MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

Marijuana can feel like a miracle fix for ADHD, quieting the noise and taking the edge off. But this short-term relief comes with trade-offs. In this episode, Dr. J breaks down why ADHD brains are drawn to weed, what the research actually says about the long-term consequences, and healthier alternatives. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re self-medicating, this one’s worth your attention.

What does it actually take to finish a book with ADHD? Cate sits down with Erik Gude, her co-author of The ADHD Field Guide for Adults, to unpack five years of starts, stops, and persistence. They get into taking advantage of accessibility options and overcoming the shame of looming, unfinished projects to get this one done.

Our team has been seeing something called “ring of fire” ADHD spreading across the internet. It’s a supposed subtype of ADHD promoted by Daniel Amen, a celebrity psychiatrist with clinics in multiple states and a huge online following. But in reporting this episode, we found that “ring of fire” ADHD isn’t recognized by mainstream science. Nor are brain scans approved by the FDA as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. Our guest today, clinical psychologist Roberto Olivardia, PhD, explains why he believes Dr. Amen’s approach is unethical — and how it may lead to real harm for patients seeking answers.

For people with ADHD, guilt can feel like a full-time job you never signed up for. In this episode, Dr. J digs into why your brain keeps hitting replay on minor mistakes, why “I shouldn’t have said that” can echo for hours, and how emotional overdrive makes tiny errors feel enormous. You’ll get clear strategies to pause, notice patterns, and respond without spiraling.

Division of labor between partners isn’t easy for anyone. Add ADHD and suddenly dishes come with shame. Trash becomes a crisis. And rest starts to feel sketchy. Cate sits down with KC Davis to unpack the messy, deeply human reality of sharing work at home. They talk about resentment, perfectionism, time blindness, trust, and why keeping score almost never fixes anything.

Last fall, I heard something that floored me: The tests we have for ADHD in adults don’t work very well. As an adult with ADHD, I think about this all the time because our diagnosis is so stigmatized and so misunderstood. It’s overdiagnosed. It’s underdiagnosed. Everybody has it. Nobody has it. If only there were a silver bullet or some test that could definitively say yes or no. So, I asked the two Chicago School faculty members who got me thinking about this after their presentation at the CHADD conference last year: Jessica Rosenfeld, a clinical psychologist, and Reneh Karamians, a neurorehabilitation psychologist. They explained why adult ADHD diagnosis is so difficult, and how new scan technology holds promise for spotting ADHD in the brain.

Why can a small stressor like a confusing email or a last-minute change suddenly feel like the floor just dropped out from under you? One minute you’re fine. The next, you’re overwhelmed, avoiding, and stuck in a loop of guilt and overthinking. Dr. J walks through what’s actually happening in your brain and nervous system during an ADHD mood spiral and how avoidance becomes “relief with hidden fees.” You’ll leave with simple, science-backed ways to regulate, start small, and recover faster when your brain gets loud.

By now, New Year’s resolutions already feel… kind of over. In this episode, Dr. J breaks down why traditional resolution culture doesn’t work for ADHD brains — and how to approach goal setting after the January hype has worn off. We talk about executive dysfunction, motivation, and dopamine. And we share practical ways to set goals that are flexible, realistic, and actually sustainable. No fresh start energy here!

Ever catch yourself spiraling over a decision and feeling like your brain won’t stop replaying every possible “what if”? Dr. J is joining us to talk about rumination, overthinking, and getting caught in a mood spiral as a woman with ADHD. We’re breaking down why we get stuck and practical ways to interrupt those thought loops.

U.S. kids are more depressed, stressed, and anxious than ever. ADHD and autism diagnosis rates are steadily rising. What’s going on? In this episode of Hyperfocus, journalist Jia Lynn Yang joins Rae to examine how major school policy shifts in the U.S. have changed what’s expected of kids, often with unintended — and serious — consequences. Drawing from her New York Times reporting and her personal experience as a parent, Jia Lynn explores whether school itself may be contributing to the crisis — and what kids actually need to thrive.

Accountability can feel loaded with guilt for women with ADHD — especially after years of masking, late diagnosis, and being told you’re “making excuses.” In this episode, Dr. J breaks down why accountability hits so hard, how hormones and executive function play a role, and the difference between excuses and explanations.

In this final episode of Climbing the Walls, Danielle explores the frustration women with ADHD feel toward a medical community that can’t answer their questions about how hormones impact ADHD. Searching for answers, they turn to online communities for information and support. Danielle talks to experts about the latest research on ADHD in women and what the future of treatment could look like.