ADHD Aha! Isn’t that every busy mom? Emotional dysregulation and ADHD (Kim Holderness’ story)
May 12, 2026
Kim Holderness, creator and author behind the Holderness Family, shares her recent adult ADHD diagnosis and how it reframed lifelong anxiety and emotional dysregulation. She describes aha moments, perimenopause timing, panic and overwhelm stories, and how her partner helps with practical tasks. They discuss creative bursts, coping hacks like body doubling and timers, and how ADHD shows up in their content.
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Internal Hyperactivity Explains Wandering Thoughts
- Kim realized hyperactivity in women can be internal, showing up as racing thoughts and needing to reread things multiple times.
- Hearing Dr. Amelia Kelly describe internal hyperactivity reframed symptoms Kim had long attributed to perimenopause and anxiety.
Emotional Dysregulation Feels Different Than Anxiety
- Kim contrasted anxiety as fear of the future with ADHD emotional dysregulation that causes outsized reactions to everyday events.
- She recognized past episodes (like extreme stress on The Amazing Race) as emotional flooding rather than classic anxiety.
Bungee Jump Moment Revealed Processing Flooding
- On The Amazing Race Kim read tasks but flooded and didn't process 'bungee jump' until another team said it aloud.
- She later tried to run from the hotel room, showing how dysregulation made her act impulsively.
