ADHD Meds, Burnout & Chaos—We Pulled Topics from a Box

No script. No prep. Just two ADHD coaches/experts pulling random topics out of a box and seeing where the conversation goes. This episode of Hypercast: Topic Roulette hits everything from meds and burnout to career chaos and academic struggles—unfiltered, emotional, and full of “same here” moments.

👉 If ADHD life feels messy and unpredictable… you’re not alone.

📌 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
✔️ ADHD awareness vs. advocacy—what’s the real difference?
✔️ The truth about ADHD meds (side effects, grief, and mental clarity)
✔️ Feeling lost in your career? Let’s talk ADHD job struggles
✔️ Academic burnout and why so many ADHDers feel behind
✔️ The random career test that said “ballerina” 🤯
✔️ Our raw reactions, real stories, and some ridiculous tangents

🎧🎥 Watch/Listen Next:
🎥 ADHD & Burnout: What It Really Feels Like and How to Recover 
🎧https://hypercastpod.buzzsprout.com/2328723/episodes/15647635-beyond-exhaustion-a-guide-to-adhd-burnout
🎥 ADHD Reset https://youtu.be/HoEnW9SCbGo
🎥 Invisible Disabilities at Work (with Jessica Hickstead) https://youtu.be/JKsbmhpkGe0
🎧 Focus Forward Podcast with Hannah Choi https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=6s2jbc7q2e
🎥 ADHD & College Success with Hanna Choi https://youtu.be/3rmB9i-Tndg


🎙 Hypercast’s Co-Hosts:
Melissa Llewellyn Snider
Melissa is an ADHD coach and the Executive Producer of Hypercast. She offers 1-to-1 coaching and corporate education.
📍 https://likemindcoaching.com

Brianna Morton
Brianna is an ADHD coach and therapist intern. She’s passionate about helping individuals navigate ADHD challenges.
📍 https://understandingadhd.ca

🧠 Hashtags:
#ADHDPodcast #TopicRoulette #ADHDRealTalk #NeurodivergentLife #ADHDMedication #ADHDCareer #ADHDBurnout #ADHDSchoolStruggles

📩 Don’t forget to subscribe for real ADHD conversations 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@HypercastPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

Melissa's Contact:
Email: melissa@likemindcoaching.com
www.likemindcoaching.com

Brianna's Contact:
Email: info@understandingadhd.ca
www.understandingADHD.ca

Follow Us On Instagram

Transcript

Hypercast Topic Roulette #1

[00:00:00] 

[00:00:00] Melissa: we scoured the internet looking for the most recent topics that people with A DHD are talking about, and we've put them into, it's not a hat.but it's into a box. 

[00:00:10] Brianna: me, let me, let me reach through the, I wanna draw one. 

[00:00:14] Brianna: welcome to Hyper Cast. 

[00:00:16] Brianna: Welcome to Hyper Cast. 

[00:00:17] Melissa: we're gonna do something a little bit different and kind of excited about it. 

[00:00:20] Melissa: today ispart one in the series of topic roulette, ADHD edition. 

[00:00:27] Brianna: do we wanna do a rock paper, scissors to see who gets to go first?

[00:00:29] Brianna: Okay,

[00:00:30] Melissa: Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Oh, I won. Okay.

[00:00:35] Brianna: did. 

[00:00:35] Melissa: I get to, first 

[00:00:37] Brianna: Ooh, first topic is a DHD awareness and advocacy efforts to raise awareness and advocate for those with a DHD or for ourselves. 

[00:00:48] Brianna: Sure.

[00:00:49] Melissa: let's talk about advocacy and awareness. are they the same thing? Are they different?

[00:00:52] Brianna: I would say that advocacy leads to awareness,

[00:00:55] Brianna: and maybe awareness could lead to advocacy.

[00:00:58] Melissa: I think they're different things. 

[00:00:59] Brianna: I think [00:01:00] they are different things.

[00:01:00] Brianna: In my experience with A DHD, like I knew I had a DHD, but 

[00:01:05] Melissa AI: I wasn't fully aware of myself enough to really dive in and explore my A DHD and explore how to manage it for myself. you need to be aware of yourself and your needs to actually advocate for yourself.

[00:01:16] Brianna: Yeah, and the reverse is true as well as advocacy can lead to awareness. So if someone is advocating on behalf of more information, more understanding, then you could become more aware of what A DHD is really like as a result. 

