feels uncomfortable.

Cynthia Hammer, author of Living with Inattentive ADHD and founder of the Inattentive ADHD Coalition, on how understanding and accepting a diagnosis can bring more happiness even when the symptoms themselves haven't changed, and why replacing negative self-talk requires something to replace it with.

And Hannah Miller, author of The Purpose Pursuit and host of The Purpose Pursuit Podcast, on what limiting beliefs actually are, how self-sabotage shows up for ADHD women, and her four-part framework for taking stock of where you are and finding your way forward.

In this episode, we cover:

What the DIVA-5 assessment is and why it should be a guided conversation, not a form you fill out alone

Why ADHD diagnosis still carries more stigma than most other mental health conditions, and how unhelpful media headlines keep feeding that

Why a GP cannot refuse to refer you for an ADHD assessment, and how to keep the appointment focused on that goal

The challenges of titration and why finding the right medication is rarely a quick or straightforward process

How understanding and accepting a diagnosis brought more happiness to the women Cynthia interviewed, even when their symptoms hadn't changed

Why you can't simply get rid of a negative thought without replacing it with something else, and what that can look like in practice

Why earlier diagnosis matters so much, and why girls with inattentive ADHD are still so frequently missed

Hannah's four-part framework: taking stock, naming your strengths, identifying limiting behaviours and clarifying your values

Why our traits are not defects, and how Clifton Strengths can help neurodivergent women begin to see themselves differently

Why we don't have to be everything, and how leaning on others' strengths is part of thriving, not failing

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's compilation

03:00 - Vicki George: what the DIVA-5 assessment is and why it matters

06:00 - Why the person being assessed is always believed over a parent or observer

08:00 - Why ADHD still carries more stigma than other mental health conditions

10:30 - How to advocate for yourself with a GP and what they can and can't do

13:00 - Titration, medication and why the process is so rarely straightforward

18:00 - Cynthia Hammer: how diagnosis brings happiness even when symptoms remain

21:00 - Interrupting negative self-talk and why replacement matters

24:00 - Why girls with inattentive ADHD are still being missed by standard tools

27:00 - Why whole-family screening matters when one person is diagnosed

30:00 - Hannah Miller: what happens when diagnosis collides with limiting beliefs

33:00 - The four-part framework: taking stock, strengths, limiting behaviors, values

36:00 - Why traits we've labelled as flaws can become our greatest strengths

39:00 - Clifton Strengths and why it works well for neurodivergent women

42:00 - We don't have to be everything, we just have to be good at something

Links and Resources:

Find my popular ADHD Women's Wellbeing workshops and resources on my website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Follow the podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@adhd_womenswellbeing_pod⁠⁠⁠

Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in e-book and audiobook) ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Join the More Yourself membership community ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Visit Vicki George's website: theadhdnurse.co.uk

Connect with Vicki George on Instagram

Visit Cynthia Hammer's website: iadhd.org

Connect with Cynthia Hammer on Instagram

Get Cynthia Hammer's book: Living with Inattentive ADHD: Climbing the Circular Staircase of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Visit Cynthia's advocacy project: findtheadhdgirls.org

Visit Hannah Miller's website: hellosidekick.co

Connect with Hannah Miller on Instagram

Get Hannah Miller's book: The Purpose Pursuit

Listen to Hannah's podcast: The Purpose Pursuit Podcast

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking for further guidance and support on⁠⁠⁠ ADHD Women's Wellbeing⁠⁠⁠? Check out my workshop library ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ or search for any topic on the ⁠⁠⁠Podcast here⁠⁠⁠.

If you've ever tried an ADHD productivity hack, felt briefly hopeful, and then quietly gone back to exactly how you were before, this episode is for you.

Welcome to this week's summer compilation. This one is all about redefining what productivity actually means for ADHD brains, and letting go of the neurotypical advice that was never designed for the way our minds work.

We hear from four guests across four different conversations. Ari Tuckman on why productivity isn't about doing more, but about creating a life that has more meaning and breathing room in it. Dr Jacob Santhouse on automaticity, why everyday tasks like filling in a form are so much more mentally exhausting for neurodivergent brains, and why that is not a character flaw. Sonia Ponzo on the paralysis state, interoception, and why ADHD brains so often struggle to read what their body actually needs in any given moment. Dr Claire Plumbly on the three states of the nervous system, what it means to get stuck in fight or flight, and how burnout can build so slowly we almost don't notice it. And Laura Willis on digital overload, the default mode network, and why a real rest is not the same as switching from emails to scrolling.

