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Thriving with ADHD & Anxiety: A Conversation with Therapist Tiffany Dennis LPC
31 Plays7 months ago
In this episode, we delve into the challenges and triumphs of adults living with ADHD and anxiety. Our guest, Tiffany Dennis, a licensed professional counselor, offers valuable insights and practical advice. Learn how to manage symptoms, reduce stress, and create a supportive environment for yourself and your family.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding the complexities of ADHD and anxiety in motherhood
- Strategies for managing symptoms and reducing stress
- Breaking down stigmas and seeking support
- The importance of self-care and self-compassion
Guest Bio
Tiffany, a licensed professional counselor based in Atlanta, Georgia. Specializing in ADHD and anxiety, she works with individuals and couples who navigate these challenges. As a fellow ADHDer & clinician, she deeply understand the neurodivergent brain, particularly in professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs.
She’s also an ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP). I provide counseling services & personalized executive functioning coaching. Her treatment approach is holistic, blending cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and psycho-education, providing a safe space for healing and growth. She empowers clients with practical skills to enhance executive functioning, crucial for long-term success. Services include individual counseling, coaching, self-paced workshops, and couples therapy.
Episode Highlights:
- Defining ADHD and anxiety
- The intersection of ADHD and anxiety in motherhood
- Practical tips for managing symptoms
- Breaking down stigmas and seeking support
- The importance of self-care and self-compassion
Resources:
- Website: www.theatlantatherapist.com
- IG: @theatlantatherapist
- www.additudemag.com
- www.chadd.org
- Book Mentioned: Driven to Distraction
- https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHDMoms/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/
Call to Action:
Share your experiences and connect with other mothers on our social media channels or hashtag #IAMSOLWELL. Let's build a supportive community together!
Connect With Us
instagram | linkedin | facebook | Join the Community
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to the Soul Well Podcast, where moms of color find strength and community in the mental health space. Each week we ignite inspiration as we set our intentions with affirmations and dive deep into honest conversations with fellow moms and mental health experts.
Mission and Goals
00:00:20
Speaker
We're here to hold space for you, to shatter stigmas and elevate the voices of moms of color. We'll fight for policy change, empower you with mindful resources, and most importantly,
00:00:31
Speaker
remind you that you're never alone on this journey It takes a village to raise a mother that lets me at the well.
Episode Focus: ADHD and Anxiety
00:00:40
Speaker
Hey, mamas, and welcome back to the Sew Well podcast. I'm your host, Autumn Colon, and today's episode is near and dear to my heart because we are talking about ADHD and anxiety. My guest today is Tiffany Dennis. She is a licensed professional counselor based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Guest Introduction: Tiffany Dennis
00:01:02
Speaker
specializing in ADHD and anxiety. She works with individuals and couples who navigate these challenges. As a fellow ADHD-er and clinician, she deeply understands the neurodivergent brain, particularly in professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs. And the reason why this episode is near and dear to my heart because I am neurodivergent, my family, my household, my children. We are neurodivergent family as well as um some of my siblings and anxiety has been a common thread for as long as I can remember. And so meeting with Tiffany has really opened up my eyes. She dropped some gems, some things I didn't know, some things you may already know, but I hope you learn a lot in this episode. I know I certainly did.
Personal Experiences and Affirmations
00:01:52
Speaker
For today's mindful moment, I want to pull an affirmation card from the Black Girl Affirm
00:02:01
Speaker
Deck from the brand OK&RX. Again, I love this brand. It's by my girl Yeti. I will have these linked in the show notes, but this card is really inspiring and I absolutely love the powerful messages on these cards and particularly in this deck. And so today's affirmation card states, everything is always working out for my greatest good.
00:02:32
Speaker
And I'm going to repeat that and I want you to hear the words. I want you to repeat them after me or just listen and internalize what I'm saying. Everything is always working out for my greatest good. And with that, let's jump into today's episode.
00:02:55
Speaker
Hi, welcome back to the Sew Well podcast. It's your host Autumn Pilone and I am joined today with my guest Tiffany Dennis. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Hello. Hi everybody. I'm really, really happy to be here today. Yes. I'm glad you are
Understanding ADHD and Anxiety
00:03:13
Speaker
here. We are, I mean, we've had several conversations before like getting to the recording of this and every time you just like go We just start going in on the topic and I'm like, hi, we need to record this. so We have to wait. yeah Yeah. So I'm like, I'm excited for this conversation. We are um talking today about ADHD and anxiety. And Tiffany is a licensed professional counselor and she's going to be giving us the tea and the insight and we're going to have a conversation about it. So.
00:03:46
Speaker
um Welcome again and tell our guests a little bit about who you are, your background and what you did. Yeah, okay. So I am a licensed professional counselor in Atlanta, Georgia. um I've been doing this for about like five or six years and I specialize in working with adults who have ADHD and or anxiety.
00:04:08
Speaker
um Typically the adults that I work with, they are in the creative field or they might be entrepreneurs or professionals in some capacity. And I really just help them with, you know, working on their executive function, but also helping them process and kind of talk through all the things that come with being adult, being an adult with ADHD, which is a lot. And, you know, just being able to offer like a really safe and understanding space for them to just kind of share their struggle.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yeah. That's so, so beautiful. And I feel like we need to be talking about this so much. I feel like late lately, like with ah
ADHD in Adults vs. Children
00:04:47
Speaker
social media and things like that, these conversations are happening a lot more. Um, and people are talking more about being neurodivergent and being in the, you know, the community or having ah ADHD and self-diagnosing and all these things. Like my, my daughter, like she actually knows the language around ADHD and it it comes, I know from TikTok.
00:05:07
Speaker
um some ah you know We teach them that we talk about it in the house too, because my son is ADHD diagnosed. um Anyway, so we can get more into that, but I would love to you know start off by just asking you, you know for our listeners who don't necessarily know what ADHD is, like maybe this is the first time hearing this, I would love for you to educate us on defining like what is ADHD and anxiety. and what is um Can you explain what that is for our listeners?
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, so ADHD is a developmental disorder um that is chronic, meaning it's kind of a lifelong thing. um You deal with the symptoms on a regular consistent basis. um And it's really characterized by struggling with executive function. And executive function could include trouble paying attention, um hyperactivity,
00:06:04
Speaker
um impulsivity, difficulty with like organization and time management sort of related things. And it causes some struggles you know in your personal life, especially even academically. And it's something that I feel like a lot of people really do misunderstand.
00:06:21
Speaker
um As far as anxiety goes, that can manifest in a ton of different ways, um but anxiety is basically a disorder that means that the person who is experiencing it also struggles with being able to manage the level of stress that they experience in their body, I guess, in simple terms.
00:06:43
Speaker
And there are certain things that may trigger it. There are certain things that may not. Sometimes someone can just have anxiety just because. And it's really a struggle. You know, it's something that people really do have to work very hard at um kind of overcoming. And that's kind of like the, I guess, basic definition for both.
00:07:02
Speaker
Okay. Yes. Well, um, thank you. Thank you for sharing that. And tons of questions come from that. Can you talk about maybe, you know, you, you mentioned symptoms and specifically I'm asking for symptoms of like ADHD, how would one necessarily know? Like maybe they, you said, you know, I maybe have ADHD. Like what are, what can that look like? Yeah. So.
