ADHD Aha!

Understood.org
Understood.org
  • 4.8 (181)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Listen to people share candid stories about the moment it clicked that they have ADHD. Host Laura Key, who’s had her own ADHD “aha” moment, chats with guests about common topics like ADHD and shame, mental health challenges, and more. Through heartfelt interviews, listeners learn about the unexpected, emotional, and even funny ways ADHD symptoms surface for kids and adults.

  1. Sep 29

    Perimenopause, brain fog, and noise sensitivity: Lizzie O’Leary’s late ADHD diagnosis

    Journalist Lizzie O’Leary spent decades asking sharp questions for a living. Then the words started disappearing. Brain fog. Surprising rage. A head full of buzzing bees. Lizzie, who hosts Slate’s What Next: TBD podcast, was diagnosed with ADHD at 50 after perimenopause made her ADHD symptoms too powerful to push aside. Lizzie talks about emotional regulation challenges that hurt her career, sensory sensitivity she’d written off as quirks, and what she wishes she’d known when she was younger. For more on this topic Listen: How menopause and hormones impact ADHD symptoms in womenRead: ADHD and emotions: What you need to knowWatch: Psychotherapist explains ADHD mood swings and emotional regulationFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org.   Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Perimenopause, brain fog, and noise sensitivity: Lizzie O’Leary’s late ADHD diagnosis

  2. Sep 15

    Calm saving lives, paralyzed by a pasta recipe: ADHD and executive function (Jim Leitch’s story)

    Jim Leitch could intubate a patient in the middle of the night — alone, short-staffed, smiling — and feel completely calm. Ask him to follow a pasta recipe? That’s where things got hard: Everyday tasks and executive function challenges. Jim is a former critical care respiratory therapist and current VP who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. In this episode, he talks about the exhausting gap between knowing where you want to go and not being able to get started, growing up with perfectionism and a fear of mistakes, and how he quietly created pressure-cooker situations just to get things done. Also: a Christmas pageant in second grade that left a mark he’s never forgotten. For more on this topic Listen: ADHD and the fear of failureRead: ADHD and perfectionismWatch: Executive dysfunction explained: Why ADHD makes everything so hardFor a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org.   Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Calm saving lives, paralyzed by a pasta recipe: ADHD and executive function (Jim Leitch’s story)

  3. Sep 1

    ADHD contradictions: Hot mess and high performer in equal measure (Sabrina Caluori’s story)

    A former boss once described their first meeting this way: “She showed up late and disheveled, and I hired her anyway.” That’s Sabrina Caluori in a nutshell. Sabrina is the chief marketing officer at Chief, the largest private network for ambitious women. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, she describes herself as a contradiction: “High achieving and a hot mess in equal measure” — a leader who can hold an entire company’s strategy in her head but can’t manage her own calendar. Sabrina shares what it’s like to be gifted with ADHD — twice exceptional — and how that experience bonds her to her 2e child. She gets into ADHD burnout, self-doubt, and how the things she once considered character flaws turned out to make her exceptional at reading people and leading teams. For more on this topic Listen: Twice exceptional: Raising a gifted son with ADHD (Emily’s story) Read: ADHD and burnout Watch: The ADHD burnout cycle For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org.   Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    ADHD contradictions: Hot mess and high performer in equal measure (Sabrina Caluori’s story)

  4. Aug 18

    High-achieving with ADHD and completely overwhelmed (Susie Owens’ story)

    From the outside, Susie Owens looked like she was gliding. Straight-A student, entrepreneur, devoted mom — and exhausted in ways nobody could see. When you’re an ADHD high achiever, masking is a whole job. Susie spent years in therapy for anxiety, quietly holding it together. A second child tipped the scales. Through her ADHD diagnosis, she learned that her struggles weren’t a reflection of who she was as a person or as a mom. It was just ADHD.  For more on this topic Listen: Emotional regulation, and yelling, as a mom with ADHD (Patricia Sung’s story)  Read: Mental load: The invisible weight women with ADHD carry Watch: Renowned ADHD expert on how to juggle ADHD and motherhood For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org. Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    High-achieving with ADHD and completely overwhelmed (Susie Owens’ story)

  5. Aug 13

    Comedian Taryn Delanie Smith’s wild ADHD ride (Re-upload)