In this episode, we cover:

Why quick-fix productivity hacks rarely work for ADHD brains, and what to aim for instead

How genuine productivity creates meaning and more time for the things that matter, rather than just getting more done

What automaticity is and why struggling with everyday admin tasks is a neurological difference, not a personal failing

Why form-filling, reading and life admin can deplete an ADHD brain so much faster than people realise

What the paralysis state is and why knowing what to do is not the same as being able to start

What interoception is and why ADHD brains often misread what they actually need, leading to cycles of shame and self-blame

The autonomic nervous system explained: green, amber and red, and why so many of us get stuck oscillating between the last two

How burnout can build quietly over time rather than arriving all at once

Why scrolling on your phone during a break is not actually a break, and what the default mode network needs instead

Practical, sustainable ways to create boundaries around technology that protect your energy and your headspace

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's summer compilation

03:00 - Ari Tuckman: why productivity hacks rarely work for ADHD brains

05:30 - What real productivity looks like: meaning, not just output

08:00 - The importance of immediate rewards over vague long-term goals

10:00 - Sleep, nutrition, movement and flexible routine as the actual foundations

13:00 - Kate and Ari on the ADHD brain's contradictions and daily recalibrations

16:00 - Dr Jacob Santhouse: what automaticity is and why it matters

19:00 - How automaticity affects working memory and executive function

21:30 - Why form-filling is exhausting, and what to do about it

24:00 - Playing to your strengths and letting go of the guilt

27:00 - Sonia Ponzo: the paralysis state and why you can't always start

31:00 - What interoception is and why ADHD brains struggle with it

35:00 - The cycle of self-shame when we misread what our body needs

37:00 - Practical ways to start training interoception

41:00 - Dr Claire Plumbly: the autonomic nervous system explained

44:00 - Green, amber and red: rest and digest, fight or flight, and shutdown

48:00 - What it looks and feels like to get stuck in amber or red

51:00 - Kate on losing access to contentment and compassion during burnout

53:00 - Laura Willis: why scrolling is not a rest

55:00 - The default mode network and what a real mental break actually does

57:00 - Practical boundaries: phones out of reach, batch working and scheduled screen time

Links and Resources:

Find my popular ADHD Women's Wellbeing workshops and resources on my website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Connect with the podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@adhd_womenswellbeing_pod⁠⁠⁠

Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Join the More Yourself membership community ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Visit Dr Ari Tuckman's website: drarituckman.com

Connect with Dr Ari Tuckman on Instagram

Get Dr Ari Tuckman's book: The ADHD Productivity Manual

Connect with Dr Jacob Santhouse on Instagram

Get Dr Jacob Santhouse's book: Dyslexia Explained: Your Toolkit to Understanding and Thriving

Visit Sonia Ponzo's website: outsetwellness.com

Connect with Sonia Ponzo on Instagram

Visit Dr Claire Plumbly's website: drclaireplumbly.com

Get Dr Claire Plumbly's book: Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You

Connect with Dr Claire Plumbly on Instagram

Visit Laura Willis's website: laura-willis.com

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking for further guidance and support on⁠ ADHD Women's Wellbeing⁠? Check out my resource library ⁠here⁠ or search for any topic you need on the ⁠Podcast here⁠.
A diagnosis doesn't give you a new brain. But it does turn the lights on, offer validation, and create a gateway to support and that changes everything.

Welcome to this week's More Yourself Monday episode. This week I'm sharing a conversation I had as a guest on The Hairy Chin Podcast, hosted by Spencer Moore, a patient advocate with over 30 years of experience navigating complex healthcare systems in the US and Spain.

Spencer's podcast is all about practical self-advocacy skills for women, and I loved being interviewed by her because she asked me things I don't always get to explore when I'm in the host seat. We ended up having a really open conversation about what it actually takes to get heard as a woman seeking an ADHD diagnosis, what that diagnosis does and doesn't change, and why so many of us have been quietly shrinking our ambitions when what we actually needed was flexibility, understanding and someone in our corner.