00:07:28
Speaker
For an adult, or would you want to know both for a child and an adult? No, you can just talk about adults. So for an adult, some symptoms of ADHD might be impulsively reacting to things. So if you struggle with being able to kind of like control yourself, control your temper or your reaction in certain situations where you might feel triggered,
00:07:55
Speaker
Um, and that could be a potential sign. Um, impulsivity in itself is the symptom, uh, struggling with organizing your time. So it's not as simple as just being late to things. It's maybe even struggling on how to like plan and organize your time.
00:08:15
Speaker
So if you have something that you're working on that's due a month from now, struggling with figuring out how to get started on that task, um how to like separate it, you know, into like kind of equal parts so that you can work on it consistently, things like that. um Struggling with hyperactivity, that can also show up as anxiety or, you know, just kind of like moving around a lot.
00:08:38
Speaker
um But hyperactivity can also mean just doing a lot of different things that aren't necessarily helpful or healthy to you. Struggling with being able to just kind of be consistent and stay focused on one thing. um So yeah, I guess those are those are the symptoms.
00:08:55
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And do you find that typically like the adults that you work with are um coming to you like having had ADHD all of their lives or are they finding out in adulthood, like this is something that I'm struggling with. I just got diagnosed or diagnosed me, like whatever. How's that typically show up in your breakfast? Uh, well, that's a very interesting question. Um, because a lot of them tend to come in, um,
00:09:25
Speaker
kind of thinking, suspecting that it might be going on. They've been hearing a lot about it on TikTok, or Instagram, or they read something and they're like, huh, that kind of sounds like me a little bit. And then they come in and I'm like, well, actually that does sound like you. It might be you, you know and I think what's going on. But in actuality, it's something they've been struggling with their entire life. They just might not have been able to recognize it because it manifests differently as you get older.
00:09:53
Speaker
um And so that's kind of a huge eye opener for a lot of my clients in that it's not something that just developed over time into ADHD. It was ADHD. They just didn't recognize it or whoever else didn't recognize it beforehand. Yeah. Wow. And that's just like...
00:10:13
Speaker
It like is one area that I kind of want to like touch on a little bit because I feel like, you know, um growing up, just like in my background, my story, like my brother was like Dean, the problem child a lot, like in school. And as I look back and think of what was happening with my brother, because we were very close, like he he does have, he has ADHD now, he's been diagnosed.
00:10:37
Speaker
through ah testing in the prison system. right um But when he was a child, he was like kicked out of every class. like It was a thing. right like he was It was very hard for him. I remember his handwriting was never like really good ever, like you know an organization. And knowing now and looking back, and like how was you know how was it so sorely missed? But I believe that back in the 90s, it was you know if your child is diagnosed with something then they go to like the special class or like you know like you don't necessarily want to accept that you have a diagnosis because you don't want your kid to have like a stigma or whatever and obviously think you know i'm thankful that the times have changed and people are more accepting and understanding of it um but that brings me to like um a question around how
00:11:28
Speaker
Do you think that like it manifests differently in children versus adults and like maybe what that looks like? Yeah, absolutely. so It manifests differently in children versus adults and also in male versus female. so That's another huge thing. and I do want to touch on that just a little bit because you mentioned your brother. um Oftentimes, especially when it comes to Black boys. um When they're struggling in school, they're hyperactive, they can't stay focused, they're getting kicked out, all this stuff. um They tend to be dismissed and just kind of seen as, like you said, like the problem child, like they're disorderly and they don't necessarily get the correct diagnosis, which obviously
00:12:12
Speaker
is going to cause some problems in the future. none For girls, we are really, really great at masking and kind of doing what's expected of us. We're trained at a very early age as girls or females to kind of be quiet and in mindful and things like, you know, like we are really, really able to mask it all. And it's missed often that we have ADHD because we are sitting in our seat, you know, we are trying to study and be the best that we can be in certain settings, but we struggle in other ways. So in childhood, oftentimes ADHD symptoms will show up in school.
00:12:57
Speaker
You know, Timmy is not paying attention. He's zoning out in class. He forgets to turn in his homework. He forgot to study and like got an F on this thing or he blows up, you know, on other kids at school impulsively.
00:13:12
Speaker
right As we transition into adulthood, we have a lot less structure. you know Our parents are not guiding our day-to-day and making sure we eat breakfast this and do this and do that anymore. right where It manifests differently because we now have to be in control of our own lives and actually be adults.
00:13:31
Speaker
um Which is why it can affect you a little bit differently and some would say even more so in adulthood really. um Just because of the lack of structure and you know, trouble with organization and all of that good stuff. So yeah, it definitely manifests differently in childhood um and adulthood. And it's kind of the reason why a lot of people just don't really get the help that they need.
00:13:56
Speaker
because once we're not a kid anymore, they think it kind of went away, but it didn't. It just transferred into something else. But it's also a lot of reasons why a lot of adults just get diagnosed later in adulthood, especially when they're... Right. Yeah. Yeah. So interesting. um And I love, like I said, like I love that culture is shifting to have these conversations and people are asking questions and like, maybe that's but um what Maybe that's me, you know, and for all the negative that people have about social media and the negative that is in social media, it does open up people's world to information and resources and people who are able to like, able to look and see like, Oh, wow, like,
00:14:38
Speaker
Maybe I'm not the only one. like I've been struggling my whole life with this. like Let me actually go seek help. um so I'm loving that the conversations are happening. you know Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I love that the conversations are happening. I do think that there obviously should be a balance. you know All of the information you get about ADHD or anxiety should not be online because that's just one person's unique perspective. Exactly. There are a lot of people out here that are diagnosing themselves with ADHD and they don't even have it. So there's also that. There's also, yeah, there's also, yeah, you have to like make sure they're vetted resources and you go to an actual doctor and get a diagnosis and get a diagnosis, which is my next question of how is ADHD diagnosed in adulthood?
00:15:27
Speaker
So it's diagnosed really a few different ways. I know typically people assume that you have to go to a psychologist to get a diagnosis and get like a full eval, which is helpful, but not necessarily um necessary, I guess, in adulthood. um You can go to your primary care physician and get a diagnosis.
00:15:49
Speaker
um And I would recommend that if you feel very strongly that what you're experiencing is lined up with ADHD. Otherwise, if you're kind of still not really sure, then going to a psychologist and just talking to them about your problem, you could probably get a diagnosis within one or two sessions of them doing like a full interview, asking you a ton of questions, diagnostic questions.
00:16:11
Speaker
to see kind of where you fall on the scale of executive functioning level, but also just going to a therapist. So like someone like me, a licensed professional counselor, or maybe like a clinical social worker, and just kind of talking to them about what's going on, they could also give you a diagnosis. But what you cannot do is get a diagnosis online by just taking a simple questionnaire. They're called the quiz. I know. It's not an online quiz. I hate the ads that I'm seeing online that are basically letting people take the exams online and saying, hey, we're going to give you a diagnosis. That's not how it works. It's not that simple. You need to maybe take an assessment, a few probably, and then evolve, especially um if you're an adult have the interview because that is where this person, the clinician can actually ask the right follow up questions to determine whether or not it is anxiety or ADHD or both or depression or whatever else in or whatever it could else could be going on that could be leading to it, right? Because a lot of times, also, like there are so many other factors that could be contributing you know to the behaviors that you're exhibiting, whether that be stress or hormonal changes and you know just life. Being an adult, it's hard.
