The ADHD Signs Women Keep Missing with Tracy Otsuka

About this episode

In this episode, Cass Dunn interviews Tracy Otsuka about the often overlooked signs of ADHD in women and the societal factors contributing to misdiagnosis.

Women with ADHD are still being overlooked, misunderstood, and misdiagnosed, and the consequences can be profound. In this episode, I sit down with Tracy Otsuka, ADHD Coach and bestselling author of "ADHD for Smartass Women', whose mission is to help women stop pathologising themselves and start recognising their inherent creativity, intelligence, and strength. Tracy shares her personal story, beginning with her son’s diagnosis at age 12, which sparked her deep dive into understanding ADHD. What followed was her own late diagnosis, years of independent research, and the creation of a global community that now reaches millions. We explore why girls and women often slip through the cracks, why inattentive ADHD can be so invisible, and how societal expectations create trauma that compounds symptoms. Tracy breaks down the differences between being a hyperactive ‘doer’ versus an internal ‘thinker’, and why so many clever, capable women spend years believing they’re simply not trying hard enough. Most importantly, Tracy offers a different way of understanding ADHD; one that centres interest, creativity, dopamine, and authenticity rather than deficit and disorder. What You’ll Learn The…

People in this episode

Host: Cass Dunn

Guest: Tracy Otsuka

Topics covered

• ADHD
• women's health
• mental health
• diagnosis
• creativity
• societal expectations

Keywords

• ADHD
• women
• diagnosis
• mental health
• creativity
• inattention
• trauma

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: ADHD for Smartass Women

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