S1 E10 October Overwhelm: Why ADHD Awareness Month Feels So Personal (and Exhausting)

October isn’t just busy it’s loud! Every awareness campaign seems to hit close to home for ADHD women. Why do they all circle back to us!

In this bonus episode, Jess and Jeannine look at October through the ADHD lens: from breast cancer awareness and dysautonomia to health literacy, physical therapy, and mental health. They talk about how our bodies, our brains, and a healthcare system built on executive function collide and how self-awareness can become a form of self-advocacy.

It’s honest, a little funny, and full of “oh that’s me” moments. Because if you’re an ADHD woman, October isn’t just about awareness — it’s about survival, curiosity, and learning to listen to your body

💛 Resources Mentioned

🩷 Breast Cancer Awareness Month Learn more about early detection, dense breast tissue, and screening guidelines: 👉 https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org

💙 The Dysautonomia Project Education and advocacy for people living with autonomic nervous system disorders (including POTS): 👉 https://www.dysautonomiaproject.org

🧘‍♀️ Physical Therapy Awareness Month Promoting movement, recovery, and access to neurodiversity-informed PT care: 👉 https://www.apta.org/ptmonth

📚 Health Literacy Month Building awareness around communication, understanding, and access in healthcare: 👉 https://healthliteracymonth.org

🧠 Mental Health Awareness / ADHD Resources Articles and screening tools for ADHD, depression, and anxiety: 👉 https://www.additudemag.com 👉 https://screening.mhanational.org

00:00 – October Through the ADHD Lens Jessica and Jeannine open with humor and hyperfocus, explaining how a simple follow-up turned into a deep dive into every awareness that October brings.

00:46 – Breast Cancer Awareness: Executive Function Meets Early Detection They discuss how ADHD impacts health maintenance, the realities of dense breast tissue, and the importance of MRI screenings and accountability buddies.

03:10 – Dysautonomia Awareness: The Overlap with ADHD The hosts unpack POTS, dysautonomia, and how misdiagnosis and medical gaslighting often mirror ADHD experiences. They highlight the Dysautonomia Project’s patient–clinician guide.

05:31 – Physical Therapy and the Neurodivergent Body They explore hypermobility, chronic pain, and the need for neurodiversity-informed PT care — reminding listeners that they’re not “just patients,” but customers deserving adaptable support.

06:57 – Health Literacy Month: When the System Runs on Executive Function Jessica and Jeannine connect ADHD with health communication gaps, emphasizing the need for neuroaffirming providers and resources that work for both sides of the exam room.

08:32 – Mental Health Awareness: Depression, Anxiety, and Missed ADHD They reflect on overlapping diagnoses, the importance of ADHD-informed therapy, and self-advocacy when working with clinicians. Links for Attitude Magazine and mental health screening tools are mentioned.

10:47 – Outro: The Body, the System, and What Comes Next Jessica and Jeannine close Part 1 with warmth and encouragement — a reminder to hydrate, rest, and schedule the appointments that have been waiting on the back burner.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
When we decided to do a follow up to the truth about ADHD awareness month, we figured it'dbe quick We wanted to take a moment to recognize all the other awareness months happening

(00:09):
right now.
but give to ADHD women a microphone, a list of observances and a little hyper focus.
Suddenly that quick follow-up turned into a full-blown two-parter.
Because once we started connecting the dots, we realized October isn't just full, it'sreflective.
Every awareness, every story ties back to how ADHD weaves through our lives.

(00:29):
first of two parts we're going to dive into the body.
Health, hormones, overwhelm, and all the ways that ADHD touches what's happeningunderneath the surface.
Disclaimer, we're not doctors or therapists.
We are certified ADHD coaches.
This podcast isn't coaching.
two late diagnosed women talking about what it's actually like to live with this stuff.

(00:50):
So take what resonates, leave the rest, and remember, you're not alone.
first, let's talk about that big pink ribbon that's plastered to everything all throughthe month of October.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, because this one lands for a lot of us.
About one in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
The interesting fact about this that most people do not know is around 85 %

(01:16):
those cases happen in people without a family history of the BRCA mutation Most breastcancers are not hereditary
which means prevention depends on actually getting the screening.
And that's where ADHD trips people up.
The system assumes you've got reminders that work and executive function to spare.