00:17:26
Speaker
you know Absolutely. even though So with executive function, another thing that people don't realize is that it is affected by other disorders. So if you have anxiety, your executive function could also be impacted. And that might not necessarily mean you have ADHD. It could be a situation where once your anxiety goes away, or we can manage that with medication, then you don't experience some of those same symptoms anymore.
00:17:50
Speaker
depression also impacts his executive function. So okay, depression goes away, then I don't have ADHD anymore. That's not how ADHD works. If you have ADHD, you don't have it forever, you know, like it's not going to go away. And so it's really important to go to the right person. Right, right. Absolutely. Thank you for that. um And you talked a little bit about um earlier about how it manifests differently, like right. And then versus women, and this is a podcast for moms. So our audience primarily is mom moms or want to be moms who, women, female, people people who want to become moms also.
00:18:31
Speaker
So do you work with um moms? Like, is that a part of like a demographic and like, can you explain maybe how ADHD and or anxiety can impact a woman's experience in motherhood? um Yeah, just anything you have on that.
00:18:48
Speaker
Absolutely.
ADHD's Impact on Mothers
00:18:49
Speaker
So I do work with moms who have ADHD. They're a special, special group because I mean, moms have a lot of responsibility. And so typically the concerns that they come in with are just feeling like they're not able to manage being a mother and having a career and being a wife or a partner. um There's a lot of responsibility there. And if you're struggling with managing your time, you're struggling with burnout, you know, because you're often overwhelmed.
00:19:16
Speaker
then it can be really, really daunting if you're not prepared, or you don't really realize what's going on. um And the way that I see it impacting moms the most really is just struggling with planning ahead for what it is that a child needs for their development.
00:19:35
Speaker
You know, because being a parent, being a mom isn't just about like waking up that same day and what you need to do to keep your child alive. It's about planning ahead for the future. Like what is this child going to need six months from now? What are they going to need two years from now? Oh, I have to start planning for them to go to school. Now I need to start like researching that and figuring out what they need to get ready and lots of things that you have to do because you're not just managing your life anymore. You're managing a whole nother little person's life who can't manage it.
00:20:07
Speaker
Yeah. And so when you um work with your clients, your mom clients, your women clients, like how does your work help them kind of get through kind of, you know, just that, I don't like the word balancing acts, but like that, you know, like, how do you get them to be able to manage it all or just attempt to manage it all?
00:20:28
Speaker
Well, for starters, we acknowledge that they're not managing it well. You know, just being able to get them to a point where they are okay with acknowledging that it is a struggle for them. Like you don't have to be superwoman.
00:20:44
Speaker
You don't have to pretend like it's all okay and you're not drowning right now. right um And then we kind of just go over what's not working, why it's not working and where they might need more support. Whether that's setting more boundaries, you know, with your partner and your relationship to have them help out more, pick up the pieces so that you're not managing it all on your own, which is what a lot of women tend to struggle with.
00:21:08
Speaker
um right whether that's like looking for outside support and working on them feeling less guilty about asking for outside support like a nanny or sitting their child to daycare or you know just having a break you know or having someone clean the house because moms feel guilty about things like that because we are taught again like I said ever since we're chip children to be all knowing all doing you know, if you're a mom or a wife, then you need to be cleaning the house. You need to be cooking all of these meals, but sometimes we just don't have it in us. So I think that focusing on that, reducing the guilt, acknowledging, hey, you might need some help or support in this way, and working on time management, planning ahead, organization, and just kind of like offloading and delegating some tasks is what we typically work on.
00:21:58
Speaker
Yeah, that's, that's so great. I love all those, um, those tips, those tips and those things that you're doing to work with them. Um, and it's just like to the moms, it's like, you gotta to let go of that mom girl. I know that sounds easier said than done, but the like knowing, and you know, like if it, if it helps you to, you know,
00:22:17
Speaker
think about it like my kids deserve a happy mom who's able to you know thrive and be successful if it helps you to think about it in that way think about it first you know like i'm doing it for them and then ultimately the guilt will begin to subside like i've been there you know my kids are 13 and 10 so early days like even you know sometimes i even still have mom guilt you know if i'm like not able to pick them up or whatever things like that but like that mom guilt it can be crushing. ah Yeah, yeah. 100%. Can you talk about like maybe like the the ah intersection of like the anxiety and the ADHD and maybe how like those men are fast, you know, in motherhood or in women like what you're seeing?
00:23:05
Speaker
Yeah, so they can kind of feed each other. Like I said, anxiety can impact executive function. So if you are more stressed and overwhelmed and anxious, then you're and you also have ADHD, then your symptoms could be more severe.
00:23:21
Speaker
you know um Also, the other way around, if you have ADHD, you're probably going to end up being pretty stressed or anxious from time to time because if you're struggling with managing your day-to-day life, then why wouldn't that cause someone any anxiety?
00:23:37
Speaker
Um, so oftentimes it doesn't necessarily manifest as someone being triggered by a specific thing. It's just like tiny little paper cuts that happen every day, you know, for a month of them constantly feeling like they're behind or constantly feeling overwhelmed about managing the household or constantly feeling like they're not reaching their full potential or doing enough.
00:24:02
Speaker
or having moments where they're forgetting things and unable to kind of just manage like appointments and all kinds of things like that. And that can manifest into anxiety. Yeah. Yeah. That's so cool. You just described a little bit my husband there.
00:24:17
Speaker
so like yeah I was just like, you forget he forgets things. And i I used to be so like, oh my God, that's annoying. And kind of as we went through the process of like getting our son evaluated and something like we um and just learning more about ADHD and how it manifests. ah I mean, like, I'm not...
00:24:41
Speaker
clinician yet. So I don't want to diagnose my husband, but like the I've started to have a little bit more empathy and support for the little things like that I'm totally, honestly, like literally forgetting. The other day I found grapes in the cabinet.
00:24:56
Speaker
um yeah so i
00:25:01
Speaker
why are the grapes in the cabinet? And he was like, I forgot they were there. And I'm like, but it's little things like that because like what will happen is like he's making the, he's making the, he's cleaning the grapes and then like close the cabinet and like totally for like inattentively forgets little things like that. And I, and I recognize that my son does that. So for me, I'm like, I'm not going to like go crazy on him and you know, like be upset because I know it's not intentional. Right. Um, so, you know, um,
00:25:31
Speaker
ah just it's and it's a funny not funny it's an interesting household to live in. that's show that's really That's right on point because there are a lot of small little things that happen on the day-to-day like leaving grapes in the cabinet you know or forgetting that there was some food some I don't know vegetables or something that you let spoil in the fridge because you put them in the drawer and forgot they existed.