[00:01:28] Melissa: the awareness around A DHD has grown enormously. And when you and I were diagnosed and growing up, there was still misconceptions about what it was, In today's day and age, like kids are getting diagnosed really young, there's less stigma because when you get awareness and advocacy combined, it results in less

[00:01:47] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:01:47] Brianna: less stigma. And so if we're talking about that route and not just personal awareness, I feel like we've made huge strides in the past several years.

[00:01:56] Brianna: as awareness grows, as advocacy grows, funding [00:02:00] grows, research grows, and accommodation in society grows. 

[00:02:04] Melissa: I am really excited that there are more studies being done with women in mind because as we've known a lot of the studies have involved young or adolescent males. The other thing I would love to see is 

[00:02:15] Melissa: I'd like to see research done on adult men.

[00:02:18] Brianna: specifically with emotion regulation,

[00:02:21] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:02:21] Brianna: because, they've effectively rebranded anger as not an emotion. And so a lot of that recent study where it said that we have a shortened life expectancy,

[00:02:30] Melissa: Yes.

[00:02:31] Brianna: of that shortened life expectancy is due to impulsivity, it's due to anger, it's due to putting yourself in dangerous situations or being put in dangerous situations due to a lack of awareness or, or ability to navigate the world. And so if there are studies done on that and the impact of like drugs and alcohol

[00:02:49] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:02:49] Brianna: men, women, whomever,just more awareness now that we have a greater understanding of what it is. Also

[00:02:55] Brianna: updated statistics on populations [00:03:00] because. The statistic they've been touting forever was like five to 8% of the population has a DHD on what?

[00:03:06] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:03:07] Brianna: Based on male children, white male children. they don't look at indigenous populations, they don't look at, um, people of color. They don't look at Asian populations. They don't look at women like trans

[00:03:17] Melissa: Which prevents any members of those populations from actually being, it lowers the possibility of us actually getting diagnosed in the long run. And that means that we may spend a lifetime not knowing and not being able to put things into, into the proper places. 

[00:03:32] Melissa: that's devastating.

[00:03:33] Brianna: I came across, you're gonna get so mad, 

[00:03:35] Melissa: I was doing some research and I came across a study from the Middle East the title, said How to Deal with Children infected by A DHD.

[00:03:43] Melissa: Oh, we're, we're, yeah. Infected

[00:03:45] Brianna: Yeah. So there's still a long ways to go in certain places in the world in terms of advocacy.

[00:03:52] Brianna: In terms of awareness.

[00:03:54] Melissa: it further leads to more stigma because you know, you come near us and you're gonna catch it. 

[00:03:58] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:03:59] Melissa: [00:04:00] Yeah.

[00:04:00] Melissa: we recently did an interview with the Focus Forward podcast on this very topic on advocacy 

[00:04:06] Brianna: Click the link in the

[00:04:07] Brianna: description. 

[00:04:09] Melissa: You get to choose. Okay. Let me rummage you say stop and I'll pull something out. 

[00:04:12] Brianna: Stop. 

[00:04:13] Melissa: Ooh. 

[00:04:14] Brianna: A DHD and Medication Management Insights into effectively managing A DHD medications and their side effects.

[00:04:19] We are not medical professionals. If you are taking any of these medications, consult your doctor. The disclaimer always.

[00:04:24] Brianna: We just happen to have a lot of knowledge in it because we have a DHD.

[00:04:28] Melissa: And we're constantly researching 

[00:04:30] Brianna: But always consult your doctor. Do not take two women on the Internet's opinion 

[00:04:35] Melissa: and your results may vary. 

[00:04:37] Brianna: let's talk about the types of medication that you could possibly be prescribed if you have a DHD. So, stimulant medication are, that's first and foremost. Then there's like two branches of stimulant medications. the Ritalin branch and the Adderall branch.

[00:04:52] Brianna: Then there's non stimulants,

[00:04:54] Melissa: are non-stimulants.

[00:04:55] Brianna: then you can also be prescribed antidepressants, anxiolytics, which are

[00:04:59] Melissa: [00:05:00] Yes.

[00:05:00] Brianna: medications, anti-psychotics. These are the ones that aren't actually helpful for adhd,

[00:05:05] Melissa: That's what I went through when I was first being prescribed, 

[00:05:07] Brianna: Yeah. and then there's also supplements, vitamins, they can prescribe exercise, they can actually prescribe video games.