(01:36):
You get one portal message and a postcard and then it's gone under the doom pile.
for me I had dense breast tissue and for years my mammograms and ultrasounds looked fine.
It wasn't until an MRI, something I didn't even know to ask for, that they found my cancerand just for clarity I did not know that 85 % of breast cancer is not

(02:01):
hereditary.
I learned that after my breast cancer diagnosis because we did not have it in my family.
But when they did find my cancer, they estimated that it had been there for around four tosix years.
So if you have dense breast tissue, talk to your doctor about whether an MRI screeningmakes sense for you.
For ADHD folks, accountability helps more than alarms.

(02:25):
Find a mammogram buddy.
You schedule hers, she schedules yours.
It's easier to follow through when it's not just about you and both of you can get itdone.
Exactly.
we joke about having a hundred reminders on our phone, but reminders don't help if yourbrain can't convert them into action.
Sometimes the best support is human, not digital.

(02:46):
Next up for awareness would be Dysautonomia Awareness Month.
This one isn't officially listed by the CDC or the HSS, but it should be becauseDysautonomia Awareness Month belongs right in the middle of this conversation.
dysautonomia happens when the autonomic nervous system, the part that controls your heartrate, blood pressure, digestion, it stops regulating properly.

(03:10):
The most common form is POTS and it overwhelmingly affects women, many of themneurodivergent.
Studies show major overlap between ADHD and dysautonomia.
Up to 50 % of people with POTS report ADHD-type symptoms like brain fog, executivedysfunction, and because it's invisible, it's often brushed off as anxiety.

(03:34):
If you've never heard of it and we know it's a freaking mouthful, check out theDysautonomia Project.
uh Their book is written for both patients and clinicians and it's what health literacyshould look like.
Resources that help people understand each other, not just a stack of handouts that you'llnever read.
And we'll put a link for it in our notes, right?

(03:55):
Yes, yes.
the book really is just too cool.
is part of what I use to help get to a diagnosis eventually because so many people aretold that dysautonomia is rare.
It is not rare within the ADHD community.
It is not rare within the autistic community.
These are things that become difficult because doctors do not realize that.

(04:16):
They don't want to check you for these things because
it is a diagnosis of elimination.
And many people, takes eight to 10 years to get a diagnosis.
Once they realize something is wrong, they typically spend a lifetime being misdiagnosed,just like with ADHD and other things, because the doctors don't know how to connect the
dots with these.
And that's why the Diss Autonomia Project book is so important.

(04:39):
It literally reads on the left side of the page is for patients.
on the right side of the page is for doctors and it lines up.
it is layman's terms and medical terms and the same exact spot, which you can readthrough.
And then you have the ability to understand what this is and understand how it isaffecting you.

(05:04):
And then turn it around and point out the doctor side, the medical side.
to your doctor so that they can then recognize what you're trying to say to them.
And we all know when we are going into a doctor's office, it can be very difficult toexplain what we think is going on or that we have serious issues with medical gas lighting
and the Dysautonomia Project is a national project that is really putting its best footforward trying to connect the doctors with the patients.

(05:31):
That is a brilliant idea.
You're right.
I wish there were a lot more health documents written that way that you could make surehow genius.
em Next up, National Physical Therapy Month.
Physical Therapy Month matters more than people realize.
Many of us with ADHD deal with hypermobility, chronic pain, or coordination issues andhave no idea it's connected.

(05:55):
you end up in physical therapy for ankle pain, shoulder instability, and think it'srandom.
But for a lot of neurodivergent folks, it's part of how our nervous system and connectivetissue work.
And pain makes focus harder, which loops back into everything else.
We need more PTs trained in neurodiversity informed care.

(06:16):
People who know that executive function challenges make home programs tough and thatdemand avoidance can kick in fast when something hurts.
And that is so true.
the goal isn't perfection, it's persistence.
And if our physical therapists understand these things, we will receive the care that weneed.
If you're in therapy, ask for shorter routines, visual instructions, or even check-ins.