00:25:54
Speaker
And so when it comes to anxiety, when I work with my clients, I do also focus on just letting the small stuff go. like You don't have to get upset about everything that comes with having ADHD. Part of it is really just accepting that this is who I am.
00:26:14
Speaker
This is how life is for me. And like, I can embrace that, you know, sometimes when you're forgetting like really important stuff. But look, I only got so much I can put in this little backpack back here. Like, I can't carry everything. And so some of that small stuff, I'm gonna have to just let go.
00:26:31
Speaker
Yeah, right. Exactly. And, and it's not all challenges, right? Like when it comes to ADHD, right? Like we're talking a lot about like how it impacts and how it can affect the day to day, right? But it's also, you know, their strengths and abilities.
ADHD Strengths and Personal Journey
00:26:48
Speaker
And, you know, can you talk a little bit about maybe like some of those ADHD tendencies that are superpowers? Like that's how I describe it to my son, honestly, like for a child, like that's how he's able to understand it. So can you talk a little bit about that?
00:27:04
Speaker
I call them superpowers too. I love that. yeah Yes. And this is honestly my favorite part of the work that I do with my clients is that I'm letting them know this isn't just a thing that is negative. It's negative at times. Yes, it impacts you negatively, but there are a lot of amazing things that come out of it. So for one, ADHDers tend to be more creative than neurotypical people. um And creativity doesn't have to look like, oh, like I can dance. I can sing. I can do art or create art.
00:27:34
Speaker
It can also just be the ability to be innovative and come up with a cool idea or a great business idea and actually like be able to ah execute that because you're passionate and very interested and motivated in that thing. We tend to be more empathetic than the neurotypical people, meaning, you know, it's a little bit easier for us to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, even if we haven't experienced the thing that they're experiencing. That can be kind of good or bad. Sometimes we can be a little too empathetic.
00:28:04
Speaker
um we Overall, it's like a really, really great superpower to have. Also, I know it's like an oxymoron kind of like we struggle with time management and organization and focus, but we have this other superpower that's also hyper focus.
00:28:22
Speaker
And so when you are very interested in something and you're working on a project, we can tap in like to another level and just create amazing, amazing things and be so focused. And that's really, really helpful and honestly necessary in the world. I don't think the world would be where it is today without neurodivergent people. Like it just, yes.
00:28:50
Speaker
We run the world, honestly, you'd be surprised. You'd be surprised how many people, honestly, CEOs, business owners, world leaders, government officials, creatives, like superstars, whatever, you name it, like who have who are neurodivergent and, you know, um it is a superpower and I love it. So and um thank you for sharing that. In in your answer, you, um He talked about time management and organization, right? Like being a thing. Um, so can you talk about like maybe for, you know, ah adults managing their household, right? Like how do you do that practically, right? Like when it's hard for you to like clean the kitchen, cause you just like your brain is like the laundry and then like the dust and like the garage
00:29:39
Speaker
Exactly. So it can be hard, especially when you have like everything piling up at the same time. That's when it's really hard to choose which one you want to focus on and prioritize. But I have this like ABC prioritization method that I like to use and I use it. Okay. So for example,
00:29:58
Speaker
If something is urgent and important, you would identify that as like an A priority task. If it is important but not necessarily urgent, then that's a B level task. A C level task is going to be something that isn't really super urgent or maybe not urgent at all. Not really very important. It's something that you maybe could even delegate. And so if we were to give the example of like cleaning up your whole house because like you're just behind with everything,
00:30:26
Speaker
what part of the house is at a higher priority? Like what part of this cleaning process is more urgent and important? Okay, well, maybe you have to cook dinner tonight, so washing the dishes should probably be an A priority test, you know, because that's going to help you get to the next step, like feeding yourself, providing yourself with nourishment. So that's really important.
00:30:50
Speaker
The laundry, if you got close to where tomorrow, that might be a B level task, something we can get to the next day so we don't get overwhelmed. you know And then a C level task would probably something like, if you want to reorganize your desk or like clean out your closet you know from old clothes or something, it's something that like you want to do. And it might be necessary for you to maintain organization in your home in the future, but it's really not urgent, really not important. And you can even delegate that to your husband and have him do it, you know, something like that. Right, right, right. I love it. That's so great. It's so like, and tactical level, right? I feel like you can break it down, which I know is a part of like helping people who have is executive they functioning, you know, um if they struggle with that, like helping them to break things down to smaller, like tasks to be able to kind of like, you know, get it done. um I think that's so great. um
00:31:47
Speaker
I think um I want to just like just going back like all the way back to the beginning when we when we started we talking about um like your experience right like how did you get into the field into the field in general what's your personal experience or a background with ADHD and anxiety is that something you personally struggle with or like what's your what's your story? My story I'm gonna give you the long in the short version. No, I'm just kidding. Yeah.
00:32:19
Speaker
um Okay, so my personal story, i ever since I was in high school, wanted to be a psychologist. um Eventually, after graduating with my bachelor's, I was like, hey, I didn't realize that I could not be a psychologist and I could do basically the same things and just be a licensed professional counselor instead. So I went into a master's program, did that. I was not necessarily expecting to focus on ADHD or anxiety.
00:32:48
Speaker
whatsoever. It had not even really been a thought at that time. I didn't even know that I had ADHD. So that's the really, really important. um So I went throughout my master's program. It was amazing. I did great, but it was also more difficult than it needed to be for me because of the time management organization burnout from feeling overwhelmed and things like that.
00:33:15
Speaker
So listening to people, I started working in the field, you know doing a little CE, continuing education coursework and things like that, and learning from a mentor of mine more about ADHD. And I was like, wait, this is literally my life. like This is what I feel like with me. How have I missed it? How has everyone else missed it all my life? like I realized that it had been a lifelong struggle that I was just completely unaware of. Right, right.
00:33:43
Speaker
I decided to learn even more about it um and then I got diagnosed with it you know they confirmed my struggle basically for me um and then I realized that I wanted to help other people like myself people like myself who were entrepreneurs because even before today like having my own practice I was a photographer like I've been working for myself since I was 21, 22. So this is just what I know. But there's a struggle when you're trying to run a business and you're struggling with executive functions. You know, it's harder than it needs to be.
00:34:23
Speaker
um But also with women that were late diagnosed, I think that a lot of them just were unaware of the ways that it actually manifests and affects them specifically. So I wanted to like specialize in working with those people. I ended up getting a certification. um So technically I'm an ADHD certified clinical service provider.
00:34:44
Speaker
Basically I had to do like 36 hours of continuing education, a hundred hours of supervision, clinical supervision while working with ADHD clients. And that's kind of just like what led me into what I'm doing right now. And I really, really love it. Yeah. I i love, I love when, when it's.
00:35:01
Speaker
you know, connected to you, right? Like that, you know what I mean? That it it makes the work feel, I don't know, just a little bit more impactful, um at least for me. I can't speak out for you, but like that's been my experience as well. It's like why I focus so much on motherhood and mental health. Like I've been a mom since I was 19 years old. So it's like all I really know, my adult life, and I have struggled with mental health all of my life. so for me. And like, it's not true for me to just like, this is what I want to do. This is what I want to talk about. This is who I want to help. And this is how I want to serve and live my life. So um I appreciate that we have like that in common. Absolutely. One thing I do want to say though, because you did make a really good point about like being personally impacted and just passionate about it on a personal level. You guys, if you do have ADHD,
00:35:58
Speaker
Honestly, that is like my hack to being successful at anything that you do career wise. Find something that you can relate to because that's going to be the thing that you're going to be most passionate and motivated to continue to do. I think that it's really important for ADHDers to like engage in careers in work that is meaningful to them. Otherwise we just get bored and we just don't care about it as much.
