What We Get Wrong About ADHD, Masking & AuDHD - with Dr Kieran Kennedy

Hey Lifers!

ADHD has well and truly come into the spotlight in the last few years. Diagnoses have increased substantially in the past decade. But, this surge in diagnosis hasn't necessarily come with a surge in understanding; especially for women, who are so often missed, misdiagnosed, or told it's "just anxiety". So we've brought back one of Australia's most trusted voices on mental health and neurodiversity, consultant psychiatrist and TV doctor Dr Kieran Kennedy, to break it all down.

Kieran is fresh off the release of his brand new book, This Explains Everything: A Psychiatrist's Guide to Navigating Adult ADHD, and he's here to unpack why so many women aren't diagnosed until their 30s, 40s or even 50s, what "masking" and "scaffolding" actually look like day to day, the difference between hyperactive, inattentive and combined ADHD, what AuDHD is, and why "high performing ADHD" might be one of the most misunderstood terms on the internet right now.

We also get into ADHD burnout, the link between ADHD and disordered eating and substance use, the romanticised "superpower" side of ADHD on social media, and what steps to take if you think this conversation sounds a little too relatable.

Kieran shares:

• Why ADHD in women is so often missed, and how it shows up differently to the "naughty kid in the classroom" stereotype
• What "scaffolding" really means, and the difference between adaptive and maladaptive coping
• What "high performing ADHD" actually is (and why the term can be misleading)
• The three types of ADHD - hyperactive, inattentive and combined
• What AuDHD (ADHD + autism) is, and why it's not a "made up" internet diagnosis
• The link between ADHD, dopamine seeking, disordered eating and substance use
• What ADHD burnout looks like versus everyday burnout
• Why women are diagnosed on average nearly 20 years later than men, and the role hormones, pregnancy and menopause play
• Options beyond medication
• The difference between masking in men and women

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 — Intro & Kieran's most mortifying career story
8:16 — How ADHD shows up differently in men and women
10:55 — Scaffolding, masking & "high performing ADHD"
17:16 — How ADHD is actually diagnosed (and the 3 types)
23:19 — What ADHD looks like day to day (counting, parenting, forgetfulness)
27:21 — Why women are diagnosed later: hormones, pregnancy & menopause
30:28 — Treatment beyond medication, AuDHD & autism in adults
38:13 — Burnout, dopamine seeking, myths & what to do next

Follow Kieran on Instagram

Grab Kieran's new book, This Explains Everything: A Psychiatrist's Guide to Navigating Adult ADHD:

Listen back to our first episode with Kieran (on binge eating)

Listen back to our CLOUD mini-series

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