
Two adult ADHD diagnoses, opposite reactions (Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick’s story)
From ADHD Aha! by Understood.org, Laura Key
May 26, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 133
About this episode
Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick discuss their contrasting reactions to being diagnosed with ADHD.
Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick — best friends and co-hosts of You’re Wrong About ADHD — compare their very different reactions to being diagnosed with ADHD. Katie came to her ADHD diagnosis through her teenage son and felt a sense of excitement and clarity. Sam felt shaken. He began to see his years of depression, emotional crashes, and coping habits in a new way. Hear how ADHD shows up uniquely in the two of them, from emotional dysregulation and sensory struggles to disorganization and missed signs in childhood. Also in this episode: gender differences, late diagnosis, and the quiet grief of wondering what might have been.
People in this episode
Host: Laura Key
Guests: Sam Pittis, Katie Breathwick
Topics covered
- ADHD diagnosis
- emotional dysregulation
- gender differences
- late diagnosis
- personal experiences
Keywords
- ADHD
- diagnosis
- emotional struggles
- sensory issues
- disorganization
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: You’re Wrong About ADHD
More episodes of ADHD Aha!
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- Isn’t that every busy mom? Emotional dysregulation and ADHD (Kim Holderness’ story) · May 12, 2026 · 22 min
- The voice in my head said “You’re stupid”: ADHD and negative self-talk (Carla Ciccone’s story) · April 28, 2026 · 23 min
- “Mom rage,” sensory overload, and shame (Kaitlin Soulé’s story) · April 14, 2026 · 24 min
- Recovering perfectionist, no longer a martyr (Kim Tran’s story) · March 31, 2026 · 25 min
- Something felt off: ADHD, depression, and slow processing speed (Matt Klein’s story) · March 17, 2026 · 17 min
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