(06:38):
The point is to keep moving, not to do it flawlessly.
And it's okay to ask for your PT to do this.
You are the client.
I feel many times,
because in these situations we are labeled as a patient that we also forget we are thecustomer.
We are paying for a service.

(06:58):
And just, yes, and paying a lot for it.
Health Literacy Month.
Our healthcare system runs on executive function, appointments, insurance portals,refills, and that's exactly where we all struggle.
literally had to look this up for literacy to understand and make sure that I knew what wewere talking about.
But it isn't just about patients understanding doctors, it's about doctors understandingpatients.

(07:23):
Neurodivergent health literacy has to go both ways.
If you've ever left an appointment completely overwhelmed, that's not you doing it wrong.
That's a communication failure.
We need doctors to slow down, use plain language, and give written or recordedinstructions.
and for us building systems helps.
Written notes, shared calendars, medication trackers.

(07:44):
But the bigger change has to come from the providers who understand ADHD.
neuroaffirming, neurodivergent affirming healthcare.
That is, I feel, the ultimate goal for all of us, or at least it should be.
This has to come not from us trying to be perfect patients, but from our care providersunderstanding we are a different type of patient.

(08:09):
If you want something to bring to your next appointment, the Diss Autonomia Project offersa free printable clinician conversation guide, which we will link, that works for anyone
navigating complex or chronic conditions.
genius
Right?
They are really doing a lot of good work at the Desai Anomia project a lot of people don'tknow about them, they are like, they are getting it right.

(08:32):
I know we're covering a lot of awareness, but here we come with some more.
Mental health, depression, mental illness, awareness.
And these are a lot of dates to cover.
for Mental Illness Awareness Week, we did miss it as far as recording.
It ran from October 5th to 11th.
The World Mental Health Day was last weekend as well on October 10th.

(08:52):
The National Depression Screening Day does land right in the middle.
So, so many of us were diagnosed with depression or anxiety years before anyone noticedADHD underneath.
The overwhelm never left, it just kept changing names.
Therapy works, but it works best when your therapist understands ADHD.
Traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, so CBT, can miss the mark if they don't knowwhat executive dysfunction or rejection sensitivity actually feels like.

(09:22):
Attitude Magazine just released a article on this as well, discussing the adjustments thatneed to be done.
and CBT therapy for those with ADHD and how it can make an impactful differenceunderstanding what needs to be done and what needs to be changed.
It is okay to ask, do you have experience with ADHD clients?

(09:47):
That question is self-advocacy.
And again, you are not only a patient, you are a customer.
You are paying for these services.
It is not a source of embarrassment and it should not be a source of miscommunication orlack of communication.
It is okay to ask.
You are not too much.
You are not asking too much.

(10:08):
You are not bothering anyone.
And I was very pleased, I just saw that article as well, and I was very pleased to see itthat they, because CPT is so often recommended, but the idea of just making sure that
you're with somebody who can approach it a little bit differently or have, know, keep yourADHD in mind.

(10:29):
So if that's great, we'll also, another link we'll put in the notes.
And if you've been treated for depression for a long time, but still struggle withplanning, starting or finishing things, it may help to talk with a qualified clinician
about whether ADHD could also be a factor.
These conditions can overlap and getting the full picture means getting the right support.
We want to make sure to add the disclaimer yet again, we are not therapists and we are notpsychologists and we are not clinicians.

(10:55):
We cannot tell you what to do.
We are just giving data and information and options for you to look further into that foryourself and decide if it's appropriate for you.
Everyone is different.
we're already to the outro.
Woohoo!
All right, so.
that's it for part one of October is Loud.
We started with the body, the screenings, the systems, the sensory overload, becausethat's where ADHD and awareness meet.

(11:21):
Next time we're shifting to the world around us, relationships, identity, and advocacy.
take care of your body this week, hydrate, rest, and if you can, make that appointmentyou've been avoiding.
and we'll see you in part two.