ADHD Aha!

Episoder

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  When ADHD feels like your insides are crawling (Kate Moryoussef’s story) 21.07.2026 26min

  Why does sitting still feel like a physical emergency? Kate Moryoussef, ADHD lifestyle and wellness coach and host of the “ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast,” spent years convinced she was the problem. It wasn't until her daughter's meltdowns, daydreams, and overwhelm mirrored her own childhood that everything clicked. In this episode, Kate unpacks restlessness and what ADHD actually feels like in the body, how generational ADHD shapes families, and why so many women spend decades doubting themselves before finally getting answers.
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  Rage quitting, constant tiny mistakes, and emotional regulation with ADHD (John Garden’s story) 07.07.2026 25min

  What if the clue to an ADHD diagnosis was making a different tiny mistake every night on stage? John Garden is a therapist and professional musician. He shares how years of strong emotional reactions, rage quitting, boredom with repetition, and feeling like a failure eventually led to an ADHD diagnosis. The conversation explores emotional regulation, inattention to detail, perfectionism, and the hidden ways ADHD can show up. It also highlights how ADHD realizations are often not a single lightning-bolt moment. More often, they come from years of experiences that slowly add up until everything starts to make sense.
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  Painful everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction (KC Davis’ story) 23.06.2026 32min

  KC Davis, counselor, author, and host of Struggle Care, talks about the everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction: messiness, boredom, and keeping up with household tasks like laundry. She shares how caring for a newborn and a 2-year-old during the COVID shutdown pushed her coping strategies to the breaking point — “I lost my mind,” she says — and ultimately changed the way she understood herself. KC reflects on ADHD signs that showed up throughout her life, from forgetting to turn in homework to biting her tongue until it bled to stop herself from interrupting people. She also discusses working memory, addiction, and the years she spent fighting for radical acceptance in therapy — and why understanding her ADHD sooner might have made that journey much easier.
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  I gave 110% with ADHD. They still told me I’d never go to college. (Rebecca Gonzalez-Ojeda’s story) 09.06.2026 19min

  A tangled ball of spaghetti. That’s how aspiring therapist Rebecca Gonzalez-Ojeda describes her ADHD brain. Diagnosed with ADHD in fifth grade, Rebecca grew up hearing messages to “just try harder” while struggling with school and self-esteem. It felt like giving 110% still wasn’t enough. Rebecca reflects on painful IEP meetings, discouraging comments from teachers, and the emotional drain of being misunderstood for years. She also shares what it was like “raw-dogging” life after losing access to treatment, then getting re-diagnosed with ADHD after college — and how ADHD medication changed her life.
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  Two adult ADHD diagnoses, opposite reactions (Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick’s story) 26.05.2026 29min

  Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick — best friends and co-hosts of You’re Wrong About ADHD — compare their very different reactions to being diagnosed with ADHD. Katie came to her ADHD diagnosis through her teenage son and felt a sense of excitement and clarity. Sam felt shaken. He began to see his years of depression, emotional crashes, and coping habits in a new way. Hear how ADHD shows up uniquely in the two of them, from emotional dysregulation and sensory struggles to disorganization and missed signs in childhood. Also in this episode: gender differences, late diagnosis, and the quiet grief of wondering what might have been.
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  Isn’t that every busy mom? Emotional dysregulation and ADHD (Kim Holderness’ story) 12.05.2026 22min

  ADHD symptoms can be easy to miss — even when you’re someone who knows a lot about ADHD. Kim Holderness shares her adult ADHD diagnosis and the complicated feelings that came with it. Kim felt embarrassed and like a fraud. For years, she assumed her anxiety and emotional ups and downs were simply part of the very real load many busy moms carry. Kim and Penn Holderness — creators, authors, and the couple behind the Holderness Family — have long been surrounded by ADHD in their life and work. In a quick, sweet cameo, Penn (who also has ADHD) shares how he supports Kim in practical ways, like handling paperwork and day-to-day logistics.
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  The voice in my head said “You’re stupid”: ADHD and negative self-talk (Carla Ciccone’s story) 28.04.2026 23min

  Carla Ciccone, author of Nowhere Girl: Life as a Member of ADHD’s Lost Generation, shares what it’s like to grow up thinking you’re the problem. She talks about learning to mask when she was just 6 years old and living with constant negative self-talk. Like many girls with ADHD, Carla hid her struggles and felt like a lost cause. Carla opens up about her inner voice — the one that says “you’re stupid” — and how fear, failure, and pressure from others can build deep self-doubt. Motherhood became a turning point, pushing her to change the way she spoke to herself so her daughter wouldn’t continue the cycle. Also in this episode: Carla draws parallels between her experiences with asthma and ADHD.
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  “Mom rage,” sensory overload, and shame (Kaitlin Soulé’s story) 14.04.2026 24min

  Marriage and family therapist Kaitlin Soulé shares her story and expertise. She opens up about rage — especially “mom rage” — and the sensory overload and shame that often come with it. Kaitlin and Laura talk about what rage actually feels like (it’s more than just yelling), and how constant noise at home can push them past their limits. They also look at how “rage” is often framed as a women’s issue. (Have you ever heard anyone talk about “dad rage”?) Kaitlin shares practical ways to come down from intense moments and repair things with loved ones. The conversation also touches on masking — why it can be easier to hold it together at work, but not at home. ADHD and mood swings come up too, and why some women are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.
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  Recovering perfectionist, no longer a martyr (Kim Tran’s story) 31.03.2026 25min