00:36:25
Speaker
I mean, it's as simple as that. So yeah, i I think we're doing good focusing on who is most. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, you get you get tired, you get burned out, right? And then you end up like, you know, not you end up in your 50s, 60s, you're like, what do I want to do? And then you'd like lean into that, right? And it's like, do that now, like right now, like lean into it now, like whatever it is that you have, like going for yourself.
00:36:50
Speaker
Um, just do it. Um, that's my advice for y'all. Um, and so like talking about like your upbringing and things like that, um, I wanted to kind of talk about, you know, you're a black woman, I'm a black woman and you know, the, the cultural stigma around, you know, mental health and like how, how did you see it like growing up versus now or like how, you know, just like, what's your thoughts on that?
00:37:15
Speaker
Yeah well growing up it was very different the atmosphere than it is today regarding mental health. I would say that it wasn't really something that people talked about openly like now you can call your friend up and say hey yeah I had a session with my therapist today you know and it was pretty good.
00:37:34
Speaker
I don't remember hearing that from my aunt's and my mom and her friends growing up at all. They literally just did not talk about it. It wasn't a thing. I knew it should have been a thing, which is why I wanted to be a psychologist because I was like, oh, there's some stuff that people need to be doing around here. They're getting together. I really do love the fact that it is seen less of like a negative thing. And just that stigma around, well, if you're seeing a therapist, if you're getting help, then something's seriously wrong with you. Like you're crazy. And that's so not true. Literally,
00:38:19
Speaker
Oh my God, I would say actually 100, I would not define any of my clients as crazy ever, but 100% of my clients are just people that struggle with certain things specific and unique to them. And they don't need to be hospitalized. They don't have to be on like some medication that's turning them into a zombie or anything like that. They're just people that want the help and assistance from someone who has the clinical background to help them kind of process whatever it is they're going through throughout life or whatever they're struggling with or just for personal growth reasons. So you don't have to be crazy to see a therapist. You don't even have to have a diagnosis of anything to see a therapist. So yeah, I'm just really happy that the atmosphere has changed and I hope it continues. Yeah, same. I also hope that it doesn't turn into this like non-serious thing too though. You know, we'll just kind of see it as this like
00:39:17
Speaker
thing that they don't really have to take seriously. But so far it's looking it's looking pretty good and hopeful. Yeah, looking good, looking hopeful, and I agree. Hopefully, you know, it continues kind of like down that path.
Barriers to Mental Health Care
00:39:31
Speaker
And I want to talk a little bit more specifically about challenges faced by Black and brown communities, right? Like when it comes to accessing, you know, mental health care for ADHD and anxiety and like, what are you seeing in the industry or um what are your thoughts on um that? What am I seeing in the industry? Well, I'm seeing that
00:39:55
Speaker
A lot of people, a lot of black and brown people are hesitant to go in to talk to someone because that person that they have to talk to might not look like them. You know, they feel like this person can't relate to their experience. They feel like this person might be judgmental. And that doesn't necessarily mean that they are, but those are the fears. Those are the things that are keeping them out of the therapy space.
00:40:19
Speaker
um What I am seeing now though is that there are a lot more clinicians that look like myself that are black women um and they are entering into this space and dedicating their work to helping people that do look like them. So that's a really good thing. um Some other barriers I would say A lot of people are really terrified that whatever diagnosis they may get is going to stick with them forever and impact their ability to get like a job. And there is a little bit of truth to that. So like it kind of makes sense that some people are afraid of that. um But it's not more important than like getting help if you feel like you really need help with something.
00:41:04
Speaker
and So those are some of the potential barriers. Also, I would say just like financially, um people tend to struggle with that because some people may not have and insurance plans that are like the best, you know, you got $10,000, $13,000 deductible.
00:41:22
Speaker
probably not gonna wanna see a therapist if runs are also tight. So there are resources out there that can help with that. There are therapists that take sliding scale patients, meaning that their rate is based on your income. um There's also like some organizations like the Love One Foundation for black women um and black girls that will give you 12 vouchers for one year that are valued up to $120 per voucher so that you can go see a therapist if you don't have insurance or if like your insurance just isn't it and you need to pay out of pocket because you have this super high deductible and there are a lot of clinicians that accept it.
00:42:04
Speaker
Wow, that's amazing. I'm going to definitely leave that resource and in the show notes so people can go and check that out. I love, thank you for mentioning that. I didn't even know that was something that existed. So that's awesome. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. And um one of the things that you mentioned that I wanted to kind of like piggyback on when it, um, I'm not piggyback on, but like touch base on and in the barriers is like necessarily like How do we change, I guess, like, the access, you know, like, I mean, maybe this is a really hard question to answer. yeah But you know what I mean like we can't you just answer this here and I think but it's really, you know, like, I personally I'm like, I want to help all the people, you know, like, and yeah I just
00:42:52
Speaker
Like, out how do we get people culturally competent care in underprivileged communities, you know, like our black and brown boys who are being kicked out of school, and like, how are we like, how do we, at um and like a macro micro level, like getting them the support, you know, like, i mean my heart worries for them. Listen, we are all very worried um because the reality of the situation is there aren't enough therapists. Like there just aren't. Like a lot of us are fully booked and we have waiting lists because there's so many people that need help. So I think
00:43:30
Speaker
One of the easiest ways to get more access is really just to have more therapists in the field for schools, the government to help people break into this career, you know, when we talk about student loans.
00:43:47
Speaker
therapists typically have a lot of student loans because we have to get a master's degree in order to do what we do and get licensed. yeah So it gets very expensive and I think things like that, um you know canceling student loans for behavioral health clinicians is a really great way to get more people in the field. We need so many more black men involved um who want to be therapists, who want to be psychologists and counselors because
00:44:17
Speaker
there's just really like not enough, not enough at all. um yeah And so I think that seeing more black men who are actually therapists can show a younger guy that like, hey, this is normal. And there are black men out here that do value mental health. And they do think that it's important and that there's something to be said there versus just seeing this as like a woman only space. all right So those are a few of the ways. I mean, I have a ton of ideas.
00:44:46
Speaker
Whether or not it's feasible, I don't know. But I really like that. I really like that. I think that you're absolutely right. Like, I don't know if I've ever seen really, you know, like men like met like this being like a black male. I mean, you see like the podcasters.
00:45:04
Speaker
i be no podcast
00:45:11
Speaker
giving you know laugh i said i sarah p a it not even i mean paul and i don know call therapeutic give like Advice, I guess. Life advice. You know, the life coaches who don't have a clinical background and also haven't like done enough work in whatever it is that they're coaching people on. Yeah. that Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. first They're in the space that we talked about earlier where we're like, be careful who you get take your advice from and make sure that just kind of embedded sources and you know, absolutely the right types of people.