    Hey, everyone. There was a publishing issue with this episode last week, but it’s too good to miss. If you downloaded this episode with Taryn Delanie Smith when it first came out, it’s possible you actually got an episode of Hyperfocus instead. We hope you liked it. But now we’ve uploaded the correct ADHD Aha! episode here. Enjoy! Cold-calling strangers about Brazilian butt lifts wasn’t exactly the plan. But for Taryn Delanie Smith — comedian, actor, former Miss New York, and creator of the viral TikTok character “Denise, Heaven’s Receptionist” — the detours turned out to be the whole story. In this episode, Taryn talks about competing in the Miss America pageant with undiagnosed ADHD, the curses and gifts of ADHD, a learning disability in math, and struggling in corporate America. Plus: justice sensitivity, farting around time, and why waitressing might be the perfect job for an ADHD brain. For more on this topic: Listen: What’s so funny about ADHD? (Comedian Jim Tews’ story) Read: ADHD and creativity Watch: What is dyscalculia? For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org.  Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Comedian Taryn Delanie Smith’s wild ADHD ride (Re-upload)

  6. Jul 21

    When ADHD feels like your insides are crawling (Kate Moryoussef’s story)

    Why does sitting still feel like a physical emergency? Kate Moryoussef, ADHD lifestyle and wellness coach and host of the “ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast,” spent years convinced she was the problem. It wasn't until her daughter's meltdowns, daydreams, and overwhelm mirrored her own childhood that everything clicked. In this episode, Kate unpacks restlessness and what ADHD actually feels like in the body, how generational ADHD shapes families, and why so many women spend decades doubting themselves before finally getting answers. For more on this topic:  Listen: Can I get rid of my adult sensory issues?  Read: How ADHD can affect your mental health Watch: Can ADHD affect physical health? For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org. Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    When ADHD feels like your insides are crawling (Kate Moryoussef’s story)

  7. Jul 7

    Rage quitting, constant tiny mistakes, and emotional regulation with ADHD (John Garden’s story)

    What if the clue to an ADHD diagnosis was making a different tiny mistake every night on stage? John Garden is a therapist and professional musician. He shares how years of strong emotional reactions, rage quitting, boredom with repetition, and feeling like a failure eventually led to an ADHD diagnosis. The conversation explores emotional regulation, inattention to detail, perfectionism, and the hidden ways ADHD can show up. It also highlights how ADHD realizations are often not a single lightning-bolt moment. More often, they come from years of experiences that slowly add up until everything starts to make sense. For more on this topic Listen: Adult ADHD, perfectionism, and soft productivity Read: ADHD and perfectionism Watch: ADHD and emotional dysregulation For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org. Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Rage quitting, constant tiny mistakes, and emotional regulation with ADHD (John Garden’s story)

  8. Jun 23

    Painful everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction (KC Davis’ story)

    KC Davis, counselor, author, and host of Struggle Care, talks about the everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction: messiness, boredom, and keeping up with household tasks like laundry. She shares how caring for a newborn and a 2-year-old during the COVID shutdown pushed her coping strategies to the breaking point — “I lost my mind,” she says — and ultimately changed the way she understood herself. KC reflects on ADHD signs that showed up throughout her life, from forgetting to turn in homework to biting her tongue until it bled to stop herself from interrupting people. She also discusses working memory, addiction, and the years she spent fighting for radical acceptance in therapy — and why understanding her ADHD sooner might have made that journey much easier. For more on this topic  Listen: Managing expectations in relationships with ADHD (interview with KC Davis) Read: ADHD and boredom Watch: Why ADHD makes everything so hard (executive dysfunction explained) For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org. Getting your child the support they need at school shouldn’t feel like a fight. But for millions of families, it does. In Zero Reject, an investigative podcast from Understood.org, award-winning journalist Anya Kamenetz looks at how changing federal policies are reshaping special education — and what’s at stake for families trying to access the support their children are legally entitled to. Start listening now. Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Painful everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction (KC Davis’ story)
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
181 Ratings

About

Listen to people share candid stories about the moment it clicked that they have ADHD. Host Laura Key, who’s had her own ADHD “aha” moment, chats with guests about common topics like ADHD and shame, mental health challenges, and more. Through heartfelt interviews, listeners learn about the unexpected, emotional, and even funny ways ADHD symptoms surface for kids and adults.

Information

  • Channel
    Understood.org
  • Creator
    Understood.org, Laura Key
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    143
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    ADHD Aha!

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