In this episode, we cover:

How I came to my own ADHD diagnosis at 40 while advocating for my daughter during lockdown

Why so many women experience pushback, dismissal or misdiagnosis before reaching an ADHD assessment

Practical tools for chronicling your symptoms and preparing for a doctor's appointment when your working memory is under pressure

Why a diagnosis is a gateway, not just a label, and how it opens the door to support you didn't know you could ask for

What diagnosis changes and what it doesn't, and why awareness is the most powerful tool of all

Why so many ADHD women have quietly shrunk their careers and ambitions, and what needs to change in workplaces

The nervous system as the foundation of everything: burnout, sustainability and how to start noticing your own triggers

Why perfectionism is often a mask, and how understanding ADHD can finally help us let it go

The importance of finding trusted resources and building a community when you feel alone with all of this

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's More Yourself episode

01:00 - Introducing The Hairy Chin Podcast and Spencer Moore

03:20 - How Kate's daughter's struggles during lockdown led to both of their diagnoses

08:00 - Advocating for yourself when the healthcare system doesn't lead the way

12:00 - How to prepare for a doctor's appointment when ADHD makes it hard to articulate your history

17:00 - Why a diagnosis matters, and what it actually unlocks

21:00 - What a diagnosis changes and what it doesn't: building scaffolding, not a new brain

27:00 - The expectations women bring to diagnosis, and how to manage them compassionately

32:00 - ADHD women in the workplace: burnout, downsizing and what needs to change

39:00 - The nervous system: capability vs sustainability

47:00 - Walking without your phone and other small nervous system resets

51:00 - Perfectionism, done is better than perfect, and the 2.0 version of yourself

56:00 - Trusted resources, the book and the More Yourself membership

Links and Resources:

Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website ⁠here⁠.

Follow the podcast on Instagram: ⁠@adhd_womenswellbeing_pod⁠

Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) ⁠here⁠

Join the More Yourself membership community ⁠here

Listen to The Hairy Chin Podcast here

Connect with Spencer Moore and The Hairy Chin on Instagram

Visit The Hairy Chin website: thehairychin.com

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking for further guidance and support on⁠⁠ ADHD Women's Wellbeing⁠⁠? Check out my resource library ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ or search for any topic on the ⁠⁠Podcast here⁠⁠.

If you've ever lost your patience with your child and then felt terrible about it, or wondered why what works for every other family just doesn't seem to work for yours, this ADHD parenting compilation episode is for you.

Today's episode is all about parenting in neurodiverse families and the real day-to-day of parenting neurodivergent children when you're often navigating your own ADHD at the same time.

We hear from four guests across four different conversations, each bringing something distinct. Jessie Hewitson on what PDA actually is and how low-demand parenting can change everything. Dr Casey Ehrlich on why meltdowns are a nervous system response, not a discipline problem, and what it looks and feels like to go through the paradigm shift every PDA parent has to make. Kristen Pressner on giving up the search for a scaled solution and learning to become a brain friend instead. And Dr Tamara Rosier on the window of tolerance, why ADHD people have a narrower one, and what we can do about it in the moment.

None of this is about perfection. It's about understanding, acceptance, compassion, and choosing options that feel more aligned with your family, without judgement.

In this episode, we cover:

What pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is, how it shows up and why it's so often misunderstood

Why low demand parenting is not about giving in, but about lowering anxiety and keeping connection

How meltdowns are a threat response in the nervous system, not a sign of bad parenting or a bad child

The paradigm shift: moving from trying to fix your child to understanding how their brain actually works

Why interest, not importance, motivates the ADHD brain and what that means for family life

Kristen Pressner's concept of being a brain friend, and how a judgment-free household helps everyone thrive

What the window of tolerance is and why ADHD narrows it

The difference between hyper and hypo arousal and simple tools to move between states

Dr Tamara Rosier's pool metaphor for understanding big emotions in neurodiverse families

Why co-regulation starts with you, and how managing your own nervous system first makes everything easier

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's compilation

03:27 - Jessie Hewitson: what is PDA and how does it show up

05:12 - Why PDA is inconsistent and so hard to explain to schools and relatives

07:15 - Kate on recognising PDA traits in her own children

08:07 - Low demand parenting and why the hierarchy has to shift

11:27 - Dr Casey Ehrlich: moving out of fixing mode and into acceptance

13:47 - Why a meltdown is a threat response, not a lack of skills

16:52 - The new baseline: treating dysregulation like a panic attack, not a behaviour problem

18:30 - Casey's own journey to a paradigm shift through Buddhism and radical acceptance

22:10 - Kristen Pressner: why there is no scaled solution in a neurodiverse family

24:00 - Interest versus importance: how the ADHD brain actually gets motivated

28:00 - How Kristen's family members responded to their diagnoses

31:15 - The brain friend concept and creating a judgment free household

39:21 - Dr Tamara Rosier: what the window of tolerance is

41:10 - Hyper versus hypo arousal and how ADHD narrows the window

44:05 - How Kate's window shrinks across a busy day and what she does about it

45:24 - Practical tools for widening the window and staying regulated

49:05 - Co-regulation and why the pool metaphor helps families understand big emotions

Links and Resources:

