Perfectionism as an ADHD Emotion

Last week I shared that I was diagnosed with ADHD at 49. It was a big moment for me, and judging from your messages (thank you for those!) it resonated with a lot of you too. So this week, Penn and I continuing the conversation with someone we absolutely adore, ADHD expert Dr. Tamara Rosier. In this episode we dig into something that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough... the emotional side of ADHD.

Why do ADHDers feel things so big?

Why can small moments feel overwhelming?

Why do shame, perfectionism, and rejection sensitivity show up so often in ADHD brains?

Dr. Tamara walks us through the science, but also gives us metaphors that are so good you’ll never forget them. There’s the swimming pool of emotions. The window of tolerance. And my personal favorite, when two ADHD people meet and suddenly it’s like two squirrels playing in a park. (Which might explain Penn and I better than anything else ever has.) We also talk about ADHD in families, raising kids with big emotions, why so many women are misdiagnosed with anxiety, and how to replace shame with understanding.

This conversation is equal parts therapy session and pep talk. If you’ve ever wondered why your brain works the way it does, or why your emotions sometimes feel louder than everyone else’s, this episode might help you feel a little less alone 🐿️ We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at podcast@theholdernessfamily.com. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Dr. Tamara Rosier

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

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