Two former educators turned executive function coaches, both recently diagnosed with ADHD, get real about late diagnosis, burnout, masking, and all the "wait, that was ADHD?" moments. Raw conversations, real struggles, and plenty of laughs as they figure out adult ADHD in real time. Not experts—just two women unpacking this together, unfiltered. New episodes every other week. Is that an ADHD thing? Probably.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:00:36 GMTFri, 10 Jul 2026 20:57:44 GMT60Ella Smoot & Kara Orlando<p>Two former educators turned executive function coaches, both recently diagnosed with ADHD, get real about late diagnosis, burnout, masking, and all the "wait, that was ADHD?" moments. Raw conversations, real struggles, and plenty of laughs as they figure out adult ADHD in real time. Not experts—just two women unpacking this together, unfiltered. New episodes every other week. Is that an ADHD thing? Probably.</p>episodicElla Smoot & Kara Orlandoadhdthingpod@gmail.comnoIn this episode, Ella and Kara unpack rejection sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, and the intense emotional reactions that can come with perceived rejection, criticism, or disapproval. They talk about how RSD can show up in everyday life through spiraling after a text, overanalyzing someone’s tone, shutting down after feedback, people pleasing, perfectionism, or avoiding situations where rejection feels possible. They explore why rejection sensitivity is often misunderstood, how it connects to emotional dysregulation and ADHD, and why many people spend years believing they are simply “too sensitive.” They also share strategies that can help, including naming what is happening, co-regulation, therapy, medication, and building supports that make it easier to move through the emotional spiral.

]]>60b4e3a8-5a84-4de4-a982-33c0066fae3aWed, 02 Sep 2026 23:42:33 GMT<p>In this episode, Ella and Kara unpack rejection sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, and the intense emotional reactions that can come with perceived rejection, criticism, or disapproval. They talk about how RSD can show up in everyday life through spiraling after a text, overanalyzing someone’s tone, shutting down after feedback, people pleasing, perfectionism, or avoiding situations where rejection feels possible. They explore why rejection sensitivity is often misunderstood, how it connects to emotional dysregulation and ADHD, and why many people spend years believing they are simply “too sensitive.” They also share strategies that can help, including naming what is happening, co-regulation, therapy, medication, and building supports that make it easier to move through the emotional spiral.</p>no00:37:1416RSD: Rejection, Criticism, and the ADHD BrainfullIn this episode, Ella and Kara continue their conversation about ADHD by exploring what can happen after a late diagnosis. They talk about the mix of relief, grief, anger, and embarrassment that can come with finally understanding your brain, along with the identity shifts that follow. They unpack masking, perfectionism, people pleasing, rejection sensitivity, and the process of figuring out what actually works for you. They also reflect on the strengths that can come with ADHD and why understanding the full picture goes far beyond a list of symptoms.

]]>00876d58-a6ac-4649-80bb-be5c29cf6b3cWed, 19 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT<p>In this episode, Ella and Kara continue their conversation about ADHD by exploring what can happen after a late diagnosis. They talk about the mix of relief, grief, anger, and embarrassment that can come with finally understanding your brain, along with the identity shifts that follow. They unpack masking, perfectionism, people pleasing, rejection sensitivity, and the process of figuring out what actually works for you. They also reflect on the strengths that can come with ADHD and why understanding the full picture goes far beyond a list of symptoms.</p>yes00:39:3115Understanding ADHD (Part 2)fullIn this episode, Ella and Kara break down the basics of ADHD: what it actually is, how it’s diagnosed, and why it often looks different in women. They unpack key terms like inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive dysfunction, and masking, while sharing personal stories and real-life examples that make the science easier to understand. If you’ve ever wondered what ADHD really looks like in everyday life, this episode is a great place to start.

]]>3e88df91-b24c-4656-aa36-ea5edf94f9ecWed, 05 Aug 2026 18:40:35 GMT<p>In this episode, Ella and Kara break down the basics of ADHD: what it actually is, how it’s diagnosed, and why it often looks different in women. They unpack key terms like inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive dysfunction, and masking, while sharing personal stories and real-life examples that make the science easier to understand. If you’ve ever wondered what ADHD really looks like in everyday life, this episode is a great place to start.</p>no00:31:5014Understanding ADHD (Part 1)fullIn this episode, Ella shares the story of how she came to understand her ADHD, from a therapist gently naming the possibility to realizing how much of her life had been shaped by perfectionism, burnout, and the feeling of never being “good enough.” She talks about not seeing herself in the typical ADHD stereotypes, the complicated process of questioning a diagnosis, and learning what it means to support herself with more clarity and compassion.

]]>75fd26c9-4e1a-4931-af11-50138f611c4bWed, 22 Jul 2026 00:39:12 GMT<p>In this episode, Ella shares the story of how she came to understand her ADHD, from a therapist gently naming the possibility to realizing how much of her life had been shaped by perfectionism, burnout, and the feeling of never being “good enough.” She talks about not seeing herself in the typical ADHD stereotypes, the complicated process of questioning a diagnosis, and learning what it means to support herself with more clarity and compassion.</p>yes00:33:3613Ella's StoryfullIn this episode, Kara shares the story of how she came to understand her ADHD, from learning more about adult ADHD through research to realizing how many patterns felt familiar in her own life. She talks about anxiety, emotional regulation, self-doubt, the frustrating process of finding the right provider, and what changed when a psychiatrist finally took the time to listen, ask deeper questions, and help her feel seen.

]]>0b0c7bd4-5a7e-4a4c-8c1b-bf34d6dc2bc7Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:30:52 GMT<p>In this episode, Kara shares the story of how she came to understand her ADHD, from learning more about adult ADHD through research to realizing how many patterns felt familiar in her own life. She talks about anxiety, emotional regulation, self-doubt, the frustrating process of finding the right provider, and what changed when a psychiatrist finally took the time to listen, ask deeper questions, and help her feel seen.</p>no00:32:0412Kara's StoryfullElla and Kara introduce themselves and share why they started this podcast: to create a real, honest space for women with ADHD. As two former educators turned coaches, they open up about late diagnosis, big life changes, and the power of community. This first episode is all about connection, vulnerability, and building something meaningful together.

]]>a3d062c1-6daf-4381-8c22-a5bfcf01a627Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:18:34 GMT<p>Ella and Kara introduce themselves and share why they started this podcast: to create a real, honest space for women with ADHD. As two former educators turned coaches, they open up about late diagnosis, big life changes, and the power of community. This first episode is all about connection, vulnerability, and building something meaningful together.</p>yes00:33:0211Is that an ADHD thing?full