Episode 2: More side quests than Snoop Dog at the Olympics

More Side Quests Than Snoop Dogg at the Olympics | ADHD, Autism & Late Diagnosis in Women

What happens when you finally get an ADHD diagnosis as an adult… and then realise that might not be the whole story?

In this episode of Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered, Alisha and Rhiannon talk about what happened after Rhiannon was diagnosed with ADHD, started medication, and began to understand her brain for the first time — and how that led to a second diagnosis: autism.

They talk about the things they thought were personality flaws — being messy, over-explaining, struggling to start tasks, hyper-focusing on the wrong things, sensory sensitivities — and how many of these were actually signs of neurodivergence, not personal failure.

This episode explores what it feels like to be late diagnosed with ADHD, how medication can change how your brain works, and why understanding your brain can allow you to be kinder to yourself and build a life that actually works for you instead of constantly trying to fit into what you think you “should” be doing.

You’ll also hear why ADHD medication without a plan can send you on “side quests” — where you become extremely productive, just not on the thing you were meant to be doing.

This is an honest conversation about ADHD in women, autism in women, sensory issues, executive dysfunction, hyperfocus, masking, and learning to work with your brain instead of against it.

What We Talk About in This Episode

• Late diagnosis of ADHD in women
• Starting ADHD medication and what changed
• Why medication can make autism traits more noticeable
• ADHD masking and autism masking
• Sensory sensitivities (sleep, clothing, hair, environment)
• Executive dysfunction and task paralysis
• Hyperfocus and productivity (on the wrong things)
• Over-explaining and communication habits
• Forgetting basic needs like eating or going to the toilet
• Learning to “life hack” your brain
• Being kinder to yourself after diagnosis
• Letting go of things you think you “should” be doing
• Redefining what being a “good mum” actually means

Key Takeaways

• Many women grow up thinking they are lazy, messy, dramatic, disorganised or “too much” — when they are actually neurodivergent.
• ADHD medication can help focus, but you still need a plan or you’ll go on productivity side quests.
• Sensory issues are not “being difficult” — they are real neurological needs.
• Executive dysfunction is not laziness — it’s difficulty starting tasks even when you want to do them.
• Understanding your brain allows you to build systems and life hacks that improve your quality of life.
• You don’t have to do things the way everyone else does — you can find ways that work for your brain and your life.

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for:

• Women with ADHD
• Women who think they might have ADHD
• Late diagnosed ADHD women
• Women with AuDHD (ADHD and autism)
• Neurodivergent mums
• Women who struggle with executive dysfunction
• Women who feel overwhelmed by the mental load of motherhood
• Women who feel like they are always busy but never finishing the right things

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Follow the podcast on Instagram for clips, relatable content and discussions about ADHD in women and neurodivergent motherhood:

Instagram: @motherhoodunmaskedunfiltered

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Follow Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on:

• ADHD in women
• Autism in women
• Late diagnosis
• Neurodivergent motherhood
• Executive dysfunction
• Emotional regulation
• Sensory overwhelm
• Masking and burnout

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