[00:05:14] Brianna: There is an FDA approved video game, designed to treat A DHD. So, and then also therapy coaching. You can get, things like that

[00:05:22] Melissa: is that medication? I mean, it's prescribed by a doctor, 

[00:05:25] Melissa: I've heard of doctors writing scripts to exercise or to do a certain thing, but it's not technically a medication,the medical community considers like the golden standard for treating a DHD as medication exercise,

[00:05:38] Brianna: medication.

[00:05:38] Melissa: specifically stimulant medication, exercise, and either coaching or therapy.

[00:05:44] Melissa: as your golden trifecta of treating H-A-D-H-D.

[00:05:47] Brianna: non stimulant medication versus stimulant medication

[00:05:49] Melissa: A stimulant will take effect within an hour or so. A non-stimulant medication can take 30 days to actually start functioning and working. 

[00:05:57] Brianna: non-stimulant medication, the side effects [00:06:00] can be

[00:06:00] Brianna: headaches, dizziness, nausea, weight loss, decreased appetite, and then the ones where you should consult a doctor like blurred vision, constipation, dry

[00:06:09] Melissa: Yeah,

[00:06:10] Brianna: low blood pressure, low heart rate, and sexual problems. 

[00:06:13] Melissa: there you go.

[00:06:14] Brianna: the sexual problems one is typically with the antidepressants

[00:06:18] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:06:18] Brianna: prescribed to treat a DHD. So like Wellbutrin and Effor. this is why I have such a problem with Wellbutrin and Effexor as a, a first-line treatment for A DHD 

[00:06:28] Brianna: my personal issues with Wellbutrin and Effects, or as they are antidepressants, 

[00:06:32] Melissa: is an N-D-R-I-A norepinephrine, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, which is not a stimulant medication. So it is not the gold standard for A DHD treatment. However, it is commonly prescribed for those with A DHD because often we have comorbid depression or anxiety. And so doctors who are afraid of diagnosing A DHD who are afraid of stimulant medication due to misunderstandings, lack of, education and training, et cetera, will go for well breach in first [00:07:00] because they have a better understanding of antidepressants. And then it doesn't help. 

[00:07:04] Melissa: some people on Wellbutrin find that it is helpful.

[00:07:07] Melissa: yes, absolutely.

[00:07:08] Brianna: I believe that it is lack of understanding on the doctor's part if they're prescribing Wellbutrin. But if you and your doctor have discussed it and find that it's helpful for you, then there's no shame in the game.

[00:07:18] Melissa: And sometimes the non-stimulant medications are prescribed in concert with a stimulant medication as part of a treatment plan. 

[00:07:27] Brianna: Or in the case where you can't take a stimulant medication 

[00:07:29] Brianna: And you were about to dive into a list, so

[00:07:31] Melissa: Okay. let's talk about stimulant medication and the possible side effects. some of the most common ones are going to be, well, I think one of the most common ones is appetite. 

[00:07:40] Melissa: we actually did a wonderful interview with Annika Angelo. she's an A DHD nutrition expert. about how to feed yourself when you have a DHD.

[00:07:48] Melissa: and she has great practical tips on how to do that. I have found this is my own personal experience with stimulant medications, after you take the medication for a while, it does get a bit easier, but you do need to pay attention to your [00:08:00] body and its signs. Before I started taking stimulant medication, my body would roar with hunger, and now it kind of mews like with, with hunger.

[00:08:10] Melissa: that roar is not as loud. I have to pay attention to when it's actually talking to me and saying, oh, hey, I need something 

[00:08:16] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:08:16] Melissa: Another one of my continuous, things that I have with stim medication is actually dry mouth.

[00:08:21] Melissa: I usually carry water with me. there are certain gums that you can use and chew. there are mouth washes that you could do to rinse that actually help with the production of saliva. 

[00:08:30] Brianna: commonly with stimulant medication, appetite suppression, as you said, sleep problems,

[00:08:35] Melissa: Yes.

[00:08:35] Brianna: If your mood is changing, you're not on the right med. Go see your doctor.

[00:08:40] Melissa: Yeah. I've heard anecdotally and read scientifically that the Adderall class, especially in males, can cause slightly more aggression issues. So If you're experiencing any of those things, make sure to talk to your doctor.

[00:08:52] Brianna: and then the last one was the heart rate and the blood

[00:08:54] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:08:55] Brianna: That's why you get the EEG before you go on stimulant medication just to make sure that you're

[00:08:59] Melissa: [00:09:00] Not every doctor requires that.

[00:09:01] Brianna: That's true. when I was first put on it, I didn't need one. And then when I went to a different doctor, they're like, you never had an EEG before this.

