Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

Understood.org
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  • MENTAL HEALTH
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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. What could the AI boom mean for neurodivergent people?

    4D AGO

    What could the AI boom mean for neurodivergent people?

    Artificial intelligence has cemented itself as the latest world-altering technology. It follows the same lineage as electricity, the television, the internet — the list goes on.  Depending on who you talk to, AI is the greatest thing ever or the thing that will destroy the world, with lots of room in the middle for discussion and experimentation.  But within the bigger AI fascination, there’s a smaller yet critical conversation about how this technology might help or harm people who learn and think differently. That’s why we brought in Dr. Amy Gaeta for this week’s “Hyperfocus.” She’s an AI ethicist and researcher who also has autism, giving her a unique insight that she shares on our latest episode.  For more on this topic Amy’s websiteWhat is assistive technology?6 ways AI can help you manage ADHD symptomsHow software and apps can help with math challengesUnderstood AssistantTimestamps (03:40) AI in the workplace (10:16) Disability justice and technology (13:45) AI’s built-in bias against disability  (17:15) How to find helpful, safe AI uses (21:08) Chatbot therapy  (25:14) What does the future hold for AI and neurodivergence?  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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    32 min
  2. “How I Met Your Mother” co-creator on parenting, disability, and language

    SEP 11

    “How I Met Your Mother” co-creator on parenting, disability, and language

    Craig Thomas is best known for his work on TV. He co-created the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and has written for “American Dad” and more. He’s penned songs for “Sesame Street” and essays for “The New Yorker.”  He’s less known for being a dad. For now, at least. He has a daughter, Celia, and a son, Elliot, who was born with Jacobsen syndrome, a genetic condition causing physical and developmental disabilities.  When Elliot was born, Craig’s career was taking off with “How I Met Your Mother.” “I was living an hour drama show at home and then driving to work and doing a sitcom,” Craig says. His upcoming novel, “That’s Not How It Happened,” is based in part on his family’s experience. If you heard our series on the resurgence of the R-word, you’ll recognize Craig’s voice. The conversation with him was so good that we’re sharing more! For more on this topic Preorder Craig’s novelCheck out Craig’s podcastHear Craig on our R-word episodes, part 1 and part 2Timestamps (02:20) Craig’s backstory and current work (09:45) How Craig relates to the disability community (13:10) Disability and media depictions  (29:04) Comedy, the R-word, and why language matters (39:10) On parenting a child with disabilities 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    54 min
  3. Revisiting the groundbreaking Berkeley Girls study

    AUG 28

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

    AUG 14

    “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

  5. JUL 31

    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

  6. JUL 17

    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

  7. JUL 3

    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
  8. Is microdosing the next frontier in ADHD treatment?

    JUN 19

    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
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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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