00:45:50
Speaker
Um, which is a great segue for just kind of talking about treatment options and like approaches to, to, you know, managing anxiety and ADHD. Um, and like any, like, you know, examples, right? Like medication with that's a hot topic, right? Or, you know, like your practice, right? Is therapy. Um, I'm just, I'm sure it's like coffee straight. So like the different modalities in that, like talk a little bit about some of those approaches and plan and.
00:46:19
Speaker
ah treatment options? Yeah, well, there are a lot of different approaches that you could take.
Therapy and Medication for ADHD
00:46:26
Speaker
Some I feel are typically more helpful than others, but it really depends on someone's unique situation. so There's therapy, obviously. That's a space for you to process. um And yes, it's talk therapy, but also there's a lot of action-based things that go on in therapy. A lot of people who are unfamiliar with the therapeutic space feel like, why would I go in to pay somebody this amount of money when I could just talk to my friend or my mama or my grandma or whoever? It's not the same thing. It is not the same thing. And so when you come into a therapeutic space and you're struggling with anxiety or ADHD,
00:47:08
Speaker
especially if you're working with someone that specializes in that space, they can help you out um with being able to actually reduce your anxiety and not just get things off of your chest. So giving you the skills, using clinical interventions um that just help you kind of start to see the world differently or identify what your triggers are and your core beliefs that might impact your self-esteem because of your ADHD struggles you know and things like that.
00:47:36
Speaker
So therapy, I think, is really, really helpful, obviously, because I'm a therapist. So I guess I'm probably a little bit biased ah when it comes to that. But also when it comes to medication. yeah
00:47:48
Speaker
I know that we don't like medication. You know, I know we have lots of things to say about medication. And if there's one thing that I took with me after I got that certification, because I was also very much like, a I'm not getting on medication, like, I'm just gonna figure out, like, I'm gonna take these supplements, I'm gonna do things that, and then I'm gonna be fine. ADHD is a neurological-based disorder.
00:48:18
Speaker
Meaning there are things happening in your brain that are causing these symptoms. You're not going to be able to just talk that away. you know You're not going to be able to just like get on a regimen you know and work out and do this and do that and eat right.
00:48:38
Speaker
and make that go away. And I think that that's something that typically takes a toll on a lot of the adults who don't necessarily want to go down the medication route and then they come to the realization that like what they've tried to do is not working.
00:48:53
Speaker
right So medication, I think, is really, really key to managing and treating it. um I think it's something that everyone should maybe explore, even if they don't actually take the medication, just asking more questions about it. um Because it's kind of like it comes down to, well, I don't want to take medication, but if I don't, am I going to be able to be okay?
00:49:16
Speaker
with how my life has been this whole time and and in okay with knowing that it's going to continue to go up and down like this. like I'm not going to be consistent. you know I'm always going to have times like this that are more hard than they have to be and I may not reach my full potential.
00:49:32
Speaker
So yeah it's rough, but there are some other cool things out there. Like there is some, um, Oh my gosh, I forgot what it's called, but it's like a thing where they put these little, they give you this little helmet and it's reading like the brain. activity mdr No, it's not. you you happy ah It's like something specific for ADHD and, um,
00:49:56
Speaker
anxiety. And I don't know why the name I'm blinking right now. Anyway, I will give the information to you and you can add it like to the notes. at yeah um Things like that can also help if you don't want to do medication and you want to go like a different route because it kind of just like trains your brain to react differently to certain signals and certain triggers. And so yeah, there's there's options out there. But does it like brain mapping?
00:50:24
Speaker
I don't know. Is that the same thing? No. No. I don't know why the name is just. But I do want to know what brain mapping is. But anyway, another, another, another, ah another conversation. Yeah, it's a TikTok thing where we're hearing all these, like, clinical terms. Terms. No. What they are. Yeah, yeah, yep. I was going to ask you, so obviously, like, in your practice, right, you have different approaches when dealing with your clients, you know, with ADHD.
00:50:54
Speaker
How do you necessarily determine like what approach works right for one person? right Because like not every person is the same. Not everybody's diagnosis is the same. right like Some people struggle in certain areas and do well in others. like How do you approach addressing the specifics of each client?
00:51:14
Speaker
That is a really great question. Yeah, so we didn't even say this earlier. and Maybe I should have. There are three types of ADHD. Okay. Okay. Yes. Let's get into that. So there is ADHD predominantly hyperactive, then there's predominantly um inattentive, and then there's combined type.
00:51:35
Speaker
And so once I kind of know what someone is dealing with, which type of ADHD, that really helps guide like my treatment recommendations. um Because if someone is predominantly hyperactive, that person is probably going to be more likely to also have anxiety.
00:51:52
Speaker
you know, um their brain is functioning all the time non-stop on goal. That person is also going to struggle more with impulsivity and maybe like dysregulated mood um and probably struggle a little bit more with ah inattentiveness but in a different way where they're just constantly distracted.
00:52:16
Speaker
um Then the inattentive type, typically inattentive type ADHDers find themselves in this space of like maybe depression, a little bit of depression, um like lower self-esteem, things like that. um And they do really struggle with focus in organization and time management. Then we have the combined type. That's me. You know, we got a lot going on.
00:52:41
Speaker
some yeah more severe or mild than others, depending on the person. So the combined type clients, they're typically the most complex because they have so many different things going on. And I just basically, like that's how I start. like I start off by identifying what type of ADHD they have. And then I identify like what it is they're struggling with the most when it comes with um or comes to executive functioning. And then we just kind of go down that path.
00:53:10
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Yeah. That's, I'm like, so I'm learning a lot. yeah and so I'm like I'm learning a lot just like of the differences and the and understanding just like a little bit more like about like for example like hyperactivity like I've always like how does that manifest is that like fidgeting and not being able to sit still or like I don't know like blurting out in and the middle of a conversation just like what can you because we you said that a lot hyper that's what the H stands for right and and D right yeah yeah and in the eighty b yeah
00:53:46
Speaker
Yeah so can you talk about like the hyperactivity piece of it like what does that look like? So it can look different for different people and it does look differently when you're comparing children to adults. ok um So that's why sometimes it can go undetected. So for adults, that might be fidgeting you know or doodling when you have the opportunity, shaking your foot, constantly having to feel like you're moving. um Hyperactivity in an adult can also be, like you said, just blurting out in the middle of someone's sentence, not being able to, or I'm not actually gonna change that.
00:54:23
Speaker
because I'm not going to use an absolute you very well can learn how to manage that and control yourself and not speak over people so I'm not going to say not being able to I'm going to say struggling with being able to um you know just kind of wait for people to finish their sentences um it can also look like uh Well, hyperactivity can kind of lean towards the impulsivity side of things. So like responding to things or reacting to things without giving yourself time to think. So if you find yourself having to apologize to people often because like, you know, said something because someone said this or did this, you know, your husband leaves the grapes in the cabinet.
00:55:07
Speaker
Why did you do that? you know and I mean not it like was being pretty reactive and impulsive and I probably shouldn't have said it like that sort of thing. right no It can manifest in different ways. um Also, just struggling with being able to stick to something consistently can be a sign of hyperactivity in adults.