[00:09:08] Brianna: I was like, well, I've had EEGs. Like nothing came up, but like,

[00:09:11] Brianna: never in relation to my A DH meds, but they were like, it's a requirement. And I was like, okay, slap it on me. 

[00:09:17] Melissa: Yeah. I mean, my doctor always, like, we always do a blood pressure check and my. I've never had a problem. 

[00:09:22] Brianna: had a problem either. It's incredibly rare, but like that would be a reason why stimulant medication might not work for you 

[00:09:27] Melissa: Yes.

[00:09:27] Brianna: with the mood changes piece, I had a friend in high school who went on Vyvanse and their bubbly personality. just became like OneNote so numb. And if that happens to you, you're not on the right meds. Whereas I've had friends who are on Vyvanse who love it, like couldn't take Adderall, couldn't take Concerta. Vyvanse made their lives better. it depends on your genes.

[00:09:49] Brianna: your body chemistry and things like that. if you go to your doctor and need ADHD meds, and it's not working, don't give up. Don't lose hope. Go back, try, tell them what you've been experiencing. Get on a different one.

[00:09:58] Melissa: I wanted to talk a little bit [00:10:00] about the fear about possibly trying a stimulant medication. And every time someone tells me about this, I. I had the same problem it took my doctor two years to convince me to go on stimulant medication, and finally he was just like, look, he goes, take it.

[00:10:17] Melissa: it has a short, a short half-life, meaning it gets out of your system pretty fast. 

[00:10:21] Brianna: Yeah. within, within 24

[00:10:23] Brianna: hours 

[00:10:24] Brianna: That's why you have to take it daily.

[00:10:26] Melissa: Yes.

[00:10:26] Brianna: I understand that it is a privilege to be on medication, from my own personal experience, the experience of my friends and clients and my education, it is night and day different between how much better you can regulate and be in control of your own life.

[00:10:41] Melissa: Brianna, I know you were young when you first started taking stimulant medication. Do you remember your first experience? 

[00:10:47] Brianna: do you remember the feeling between not being on it and then being on it? 

[00:10:50] Brianna: I had a lot of social problems as a kid 'cause I had a lot of impulsivity and not a lot of regulation of my behavior. I would jump all over my [00:11:00] friends and be too up in their business. I didn't realize they were sending signals that that wasn't what they wanted. when I went on the meds, I had a much easier time making friends because I was better in control of my behavior. I stopped fighting to go to school all the time 'cause I finally understood like everything. It wasn't that I was stupid, it's just that I couldn't focus and I couldn't pay attention.

[00:11:18] Brianna: They were making me sit still at my desk and I was really struggling. And then as soon as I went on the meds. It was so much easier for me to sit in class and concentrate and learn stuff. And that's when I developed my love of learning. Like, it was so wonderful to be able to understand all these concepts because I could finally listen to what the teacher was saying.

[00:11:37] Melissa: Yeah,

[00:11:37] Brianna: overall, it was such a, change for me too, in terms of positive things in my life, like making friends, being able to function in school. I'm on my second master's degree as a result of all this.

[00:11:49] Melissa: love of learning has been embraced by you.

[00:11:51] Brianna: Absolutely. 

[00:11:52] Melissa: I also had so many benefits in terms of my life and my ability to function. as an adult, specifically, like as a child, most of your [00:12:00] executive function needs are taken care of. As an adult, I cannot function without my meds.

[00:12:05] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:12:05] Brianna: so grateful that they exist 

[00:12:07] Melissa: Hard.

[00:12:07] Brianna: for me.

[00:12:08] Melissa: Yeah. I was in my late twenties when I first tried a stimulant medication, and I had fought it so hard, but the first time I took just one pill an hour later, my brain went quiet for the first time in my entire life.

[00:12:24] Brianna: it's like I hadn't breathed in my entire life my shoulders were always up here because I always had so much anxiety life was always so intense and smacking me in the face and I could finally freaking breathe That is a feeling I can't fully, you can't really understand it unless you experience it.

[00:12:41] Melissa: and also I've learned along the way that I didn't realize part of me was covered up. Recently I found out that I have autism, but I didn't know that, that my A DHD like was my, I have a DHD with a capital h like hyperactivity all over the place.

[00:12:54] Melissa: And that was so intense that was covering up the autism like, like it was [00:13:00] just so prevalent.

[00:13:01] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:13:02] Melissa: it wasn't until I started taking meds that my personality, like was starting to emerge. 

[00:13:06] Melissa: taking the medication has allowed me the opportunity to actually get to know myself. 

