ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka Tracy Otsuka

Author Cynthia Hammer’s journey with inattentive ADHD first began when she received her diagnosis at the age of 49, a pivotal moment that sparked her passion for advocacy and education. She founded the non-profit ADD Resources, which aimed to educate adults about ADHD and grew to become a thriving organization. 
 
Then, while in Covid isolation Cynthia wrote her memoir, Living with Inattentive ADHD, and through her book she discovered the disheartening truth that children and adults with inattentive ADHD in particular continue to be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This realization led her to establish The Inattentive ADHD Coalition, a new non-profit with a mission to ensure that children with inattentive ADHD are diagnosed by the age of 8 and that adults seeking help receive accurate diagnoses.
 
During our conversation, Cynthia and I discuss the unique challenges faced by individuals with inattentive ADHD, the reasons why it’s missed so often, the value of early diagnosis, and the critical work her organization is doing to change things, thirty years after her diagnosis. Cynthia's expertise and advocacy efforts shed light on a lesser-known aspect of ADHD and bring hope to those who have long struggled without a proper diagnosis. I’m just delighted to share Cynthia’s insights with you this episode. What I love most about her is that she has no plans to retire and fade into the sunset. Instead, she spends hours a day helping those with ADHD. When I grow up, I hope to be just like her.



Resources:
Website: www.iadhd.org
Questionnaires that are helpful for identifying adults and children with possible inattentive ADHD: www.iadhd.org/adult/#info and www.iadhd.org/child   
 
Parent support groups on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/601537296692135
https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdparentsgroup







Photo credit: Gayle Rieber

Thanks to fearmongering and misinformation, being a feminist nowadays comes with all kinds of political baggage that leaves many running away from this label. But put quite simply, a feminist includes anyone who supports equal rights for women. So if you believe that you or the women in your life should have equal rights to a man, then congratulations, you’re a feminist!
 
Viewing ADHD through a feminist lens allows us to see how gender factors into our experiences, from diagnosis and treatment to ongoing impact. Feminism allows us to question gendered expectations, to see them as social constructions that bear no basis in reality, to stop conflating them with virtue, and to start embracing our uniqueness. 
 
Women with ADHD have so many gifts to offer, the problem is we cannot recognize and celebrate those gifts without a more level playing field. Join me this episode as I take a closer look at the impacts of inequality on ADHD women and explore some ways to level out the playing field and start taking on more roles that generate positive emotions and self-worth.



Resources:
https://www.divergentlit.com/
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/saving-normal-allen-frances?variant=40974806155298
https://carolinecriadoperez.com/book/invisible-women/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558415/gender-and-our-brains-by-gina-rippon/
https://www.everodsky.com/fair-play
https://drgailsaltz.com/books/

If you’ve ever wished for a compass to help you navigate the complexities of ADHD relationships, look no further than psychotherapist Anita Robertson and her book, ADHD & Us: A Couple's Guide to Loving and Living with Adult ADHD.

Anita’s book, is built around what she calls the five pillars. These pillars –praise, growth mindset, games, positive acceptance, and acknowledgement– provide a much-needed foundation for couples to return to whenever they find themselves drifting apart.

Anita's work stands out because it creates a bridge of empathy between partners, allowing them to recognize that ADHD is not a character failing but simply a difference in brain wiring. By providing this awareness and understanding, she equips couples with the tools to nurture their strengths, communicate effectively, and ultimately create a thriving partnership.

Join me this episode for an encouraging and strengths-focused conversation with Anita that will revolutionize the way you navigate relationships as an ADHD couple.



Resources:
Website: www.anitarobertson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildingresiliency
Instagram and TikTok: @strengthinyourmind 
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/anitarobertson





 

Raising a strong-willed ADHD child when you have ADHD yourself is a specific challenge that connects so many of us, including my guest this episode, author Katherine Ellison. Too often as parents we can find ourselves in power struggles over things that ultimately don’t matter and only serve to damage our relationships, which is why Katherine is here to tell us that when we’re in those power tug-of-wars with our children, it’s our job to drop the rope.

Katherine is the author of the brilliant book, Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention, where she details her experiences raising a spirited ADHD child and the lessons she learned about how to support him best. “You can't be the person, as the mother, having the power struggles with them and teaching them what they need to know. You just have to love them. They're getting so much negativity from the rest of the world that they need you to be their solid ally.”

Join me and the extraordinary Katherine Ellison as we dive into the ups and downs of raising spirited ADHD children, ways to take a step back when you notice a power struggle starting, the importance of identifying our childrens’ strengths and areas of brilliance, and the absolute necessity of creating a loving and supportive environment where that brilliance can flourish.



Resources:
Website: www.katherineellison.com
Book: BUZZ: A Year of Paying Attention - https://www.amazon.com/BUZZ-Paying-Attention-Katherine-Ellison/dp/B0BPGMCQVH
Facebook: Katherine Ellison official





 

As ADHD women we are often endlessly creative and optimistic about how much we can accomplish, but when that optimism turns into setting impossible goals for ourselves, it stops us from actually bringing our brilliant ideas into reality. My guest this episode, Roxanne Jarrett, is an entrepreneurial coach who helps her ADHD and dyslexic clients tackle this problem head-on by giving them the skills and supports to follow through on their dreams from beginning to end.

Roxanne is ADHD herself, so she knows firsthand that a traditional approach won’t work for her clients’ unique brains. Instead, she teaches people how to get realistic about time, set up a positive environment, prioritize self-care, and reduce lofty expectations in order to create goals that are actually achievable.

Roxanne is passionate about supporting creators as they reduce overwhelm by designing a structure and environment in which to thrive. I hope her incredible insights inspire you to start taking small steps toward your own big dreams. 


Resources:
Website: www.swellhead.com
Instagram: @roxannejarrett 

 

When nutritionist Nicole DeMasi Malcher first came onto the podcast three years ago to talk about nutrition and ADHD (go back and listen to Episode #84 if you haven’t yet!), she briefly mentioned the gut-brain connection and how what we eat can directly influence our central nervous system, and therefore our physical and mental health. At the time I asked Nicole if this connection was controversial, but she reassured me that the science is there to support it. 
 
Ever since, I’ve wanted to get her back on the show to dive deeper into this important topic, which we’re finally doing this episode. Join us as Nicole gives a breakdown of what the gut actually is (aka the “second brain”), the research behind the brain-gut connection, how the gut microbiome impacts mood and ADHD symptoms, and some easy ways to improve your gut microbiome when you’re already struggling with the executive functioning and sensory aspects of eating and meal-planning. 



Resources:
Website: www.eatingwithadhd.com
Instagram: @eatingwithadhd
Episode 84: ADHD and Nutrition with Nicole DeMasi Malcher - Tracy Otsuka