Ep 33. The truth about living with ADHD | w/ Psychologist Janelle Booker
In this episode, we sit down with psychologist Janelle Booker to rethink everything we thought we knew about ADHD.
Janelle works closely with ADHD’ers and highly sensitive people, and she brings a mix of science, stories and deep compassion to this topic.
Together, we explore what ADHD really is (and why the name is so misleading), how it shows up in everyday life, and how it impacts relationships, parenting and self-worth.
This episode is for you if:
- You’ve been wondering if you (or someone you love) might be ADHD
- You’re parenting a child who’s bright, sensitive, scattered or “too much”
- You’re in a relationship where ADHD traits are creating confusion, conflict or shame
- You’re tired of the “just try harder” narrative and want a more compassionate, accurate understanding of how these brains work
In this episode we talk about:
- Janelle’s story – how a semester of struggling uni students led her to ADHD work… and to realising she might be a highly sensitive person (HSP) herself
- Why the diagnostic criteria are broken – and what we miss when we only measure deficits, not gifts
- The “ADHD morning” – a powerful walk-through of what it feels like inside an ADHD brain just trying to get out the door
- Dopamine, motivation & hyperfocus – why it’s not about willpower, and how “laziness” is often misread brain chemistry
- ADHD in relationships – how it can look like not caring, and what’s really going on underneath
- Rejection sensitivity & shame – why small comments can feel like a punch to the chest for ADHD’ers
- Language & identity – why Janelle prefers “ADHD’er” over “person with ADHD”
- Parenting & generational blind spots – why so many parents are only now recognising ADHD in themselves and their kids
- School & work – how our systems often fail ADHD brains, and where they actually thrive
- Gifts of ADHD – creativity, empathy, pattern recognition, humour and the “brain of connection” that can light up a room
If any of this sounds familiar, we hope this conversation helps you see yourself – or your loved one – with a lot more softness, clarity and respect.
💚 Listen, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and let us know in the comments what landed for you most.
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for information only and isn’t a substitute for personalised therapy.