[00:13:10] Brianna: Yeah, I'll say that's the case

[00:13:12] Brianna: with me as well. I was so impulsive and hyperactive that I wasn't really choosing how to spend my time. I was just reacting. And

[00:13:19] Melissa: Yes.

[00:13:19] Brianna: on the meds, I was now in control. all of my desires dreams hobbies and interests were allowed to shine through rather than just reacting to what was happening in the situation.

[00:13:31] Melissa: I like recently, had someone who knows me really well that's related to me. They're like, oh, you're not being really bubbly and energetic right now. and I realized that they have not had many opportunities to actually know the part of me that's not like, so like on like all the time.

[00:13:45] Brianna: we're still bubbly and energetic when we're interested in something. Right?

[00:13:49] Melissa: But God forbid, I like now I'm actually get the chance to like. Not have to be on all the time, maybe I could take a mask. I'm not saying that like that bubbliness is a mask, but I get to like go be quiet every now and again, [00:14:00] like for a few minutes. It's because you know what, like being on all the time does it makes you exhausted.

[00:14:05] Melissa: It really does.

[00:14:06] Brianna: no, really?

[00:14:08] Melissa: It's so exhausting.

[00:14:09] Brianna: Here's the other piece to address the, grieving piece that comes with that.

[00:14:13] Melissa: Yes, absolutely.

[00:14:14] Brianna: and you finally get on meds and for the first time in your life experience. that's not bombarding you with a train wreck of thoughts every second. Right? And you finally experience that peace, that quiet, that calm Like, is this what everyone else has experienced? 

[00:14:29] Melissa: Yes.

[00:14:29] Brianna: else has been navigating their life? And I've just been suffering? that is such a hard thing to come to terms with. 

[00:14:35] Brianna: reason that people might delay getting meds, right?

[00:14:37] Brianna: They're like, oh, I don't know if it'll work for me. If it doesn't work for me, what do I do? I need it to work because I can't keep living like this. But then there's that other piece of like, if it does work, if I actually do have this and the meds actually do work for me, what does that mean for all of the life that I've lived up until this point?

[00:14:52] Melissa: That's a lot of motion to deal with.

[00:14:53] Brianna: There's a lot of reasons why taking meds for A DHD and getting a diagnosis for a DH ADHD is a really hard thing to do [00:15:00] emotionally,

[00:15:00] Melissa: next topic.

[00:15:01] Brianna: Next topic. 

[00:15:03] Melissa: this is gonna be my poll isn't it? 

[00:15:04] Melissa: Okay,

[00:15:05] Brianna: A DHD and career choices guidance on selecting careers that align with strengths and challenges of A DHD.

[00:15:12] Brianna: my aptitude test told me I should be a ballerina.

[00:15:15] Melissa AI: That is the funniest thing.I took it in high school and skipped the meeting with my guidance counselor to get my results, so I still don't know . 

[00:15:22] Brianna: Um, I really love job aptitude tests because one, it's like pseudoscience. It's not

[00:15:28] Melissa: Yeah,

[00:15:28] Brianna: real. Um, but oftentimes you can tell who has a DHD and who doesn't based on the results. 

[00:15:35] Melissa AI: the neurotypicals will tend to get business or politics. The autistic individuals will get something like math or science and the A DH ADHD individuals tend to get something like athletics or, something where there's a lot of movement.

[00:15:47] Brianna: a lot of the questions are like, I would love to sit still at a desk for nine hours.

[00:15:51] Brianna: it's dumb. 

[00:15:52] Melissa: Who wants to sit at a desk for nine hours?

[00:15:54] Brianna: ask about interest. It doesn't ask about strengths. It asks about like, could you be a corporate slave? 

[00:15:59] Melissa: [00:16:00] Joy,

[00:16:00] Brianna: that sounds like the worst job in the world. 

[00:16:02] Brianna: there are careers that do lend themselves really well to A DHD race. Car driver is one of them. EMT is

[00:16:08] Melissa: Yeah. 

[00:16:10] Brianna: I.

[00:16:10] Melissa: er, doctor, um, or nurse

[00:16:12] Brianna: Anything where there is crisis

[00:16:14] Melissa: Urgency.

[00:16:15] Brianna: Urgency, we tend to do really well in because we are very calm 

[00:16:20] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:20] Brianna: Anything where there's monotony or routine we tend to struggle

[00:16:25] Melissa: Yes.

[00:16:25] Brianna: whereas autistic individuals would do really well in those kind of careers. if you're trying to do something where it's like data analysis where day in, day out it's the same thing and there's no variety to it, you're really gonna struggle.

