The ADHD Channel for Women (formerly MissUnderstood)

When you think about someone taking a psychedelic drug like magic mushrooms, the first images that come to mind probably don’t involve a medical professional in a white coat or any sort of clinical setting.  However, the perception of these drugs is changing as researchers and health professionals continue to learn new ways these drugs can treat a variety of mental health conditions.  Much of the...

Are mornings hard for you? Do you try to start working right away, only to find yourself stuck — even when it’s something you’re genuinely excited about? This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye explains why mornings can be harder for ADHDers. And she shares tips for following through with our intentions when mornings are tough.  Related resources Waking up is hard to do  Timestamps (00:43) San...

ADHD in women is often misunderstood, even by ourselves — and hormones are a big part of the story.  This week, host Cate Osborn chats with psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Lotta Borg Skoglund about how hormone cycles affect ADHD in women. From PMS to perimenopause, we explore how shifting hormones can change how ADHD shows up — and how that impacts mood, focus, and relationships. Dr. Borg Skoglund...

For many women with ADHD, overachievement is a coping mechanism. It’s a way to cover up their trouble with focus, memory, or organization. But over time, it can lead to stress and burnout. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains the connection between ADHD and the constant drive to overachieve.  Learn how to recognize the signs and give yourself permission to slow down.  Related resources ADH...

If you haven’t heard of financial therapy before reading this, don’t worry. It’s new for us, too.  But when a past Hyperfocus guest told us to look up Dr. Christine Hargrove , we listened, and were so curious we had to get her on the show. Fortunately, she was game to share her expertise with us and our listeners.  She kindly answered our basic questions (what is financial therapy, really?) and so...

Have you ever been given an exciting opportunity, then found yourself feeling inadequate, underqualified, and undeserving after getting started? What did those feelings of doubt ultimately do to your mental health, work-life balance, and performance? This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye explores why imposter syndrome is so common in ADHD brains, how it impacts your confidence, and what you...

If sex sometimes feels confusing, overstimulating, or just... a lot, you’re not alone. ADHD and sensory issues can show up during sex and in our physical relationships.   This week, psychologist Dr. Lyne Piché joins us to discuss how ADHD and sensory challenges can shape our sex lives, and how to talk about it. From touch sensitivity to struggling to focus, we dive into why things might feel like...

Some women with ADHD turn to self-medicating to cope with their symptoms. At first, it may seem to help. But over time, it can make ADHD harder to manage. In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains self-medicating and breaks down why some women with ADHD turn to it. Find out how self-medicating can be harmful and what healthier ways to cope might look like. Related resources Tips from an ADHD Co...

On this very special episode of Hyperfocus, host Rae Jacobson interviews three of these women — Sari Solden, Terry Matlen, and Dr. Ellen Littman — along with Dr. Michelle Frank, a psychologist taking up the torch for a new generation.  Together, they discuss how they met, their journey to legitimize ADHD in women, and what they hope for the future.  Related resources: Climbing the Walls MissUnders...

Are there parts of your personality that seem to contradict each other? Do you struggle to set expectations for yourself because your reactions, behavior, or emotions can be unpredictable? This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how, with ADHD, we can be consistently inconsistent—often showing extreme behaviors that seem to contradict each other. Listen for insights and tips that c...

Being a caregiver to a friend or loved one is hard—add ADHD to the mix, and it’s a whole different challenge. Self-care and ADHD Coach Stephanie Antoine joins us to talk about what it’s like caring for our loved ones while managing executive dysfunction, burnout, and more. She also offers a few mindfulness practices to help us recenter when the stress feels like too much. If you’ve ever struggled...

In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson dives into how ADHD makes setting boundaries difficult. Listen as she breaks down why women with ADHD often struggle to say no. And get simple strategies to help protect your peace and improve your mental health. Related resources ADHD and: Oversharing Setting boundaries in relationships with ADHD Tips from an ADHD Coach: People-pleasing everyone but ourselves T...

Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, we’re sharing an episode of our sibling podcast from Understood.org, ADHD Aha! The episode features our very own Rae Jacobson and, appropriately, it’s a conversation about motherhood. More specifically, it’s about...

Have you had a bad experience talking about your ADHD with friends or family? Or, are you worried about sharing your ADHD diagnosis with friends and family, out of fear of how they would react?  This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about sharing our ADHD diagnoses with the people we love and what we can do to make those conversations go better.  Related resources What to do when someo...

Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. ADHD and kink might seem like an unexpected pairing, but for a lot of people, they go hand in hand. From rituals that help with focus to play that taps into the need for stimulation, BDSM can be more than just fun — it can be a real tool for regul...

Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now. For women with ADHD, asking for help can feel really hard, even when they need it. The pressures to be perfect and the fears of being judged can make staying quiet feel much easier. But reaching out can open the door to real support and relief. Li...

Have you changed careers or academic interests multiple times in your life? Do you find yourself thinking this next job is going to be the one that sticks, only to discover that you’re just as unhappy and unfulfilled in that role as all of the others before? This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how ADHD can nudge many of us to jump from job to job, and career to career.  Related...

In theory, online dating can feel like an easy, low-stakes solution to meeting people. But in practice, there are a few pitfalls that many fall into. With ADHD, dating apps can pose even more challenges and be an additional drag on your attention.  Clinical Psychologist Dr. Shauna Pollard visits the show to talk about what she’s noticed while working with ADHDers on online dating. Join this conver...

Many women with ADHD get stuck in a never-ending cycle of burnout. Trying to manage work, family, and social commitments can feel overwhelming, leaving them tired and unable to keep up. This stress can make everyday tasks seem even more difficult and lead to feelings of frustration. In this episode, Dr. J explains what burnout is and the ways it can appear in daily life. Listen as she breaks down...

If you follow ADHD news, you might’ve heard that diagnosis rates in women nearly doubled during the pandemic. Danielle Elliot was one of them, receiving her diagnosis just before she turned 37. Danielle is also a science and health journalist. So, she did the thing that many reporters are inclined to do — she began investigating this big, new thing in her life and how it fit into the world around...

Many people with ADHD, especially women, consider themselves people pleasers. It can become a habit to start putting others first without thinking, even when it goes against what we really want. This can lead to some resentment down the line.  This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how pleasing others all the time can turn from selfless into self-serving. Listen for tips on what t...

Are ADHD and cheating related? What about weaponized incompetence and ADHD? These are a few questions that surround the ADHD community. Producer Margie visits the podcast for another round of ‘Reddit reactions’ with more posts from the ADHD women subreddit. Listen for host Cate Osborn’s reactions on a few different scenarios related to cheating and weaponized incompetence. Related resources The Na...

For some women with ADHD, the fear of failure can feel overwhelming, causing them to second-guess their every move. They might avoid taking risks or stepping out of their comfort zone, even when they have the skills to succeed. It’s a cycle that’s tough to break, but there are ways to face this fear and move forward with confidence.  In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explores how fear of failure...

It often seems that the more complex a subject is, the more people tend to oversimplify it. If your social media feeds are anything like mine, that’s definitely the case. Especially when it comes to science.  One of those often-oversimplified things is dopamine. This neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, has become a target for catchy headlines promising new ways to “hack your dopamine.” Seriously....

A lot of adults with a late ADHD diagnosis can look back on their childhood and see clear signs that they had ADHD. But, it just didn’t get noticed at the time. It can be painful to think about where we would be if we’d had the diagnosis earlier. This week on Tips from an ADHD Coach , Jaye talks about how it can be common for late-diagnosed adults, especially women, to feel overlooked, misundersto...