  Kim Tran spent years chasing perfection: a high achiever who believed struggle wasn’t an option. As an Asian American woman raised with the pressures of the model minority myth, asking for help felt like failure. But after being encouraged three separate times to get evaluated for ADHD, Kim finally said yes — after becoming a mom and realizing she wanted something different for her child. In this conversation, Kim talks about perfectionism, cultural expectations, and why martyrdom isn’t a badge of honor. She shares how learning to ask for help reshaped her life, and how she’s modeling a healthier path for the next generation.
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  Something felt off: ADHD, depression, and slow processing speed (Matt Klein’s story) 17.03.2026 17min

  Matt Klein thought he was dealing with depression. After a job change and the arrival of a new baby, he found himself in a fog. Listless. Unmotivated. And vaguely “off.” He just didn’t want to do anything. His wife noticed the shift, too. But the depression diagnosis never fully explained it. It wasn’t until he was evaluated as an adult that inattentive ADHD and slow processing speed brought his story into focus. Matt, a software engineer, shares a story about a door that hung slightly askew — and how intensely it bothered him. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. That crooked door became a metaphor for his experience with undiagnosed ADHD: the mental friction, the fixation, the sense that something was out of alignment.
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  Adult ADHD, perfectionism, and soft productivity (Fellisia Robinson’s story) 03.03.2026 21min

  When Fellisia Robinson was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, everything started to make sense. In this episode, she talks with Laura about what it was like to finally get answers later in life. For years, she struggled with burnout. She felt relentless pressure to achieve — like she always had to prove herself. Her diagnosis helped her understand herself in a new way and then rethink what productivity even means. Fellisia shares what it was like growing up as a first-generation eldest daughter and navigating corporate spaces as a Black woman. She talks about perfectionism, masking, and choosing soft productivity over constant hustle. Along the way, she’s learning to slow down and give herself grace. And she’s seeing ADHD as a doorway to self-awareness and strength, not a limitation. Fellisia is the founder of Brown Girl ADHD, which provides education and community for Black women and women of color with ADHD.
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  The ADHD symptom I can’t explain away (Andrea Jones-Rooy’s story) 17.02.2026 23min

  Andrea Jones-Rooy — data scientist, comedian, and fire-eating acrobat — talks candidly about feeling like a failure even when all evidence points to the contrary. With sharp humor and vulnerability, she describes having “no self-esteem” (not low — none), limited willpower, and a reliance on fear and external pressure to get things done. Andrea, who hosts the podcast Behind the Data, gives herself very little grace. She remains skeptical of her ADHD diagnosis. But one ADHD challenge feels impossible to dismiss: time blindness. Together, Andrea and Laura explore what it means to be present — and why that presence often comes more easily at work or on stage, where the stakes feel high, than with the people we love most. For more on this topic Read: ADHD and time blindness Listen: Behind the Data podcast For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org.
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  ADHD, big dreams, and the struggle to finish projects (Brandon Hogstad’s story) 03.02.2026 17min

  Brandon Hogstad — a scientist, musician, big thinker, and co-host of a dream interpretation podcast — talks about how ADHD showed up in his adult academic life. As challenges emerged, finishing projects became a persistent struggle. A high school valedictorian, Brandon entered college with confidence and a strong academic track record. College didn’t derail him. But it brought him down to earth. For the first time, he realized he’d never really learned how to study — and that raw intelligence only goes so far. The experience reshaped his ego and deepened his understanding of his ADHD brain. Brandon reflects on working with, not against, his ADHD. And the conversation turns when, right on the spot, he interprets a dream that host Laura Key shares.
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  When simple things aren’t simple with ADHD (Terry Matlen’s story) 20.01.2026 28min

  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.
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  Imposter syndrome after a lifetime of hacking her ADHD (Debbie Reber’s story) 06.01.2026 26min

  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.
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  Suicidal ideation, masking, and overlooked ADHD (From Hyperfocus) 23.12.2025 25min

  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.
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  From ADHD intensity to steady ground — and into disability theology (Ange Nolan returns!) 09.12.2025 30min

  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.
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  Revisiting: ADHD, loving intensely, and impulsivity (Ange’s story) 25.11.2025 31min

  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.
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  Diagnosed with ADHD as a child, but she didn’t find out until college (Atira’s story) 11.11.2025 21min

  When Atira Roberson was in first grade, she was evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD, dyscalculia, and a specific learning disability. But she didn’t find out about those diagnoses until college — when she went through all of her old paperwork herself. Growing up, Atira knew she was different and was bullied because of it. Her mother was her biggest advocate, but her parents chose not to tell her about her diagnoses at the time. In this episode, Atira — now an English language arts teacher — shares how learning the truth changed the way she saw herself, and how it shaped her passion for teaching and education policy today.
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  What’s so funny about ADHD? (Comedian Jim Tews’ story) 28.10.2025 23min

  Jim Tews is a comedian, Coast Guard veteran, and New York Times bestselling author who’s not shy to talk about ADHD in his stand-up act. Jim shares how he went from doing admin work in the Ohio Coast Guard to community college, where panic attacks finally led to his ADHD diagnosis. Jim shares what it was like trying medication for the first time and why he thinks he wasn’t diagnosed sooner. (“I had girl ADHD.”) These days, he’s channeling all of it into comedy. With a new special (With Pictures) and album (Without Pictures), Jim talks about how stand-up keeps him grounded and what he’s learned along the way. He also looks back on a childhood full of distractions — like hiding behind doors and watching squirrels — and how those moments still show up in his life and work.