[00:16:37] Melissa: And, and as someone who is on HDI can tell you, like, I love data analysis for a little while.

[00:16:43] Brianna: But there needs to be variety. Like I

[00:16:44] Melissa: Yeah,

[00:16:44] Brianna: data and analysis, but I can't do that as a career. I need variety.

[00:16:47] Melissa: I've known people who have a DH, ADHD that really loved teaching because it gives you some autonomy over what your day to day looks like. Some autonomy, depending on where you are. 

[00:16:55] Brianna: I've heard that serving and Uber driving is a really great career for people with a

[00:16:59] Melissa: [00:17:00] chefs because no day's the same.

[00:17:01] Brianna: Where every day it's the same structure

[00:17:05] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:05] Brianna: So you know, the expectations, which is really calming for us. But there's a new person to talk to. There's new orders, there's new something.

[00:17:11] Brianna: that difference between I understand what is expected of me, so I know how to do well, and then I can adapt on the go. Right?

[00:17:19] Melissa: there's a lot of neuro divergencies spread across the entertainment industry. whether it's in front of the camera or behind the camera.

[00:17:26] Brianna: creative, very spontaneous, often using humor that could come from trauma, which is associated with A DHD. yeah. So anything that's cre, like. lot of inventors, inventions, CEOs or business people who are pushing the boundaries.

[00:17:41] Melissa: like Richard Branson.

[00:17:42] Brianna: exactly. Like he had an airline, a radio.

[00:17:45] Melissa: had 50 million different.

[00:17:48] Brianna: exactly. So if there's something that you can do, like really creatively like that, really innovative, out of the box problem solving, that is where our skills lie. 

[00:17:56] Melissa: like you were saying, in the restaurant jobs, we like actually knowing what [00:18:00] the expectations are. But if things can shift and change and there's something different every day or there's something that urgently requires something of us, those things really light up our brains

[00:18:09] Brianna: Yeah, exactly. So a beautician, hairstylist, fitness trainer, firefighter, like,

[00:18:13] Melissa: artists.

[00:18:14] Brianna: art, art is another one. Like art graphic designer filmmakers, like video game designers. Like all of that stuff is very creative, very highly skilled.

[00:18:24] Melissa: I really enjoy when traits are seen as

[00:18:29] Melissa: Strengths. 

[00:18:30] Brianna: As strengths. this is something that you and I have talked about,

[00:18:32] Melissa: Yes.

[00:18:32] Brianna: in the workplace. Like why would you deny someone who has these creative abilities, who has these out of the box, thinking abilities, who has this like calm and a crisis disabilities? Just because they can't do the same thing every day,

[00:18:46] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:46] Brianna: give them variety and thrive,

[00:18:48] Melissa: Exactly. managers who are actually aware that neuro divergencies come with strengths, and know this about their employees can utilize those strengths 

[00:18:57] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:18:57] Melissa: God forbid someone who has a DHD [00:19:00] or autism has a special interest, give them something they're interested in doing and they will take it and excel at it. Yeah. 

[00:19:07] Brianna: Yeah, that's one of the things I'm the most sad about is that we, neurodivergents, A DHD, autistic individuals tend to be underemployed,

[00:19:16] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:19:17] Brianna: It's due to our differences in social skills that are

[00:19:20] Melissa: our differences in communicating.

[00:19:21] Brianna: our communication differences lead us to not do very well in interviews. It leads us to get passed over for promotions. it leads us to be fired for certain things.

[00:19:31] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:19:31] Brianna: like a really rigid, timing or deadline thing and you can't meet those requirements and you're not getting accommodations at work, you're gonna be, falling behind the rest of the group. Because the employers aren't giving you the accommodations you need and utilizing your strengths, and so it's a really difficult place to be when you are struggling and no one is there to support you.

[00:19:53] Melissa: understanding acceptance of yourself when it comes to your specific neurodivergency, it helps, it helps you in [00:20:00] this, in the circumstances where you may actually have an interview, it helps you understand how you need to communicate. It helps you to understand how to advocate for yourself, 

[00:20:06] Melissa: The more I understand myself, the better, like interviewer I've become, the better I am at talking to people and explaining my needs. and even if, even if I don't disclose that I have a DHD, that I have autism, I am able to express my needs in a way that people go, oh yeah, sure. 

[00:20:23] Brianna: Like it just makes

[00:20:24] Melissa: that just makes sense.

