The Podcast

We don’t outgrow ADHD, we simply change with it. Join hosts Jami and Justin as we explore the intersection of ADHD and seniors.

Episode 107: Why Understanding Your ADHD Matters (ADHD Awareness Month)

For ADHD Awareness Month, Jami Shapiro is doing something a little different: a solo episode.

Jami walks through her own ADHD journey, from dismissing the possibility that she could have ADHD, to being diagnosed at 45 alongside her child, to finally realizing years later just how much ADHD had been affecting her life.

She also shares how recognizing ADHD in her mom at nearly 77 changed the way she understood her family, her work, and herself. 

In This Episode

  • Why Jami initially dismissed her ADHD diagnosis
  • How ADHD can look different from the stereotypes many of us grew up with
  • Why women and older adults can go decades without recognizing their ADHD
  • How ADHD has affected Jami’s relationships, work, clutter, and everyday life
  • What understanding her mom’s ADHD changed in their relationship
  • Masking, overachievement, rejection sensitivity, and impulsivity
  • Why awareness can lead to more compassion and less self-judgment
  • The practical systems Jami now uses to make life easier
  • Why Jami wouldn’t push the button to get rid of her ADHD

Why Does Knowing Matter?

When Jami was diagnosed at 45, she had graduated college with highest honors. She assumed ADHD was primarily an academic issue and figured she had already learned how to handle it.

So she put the diagnosis on a shelf.

Years later, learning more about ADHD made her realize it was showing up in far more places than school. Understanding those patterns gave her a chance to stop fighting against them and start building a life that works better for her brain.

Working With Your Brain

For Jami, understanding ADHD hasn’t meant changing who she is. It has meant learning where she needs support.

That can be as simple as setting timers so she doesn’t lose track of an appointment, leaving visual reminders where she can see them, or booking every part of a trip at once so nothing gets forgotten.

About Jami Shapiro

Jami Shapiro is an ADHD coach, speaker, author of This Explains So Much, host of Grandma Has ADHD, and founder of Silver Linings Transitions. Her work focuses on ADHD, aging, life transitions, clutter, and helping people better understand how their brains work.

This ADHD Awareness Month, Jami’s message is simple: it’s never too late to understand yourself better.

Resources

It’s never too late to make the rest of your life the best of your life.

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