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ADHD Aha!

Understood.org, Laura Key

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.

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20 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 25 min
English

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#140
August 18 · 28 min
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.
#139
August 13 · 33 min
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 vir
#137
July 21 · 26 min
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 themsel
#136
July 7 · 25 min
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 light
#135
June 23 · 32 min
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 i
#134
June 9 · 19 min
I gave 110% with ADHD. They still told me I’d never go to college. (Rebecca Gonzalez-Ojeda’s story)
A tangled ball of spaghetti. That’s how aspiring therapist Rebecca Gonzalez-Ojeda describes her ADHD brain. Diagnosed with ADHD in fifth grade, Rebecca grew up hearing messages to “just try harder” while struggling with school and self-esteem. It felt like giving 110% still wasn’t enough. Rebecca reflects on painful IEP meetings, discouraging comments from teachers, and the emotional drain of being misunderstood for years. She also shares what it was like “raw-dogging” life after losing access
#133
May 26 · 29 min
Two adult ADHD diagnoses, opposite reactions (Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick’s story)
Sam Pittis and Katie Breathwick — best friends and co-hosts of You’re Wrong About ADHD — compare their very different reactions to being diagnosed with ADHD. Katie came to her ADHD diagnosis through her teenage son and felt a sense of excitement and clarity. Sam felt shaken. He began to see his years of depression, emotional crashes, and coping habits in a new way. Hear how ADHD shows up uniquely in the two of them, from emotional dysregulation and sensory struggles to disorganization and miss
#132
May 12 · 22 min
Isn’t that every busy mom? Emotional dysregulation and ADHD (Kim Holderness’ story)
ADHD symptoms can be easy to miss — even when you’re someone who knows a lot about ADHD. Kim Holderness shares her adult ADHD diagnosis and the complicated feelings that came with it. Kim felt embarrassed and like a fraud. For years, she assumed her anxiety and emotional ups and downs were simply part of the very real load many busy moms carry. Kim and Penn Holderness — creators, authors, and the couple behind the Holderness Family — have long been surrounded by ADHD in their life and work. I
#131
April 28 · 23 min
The voice in my head said “You’re stupid”: ADHD and negative self-talk (Carla Ciccone’s story)
Carla Ciccone, author of Nowhere Girl: Life as a Member of ADHD’s Lost Generation, shares what it’s like to grow up thinking you’re the problem. She talks about learning to mask when she was just 6 years old and living with constant negative self-talk. Like many girls with ADHD, Carla hid her struggles and felt like a lost cause. Carla opens up about her inner voice — the one that says “you’re stupid” — and how fear, failure, and pressure from others can build deep self-doubt. Motherhood became
#130
April 14 · 24 min
“Mom rage,” sensory overload, and shame (Kaitlin Soulé’s story)
Marriage and family therapist Kaitlin Soulé shares her story and expertise. She opens up about rage — especially “mom rage” — and the sensory overload and shame that often come with it. Kaitlin and Laura talk about what rage actually feels like (it’s more than just yelling), and how constant noise at home can push them past their limits. They also look at how “rage” is often framed as a women’s issue. (Have you ever heard anyone talk about “dad rage”?) Kaitlin shares practical ways to come down
#129
March 31 · 25 min
Recovering perfectionist, no longer a martyr (Kim Tran’s story)
Kim Tran spent years chasing perfection: a high achiever who believed struggle wasn’t an option. As an Asian American woman raised with the pressures of the model minority myth, asking for help felt like failure. But after being encouraged three separate times to get evaluated for ADHD, Kim finally said yes — after becoming a mom and realizing she wanted something different for her child. In this conversation, Kim talks about perfectionism, cultural expectations, and why martyrdom isn’t a badg
#128
March 17 · 17 min
Something felt off: ADHD, depression, and slow processing speed (Matt Klein’s story)
Matt Klein thought he was dealing with depression. After a job change and the arrival of a new baby, he found himself in a fog. Listless. Unmotivated. And vaguely “off.” He just didn’t want to do anything. His wife noticed the shift, too. But the depression diagnosis never fully explained it. It wasn’t until he was evaluated as an adult that inattentive ADHD and slow processing speed brought his story into focus. Matt, a software engineer, shares a story about a door that hung slightly askew —