00:55:25
Speaker
So the person that's constantly switching jobs, you know um constantly switching careers because they're getting bored, they need to keep it moving, things like that. And even actually the other thing, on drug use.
00:55:40
Speaker
try okay oh wow yeah Yeah. Okay. All right. This is, you're like giving all the tea. I love this. It's not so impactful. And I think that like coming from someone who's experienced it and also this is like your work that you're dedicated to. Like I hope that our listeners are just like taking in and understanding just kind of like more about it.
00:56:05
Speaker
And so that i want easily make helps me to pivot into living well,
Managing ADHD and Anxiety
00:56:10
Speaker
right? Living well with ADHD and anxiety. um So I would love for you to just talk a little bit about you know coping mechanism or you know practical skills that you know adults can use to help manage their symptoms.
00:56:26
Speaker
Yeah, so balance is something that you're going to hear me mention probably a lot more than you want me to, because it is really, really important. ADHDers and people with anxiety tend to experience burnout more often.
00:56:43
Speaker
ah yeah because you know they're just overwhelmed with a lot of things going on, a lot of things that they might be struggling with. So making sure that you structure a life that is more balanced, meaning like you have the time to actually get enough rest and sleep. You have the time to take a step back from work and you know just hang out with your friends and just be a person. You have the time to just sit down and do nothing and not really care about all the stuff in your to-do list. um Having a balanced life I think is really really important um and it's a great way to kind of cope with the symptoms because if you structure that into your routine and your day-to-day then you're less likely to experience burnout and overwhelm. So that's like me I'll go into my calendar
00:57:32
Speaker
and just pick a random day that I'm about to be off, you know, I'm not going into the office that day, you know, or like decide ahead of time when I'm going to take extra extended time away from the office because I know that maybe this month is going to be like a little heavy, you know. Right, right, right.
00:57:51
Speaker
So things like that. Also, again, delegating tasks is a great coping skill. If you feel like you have too much on your plate, take a look at it and see if there's something that you can give to somebody else. If you have the financial means to pay for someone to come clean your house every other week.
00:58:08
Speaker
do that. do that know If you want to um have someone like help you with your laundry, you know do that. If that's not an option financially, then maybe asking the people around you to help and support you. um Because I feel like ADHDers also tend to be the people that people often ask for help because we can usually do a lot of things. We're pretty handy.
00:58:29
Speaker
so like We take on a lot or like the person that's like, you know, like they can do this and this and this and and this and get it all done and and then be burned out. and Exactly. Yeah. yeah So delegating more tasks, saying no, setting boundaries. Actually y'all, I know it's hard. I know you don't want to do it, but get you a calendar or something.
00:58:54
Speaker
A calendar, a planner, use it regularly. And my favorite thing to do is when someone asks me if I'm available or if I want to do something, I don't care if it's going to get drinks or something fun that I actually want to do. I say, wait, I'll let you know. I need to look at my calendar first. so Because again, like you said, we tend to take on a lot because we might not realize how much we already have on our plate. And we're just like super excited and just want to like take it on.
00:59:24
Speaker
Um, so setting a boundary in that way where you're like taking a look at your life first and realizing if you're actually going to be able to do the thing without getting too tired and exhausted is a good idea. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Um, and you mentioned kind of like before we had this call, we talked, you talked to like about having your, uh, do not just serve on and kind of like me helping, like kind of just like setting your environment, right? To kind of like.
00:59:53
Speaker
be what you need specifically, right? Can you talk a little bit about like making sure that like it's individualized and there's not a like a one size fits all treatment, right? Yeah, there's definitely not a one size fits all because we are neurodivergent, meaning we're not like other people and are probably not like other ADHDers either. So yeah, the do not disturb thing. I was telling her y'all that my phone has been on do not disturb for like seven years.
01:00:21
Speaker
And it's not that I don't answer it, it's not that I don't see what I need to see, but I like to be able to have control over when I engage in responding to people, checking emails, looking at social media, without being constantly distracted throughout the day, because it's going to be hard for me to get back on track, being distracted with notifications that are going off on my phone that really aren't important, like things that I could check at the end of the day.
01:00:46
Speaker
because they're like low priority level, you know, maybe like a B or C priority level for me. So that really does help in creating the life that you want for yourself. An activity that I typically have my ADHDers do when they come in and they just feel like the life they're living is not ideal I will have them write down um their ideal situation. So like I want you to tell me what it is that you would ideally want your day to look like and in full detail. like What time do you want to wake up? What do you want to do if you wake up? How do you see yourself getting ready you know for the day? What do you see yourself eating? um And then we transitioned into, OK, what would you like your year to look like every year?
01:01:36
Speaker
what would you like your next five years to look like? What about like your life overall? What is it it that you need for yourself? And then, you know, you just go down the list and start eliminating things they don't need. And then also implementing tools that can help them get to where they want to be. I love that. I love that. So awesome. Um, I'm like, yeah, when I've, I've done those practices before, like when I was in treatment myself, um, and it really helped like that visualization tool, like I think one and one of the exercises I did was called like a life platter um exercise where you had to like put like organize your your day and like how you want your things to be and so I love that that's like it's like the thinking through things you know like actually having to like slow down you honestly slow down the thinking a little bit and just like kind of like map it out that I really love and another thing that I um
01:02:30
Speaker
I read about, um and like my research is like body doubling, which is, can you do can you explain what like body doubling is? Yeah. Because I feel like a lot of people, like I've unconsciously been like doing that all my life and not necessarily having like a name for it. And it's like the more that I get into understanding, I'm seeing all these things like, oh my gosh, like this could really help.
01:02:54
Speaker
Um, yeah, so body doubling is a really, really great coping mechanism. um Basically, you guys body doubling is enlisting Enlisting someone else, like another person, um to help get you motivated to actually do or complete a task or get started on a task. So body doubling can look like, oh, I have to sort out things in my closet and I've been saying this to myself for six or seven months and I haven't touched it yet. So I'm gonna have a friend come over and come help me or either they can just sit there and talk to me while I do it.
01:03:30
Speaker
um or body doubling could be, oh, I have to get started on this thing, this project, or I have to complete this task. I'm going to find someone else who also has to be productive right now and see if we can both just be productive together. Yeah. For some reason, ADHDers can get a little pep in their step when someone else is propping them.
01:03:53
Speaker
um Actually, it's called the Hawthorne effect in the psychology of world world that people tend to be more productive or more action oriented when they know someone is watching them or they're with them in the process. So yeah, that's what body doubling stems from. Yes, I love that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for giving me the um medical breakdown, clinician breakdown for that. um Um, I wanted to just kind of like to kind of close out our episode conversation, just talk a little bit about resources that you would recommend, um, to support people with ADHD and anxiety. I just really sidebar. I noticed a feelings wheel.
01:04:36
Speaker
pillow behind you. Yeah, exactly. I think that's cool. huh I love the feelings will. Well, that is a good place to start. um So feelingswill.com, a very, very simple, easy to remember, is like a good thing that I use to kind of check in with my clients. But I think just personally, people should check in with themselves more often about how they're feeling. Oftentimes you ask someone how they feel and they're just like, Oh, I'm good.