[00:20:25] Brianna: just make sense realistically. Like, Hey, could you write down what you just send in an email? 'cause like I'm bad with verbal instructions.

[00:20:32] Melissa: Yeah. like I usually have a pad of paper next to me when I'm having a conversation longer than two minutes I just wanna make sure that I remember everything we're talking about, 

[00:20:40] Brianna: Then it makes you seem

[00:20:41] Brianna: like you're confident, 

[00:20:42] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:20:43] Brianna: player. Like you're involved in your role, in your work and whatever. Because it's like, oh yeah, they're really interested and they really wanna make sure they're doing a great job.

[00:20:50] Melissa: It just makes sense.

[00:20:51] Melissa: It just makes sense. so yeah, knowing yourself, understand yourself actually helps you put yourself in a better position when it comes to finding a job. And I, for a [00:21:00] lot of us keeping a job because how often have we lost jobs or walked away from jobs because we did not understand how to advocate for ourselves and we've burnt out.

[00:21:09] Brianna: Yeah, we do tend to be job hoppers. 

[00:21:11] Melissa: Yes,

[00:21:12] Brianna: either through being fired or through getting bored and quitting. 

[00:21:15] Melissa: But sometimes you may find yourself in a position or company where you may be able to take on a different role. You may be able to, expand a role to incorporate something that you're interested in.

[00:21:25] Brianna: Yeah.

[00:21:25] Melissa: mm-hmm.

[00:21:27] Brianna: it up a little bit. Rotate around jobs where you can set your own schedule are really helpful

[00:21:32] Melissa: Yeah. we've talked a little bit about this In our A DHD and, in the workplace. And also, if you get the opportunity, take a look at the Invisible Disabilities, uh, interview we did with, uh, Jessica Hickstead. 

[00:21:43] Brianna: we do an episode on burnout?

[00:21:44] Melissa: we actually did an episode on burnout too.

[00:21:46] Brianna: let's link that one in the description too. 'cause

[00:21:48] Melissa: Yeah.

[00:21:48] Brianna: of like, we give 110% 

[00:21:50] Brianna: which leads us to be really good workers in the beginning and then we burn ourselves out. if we can learn our limits and break that cycle.

[00:21:58] Brianna: Neurotypicals aren't giving 110%, they're [00:22:00] giving like 60 to 80% max. 'cause they're saving some for themselves so they can do hobbies and

[00:22:05] Melissa: Lucky bastards, man. 

[00:22:06] Brianna: So if we learn to not give 110% and not burn out, we will have a much better career trajectory.

[00:22:12] Melissa: 

[00:22:13] Melissa: Okay, Brianna, we have to do one more poor, one more topic, 

[00:22:17] Brianna: topic, roulette. Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme. 

[00:22:19] Brianna: stop.

[00:22:21] Melissa: A DHD and academic performance strategies to support students with A DHD and educational settings. 

[00:22:26] Brianna: hilarious that this came up after work. 

[00:22:29] Brianna: As someone who is currently in academia for the past so many years, I don't know if I can talk about this. I'm just having trauma flashbacks,

[00:22:38] Melissa: there are ways to kind of prevent some of the trauma that comes along with being in an academic setting. 

[00:22:42] Brianna: don't do two back, back-to-back

[00:22:44] Brianna: master's

[00:22:44] Melissa: Okay. That too.

[00:22:46] Melissa: but preparing yourself for the academic arena, 

[00:22:50] Brianna: when you're going through kindergarten, elementary school, requirements on you are pretty low. Once you start to get into like middle school, high school and the requirements are becoming [00:23:00] more difficult, start to struggle a little bit more with time management, with handing in assignments on time, et

[00:23:07] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:23:07] Brianna: And that is when you are trying to develop executive functioning and social skills all in that time period. you go away to university All of the structure that you had, which

[00:23:18] Melissa: Goes away. It goes away.

[00:23:20] Brianna: it goes away. So like parental support, teacher support, academic support, social support, all of that is gone.

[00:23:26] Brianna: You're in a new environment on your own for the first time, and there's just a bunch of kids who don't know what they're doing. 

[00:23:31] Melissa: Yeah,

[00:23:32] Brianna: in that situation?

[00:23:33] Melissa: we did an amazing interview with,

[00:23:35] Brianna: such an amazing interview.

[00:23:37] Melissa: with an education expert, who's a coach who actually brought one of her clients with her, who's currently a college student and went from failing out of college to getting A's and B's, Caroline's amazing. so yeah, 

[00:23:48] Melissa: Click here, click.

