Women & ADHD

Episode 178 with Anette Jacobsen.“A lot of women don’t pass the autism tests the first time because the questions are designed with young boys in mind. ‘Do you collect trains, planes, or information about birds?’ No, I don't. But right now my special interest is autism and ADHD, and you should see how many Trello boards I have.”Anette lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. Anette never suspected she had ADHD until she lost her flexible job as the administrative manager of the largest language school for adult immigrants in Denmark due to extenuating circumstances. She went from having her own office to having to work in open-plan offices, and she found that she really struggled with focusing. After reading an article about ADHD, she started to connect the dots in her own life and was officially diagnosed at age 51.Anette is currently looking for the right career path for her, and we discuss some of the challenges she has faced while trying to advocate for herself both in the workplace and during the interview process. Anette is also one of my former group coaching clients, so we catch up on how she’s been doing. We also talk about the chronic self-doubt that comes along with ADHD, especially after a lifetime spent undiagnosed, and how important it is for us to feel trusted and accepted, especially in the workplace. And we talk about some of the difficulties she encountered when seeking an autism diagnosis, as well as the drawbacks of autism assessments for adult women.Links & Resources:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anette-jacobsen/Episode 170 with Lotta Borg SkoglundIt's Not a Bloody Trend: Understanding Life as an ADHD Adult by Kat BrownUnmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon PriceHow to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis- - - - - Episode Sponsor:Llama Life now has an iOS app! Llama Life is a simple and flexible way to keep you focused throughout your day. Download the new iOS app for a free trial and start enjoying that llama life for yourself!- - - - - Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Discover the different presentations of ADHD in women and how cognitive flexibility plays a crucial role in decision-making. Listen to Ali Barton's journey through life-threatening health challenges during pregnancy and a heart transplant. Learn about the importance of trusting your gut feelings and intuition, even when others may not understand.

Episode 176 with Dr. Amy Marschall.“We tend to frame neurodivergence not as ‘How are you doing?” but ‘What problems are you causing for the adults around you?’ If you’re not causing problems, then you must be fine.”Dr. Marschall has been a licensed psychologist since 2016. She’s a clinical advisor for ADHD Online, and currently owns a private practice, RMH-Therapy. Her clinical specializations include trauma-informed care, neurodiversity-affirming care, rural mental health, and telemental health.Dr. Marschall is the author of several books, including her most recent children’s book about Slipper, a neurodivergent penguin, and the soon-to-be-released A Clinicians Guide to Supporting Autistic Clients.We discuss what the term “neurodiversity affirming” means when it comes to the treatment of Autism and ADHD, and we discuss the ways in which Dr. Marschall is working to make elemental health more accessible for neurodivergent clients.We talk about some of the challenges she faced when seeking her own diagnosis of Autism a few years ago, and we talk about the current and future landscape of telemental health, and how to find accessible, ethical online therapy.Website: resiliencymentalhealth.comTwitter: @DrAmyPsyDLinks & Resources:Slipper the Penguin: A Story About Embracing Neurodivergence by Dr. Amy MarschallDr. Marschall's Slipper stuffies on EtsyPre-order A Clinicians Guide to Supporting Autistic Clients by Dr. Amy MarschallRead Dr. Marschall’s blog about North Dakota’s Autism databaseFollow Supernova MommaA Change for Better- - - - - Episode Sponsor:Llama Life now has an iOS app! Llama Life is a simple and flexible way to keep you focused throughout your day. Download the new iOS app for a free trial and start enjoying that llama life for yourself!- - - - - Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Connie Tu, a body artist with autism and ADHD, discusses internalized ableism, PDA, and parenting neurodivergent teens. She shares her journey to diagnosis, experiences with masking, feeling different, and pressure to be white passing. Connie advocates for renaming ADHD to 'capitalistically challenged' and discusses the challenges of emotional regulation as a parent.