#127
March 3 · 21 min
Adult ADHD, perfectionism, and soft productivity (Fellisia Robinson’s story)
When Fellisia Robinson was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, everything started to make sense. In this episode, she talks with Laura about what it was like to finally get answers later in life. For years, she struggled with burnout. She felt relentless pressure to achieve — like she always had to prove herself. Her diagnosis helped her understand herself in a new way and then rethink what productivity even means. Fellisia shares what it was like growing up as a first-generation eldest daughter
#126
February 17 · 23 min
The ADHD symptom I can’t explain away (Andrea Jones-Rooy’s story)
Andrea Jones-Rooy — data scientist, comedian, and fire-eating acrobat — talks candidly about feeling like a failure even when all evidence points to the contrary. With sharp humor and vulnerability, she describes having “no self-esteem” (not low — none), limited willpower, and a reliance on fear and external pressure to get things done. Andrea, who hosts the podcast Behind the Data, gives herself very little grace. She remains skeptical of her ADHD diagnosis. But one ADHD challenge feels imposs
#125
February 3 · 17 min
ADHD, big dreams, and the struggle to finish projects (Brandon Hogstad’s story)
Brandon Hogstad — a scientist, musician, big thinker, and co-host of a dream interpretation podcast — talks about how ADHD showed up in his adult academic life. As challenges emerged, finishing projects became a persistent struggle. A high school valedictorian, Brandon entered college with confidence and a strong academic track record. College didn’t derail him. But it brought him down to earth. For the first time, he realized he’d never really learned how to study — and that raw intelligence o
#124
January 20 · 28 min
When simple things aren’t simple with ADHD (Terry Matlen’s story)
Psychotherapist, author, and ADHD pioneer Terry Matlen shares what led to her ADHD diagnosis. Terry’s path started with years of shame and the feeling that everyday life was inexplicably harder than it should be. She describes getting overwhelmed by ordinary moments: making dinner, figuring out what to wear, and freezing at the sink with a wooden spoon in her hand. Terry is an expert on ADHD in women. She talks about mood regulation and self-esteem with empathy. And she offers hard-won guidance
#123
January 6 · 26 min
Imposter syndrome after a lifetime of hacking her ADHD (Debbie Reber’s story)
Debbie Reber — author, podcast host, and founder of Tilt Parenting — shares her unexpected journey of discovering her ADHD as an adult. She talks about the imposter syndrome that came with it, especially after years of writing about executive function and advocating for neurodivergent kids. Debbie explains how being extremely organized her whole life — hacking her ADHD without realizing it — kept her from seeing the signs sooner. She reflects on believing she “should” be someone who has natural
#122
Dec 23, 2025 · 25 min
Suicidal ideation, masking, and overlooked ADHD (From Hyperfocus)
This week, we’re sharing a powerful episode from our friends at Hyperfocus — a deeply personal story with its own “aha” moments. Inattentive ADHD is often missed, especially in boys who don’t fit the typical ADHD stereotype. Brandon Saiz shares his later-in-life diagnosis and what it meant to have been overlooked for so long. If you’re not already listening to Hyperfocus, check it out here.
#121
Dec 9, 2025 · 30 min
From ADHD intensity to steady ground — and into disability theology (Ange Nolan returns!)
Back by popular demand… it’s Ange Nolan! Ange returns to ADHD Aha! to share how her ADHD journey has evolved since we last spoke. That includes her decision to study disability theology and help make worship spaces more supportive for neurodivergent people. Going back to school brought up old memories of past academic struggles. Ange talks openly about navigating those feelings with more clarity and self-understanding. She also gives an update on her personal life — this time, celebrating a ca
#120
Nov 25, 2025 · 31 min
Revisiting: ADHD, loving intensely, and impulsivity (Ange’s story)
This week we’re revisiting one of our favorite ADHD Aha! episodes. Ange Nolan once suspected she had ADHD but was dismissed by her doctor. Years later, an ADHD “iceberg” graphic that visualized how so many ADHD symptoms live beneath the surface finally made everything click. After her diagnosis, Ange recognized how much ADHD had shaped her romantic relationships, her drive for intense connection, her “chameleon” behavior, and her impulsive career changes. Be sure to tune in next time! Ange

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