ADHD frustration and anger, plus ADHD and tics (Adam’s story)

Peter Jones used to feel better about saying he had a hearing problem rather than considering ADHD. When he was a child in the 90s, adults thought his “listening problem” was because he couldn’t hear. Turns out, Peter does have some trouble hearing lower frequencies, but that didn’t explain his other symptoms.  

Now, Peter knows he has ADHD and is not afraid to say it. On this episode, Host Laura Key and Peter discuss what it means when a child is “listening,” and how auditory processing comes into play.  

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

ADHD coach Emily Weinberg is no stranger to analysis paralysis. Before she was diagnosed, she thought she was just lazy, and that she couldn’t have ADHD since she wasn’t hyperactive. But whenever she was being “unproductive,” she was actually just frozen. She was stuck thinking about the list of things to do mounting in her head.

When she first spoke to a psychiatrist about ADHD, Emily was told that “she just seemed like an anxious mom with young kids.” So her ADHD was missed, which happens for so many women. Since then, Emily has worked hard to understand herself better, and now she empowers others to do the same.

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Growing up, Carol Blumenstein was labeled an unteachable student. She was terrified to read during class, and school only brought huge anxiety. Luckily, her mom believed in her in a way teachers didn’t. She put Carol in community college courses and pushed her to turn her frustration into motivation.

Carol didn’t know she had ADHD and dyslexia until she saw her own children — all five of them — struggle with the same things she did when she was little. But this time the issues were addressed and they were understood by their teachers.

Now, Carol’s kids have founded their own organization, KidsRead2Kids, which provides free video audiobooks read by kids for kids and other helpful resources.

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Back when he was a criminal defense lawyer, Ernest Anemone related to one of his clients: An impulsive, irritable teenage boy who burned down the penalty box of a hockey rink. But what Ernie related to wasn’t just the ADHD behaviors. It was the teen’s feeling of having no control over his own life.  

Now, Ernie is an actor, filmmaker, and executive coach for Fortune 500 companies. Growing up, Ernie felt like he had no agency. He knew he didn’t have the type of focus society favored. But he was (and continues to be) good in a crisis. Ernie can focus — one could argue — when it really matters.

Also in this episode, the embarrassment and shame that comes with executive dysfunction. And is ADHD really an attention “deficit”?    

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

ADHD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms can look similar in many ways. And together, they can morph into what guest Hannah Harris Green calls “a trauma ball of blame that’s hard to untangle.”

Hannah is a podcast producer, journalist, and writer who works in public radio. She talked about ADHD and PTSD on KCRW’s Bodies podcast, which she produced. (It’s an incredible episode. Link below.) She shares her ADHD diagnosis story here and talks about her Venn diagram of ADHD and PTSD behaviors (insomnia, trouble focusing, and more). Also in this episode: a “fall from grace” when school got harder. Plus, adding ADHD to an already layered identity.

Hannah’s episode on the Bodies podcast: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/bodies/adhd-women-ptsd-executive-function-messy

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Everyone with ADHD has trouble with executive function in some way — and these challenges can make the transition to adulthood especially hard.

Today, we’re sharing an episode of the In It podcast called “Adulting and executive function skills.” Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Karen Wilson shares common executive function challenges young adults face in the real world. Get her expert advice on how to help young adults with ADHD cope with the demands of college or that first job.  

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

It’s the hair twirling that always gives it away. After silently coping for years, Livingston Steele can spot the signs of ADHD, and the anxiety it can cause. He’d been working here at Understood.org for about a year when he was officially diagnosed.

Livingston talks about his perfectionism and what led him to get evaluated for ADHD. He also shares how ADHD helped him build empathy for his brothers (who also have ADHD), and for himself.

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

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Need organization and decluttering tips? Wendy Zanders has tips for days. She also has ADHD. We don’t usually associate strong organization skills with ADHD. And yet, Wendy is a decluttering coach with ADHD. She moved to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago at 14. At first, she struggled to keep up with her classes. But then she discovered her secret weapon: hyperfocusing on cleaning to de-stress and bring focus to her school life.

Today, Wendy is a United States veteran, business owner, and mom of 2 kids who also have ADHD. When her son was being evaluated, she recognized her own symptoms in him. Find out how Wendy helps other families tackle clutter, and how having ADHD brings empathy to her work.

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2023 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Before her ADHD diagnosis, accountant Sam Salmons felt “fixed, but still broken.” As a young adult, she spent years in therapy, treated her depression, and had a laundry list of coping skills. So, why couldn’t she stop her body from doing things — like interrupting — that her mind didn’t want to do?

Sam saw herself as an “extroverted extrovert.” She was constantly talking and impulsively saying yes to everything. Then her therapist recommended an ADHD evaluation.

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2023 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Parents and caregivers: if you have a child with ADHD, you’ve probably dealt with your share of behavior challenges at home. Just in time for the holidays, here we share an episode of Understood’s newest podcast, What Now? A Parent’s Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns. Listen to psychologist (and dad) Dr. Andrew Kahn explain how to tell the difference between tantrums and meltdowns and what to do next. In each episode, he shares practical strategies to help you respond more effectively to your child’s outbursts — and manage your own stress along the way.

Find the entire season’s YouTube playlist here. 

Get a transcript of this show and check out more What Now? A Parent’s Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns episodes by visiting the podcast page. 

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at ADHDAha@understood.org.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2023 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.