Episode 174 with Yasemin Bahar.“One of the great things about being neurodivergent is thinking outside the box and questioning things. When you're told ’2 + 2 = 4,’ you ask why. Why is it not 5?”Yasemin is a female-assigned intersex person living in Turkey. They have their BA & MA in psychology, and they co-founded the İnter Dayanışma Türkiye (Inter Solidarity Turkey) initiative, which focuses on personal empowerment and professional development for intersex individuals in Turkey.We talk about the high rate of ADHD among intersex adults, and we discuss some of the commonalities of feeling “othered” and living outside of societal norms. We also discuss our theories as to why neurodivergent thinkers tend to think outside the box and how this may or may not relate to the prevalence of co-occurring mood disorders and gender nonconformity.Website: interdayanisma.orgInstagram: @interdayanismaLinks & Resources:Mental Health of a Large Group of Adults With Disorders of Sex Development in Six European Countries- - - - - Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 173 with Cynthia Hammer.“Why are we being diagnosed at 50 with a condition we’ve had since birth? We need better ways to diagnose it sooner.”Cynthia was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in 1992 when she was 49. At the time, she thought she was the only adult in the U.S. who had this disorder, but quickly learned she was not alone. She founded ADD Resources, a non-profit organization that focused on helping adults recognize their ADHD and learn how to improve their lives, which she ran for 15 years before retiring. During the COVID lockdown at the age of 78, Cynthia wrote her first book, “Living with Inattentive ADHD: Climbing the Circular Staircase of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” and founded a new non-profit called the Inattentive ADHD Coalition. Creating this non-profit felt imperative to Cynthia after she learned that 30% of those with ADHD have inattentive presentation and they are significantly less likely to be diagnosed and treated in childhood.  We talk about Cynthia’s journey to diagnosis and her commitment to educating families and doctors on the signs of inattentive ADHD in childhood and the importance of an early diagnosis and support systems that can help reduce the long-term negative impacts of undiagnosed ADHD.At the age of 80, Cynthia is still out there tirelessly working to educate others about inattentive ADHD and achieve her goal of having all girls screened for ADHD before they finish the second grade. Did you go undiagnosed for too long and want to help others to have an earlier diagnosis? Head to iadhd.org/connect to volunteer with the Inattentive ADHD Coalition.Website: www.iadhd.orgInstagram: @inattentiveadhdcoalitionLinks & Resources:Living with Inattentive ADHD: Climbing the Circular Staircase of Attention Deficit Disorder by Cynthia HammerInattentive ADHD Coalition YouTube channelAdult ADHD Self-Report Scale- - - - - Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Heather Jean Ransom, diagnosed with ADHD at 47, shares her journey with chronic pain and fibromyalgia, frustrations in conveying neurodivergence to clinicians, and the challenge of finding accurate names for ADHD. They discuss spoon theory, alternative names for ADHD, and propose Scrat from Ice Age as the ADHD mascot.

Gilly Kahn, a clinical psychologist, discusses the crossover between ADHD and migraines, emotional regulation, and struggles in recognizing ADHD in girls. She shares her personal journey of receiving an adult ADHD diagnosis and her focus on youth therapy. The podcast also touches on the challenges of diagnosing ADHD, navigating academic pressure, and exploring alternative paths to success for individuals with ADHD.

Episode 170 with Lotta Borg Skoglund.“We miss the girls. Then they grow up and struggle and scream until they finally get a diagnosis, only to get a prescription and get abandoned again.”Lotta is a senior physician and associate professor of psychiatry at Uppsala University in Sweden. Lotta’s work centers on ADHD and women as well as how hormones impact the mental health of girls and women. She has authored several books, including “ADHD Girls to Women: Getting on the Radar,” which was released in English in 2023. Lotta has years of experience in healthcare, working in both primary care and specialized psychiatry, and her list of academic and professional accomplishments is a mile long. She helped to create the GODDESS ADHD research group, which stands for Gender-informed research to Overcome Diagnostic Delay and Emotional dysregulation through Self-awareness and Self-efficacy in female ADHD. She is also one of the founders of Letterlife, a science- and evidence-based app that provides girls and women with ADHD insight and power over how their everyday life is affected by hormones, ADHD symptoms, and other lifestyle factors.Lotta and I talk all about the profound lack of research around women, hormones, and ADHD, as well as the incredible work she is doing in Scandinavia and beyond to even the playing field. We also talk about the biological differences between the male and female brains and why that contributes to the lack of diagnoses for girls. And we discuss how girls and women are being abandoned by the medical system, even after their diagnosis.Website: www.borgskoglund.seInstagram: @lottaborgskoglundLinks & Resources:Letterlife appADHD Girls to Women by Lotta Borg Skoglund(Use code WAPOD20 to get 20% off the book when you purchase directly from the publisher at jkp.com.)- - - - - Episode Sponsors:This episode is sponsored by Factor. Make your life easier and enjoy delicious, hassle-free meals with Factor. Get 50% off your order at factormeals.com/womenadhd50 and use the code WOMENADHD50. - - - - -Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 169 with Tracy Otsuka.“I have this thing, I call them ‘word holes,’ where all of a sudden I'll be talking and I’ll forget a simple word. It's like there's a hole in my brain and the word just kind of goes in there and I can't access it.”Tracy is a certified ADHD coach and the host of the popular ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast. Over the past decade, she has empowered millions of listeners to see their neurodivergence as a strength, not a weakness. We talk about her inspiration for starting her podcast and the incredible impact it has had on the ADHD community (including myself!). We also talk all about her brand new book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women, which was just released at the end of 2023. And we talk about the power of positivity for the ADHD brain, and how to begin to take those first tiny steps toward living your dream. Tracy offers some incredible insight and advice for women with ADHD who might be struggling right now or feeling unsupported — if that’s you, then you do not want to miss this interview. I’m such a fan and Tracy has been at the top of my “dream guest” list since I started this podcast, so I’m thrilled that I finally got this chance to sit down with her to thank her for all she’s done for our community and chat with her about being a smart ass ADHD woman!Websites: www.tracyotsuka.com; adhdforsmartwomen.com/bookInstagram: @tracyotsukaLinks & Resources:ADHD For Smart Ass Women by Tracy OtsukaADHD For Smart Ass Women Facebook groupDenise Duffield-Thomas, Money Mindset Mentor: https://www.denisedt.comInvisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez- - - - - Episode Sponsors:This episode is sponsored by Factor. Make your life easier and enjoy delicious, hassle-free meals with Factor. Get 50% off your order at factormeals.com/womenadhd50 and use the code WOMENADHD50. - - - - -Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy