Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

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Hyperfocus is a show that zeroes in on what fascinates us about ADHD, mental health, and learning. Big questions like, “Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression?” Little nitpicks (TikTok was wrong about something?!), and personal conversations with everyone from old bosses and hilarious comedians, to leading researchers. Because on this show, hyperfocus isn’t the distraction — it’s the assignment.

  1. Revisiting the groundbreaking Berkeley Girls study

    4 DAYS AGO

    Revisiting the groundbreaking Berkeley Girls study

    To celebrate this holiday weekend, we’re reposting one of our early favorites. It’s a fascinating — and heartbreaking — deep dive into one of the most important studies ever done on girls with ADHD. Check out Rae’s interview with Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, leader of the famous Berkeley Girls study, and learn why Dr. Hinshaw himself calls the findings “devastating.” Timestamps (4:45) The beginnings of the Berkeley Girls Study (6:50) Combined-type ADHD and negative outcomes (11:43) Self-esteem, ADHD, and girlhood (18:45) ADHD as a “trend” (23:03) What to do about ADHD stigma For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    28 min
  2. “So, when are you having kids?” ADHD and deciding on parenthood

    14 AUG

    “So, when are you having kids?” ADHD and deciding on parenthood

    One of the most inevitable questions that comes with early adulthood is also one of the most fraught: “When are you having kids?”  The question is loaded with assumptions and pressure. It also seems to ignore the fact that having kids is supposed to be a choice, not a requirement.  For neurodivergent people, especially those with ADHD, deciding whether to become a parent can be even more complex.  On this episode of “Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson,” we talk with author and editorial director Jordan Davidson. She’s interviewed hundreds of people about their decision on whether to become a parent.  Related resourcesJordan’s book: “So When Are You Having Kids?”Podcast series: Climbing the WallsTimestamps(03:06) What inspired Jordan’s book (08:35) Jordan’s findings from hundreds of interviews (12:28) How to break schemas attached to parenthood (24:28) The fantasy of the “idealized parent”  For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    34 min

  3. 31 JUL

    The R-word is back, and it’s definitely not funny | Part 2

    We’re picking up where we left off last time on Hyperfocus for the conclusion of our two-part series on the R-word’s resurgence.  Today, we meet a comedy writer who shares his personal evolution with the word and hear from a disability advocate.  We’ll also learn more from our research correspondent, Dr. KJ Wynne, and have producer Cody Nelson back on to hear from host Rae Jacobson about what she’s learned.  Related resourcesAndrea Moore ArtsCraig Thomas’ upcoming novelDr. Chris Cipriano’s websiteWe love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    28 min

  4. 17 JUL

    The R-word is back: How do you get people to care? | Part 1

    Last year, Rae and Cody at Team Hyperfocus noticed something unnerving: The R-word was coming back into public discourse. People, especially people in power, seemed to be using it more often, and more freely.  We weren’t the only ones who’d spotted this upsetting trend. Researchers, disability advocates, and other journalists were also concerned. If this word, long considered a slur, was being used by some very powerful people, what did that mean for people with disabilities? So we dove in, talking to researchers, members of the community, and even a famous comedy writer. (You’ll see!) And we surfaced with another, deeper question:  If the R-word can, and does, cause harm, how do you get people to care?  Related resources Spread the Word campaignDisability Discourse MattersThe ‘R-Word’ Is Back. How a Slur Became Renormalized (Special Olympics)  Rosa’s LawWe love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    24 min

  5. 3 JUL

    Best of: Did my ADHD make me more likely to have postpartum depression?

    Happy summer, everyone! Because of the holiday weekend, we’re re-airing one of our favorite Hyperfocus episodes yet, which happens to be our very first one. We’ll be back in your feeds with a fresh show in two weeks.  After her daughter was born, Rae Jacobson was hit by a bout of severe postpartum depression. Back then, there wasn’t much out there about ADHD and women, let alone ADHD and postpartum mental health. Rae had heard that there was a link between ADHD and postpartum depression. But with a tiny baby to care for and a life to navigate, she had more pressing things to deal with.  But the question kept bugging her: Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression? This week on Hyperfocus, Rae finally gets some answers to questions she has had for years. Her guest is Dr. Catherine Birndorf, an expert on postpartum mood disorders and co-founder, CEO, and medical director of The Motherhood Center of New York. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Timestamps (02:55) ADHD as a postpartum concern (09:47) PMADs: Not just the ‘baby blues’ (14:21) What can struggling parents do? (21:07) Medication and pregnancy Related resources Catherine’s book: What No One Tells You3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHD 72 hours in the life of a working mom with ADHDParenting tips when you and your child have ADHD Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    30 min
  6. Is microdosing the next frontier in ADHD treatment?

    19 JUN

    Is microdosing the next frontier in ADHD treatment?

    When you think about someone taking a psychedelic drug like magic mushrooms, the first images that come to mind probably don’t involve a medical professional in a white coat or any sort of clinical setting.  However, the perception of these drugs is changing as researchers and health professionals continue to learn new ways these drugs can treat a variety of mental health conditions.  Much of the research has to do with microdosing, or taking such a small dose of a drug that it doesn’t produce a “trip.” One of the more commonly microdosed drugs is psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms.”  That led our small-but-mighty team at Hyperfocus to wonder, “What could this all mean for ADHD treatment?”  So, we looked for someone who might know, and it led us to Dr. Richard A. Friedman. He’s a professor, psychiatrist, and director of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University’s medical school. Richard has also written about his areas of expertise for The New York Times and is a contributing writer at The Atlantic.   On this week’s episode of Hyperfocus, he sits down with mental health journalist Rae Jacobson to answer all her questions on microdosing, psychedelics as medicine, and what it could mean for ADHD and more.  Related resources ADHD alternative treatmentADHD treatment without medication: What are my options?Richard’s piece on microdosing in The AtlanticTimestamps (02:58) What is microdosing? (10:43) What do we know about ADHD and microdosing? (15:30) How do psychedelics work in the brain? (30:44) Richard’s hopes for future research and microdosing We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    39 min
  7. What parents should know about the MAHA report

    11 JUN

    What parents should know about the MAHA report

    ADHD gets mentioned a lot in the new report from the Make America Healthy Again commission. It’s pitched as part of the “childhood chronic disease crisis,” and the authors make a lot of big claims: Food additives cause behavioral disordersTime outside can help treat ADHDADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreatedBut are any of these claims legit? We asked a licensed psychologist who specializes in learning and thinking differences like ADHD. Dr. Andy Kahn also happens to be Understood’s Associate Director, Behavior Change and Expertise. He’s spent decades working with kids and families with ADHD, and he joins this episode of Hyperfocus to talk us through more of the MAHA report and what it has to say about kids with ADHD. (PS…if you didn’t listen to our last episode breaking down the science in the report, definitely  go check it out.) Related resources The MAHA report on ADHD is misleading — a researcher explains whyADHD meds at risk? Unpacking the new executive order, DEA proposalADHD alternative treatmentTimestamps (02:00) How do food additives interact with ADHD? (04:58) Can exposure to environmental toxins cause ADHD? (10:07) Does lack of exposure to nature lead to ADHD? (16:55) All about ADHD diagnosis and treatment levels (28:55) Recap of takeaways from the report For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    34 min
  8. The MAHA report on ADHD is misleading — a researcher explains why

    9 JUN

    The MAHA report on ADHD is misleading — a researcher explains why

    On this bonus episode of Hyperfocus, we dive into the controversial new “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, released by a commission led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The 73-page document claims to explain what it calls a rise in “childhood chronic diseases” like ADHD, by pointing fingers at antibiotics, food dyes, and even a lack of outdoor play. But there’s a major catch: some of the report’s sources don’t actually exist.  In the first of a two-part series, Dr. KJ Wynne — a Harvard-trained population health researcher — joins the conversation to unpack how the report was assembled and where it falls short, particularly regarding ADHD. From debunking flawed claims to clarifying what real research actually says, this episode sets the record straight.  Related resources ADHD meds at risk? Unpacking the new executive order, DEA proposalRead the MAHA report A history of learning disabilities and ADHDHow ADHD medication worksTimestamps (02:40) Questionable methodology and AI hallucinations  (06:26) Are more people developing ADHD, or are we getting better at diagnosing? (10:04) Do antibiotics really increase the risk of ADHD? (17:02) Parsing through big claims on stimulant medications (26:00) Do stimulants cause height loss?  For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at hyperfocus@understood.org. Explore Through My Eyes today. Step into the world of three kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — helping you see differently so you can act differently. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

    32 min
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Hyperfocus is a show that zeroes in on what fascinates us about ADHD, mental health, and learning. Big questions like, “Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression?” Little nitpicks (TikTok was wrong about something?!), and personal conversations with everyone from old bosses and hilarious comedians, to leading researchers. Because on this show, hyperfocus isn’t the distraction — it’s the assignment.

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