Find my popular ADHD Women's Wellbeing workshops and resources on my website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Follow the podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠@adhd_womenswellbeing_pod⁠⁠

Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Join the More Yourself membership community ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Get Jessie Hewitson's book: ⁠ADHD: How to Raise a Happy Child with ADHD⁠

Connect with Jessie Hewitson on ⁠Instagram⁠

Visit Dr Casey Ehrlich's website: ⁠atpeaceparents.com⁠

Connect with Dr Casey Ehrlich on ⁠Instagram⁠

Learn more about Kristen Pressner and watch her TEDx talk: ⁠kristenpressner.com⁠

Visit Dr Tamara Rosier's website: ⁠tamararosier.com⁠

Connect with Dr Tamara Rosier on ⁠Instagram⁠

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach, podcast host, author and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking for further guidance and support on⁠ ADHD Women's Wellbeing⁠? Check out my resource library ⁠here⁠ or search for any topic on the ⁠Podcast here⁠.

If you've ever lost your patience with your child and then felt terrible about it, or wondered why what works for every other family just doesn't seem to work for yours, this ADHD parenting compilation episode is for you.

Today's episode is all about parenting in neurodiverse families and the real day-to-day of parenting neurodivergent children when you're often navigating your own ADHD at the same time.

We hear from four guests across four different conversations, each bringing something distinct. Jessie Hewitson on what PDA actually is and how low-demand parenting can change everything. Dr Casey Ehrlich on why meltdowns are a nervous system response, not a discipline problem, and what it looks and feels like to go through the paradigm shift every PDA parent has to make. Kristen Pressner on giving up the search for a scaled solution and learning to become a brain friend instead. And Dr Tamara Rosier on the window of tolerance, why ADHD people have a narrower one, and what we can do about it in the moment.

None of this is about perfection. It's about understanding, acceptance, compassion, and choosing options that feel more aligned with your family, without judgement.

In this episode, we cover:

What pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is, how it shows up and why it's so often misunderstood

Why low demand parenting is not about giving in, but about lowering anxiety and keeping connection

How meltdowns are a threat response in the nervous system, not a sign of bad parenting or a bad child

The paradigm shift: moving from trying to fix your child to understanding how their brain actually works

Why interest, not importance, motivates the ADHD brain and what that means for family life

Kristen Pressner's concept of being a brain friend, and how a judgment-free household helps everyone thrive

What the window of tolerance is and why ADHD narrows it

The difference between hyper and hypo arousal and simple tools to move between states

Dr Tamara Rosier's pool metaphor for understanding big emotions in neurodiverse families

Why co-regulation starts with you, and how managing your own nervous system first makes everything easier

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's compilation

03:27 - Jessie Hewitson: what is PDA and how does it show up

05:12 - Why PDA is inconsistent and so hard to explain to schools and relatives

07:15 - Kate on recognising PDA traits in her own children

08:07 - Low demand parenting and why the hierarchy has to shift

11:27 - Dr Casey Ehrlich: moving out of fixing mode and into acceptance

13:47 - Why a meltdown is a threat response, not a lack of skills

16:52 - The new baseline: treating dysregulation like a panic attack, not a behaviour problem

18:30 - Casey's own journey to a paradigm shift through Buddhism and radical acceptance

22:10 - Kristen Pressner: why there is no scaled solution in a neurodiverse family

24:00 - Interest versus importance: how the ADHD brain actually gets motivated

28:00 - How Kristen's family members responded to their diagnoses

31:15 - The brain friend concept and creating a judgment free household

39:21 - Dr Tamara Rosier: what the window of tolerance is

41:10 - Hyper versus hypo arousal and how ADHD narrows the window

44:05 - How Kate's window shrinks across a busy day and what she does about it

45:24 - Practical tools for widening the window and staying regulated

49:05 - Co-regulation and why the pool metaphor helps families understand big emotions

Links and Resources:

Find my popular ADHD Women's Wellbeing workshops and resources on my website ⁠here⁠.

Follow the podcast on Instagram: ⁠@adhd_womenswellbeing_pod⁠

Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) ⁠here⁠

Join the More Yourself membership community ⁠here⁠

Get Jessie Hewitson's book: ADHD: How to Raise a Happy Child with ADHD

Connect with Jessie Hewitson on Instagram

Visit Dr Casey Ehrlich's website: atpeaceparents.com

Connect with Dr Casey Ehrlich on Instagram

Learn more about Kristen Pressner and watch her TEDx talk: kristenpressner.com

Visit Dr Tamara Rosier's website: tamararosier.com

Connect with Dr Tamara Rosier on Instagram

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach, podcast host, author and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices