No matter how much we learn about our ADHD, there is always somehow more to uncover. One of my personal ADHD blind spots has always been social skills; for some reason, I was convinced that I didn’t have any difficulties with social skills and had escaped this ADHD trait. That is, until social skills expert and my guest this episode, the wonderful Caroline Maguire, brought me back down to Earth when she told me the areas of social intelligence that she likes to talk about and I realized I actually struggle with every single one. Who knew! 

Luckily, Caroline is the founder of a revolutionary social-emotional learning methodology that helps teach social skills to children, teenagers, and young adults, so she came ready with some helpful insights on why we struggle with things like giving TMI and hating small talk and what we can do about it while remaining true to ourselves. Her work may be designed for children--her book Why Will No One Play With Me? was awarded Best Family and Parenting book of 2020--but all of her concepts and learning materials are just as applicable to adults. In her words, “It’s all the same dilemma, it’s just whether or not you’re 5 and you can’t articulate it or you’re 60 and you know darn well what’s going on.”

Caroline doesn’t want us to change or hide who we are, rather, her goal is to help ADHDers of all ages learn how to be present in each moment in order to demonstrate the greatness that we all possess. 

Resources:

Instagram: @authorcarolinecm

New seminar starting Dec 7th: Adults with ADHD Social Skills Training: How to Get Along with Everyone https://carolinemaguireauthor.com/product/adults-with-adhd-social-skills  

Free download: Calming Intrusive Thoughts at carolinemaguireauthor.com

The role of motherhood constantly shifts as our children grow up and move through different stages of life, and then when they leave the nest that shift becomes more like a giant leap. My guest this episode, the wonderful Patricia Sung, has two young children who are still very much “in the nest.” Patricia reached out to me with an interesting question that I knew had to become the topic for our conversation: “When you’re looking back and your kids are out of the house, what really mattered?” 

Patricia is a podcaster herself and her work is aimed at helping other ADHD mothers get their “crap” together (as she puts it). She has built a supportive community of women, something she says has been integral to her own motherhood journey. Join us as we chat about our different perspectives on parenthood and Patricia shares her thoughts on how to let go of perfectionism and start seeing ourselves as the amazing mothers we already are. 

Resources:

Instagram: @motherhoodinadhd

Website (with free resources): motherhoodinadhd.com

Courses: ADHD Courses for Moms 

No matter how many extraordinary ADHD women I meet, I’m still constantly blown away by the incredible things they’re capable of, especially once they start to understand their own brains. I first met my guest, therapist Emerald May Rubio, when she took my program Your ADHD Brain is A-OK; within only a few days of classes Emerald had determined that she was interested in activism and started taking steps toward making it happen. Embracing her ADHD unlocked a new level of understanding in herself and ignighted a passion for working with those in the BIPOC community with complex trauma and ADHD. 

Emerald has a deeply personal connection to her work and uses her experiences to help others heal from their trauma and re-write their own stories. She brings so much creativity, light, and awareness into her practice. Hearing Emerald speak gives me hope that therapy is shifting to encompass a wider range of needs and communities. 

Resources:

Instagram: @healwithemerald

Email: [email protected]

Website: Emerald May Rubio (trihealing.com)

Many listeners and A-OK students have suggested I invite author Lisa Woodruff onto the podcast, and after this incredible conversation with her it’s clear why they were so insistent. Lisa is an author, former teacher, and parent who has spent the last 20 years researching ADHD and applying solutions to support executive functions in our home life. Not only are her ideas about home organization unique, such as organizing by the stages of life and a time-saving “Sunday Basket” system, but her approach to teaching contains so much kindness and understanding that home organization starts to feel possible.

In this episode Lisa takes us through her systems and why they work so well for ADHDers, shares the script she taught her own children to use when they’re feeling overwhelmed by where to start, and explains why we need to stop using our incredible computer brains as to-do lists. Lisa believes we should all be spending as little time as possible doing household work so we can live our unique callings in life and I couldn’t agree more. 

Resources:

Instagram: @organize365

Website: Organize 365

Podcast: Organize 365 Podcast

Book mentioned: The Fourth Turning

Normally (and ironically) there’s nothing that makes me fall asleep faster than talking about proper sleep hygiene. However, the more I learn about sleep’s impact on our overall health and our ADHD symptoms specifically, the more I realize how crucial it is for ADHDers to make good sleep a priority. Most of us know what we should be doing to get better sleep--keeping a consistent sleep schedule, no naps during the day, no technology at least an hour before bed--but actually putting these habits into action is easier said than done, especially when our ADHD is fighting us every step of the way. 

In this episode I cover not only the latest research behind why sleep is so important to our functioning and learning, but I also provide some concrete sleep strategies that are geared toward the ADHD brain, such as connecting positive emotion with getting into bed on time. Like all things ADHD, once we know why we’re struggling with these habits we can start to find workarounds and implement sustainable systems that allow us to be successful.

My guest this week, Juliana Hock, gives a whole new meaning to the word ‘resilient’. Seriously, this woman does not give up on herself; Juliana recently fulfilled her dream of becoming a realtor after 12 attempts at the Real Estate exam. Her difficulty with written tests is something I know many ADHDers can relate to, but where many people would have given up Juliana pushed through, knowing that once she overcame the hurdle of passing that exam she would thrive in the job itself. 

Juliana credits her resilience to a strong support system, a passion for everything she does, and a positive mindset, among many others. She wakes up every morning saying, “this is going to be the best day ever!” and then goes forward to make it so. My conversation with Juliana is a great reminder that prioritizing fun, passion, and self-determination is so important to living a fulfilling life.

Resources:

Instagram: @Juliana.Evolves

Email: [email protected]

David & Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell

In our last episode we discovered why our ADHD brains struggle with time so much. Understanding this ‘why’ provides us with a foundation for building long-lasting time management skills, so make sure to listen to Episode #145 first if you haven’t already! 

Now that we have our ‘why,’ the next step is to figure out how to develop a more effective and less stressful relationship with time. In this episode I’ll give you some concrete strategies to help you work with your brain’s natural flow rather than struggling against it. When we learn how to pause, check in with our bodies, stare down our discomfort, create a plan based on history, and celebrate our accomplishments, we can stop waiting for the perfect time to feel inspired and instead we can start creating it ourselves.

What is it about our ADHD brains that causes so much difficulty with time and what can we do about it? Executive function plays a role, but like most of our ADHD challenges there are also other factors that, when combined, can make time awareness feel downright impossible. In this episode I’ll take you through the contributors to time blindness, such as emotional regulation and working memory, because the more we understand why we do what we do the more successfully we can tackle the problem. 

Then, next week I’ll talk about what we can do to improve our relationship with time and share some of the strategies that have really worked for me. I still haven’t mastered time, but I have gotten so much better at it the more I learn how my brain works. I hope I can do the same for you.

Why is it that a single negative comment can ruin my entire day, even amongst a sea of otherwise positive feedback? Our ability to hyperfocus is one of our greatest ADHD strengths, but if that hyperfocus gets ahold of a negative thought it can send us into a spiral of shame and self-doubt that feels impossible to break out of. In this episode, I’ll give you 7 unusual, research-based strategies to help you tune into your body, get out of your head, and calm your nervous system when you find yourself ruminating on thoughts that don’t serve you. 

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6715326/

https://www.amazon.com/Octorox-Spiky-Massage-Balls-Shoulder/dp/B0759KK3HS/ref=sr_1_10?crid=24LXTWCKR1LTL&dchild=1&keywords=spiky+massage+balls+for+feet&qid=1630383559&sprefix=spiky+mass%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-10

https://www.healthline.com/health/cryotherapy-benefits

https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2019/february/what-is-cryotherapy

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety.aspx

https://anxietycontrolcenter.com/stop-negative-thoughts-using-rubber-band-snap/ 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21645566/

https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B0084DD2XM/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Center+Shock&qid=1629392022&sr=8-6

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21645566/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158435/

https://www.thehealthy.com/aging/mind-memory/benefits-of-chewing-gum/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N8KR2NS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My son Markus has always been incredibly introspective and self-aware, so when he took an  especially difficult calculus class and announced that there was something else going on beyond ADHD, I believed him. For years Markus and I had suspected that dyslexia was the underlying cause of his inconsistent gaps in learning, yet whenever he was evaluated these gaps were overlooked or attributed to his ADHD. Learning challenges such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are very common comorbidities with ADHD, so why weren’t these evaluators ever digging deeper? 

Enter: the incredible Laurie Peterson, a brilliant Educational Diagnostician who you may recognize from Episode 61 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, and my guest this episode. Laurie evaluated Markus a third time, and to his relief, his suspicions were confirmed--it was dyslexia all along. Having the complete picture of his brain finally allowed Markus to advocate for his needs, which is exactly why Laurie does the work she does. Join me for another wonderful conversation with Laurie as she provides an overview of the different learning disabilities that can co-occur with ADHD, explains why whole-picture interventions are so important, and dispels some common myths surrounding learning disabilities. Hint: It has nothing to do with intelligence.🐿⭐️

Resources: 

Website: 

Ediagnosticlearning.com

Diagnostic-learning.com

Email:

[email protected]

Apps mentioned: Snap Type; Mod Math

Click HERE to download the Learning Challenges That Often Co-exist with ADHD Worksheet

‘Intuitive eating’ is a term we hear more and more these days, but in a culture where restrictive diets are king, the concept of listening to your own body may seem foreign and even “woo woo.” My guest this week, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Becca King, admits that she also thought intuitive eating was pretty “woo woo” when she first heard about it, but after closer examination, she discovered that intuitive eating wasn’t too out there at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite: intuitive eating helped Becca heal her relationship with food and her own body and started her on a path to help others, specifically those with ADHD, heal those relationships too. 

Whether you’re curious to learn more or you still need some convincing, in this week’s episode, Becca will teach you the basics about intuitive eating and provide you some helpful eating tips for the ADHD brain. 

Resources:

Instagram: @adhd.nutritionist

Website: adhdnutritionistllc.com

When licensed professional therapist, author, and speaker KC Davis first began a self and home-care TikTok account, she didn’t intend to make ADHD content. In fact, she didn’t even know she had ADHD at the time, she just knew her unique brain required equally unique systems in order for her to stay on top of home care tasks. When KC’s content inevitably ended up on the ADHD side of TikTok, her number of followers exploded. So many people with ADHD related to her content and found success with her systems that KC decided to get an evaluation and confirmed that she does indeed have ADHD.

Since receiving her diagnosis KC’s content has expanded to include creative ADHD-specific systems and solutions for care tasks, but the underlying message in her work has always remained the same: “Care tasks are morally neutral. They have nothing to do with being a good or bad person, with failing or succeeding in life.” 

Join me this week as KC Davis explains why thinking of care tasks as ‘morally neutral’ is so important for our mental health, teaches us her ‘condiments in the produce drawer’ ADHD fridge hack, and gives us the tools to implement a no-fold laundry system that saved her sanity. 

Resources

Instagram: @strugglecare

TikTok: @domesticblisters

Website: Strugglecare.com

Book: How to Keep House While Drowning

This week I break my cardinal rule of only interviewing women with ADHD on the podcast, which should tell you just how strongly I believe in author and marriage consultant Melissa Orlov’s work. Melissa may not have ADHD herself, but her daughter does, which is exactly what prompts Melissa to learn as much about ADHD as she possibly can. She dove deep into the research, even working alongside renowned ADHD expert, Dr. Edward Hallowell, one of my only other guest to break the podcast rule (go back to Episode 106 to listen to his insightful interview). 

All of Melissa’s research led her to the surprising realization that her own husband had ADHD as well. Hello, rabbit ---> bunny! Suddenly, all of the disagreements that they’d been having for years around their relationship suddenly made sense. With this realization came a new level of compassion and understanding for each other.  Together Melissa and her husband were finally able to find solutions and create systems that worked for both of them.

Since this marriage-saving discovery, Melissa has been researching and writing about how ADHD impacts relationships and marriage with the goal of providing others with the roadmap she and her husband wish they’d had sooner. Whether you’re in a relationship with a neurotypical or another ADHDer, Melissa has some helpful tips and insights that may just end that argument about emptying the dishwasher for good. 

Resources:

Melissa’s website: adhdmarriage.com

Her couples’ seminar: The ADHD Effect In-Depth

Her book: The ADHD Effect on Marriage: Understand and Rebuild Your Relationship in Six Steps

When Covid hit the U.S. in 2020 and hair salons all across the country shut down, more and more people started taking the scissors into their own hands, often with disastrous results. While the rest of us were laughing at quarantine haircut memes (or creating our own), Jayne Matthews was brainstorming a solution: What if she could teach people how to cut their own hair using the same technique she used on clients at her salon? Now less than two years later Jayne teaches people all around the world how to give themselves stylish haircuts in a way that’s intuitive and easy to follow. This ability to problem-solve in the face of seemingly unsolvable problems is a skill Jayne attributes to her ADHD and is one she believes is the key to her success. 

Join me this week as educator and trendsetting hairstylist Jayne Matthews and I discuss the importance of blazing new paths rather than trying to fit in, how to be okay with not being great at everything, and some favorite ADHD workarounds.

Resources:

Website: Jaynematthews.com

Instagram: @jayne_edosalon

This week I’m sitting down with ADHD expert, author and coach René Brooks to talk about Vertical Heterophoria -- a little-known eye condition that, when René stumbled upon the diagnosis by happenstance, changed everything for her. While René is grateful that she was able to find relief from a lifetime of headaches and neck pain, she’s frustrated by how close she came to missing such an important diagnosis and believes the medical community still has a long way to go in understanding and treating ADHD comorbidities. “It’s right there, it’s not hidden, people just don’t put it together. People are so mired down in the research about ADHD that it’s difficult for them to understand how these things apply to real-life scenarios.” 

Vertical Heterophoria and the connection to ADHD is so unknown that I myself had never heard of it, but by the end of the episode, René helps me to realize that this just might be the missing piece in my own son’s unresolved vision struggles. This realization is a great reminder of why these conversations are so important to have, and for that reason and many more I’m so excited to bring you this episode with the brilliant René Brooks. 

Resources

Instagram: @blackgirllostkeys

Twitter: @Blkgirllostkeys

Blog: Black Girl Lost Keys 

Vertical Heterophoria: The Unknown ADHD Related Eye Condition  (scroll to the bottom of the blog post for a link to the online test for Vertical Heterophoria) 

Is there something that’s hanging out there, that you really want to accomplish but you JUST. CAN’T. START? Then this is the podcast for you. Short, simple and fun. If you keep it light and easy, it’ll work every time!😂

Tracy shares:

• Why forcing ourselves to do mundane tasks doesn’t work
• The real question to ask ourselves that helps us get things done
• Why do our ADHD brains struggle to get through boring, predictable, mundane tasks
• What three things must an ADHD strategy employ for us to successfully get a boring, predictable task done?
• What generates positive emotion?
• Why deadlines don’t work over time?
• How light and easy can work every time!

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuANCcsODq0&ab_channel=MusicChannel 

Join Tracy as she welcomes Miriam Schulman to Ep. 136 of her podcast ADHD for Smart Ass Women. 

So for all these reasons, I am delighted to introduce you to Miriam Schulman, artist and founder of The Inspiration Place. Through her online classes, business coaching programs, and popular podcast, she’s helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and sell more art. 

Miriam is a graduate of Dartmouth College and M.I.T. who has been featured in major publications including Forbes, The New York Times, Art of Man, Professional Artist magazine, and Art Journaling magazine. Her artwork has also been featured on NBC’s “Parenthood” and the Amazon series “Hunters” with Al Pacino. Her forthcoming book with HarperCollins Leadership on how to make it as an artist is scheduled to be released in October 2022. 

Miriam shares: 

• Her and her family’s experience with ADHD
• Her challenging first year in college
• Why originality is so important to her
• Her observations on the link between creativity and ADHD
• What it means to be a lifelong learner
• Why she started The Inspiration Place
• The difference between selling art online or in person
• The ADHD traits that she regularly sees in artists
• What artists tend to struggle with
• The importance of practicing your creative
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success?
• The key to living successfully with ADHD is?
• Her number one ADHD workaround? 

Resources:
https://www.schulmanart.com/

The Inspiration Place Podcast, Artists and ADD: Creatively Distracted, with Tracy Otsuka

This week Tracy welcomes Grace L’Orange to episode #135 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Grace is a school psychologist, behavior specialist, and suicide prevention coordinator working in public education with a B.S. in Psychology and an advanced Education Specialist degree in School Psychology. Grace is passionate about equity, inclusion, and advocacy for all students, especially those with disabilities and other differences. In addition to her direct work with students, she collaborates with and educates other adults to better understand and address the specific impacts these differences have on daily life.

Grace recently implemented systemic changes in her district by developing updated policies and procedures for special education and suicide prevention/intervention focusing on equity and best practice. She serves as Director-At-Large on the board for her state school psychologist association. She also collaborates with the broader community through the Suicide Prevention Coalition in her county. Initially drawn to school psychology due to the school struggles of her brother with ADHD, little did Grace know that she would be diagnosed much later at the age of 32. Since then, Grace has been integrating this new ADHD facet of her life in the context of being an educator working with students with disabilities and behavior challenges.

In this episode Grace shares: 

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• What has changed since she was diagnosed 
• How learning about her ADHD shifted her understanding of how ADHD presents in girls and helped her better notice symptoms that are often overlooked in female students
• Information surrounding the alarming number of ADHD women who have attempted suicide and the societal factors that may contribute to these high rates
• Signs of suicidal ideation to look out for and ways you can responsibly help someone who may be at risk (resources listed down below)
• How she uses audio journaling to move past perfectionism, externalize her thoughts in order to process them, and speak more kindly to herself 
• Her key to living successfully with ADHD

Resources: 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-someone-else/

Mental Health Crisis Response Program: 1-888-989-9990 (for parents of children through age 17)

Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (for LGBTQ youth) 

Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR) online training for anyone: https://qprinstitute.com/

Hopesquad Prevention: https://hopesquad.com/prevention

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden, MS and Michelle Frank, PsyD (book mentioned)

This week Tracy welcomes Kamden Hainsworth to Episode #134 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Kamden lives with her husband and three (almost four) daughters in Springville, Utah. She enjoys spending time in the nearby mountains, traveling, working on home improvement projects, and serving in her community and church. Kamden worked as an educator in a variety of capacities for over ten years. She has always felt the most fulfilled helping others realize their true potential. Years after her daughter was diagnosed, Kamden received her own ADHD diagnosis at 36 years old and quickly began advocating and researching to learn how to build her new amazing life as an ADHDer. She now helps solopreneurs with ADHD find their voice and translate that into their business specifically with marketing and social media.

Kamden shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• What has changed since she was diagnosed
• The importance of surrounding herself with people who see and appreciate her ADHD gifts 
• Why social media can be so challenging for the ADHD brain
• The ways perfectionism and over-thinking can prevent us from posting on social media
• How asking the question, “Who makes the rules about what social media needs to look like?” can help us overcome perfectionism and get started
• Her strategies for building your online presence one puzzle piece at a time
• How determination and trusting her own creativity and problem-solving skills has led to her success
• Her #1 ADHD workaround: visuals, visuals, visuals

Resources:

The ADHDirectory

Kamden's Instagram

Kamden's TikTok

This week Tracy welcomes Adrienne Smith to Episode #133 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Adrienne is a beekeeper who was accepted into the Oregon State Master Beekeeper program. She will take her final journeyperson exam at the end of this month and has been studying honeybee beekeeping since 2014. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband on a small farm with her bees, chickens, donkeys, a cat and some koi fish.

Adrienne shares: 

• The circumstances surrounding her own ADHD diagnosis
• Her struggle with Auditory Processing Disorder
• How she got into beekeeping after years of “hobby hopping” 
• Why ADHD women are often drawn to careers that go against the status quo
• The challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field
• Why beekeeping is so appealing to the ADHD brain 
• Her knowledge on native bees and which species need the most protection
•  Why hyperfocus is her ultimate ADHD strength 

Resources:
Youtube-Farmstead Smith

This week Tracy welcomes Denese Marshall to Episode #132 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where the conversations will be all about ADHD and trauma. 

Denese Marshall, MA, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor, and a Nationally Board Certified Counselor. She has a BA in Psychology, a BA in Criminology and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Denese works with adolescents and adults facing addiction, trauma and OCD.  She is passionate about the acceptance of differences and has authored a bullying prevention book to teach children ages 4-7 to accept differences and exercise acts of kindness.

She has worked with clients with a criminal background to assist in both rehabilitative/reintegration following incarceration, as well as helping clients with addiction to prepare for incarceration. 

Denese believes that our past or life choices influence our behavior, but they do not define who we are. She helps clients find meaning in their experiences and develop a sense of peace that comes from making sense of our experiences.

Denese has two teenage children, a private practice in Connecticut and she speaks regularly on trauma and finding the value and meaning of life challenges. 

Denese shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her own ADHD diagnosis
• What has changed since she was diagnosed?
• Her definition of trauma
• How to distinguish between trauma and ADHD
• The symptoms of trauma
• Why it’s important to address trauma before working on ADHD executive function issues
• What happens to the traumatized brain when there is discomfort?
• What works to address trauma?
• What happens when trauma is not addressed?
• How to find ADHD professionals who are expert in both trauma and ADHD

Join Tracy for Episode #131 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women as she celebrates the one-millionth download of her podcast and expresses her gratitude for your support and confidence. Tracy spends this episode sharing how this podcast has changed her life. She discusses what she’s learned and how it might help you too. 

Discover: 

• What it means to be future focused vs. past focused
• How to figure out your own ADHD formula
• The importance of not believing everything you think and how what they say about you is none of your business
• How action generates positive emotion
• Why it’s never too late and you’re never too old
• How to never be bored another day of your life
• What ADHD women have in common
• Three simple steps to moving that big thing forward

Resources:

Ep. 93: ADHD, Positive Emotion and Being Future-Focused

https://libsyn.com/

Join Tracy for Episode #130 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she talks about challenging kids with ADHD and the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) system developed by Dr. Robert Greene. CPS was developed as a way to diffuse power struggles between parents and their challenging kids, specifically kids with explosive behavior issues. It’s used in juvenile detention facilities, prisons, schools and of course with families around the world.

Tracy shares:

• Why even if you don’t have kids you will learn something about yourself from this podcast
• Why telling an ADHD child what to do, doesn’t serve them or the parent-child relationship over time
• The most important role that a parent plays in their child’s life
• The question she always ask when she’s trying to figure out what to do next
• The statement that underpins Dr. Greene’s CPS philosophy and changes everything
• Why switching from drill sergeant to coach and collaborator is so much more effective with ADHD kids
• The problem with lagging skills and how to assess them
• The 3 Step CPS system
• Who’s opinion must be considered to address challenging behaviors

Resources:

Why Will No One Play with Me?: The Play Better Plan to Help Children of All Ages Make Friends and Thrive, PCC, M.Ed

The Explosive Child by Dr. Robert Greene

https://drrossgreene.com/

Dr. Ross Greene Video: Kids Do Well If They Can

https://www.livesinthebalance.org/about-lives-in-the-balance

https://www.livesinthebalance.org/paperwork

Join Tracy as she welcomes her guest Meral to Episode 129 of her podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Meral is a writer, business analyst, and mental health advocate based in the Midwest. She just published her first book, Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted, to increase education and acceptance on mental health in the South Asian diaspora. Her future goals include teaching self defense and developing a health and wellness app.

Meral shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her struggle with school
• What has changed since she was diagnosed
• What made her write her book
• The model minority stereotype
• How the model minority stereotype impacts ADHD, mental health and affects self-esteem and increases shame
• What ADHD strengths make her good at her job
• Her key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her ADHD workaround

Resources:

Instagram

Email

Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted

https://www.additudemag.com/model-minority-myth-indian-girls-adhd/

https://www.additudemag.com/mental-health-stigma-asian-stereotype-adhd-asd/

https://www.additudemag.com/forced-smile-asd-adhd-woman/

Join Tracy as she welcomes Jessica Fern to Ep. 128 of her podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Jessica is a Senior Director of Training & Development for the 4th largest multifamily management company in the US and doubles as a national speaker, coach, and strategist. Jessica is a keynote speaker, who was most recently featured on a national panel for Women in Leadership. She has a series on Multifamily Leadership Studio that includes Legendary Leadership which earned her the nickname The Wolf of Leadership. Jessica's newest project is her solutions-oriented coaching/consulting and podcast called "Living with Einstein." 

Jessica shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her two ADHD diagnoses
• What has changed since her recent diagnosis
• Her struggle with and triumph over Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
• How hyperfocus almost wrecked her
• How she discovered her gift of speaking
• Her advice on creating a winning speech every time
• The key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her ADHD workaround

Resources:

Living with Einstein Podcast

Jessica's LinkedIn

Join Tracy as she welcomes Adell Bridges to Episode 127 of her podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Adell is an international yoga teacher, health coach, and author who applies her degree in psychology with her training in the neurology of movement to her yoga and movement teachings. She now splits her time between London and Florida, and shares her love for the power of mindful movement to her online community on MoveWithAdell.com and her half a million Instagram followers. She is currently coauthoring a book on hyper-mobility.

Adell shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her recent ADHD diagnosis
• What has changed since she was diagnosed?
• Her advice around managing RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)
• What made her fall in love with yoga
• Why yoga is perfect for the ADHD brain
• The link between hyper-mobility and ADHD
• How she uses her Instagram to inspire and generate positive emotion not only for herself but also her followers
• ADHD and vertical heterophoria
• ADHD and cerebellar stimulation
• The key to living successfully with ADHD

Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/adellbridges/

MoveWithAdell.com

Today Tracy welcomes Tiffany Jackson to the podcast. Tiffany shares her indefatigable childhood story of being abandoned by her mother, bouncing from one relatives home to another, and spending one perfect year at an elite boarding high school only to end up at a homeless shelter as a minor. Throughout all of this, Tiffany had a dream to make something out of her life. Since then she’s graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from the Dan Rather School of Communications at Sam Houston State University, attended a year of law school which is where she received her ADHD diagnosis and in 2018 she graduated from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences with a Master of Biomedical Science.

Tiffany plans to attend medical school and work as a physician epidemiologist. She loves photography and car racing.

Tiffany shares:

• Her thoughts on how grit, drive and determination allowed her to keep going despite so many setbacks and challenges
• How she sees her drivenness as hyperactivity
• The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis
• Her childhood symptoms of ADHD
• What happened once she was finally diagnosed
• What she’s learned she needs to be successful and happy
• What she thinks the key to living successfully with ADHD is
• Her workarounds
• How she discovered what she’s always meant to do with her life

Resources:

Email - [email protected]

Instagram - @Texas_Senator

Tracy welcomes you to Episode #125 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she invites the ADHD non-believers to join her for a little education. She gets requests for this podcast every week so she decided to do something about it. 

Tracy shares:

• Why the authoritarian model of parenting doesn’t work with an ADHD child
• Nora Volkow’s research about ADHD and interest
• What the NIH, AMA, U.S. Surgeon’s General, American Association of Psychiatry and the U.S. Department of Education all say about ADHD
• Whether or not there’s ADHD in France
• If it’s true that ADHD is strictly an American phenomenon
• What it means that more kids are getting diagnosed with ADHD
• What happens when ADHD is not treated
• If it’s true that everyone has a little ADHD
• If ADHD is an invention of modern society
• If video games, social media, smart phones are making people more ADHD
• Whether or not medicating kids for ADHD turns them into addicts
• Why willpower, consequences, discipline and punishment is the wrong formula for the ADHD brain
• What happens to children when they’re told that they’re lazy, unmotivated and need to work harder
• What works to motivate ADHD children
• The one question you should ask yourself about your ADHD child

Resources:

Dr. Nora Volkow's regarding the Dopamine Reward Pathway in ADHD

Dr. Ross Greene: Kids Do Well If They Can

ADHD Child vs. Non-ADHD Child Interview

Father to Father: Robert Dendy

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/putting-the-efficacy-of-psychiatric-and-general-medicine-medication-into-perspective-review-of-metaanalyses/39C15F3428BDD1F8A4C152B67C06A5A6

https://psychcentral.com/blog/do-french-kids-get-adhd-yes/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5510191/

https://adhdrollercoaster.org/adhd-news-and-research/do-french-kids-have-adhd-surement/

https://www.alcohol.org/guides/global-drinking-demographics/

https://ourworldindata.org/smoking

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/health/07essa.html

Sir Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk on Gillian Lynne who had to move to think. Here’s the excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dewkj80G4as Here’s the full TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity#t-77984

Erin Ez shared this link that gives you a real world snapshot of how your child feels struggling with attention and learning challenges: https://www.understood.org/en/tools/through-your-childs-eyes/player?simq=66dc223a-29e3-4956-ae1e-e7b1beff3584&gradeId=f774ec64-d556-4a06-abae-035bc8683bb6&personalized=true

Join Tracy as she welcomes Rebecca Brianceau to Episode 124 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Rebecca is an autodidact artist and an international mindfulness art teacher who hails from Toronto, Canada. Rebecca has lived in Dubai, the UAE, London, England, Zurich, Switzerland and São Paulo, Brazil. She spent 15+ years in the music industry where she worked with multi-platinum selling and indie recording artists in hiphop, soul and RnB, as well as with producers, video directors, DJs, and fashion designers. 

In 2011 she left a successful career in the music world to launch her art career. Her Ocean Soul Series of stunning ocean paintings has been exhibited in galleries and art shows throughout Canada and Mexico. She now lives in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Rebecca shares:

• The story of what inspired her to create her beautiful resin ocean paintings
• Her ADHD diagnosis
• Her ADHD symptoms
• What changed once she was diagnosed
• How she fell into the music industry and traveled all over the world as a band manager
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success
• The key to living well with ADHD
• Her number one workaround
• Information about her Ocean Soul Series, Riviera Maya art exhibit in Playa Del Carmen

Resources:

Rebecca's Instagram

Rebecca's Ocean Soul Series Riviera Maya art exhibit in Playa Del Carmen

Music:

Taj & Director

Director X

Hamdan Al Abri

Kamal Musallam, creator of Arabic/Jazz Fusion

Kamal's created a new guitar "the glissentar" that allowed him to play oud guitar sounds on a more comfortable guitar face  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbTqZp4KFDE

This week Tracy welcomes you to episode #123 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she is going to talk about ADHD, procrastination and tapping. Tapping combines Ancient Chinese accupressure and modern psychology. You tap specific meridian points on your body while focusing on negative emotions and/or physical sensations. Tapping can resolve stress, anxiety, phobias, emotional disorders, chronic pain and limiting beliefs and there’s science behind why it works.

Tracy shares:

• The science behind tapping
• How the VA uses tapping for veterans with PTSD
• Why body-based somatic therapies work better for trauma
• What tapping can do for gene expression
• How tapping can help reduce anxiety for ADHD women
• How trauma encodes itself in the body
• What EFT/tapping can do to the brain’s learning
• How tapping calms the nervous system
• The difference between tapping out and tapping in
• How she uses tapping to start work that she doesn’t want to do
• The tapping process and how to do it

Resources:

Tracy's Diagram of the EFT Tapping Points

Bessel Van Der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22986277/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23364126/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27543343/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23452711/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26894319/

Tapping and test anxiety

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ftra0000563

Tapping and Gene Expression

https://www.energiepsy.com/uploads/3/1/7/7/3177769/andrade_feinstein_paper-1.pdf 

Tapping and Food Cravings

The Tapping Solution App

Join Tracy as she welcomes Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells to Episode #122 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where the conversation will be all about ADHD and medication. 

Dr. Lentzsch-Parcells is a board-certified pediatrician and the owner and President of Girls to Women/Young Men’s Health and Wellness Fort Worth, a multi-faceted clinic providing integrated medical care dedicated to meeting the physical and emotional needs of young women and men from 10-25 years old. 

As a physician with ADHD herself, Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells has a special interest in caring for patients with ADHD and learning issues. She regularly speaks to parent, student, and professional audiences on subjects such as parenting, ADHD, depression, anxiety and stress, adolescent development, sexuality, preparing for college and medication.

Carolyn shares: 

• The circumstances surrounding her own ADHD diagnosis
• What changed once she was diagnosed?
• What it means to be a slow metabolizer
• The importance of setting expectations around medication
• Her opinion around women, anxiety and ADHD medication
• The various types of medication used for ADHD
• Medications used for Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
• The medication that reduces the chance of misuse
• Her thoughts on genetic testing
• The medication that most 40+ women are usually prescribed
• What she believes the key to living successfully with ADHD is?

Resources:

Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells' website

ADHD Medication Chart from ADDitudeMag

Join Tracy as she welcomes Terry Matlen to episode 121 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Terry Matlen, LMSW, ACSW, is an internationally recognized expert on ADHD in women. She is a psychotherapist, author, consultant, and coach.

She is also the author of the award-winning book, The Queen of Distraction and Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD.  "The Queen of Distraction” and "Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD”. 

With over 25 years of experience helping women with ADHD, Terry is a sought-after presenter at conferences, webinars, and interviews. She has written hundreds of articles for various publications, including ADDitude Magazine, Attention Magazine, Healthline.com, and more.

She served for many years on the board of directors of ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Assoc.) and is an immediate past coordinator of the E. Oakland County CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) Chapter in Michigan.

Terry has been interviewed by NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Glamour Magazine, and now ADHD for Smart Ass Women.

Terry shares:

• The circumstances surrounding her own ADHD diagnosis
• What hypersensitivities are
• Whether or not ADHD women have more hypersensitivities than neurotypical women
• If hypersensitivities are more prevalent in one type of ADHD over another
• Whether or not women with hypersensitivities tend to have more comorbidities.
• Her own experiences with hypersensitivities
• How hypersensitivities make parenting with ADHD even more difficult
• Ways to work with hypersensitivities

Resources:

Follow her at https://www.facebook.com/ADDconsults/, https://twitter.com/addconsults,  https://www.instagram.com/terrymatlen_adhd/ 

Terry can be reached at [email protected].

The Queen of Distraction: How Women with ADHD Can Conquer Chaos, Find Focus, and Get More Done

Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms & Stickers

ADDconsults.com

The Queens of Distraction

Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World

ADDITUDEMag: “I’m a Sensitive Woman:” ADHD Sensory Overload in Adults

ADHD and Women: When Your Senses Are Extra Sensitive

Today on Episode 120 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy invites Dr. Elizabeth Sanchez to her podcast. Dr. Sanchez earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago and will join Adventist Health White Memorial (Los Angeles, CA) as a Family Medicine resident. While working with many underserved communities in Chicago and Los Angeles, Elizabeth found her niche in primary care where she integrates her passions of caring for underserved communities, public health advocacy, research and mentorship for the next generation of doctors. 

Prior to medical school, Dr. Sanchez spent over 5 years working in translational and clinical research at the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, and later at UC Irvine, School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesia. Most recently, Dr. Sanchez worked as medical data manager for COVID-19 testing at a San Jose medical start up called Work Health Solutions.  She also is dedicated to mentoring medical students with adult ADHD and eliminating the stigma within the medical community. 

Dr. Elizabeth Sanchez shares:

• Her ADHD story and the circumstances surrounding her diagnosis? 
• Her experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 
• How her ADHD challenged her in medical school
• Her struggle with the NBME board and being denied additional time for the USMLE exams
• How socioeconomic status can affect a person’s ability to succeed with ADHD in medical school
• The importance of mentoring underrepresented minority medical students
• The key to living successfully with ADHD
• Her number one ADHD workaround? 

Resources:

Anki : https://apps.ankiweb.net/

How to use anki in medical school: https://www.yousmle.com/5-keys-rock-usmle-step-1-anki-spaced-repetition/

Peloton Desk Accessory:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088D88FP8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_A5FT6FQDMTHXNSSQEDSE?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

My email: [email protected]

Pema Chodron

The Podcast Index 

Our Podcast Page

Join Tracy as she welcomes her delightful guest Dr. Lola Day to  Episode 119 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Dr. Lola Day is the mom of 3 amazing children. She also is a double-boarded physician (pediatric and fetal cardiologist) who has ADHD herself. Dr. Day is the CEO and Founder of Lollie Tasking where she specializes in work-life balance for easily distracted women (ADHD) and high achieving moms who have the will to accomplish their goals, but their brain keeps sabotaging them. 

Lola coaches women on productivity strategies that help them harness their superpowers and put blocks on their kryptonite so they can thrive in their zone of genius without sacrificing time away from family or being overwhelmed. 

Dr. Lola Day shares:

• The circumstances around her ADHD diagnosis in medical school
• The surprising statistic her mentor shared with her about doctors and ADHD
• The two things that drove her hyperfocus in school
• Why getting diagnosed actually helps us to come to terms with just how smart our brains are
• How structure and organization help her to be happier and less anxious
• How she manages to not only work as a busy physician but also to carve out time in her day to work as a productivity and work-life strategist for struggling women
• Her five keys to entrepreneurial success
• How we can combat overlearning
• Why we should buy for just in time learning rather than just in case learning
• The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success?
• The key to living successfully with ADHD is?
• Her number one ADHD workaround? 
• Information about the programs that she offers

Resources:

• https://www.subscribepage.com/2xproductivityatwork
• Instagram: @lollietasker
• Lollietasking.com
• [email protected]

Join Tracy as she welcomes Francesca Rizzo to Episode 118 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women to share her tips on downsizing and setting up an organized home for ADHD living. Francesca Rizzo is a multi-media artist expressing powerful, provocative ideas in funny, human ways. Her work is prolific. The multiple medias she has distinguished herself in range from the fine arts and interior design to her work as an award-winning actor, writer, producer and director in theater, film, television and digital media. 

As a college dropout, Francesca left NJ and struck out on her own at 19, mining her creative talents for skills she could use to pay the rent in New York City. Along the way she carved out a career as a children’s book illustrator, professional actor, co-founder of a downtown theater company and eventually, as a filmmaker and CEO of MovieBaby Productions, a Tribeca-based media company creating innovative videos, independent films and tv promotional campaigns. Does that sound ADHD or what?

When she lost Moviebaby and her Manhattan apartment after 9/11, she landed back in Jersey and went back to the basics, earning her degree in Media Arts as well as the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. While making her mark in the fine arts and interior design, she penned and performed three theatrical productions, curated The Cinema-Femina film series and, created Believe Women, a rape activist initiative that championed the Cosby survivors along their journey to justice.

Francesca shares:

• What made her downsize from a 3,000 square foot, 3-story home in New Jersey to a 600 square foot apartment in New York City
• The 3 requirements every item must meet to end up in Fran’s world
• How to let go of things and make room for those things that you really want in your life
• Her decision making tier of 
• I love it
• I like it
• It does its job
• It annoys me
• I hate it
• When you need to just “pick the best”
• How she feels after getting rid of 98% of her possessions
• What she would do differently if she had to do it again
• How you can use Fran’s downsizing mindset to move through anything that causes you fear and overwhelm
• What the key to living successfully with ADHD is

Resources:

Simple Systems for Creative Minds

Join Tracy in episode #17 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she shares the #1 most impactful concept that she has learned this year. She talks about this concept every day with students and those who contact her because they’re struggling with rumination, RSD, and just plain not feeling good. 

Tracy shares:

• Who she learned this concept from
• Why our ADHD brains can get stuck in a loop of negative thoughts which leads to rumination, RSD and general brooding
• The role environment plays in all of this
• What epigenetics and neuroplasticity can teach us
• How you can change your brain at any age and be happier
• The network in our brain that lights up when we’re in action
• The network in our brain that is responsible for our creativity
• The network in our brain that is responsible for many of our negative, depressive thoughts
• The reason why so many people are starting to look so distracted whether or not they have or don’t have ADHD
• The part of our brain that is responsible for addiction and what we can do about it
• What 6-3-8-3 breathing is and why it works
• When our ADHD brains are happiest

Resources: 

https://drhallowell.com/read/books-by-ned/ 

https://bolt.straightforequality.org/files/Straight%20for%20Equality%20Trans%20Allies/2019-breaking-binaries-worksheet.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0GKwogV5LIBUoUvtsG0xPGazscoLyyEK86b9dopaWC3MFnBbTeznJiLss

https://www.theactivetimes.com/travel/how-to-be-a-better-lgbtq-ally-pride-month

https://bolt.straightforequality.org/files/Come%20Out%20as%20a%20Straight%20Ally/2020-10-things.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0vfEmvAQ4uSKzbq8qa9snL6JR7i5_fni9Q-mtV_gDBKvchKfptRHNYu18

5 Days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain 

Your ADHD Brain is A-OK!

In this episode of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy talks about ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and why she took such an interest in this episode. Tracy starts by mentioning the connection between OCD and repetitive body focused behaviors (RBFBs) and then discusses what they are. She then goes on to share:

• What OCD is
• What obsessions are
• What compulsions are
• The conditions that make up the OCD Spectrum
• What OCD is not
• What Pure Obsession is
• At what age does OCD typically show up
• Where ADHD and OCD look very different
• Where ADHD and OCD look similar
• What those with OCD are most concerned about
• The role that executive functions play in both ADHD and OCD
• How hoarding plays into ADHD and OCD
• How OCD is best treated
• What Exposure Response Prevention is
• The reasons why ADHD with OCD is often misdiagnosed
• A Do I Have OCD? Survey

Resources: 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12402-014-0146-x

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322306005877 

https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-ocd-and-adhd-dual-diagnosis-misdiagnosis-and-the-cognitive-cost-of-obsessions/

https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/symptoms-of-ocd/

https://www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/10230_Understand-Conditions_is-it-ocd-or-adhd.pdf

https://www.ocduk.org/ocd/history-of-ocd/howard-hughes/

https://www.additudemag.com/howie-mandel-ocd/ 

Join Tracy as she welcomes Lynn Miner-Rosen to Episode 115 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Lynn Miner-Rosen, M.Ed., ACC, CDCS  is the founder of LMR Coaching and the creator of the ADHD JOB SQUAD™ where she provides coaching, instruction, and support to college students and adults with (and without) ADD, ADHD, Executive Functioning Deficits and Learning Differences worldwide. Lynn is a leading expert on ADHD career coaching and is an ICF Credentialed and Board Certified Career Development Coach, and an ADHD, Executive Function and Life Coach. She’s been a Special Education Teacher and an IEP coordinator and has a BS in business administration and two Masters Degrees in education and Special Education 

Like you she’s also learned how to manage the demands of her life and career whil navigating symptoms of ADHD. 

Lynn shares:

• Her ADHD diagnosis story
• The truth about our current pandemic job market
• Why women are struggling the most
• What we need to consider when trying to decide if we should make a career change
• Advice for those of us who are reentering the workforce decades after we left
• Why she decide to start the ADHD Job Squad
• A special deal just for ADHD for Smart Ass Women listener

Resources:

learn.adhdjobsquad.com/smartasswomen

http://www.adhdjobsquad.com/

Instagram: @adhdcoachlynn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnminerrosen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdjobsquadcommunity 

https://adhdpalooza.com/women/