Recovering perfectionist, no longer a martyr (Kim Tran’s story)
About this episode
Kim Tran shares her journey from perfectionism to seeking help for ADHD and how it has impacted her parenting.
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.
People in this episode
Host: Laura Key
Guest: Kim Tran
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Understood.org
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