01:05:02
Speaker
I'm okay or if they're really going through it they might say they're feeling bad but they never really say words like I'm feeling sad or I'm feeling um ah rejected or I'm feeling pleased like it's just all the very simple basic words so yeah I love the feeling yeah um as far as resources for ADHD years and people with anxiety One amazing resource is attitudemag dot.com.
Resource Recommendation
01:05:30
Speaker
So it's A-D-D-I-T-U-D-E-Mag-M-A-G dot.com. It's basically like this website that has a ton of articles that are related to ADHD and also autism. And there's some anxiety stuff in there too, because again, the two are like very connected. um And for moms, there is a huge segment in there for parents.
01:05:54
Speaker
parents who i have ADHD and parents who have children who have ADHD. So there's a ton of information that you can read on there. They can kind of teach you more about like the medication thing and like supplements and stuff like that if you're interested into it. um They also have some like live webinars and things that that might be from time to time. So I love that resource. Great place to start.
01:06:19
Speaker
Um also there is a book that I recommend every single person um or every single adult I guess with ADHD read and it is called Driven to Distraction. Driven to Distraction by um Edward Hollowell. This book It is going to kind of change your life, even if you already know that you have ADHD, because you're going to see yourself in every case that he presents. It really gives like a very real intentional perspective on the way that it impacts adults.
01:06:55
Speaker
It might even make you cry a little bit if you like see yourself in someone you see their experiences. But I think it's really, really important. um But it really helps you understand just how it manifests and all the science parts of it all.
01:07:07
Speaker
um Another great resource is Chad dot.org. So it is an organization that is devoted to ADD or ADHD, and they have a lot of free resources there. um They have links for like organizers you know and clinicians that operate in the ADHD space. They have like a huge conference every single year for professionals, but also non-professionals.
01:07:36
Speaker
um to attend and like help learn some skills and then they also have free webinars on there as well. um And then I guess I would say another resource would be to kind of like start researching on your own some books that might actually be useful for your particular situation. um There's a book for women with ADHD. It's literally called Women with ADHD. It's by Sari Soldin and Michelle Frank. um And there's also a book called the Adult ADHD and Anxiety Workbook.
01:08:17
Speaker
And that one is by J. Russell Ramsey, who's like a huge, huge guy. He's done a lot of research um in the ADHD field. And so those are, I guess, my starting point. Oh, actually, I'm forgetting one amazing source. Reddit. ready Okay.
01:08:35
Speaker
I'm not saying you're going to get any clinical advice from Reddit. Please do not. I'm not advising them. But what you will get from Reddit in the ADHD space um is a look inside real world experiences that people have unfiltered. If you're struggling as a mom with ADHD, there's a whole subreddit for that.
01:08:53
Speaker
you know, on or if you're just an adult that's struggling with ADHD or an entrepreneur, the ADHD, there's a subreddit for all of that stuff. So if you need to find community, which I think is really, really useful, um then that's a great place to start.
01:09:08
Speaker
Oh, thank you for that. Thank you for sharing that I was gonna say like, you know, I'm old school, I was gonna be like, dick Facebook, I don't know, but like, brand yeah yeah ah but i my son, he loves read it because whatever he's a gamer. So like, I always attribute it honestly read it to just kind of be like this, like, niche,
01:09:29
Speaker
like culture, but ah for like gamers. But as I'm like, again, learning more about what my kids are interested in and just kind of like what's out there in the world, like I just it is just like a place for tons of subcultures and people who are like interested in many different things. So yeah, I don't know. It's amazing. And you can be anonymous there. So like, there's no shame in telling other people what you're going through and experiencing and you can really, really open up um But also, you know, I just think that it's cool to see other people's stories and feel like you're not alone. Yeah. Yeah. Lovely. Oh, thank you so much. I really um enjoyed this conversation. um the The last question that I typically ask is just kind of like, what would be your advice or lasting bit of wisdom or support that you would give someone that maybe is, you know, either
01:10:26
Speaker
ah potentially thinking that they have ADHD or currently already like you know knowing that they're diagnosed and and living with it. o Another great question. I'm trying to give you a one-liner. I don't know. um so I would say my like one main bit of advice is to
01:10:52
Speaker
is to start focusing on and kind of seeing this as a part of you instead of a thing that's happening to you. um Because the more that you see it as a part of yourself, the more you're going to be able to appreciate all the superpowers that come with it, but also the more you're going to be able to acknowledge, you know, all the not so great things that come from it and kind of stay ahead of it in that aspect.
01:11:16
Speaker
Lovely. Thank you for that. That's, I think, so honest and so true that it's radically accepting that this is who this is a part of who you are and it's something that you are going to manage for you know the rest of your life. and like how can you live well How can you live well with it right as opposed to trying to be rejected or fight against it or attack that it's separate from you? It's not it.
01:11:42
Speaker
Um, so I love that advice. Um, and then I know I said lastly, but lastly, lastly, um, if you could share, I always ask our guests just to kind of share with us a, um, your favorite affirmation scripture or intention just to kind of close us out with that. Um, my favorite affirmation, um,
01:12:09
Speaker
I would say that when I'm struggling a lot with just kind of like coming to terms with all the things that can manifest, you know, when you have ADHD, I always remind myself that like this is who I am. And I truly, truly, truly would not want to be anyone else.
01:12:29
Speaker
Um, and that really helps me just kind of tap into all this stuff that makes me unique and also just feel super special and not like this is something that like I hate having because I don't, I really don't. Yeah. Lovely. I love this. Um, thank you so much for sharing that and for being here today and being my guest and sharing all the things that you shared.
01:12:51
Speaker
with our audience. um So yeah, I enjoy, like I said, I knew I would this conversation and I learned so much from you. Yeah. Thank you for having me. I'm super excited. I hope that everyone got something from this episode. um And I don't know, maybe I'll be back around in the future. We'll see. You definitely will be back around for sure. Can you um tell our audience how they can work with you?
01:13:17
Speaker
Yeah, so if you want to work with me in a clinical space, meaning you want me to be your therapist, um then you would go to my website at theatlantictherapist.com and click on this special button there that will take you to my other clinical website through the practice and you can book me through there.
01:13:34
Speaker
um Also, if you just want to connect with me because you want to know more information or want to know where you can find more resources and this isn't really clinical, um you can reach out to me there on my The Atlanta Therapist website or either on Instagram at The Atlanta Therapist.
01:13:54
Speaker
Well, thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Like I'm going to share all the resources that you shared, your information in the show notes. So, you know, um for those of you that are listening, you will have her information so you can easily go and click on it and connect with Tiffany. um Once again, I want to thank you and to our listeners. I hope you heal well and I'll see you next week on the Sew Well Podcast. Bye.
01:14:20
Speaker
Hit the notification bell wherever you are listening to us today and join us next week as we delve into more mental health conversation. The Sew Well community offers a safe ground for the transformative healing and restoration of intergenerational trauma, ensuring moms of color have a space to rewrite their stories, recover, live well, be seen and heard. Join us online and on Instagram at Sew Well for daily inspiration, blogs, events and more. See you next time.