[00:23:50] Brianna: out that video. It's so great. a little bit of what we talked about in that episode is out for help

[00:23:56] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:23:57] Brianna: you start failing.

[00:23:58] Melissa: Yes.

[00:23:59] Brianna: help. [00:24:00] So go to your academic services on campus, talk to your teachers

[00:24:04] Melissa: when do you go? That's the question. 

[00:24:05] Brianna: day one.

[00:24:06] Melissa: Day one, you don't go you, you don't go. When you're struggling, when you're crying and burning out, you go on day one, before you think you even may need a service. because so many of us may actually go, well, I don't know.

[00:24:17] Melissa: Do I really need this? And then you second guess yourself.

[00:24:19] Brianna: so helpful to have in place. 

[00:24:21] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:24:22] Brianna: have them in place, have everything ready for you, and then if you don't need it, you don't have to use it. But if you're struggling,

[00:24:27] Brianna: which will often happen around exam

[00:24:29] Melissa: Mm-hmm.

[00:24:30] Brianna: you're like, oh, I'm coasting. I don't need this.

[00:24:31] Brianna: Everything's fine. Then exams hit, you're like, ah, I need this.

[00:24:34] Melissa: or God forbid, you get like two major assignments at the same time due on the same day. And then you're struggling with due dates. 

[00:24:39] Brianna: You are allowed to shift those.

[00:24:41] Brianna: If you have accommodations, you can shift

[00:24:44] Brianna: deadlines, you can take extra time on tests. You can have a separate exam space, so you don't have to be distracted by all the people tapping their pens or breathing loudly while you're trying to remember answers. the possibilities of what you could ask for are endless, and if you don't know what to ask for, they have [00:25:00] suggestions

[00:25:00] Melissa: Mm.

[00:25:01] Brianna: with so many other students.

[00:25:03] Brianna: And so they'll give you the basic package and then you can add on or take off what you don't need. 

[00:25:07] Melissa: if you are actually applying for school, that's the time to go speak to disability services because it may take a little bit for that, for everything to get processed through their system. you may actually need documentation from your doctor, 

[00:25:18] Brianna: that's what I did. I specifically chose my undergrad for their disability, services program. they had a pre-orientation we got to see the entire campus, get our accommodations, meet the teachers, meet each other before the rest of the school came on.

[00:25:32] Brianna: it was so helpful to like already know my way around And not be so 

[00:25:37] Melissa: That's

[00:25:37] Melissa: important to note because some schools may be better than others at handling disabilities, but regardless of what school you go to, having that conversation as you're even applying is really important.

[00:25:49] Brianna: Mm-hmm.

[00:25:49] Melissa: because that may affect the school you wanna go to. Or it may just affect having a good relationship in the disability service department to make sure that you get the accommodations you need when you need them.

[00:25:59] Brianna: [00:26:00] Absolutely.

[00:26:00] Melissa: of course coaches can helpful too when you're trying to figure out that balance of being on campus all of a sudden you have not just academic demands, but social demands, it's kind of this gateway to adulting. You're trying to figure out how to wash your clothes and keep your room clean and like not having someone else there, like over your shoulder demanding that you do it.

[00:26:17] Brianna: Yeah, absolutely. with academics, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you can succeed. a lot of us tend to be smarter than the average

[00:26:26] Melissa: Yes.

[00:26:26] Brianna: some of the time we do have intellectual disabilities and that can be accommodated for and supported as well. But I'm saying you have all of the power and control and skills to get through university to get the career you want, trade school, whatever it is you're going for. Don't let anyone hold you back. 

[00:26:45] Melissa: Well, I think that's all the topics for today.

[00:26:47] Brianna: 

[00:26:47] if you liked this kind of rapid fire topic roulette situation, let us know in the comments below and we'll do more episodes like this. I thought it was really fun. 

[00:26:55] Melissa: I thought it was great. if you are in need of further A DHD services, you can find [00:27:00] me@likemindcoaching.com.

[00:27:01] Brianna: you can find me@understandingadhd.ca. 

[00:27:04] Melissa: Until next time, bye. 

[00:27:07] Melissa: I just hit myself in the head with the box.

[00:27:09] Brianna: like it. You did? 

[00:27:12] Melissa: Oh, that's gonna be in a blooper reel. 

[00:27:14] Brianna: At least you didn't hit yourself in the head with

[00:27:15] Brianna: a corner of the box.

[00:27:17] Melissa: That could have taken an eye out.

[00:27:18] Brianna: Yes. All