Hey team welcome to another episode of Hacking Your ADHD

Im your host, William Curb and this week we’re starting a new series on the show, Research Recaps with Skye Waterson. In this series we’re going to be taking a look at a single research paper and diving into what the paper says, how it was conducted and any practical take aways.

In this first episode of the series we’re going to be exploring a paper called Emotional regulation as a core symptom of ADHD.

As this is a new series we’re going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t and I’d love to hear what y’all think of it, so if you have thoughts head on over to Hackingyouradhd.com/contact and let me know.

New episodes of research recap will be coming out every other Friday.

All right, let’s get on with the show.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/230

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team!

This week we’ve got a returning guest - Skye Waterson, founder of Unconventional Organisation and host of the ADHD Skills Lab podcast. Skye’s background includes studies in Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health, and she’s spent over seven years helping late-diagnosed adults create sustainable ADHD strategies.

And one of the exciting things that has come from this episode is that Skye and I are going to be doing a spin-off series of the show that focuses exclusively on the research side of ADHD. In these new episodes, we’ll be taking a look at a single research paper and discussing the ins and outs of what the paper says and how it was conducted, as well as trying to give any practical takeaways that will can drum up. Episode lengths are going right back to the origins of this podcast, so we’re aiming for something 15-20 minutes long, but packed with information.

Right now, we’re just going with the name Research Recap with Skye, so we’ll see if we come up with anything a bit more clever than that. Now, if that sounds like something you’re interested in, good news, you don’t have to do anything; these episodes are going to be coming out on the Hacking Your ADHD feed, so they’ll come up right along with all your other podcast downloads. These episodes are going to be coming out every other Friday starting this Friday, July 11th - and as a little preview  we're gonna be talking about a paper called “Evidence of Emotion Dysregulation as a Core Symptom of Adult ADHD: A systematic review” - I know, it sounds riveting, and actually, I think we do a pretty good job with it.

But enough on that, let’s jump into what this episode you’re listening to right now is about. In this episode, we’re talking about dopamine and dopamine transfer deficit theory, and Skye lays out her concept of the dopamine dial. We cover everything from how our brains misfire on rewards to fidget toys, and why doom-scrolling on your third screen might not be giving you the kind of stimulation you think it is. This episode is all about dialing it in instead of shutting it all down.

https://tinyurl.com/4u4av4s4 - An ADHD Academic's Answer to the Dopamine Detox by Skye Waterson

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/229

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

This Episode's Top Tips

1. The dopamine dial is a mental model that helps you modulate your level of stimulation, rather than flipping an on/off switch. Instead of quitting stimulating activities all at once (e.g., trying a dopamine detox), you dial down your stimulation in steps.

2. Doing the hard thing now and waiting for the reward later often doesn’t land. Instead, we often need to feel a reward during the process, not just at the end. We can use the dopamine dial to reward ourselves with just enough stimulation to stay engaged without pushing our brain into full-blown distraction or burnout mode. It’s not about denying ourselves stimulation, it’s about using it intentionally and dialing it to the right level.

3. Try negotiating with your brain when you're feeling emotionally overwhelmed or hyper-focused on a desire, such as feeling like you just need to play a video game right now. Try taking a 10-minute breather to reassess those feelings rather than trying to force or deny that urge outright.

Hey Team!

This week, I’m talking with Dr. Ari Tuckman, a psychologist, certified sex therapist, and one of the most well-known voices in adult ADHD. Ari brings over 25 years of clinical experience to the table, along with his new book, The ADHD Productivity Manual, which takes a honest look at the tools we use, and why they sometimes don’t work the way we want them to. It was actually funny, before the call, we were joking about how it's funny that our orbits hadn’t crossed before - well, I do get into one anecdote about attending a talk he gave in 2019, but that’s basically as close as we’d interacted before this.

In our conversation, we unpack how shame and comparison can hijack our energy, how to set reminders that actually help instead of hinder, and why simple doesn’t always mean easy. We also touch on what it means to communicate your needs assertively (without over-apologizing) and why trying to do everything perfectly is the fastest route to doing nothing at all. There’s a ton of easy-to-access, actionable advice in this episode. I had a ton of fun with it, and I think you’ll love it too.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/228

YouTube

Patreon

This Episode's Top Tips

1. Include contextual details in your reminders. Put the address, building name, or even office location in the event title so you don’t show up on time or in the wrong place.

2. Distinguish between “simple” and “easy.” Just because a task is straightforward (like taking out the trash) doesn’t mean it’s easy to do, especially with ADHD.

3. Be strategic with your best focus time. Don’t “spend gold on garbage” - use your high-focus hours for harder tasks, not emails or unloading the dishwasher. Do less, but do it on purpose. Sometimes productivity means pulling back and intentionally choosing what not to do, instead of doing everything poorly.

When you’ve got ADHD, it can be hard to navigate relationships, be they with friends, coworkers, your kids, or your significant other.

That’s why I want to introduce you to another show today. It’s called Sorry, I Missed This.

In the show host and sex educator Cate Osborn explores questions like:

How do I know what I want out of a relationship?

How do I remember my friends exist?

What can I do to handle conflict better?

I’ve been recently listening to Sorry I Missed This, and it’s just been so much fun to listen to. Cate, or Cateosaurus as she’s known on the socials, is incredibly charming, and she brings so much real-world experience with her in these episodes that the conversations feel both grounded and enlightening.

The episode I’m about to play for you is about the influence of ADHD on social skills - I got a lot out of this episode, and I think you will too.

Be sure to subscribe to Sorry I Missed This in your podcast player!

Hey Team!

On today’s episode, we’re breaking down one of the most frustratingly simple yet hard ADHD challenges, eating, because come on, we have to do it every day, but also, we have to do it everyday. We’ve got a returning guest, Jackie Silver, a Registered Dietitian with a Masters of Health Science in Nutrition Communications. She’s built her practice, Accessible Wellness, around making food and nourishment doable, even on the days when executive function is nowhere to be found.

In our conversation, we dig into why eating with ADHD can be so difficult, from executive dysfunction to low appetite, forgotten meals, and food aversions. We also explore practical strategies for eating, managing dopamine-seeking snacking, handling picky eating, and finding low-effort meals that still meet at least some of those nutritional requirements. Plus, we talk shame, sensory preferences, and how to stop making mealtimes harder than they need to be.

Website: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/

Free Download “Neurodivergent Grab & Go Foods List”: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/grab-and-go-foods-list/

Free 15-minute Discovery Call Bookings: https://l.bttr.to/htZ1u

Blog: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/blog/

Meal Prep Made Easy Course: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/meal-prep-made-easy/

If you'd like to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/227

YouTube

Patreon

This Episode's Top Tips

1. When needed, you can try out mechanical eating, where you are eating on a schedule, regardless of hunger cues, to compensate for poor interoception or appetite suppression from meds.

2. Try creating a grab-and-go food list. Having a list of foods that are easy to prep, safe to eat, and require minimal effort (like string cheese, baby carrots, or pre-cooked rice packs) can help reduce friction when deciding what to eat.

3. Work on acknowledging emotional and sensory triggers for eating. Sometimes we crave specific foods because of their texture, taste, or comfort, rather than hunger. Recognizing the why behind the urge can help you make more aligned choices, and remember it’s okay to fill those other needs as well.

4. Give yourself permission to eat without shame. There’s nothing wrong with sticking with your safe foods when you need them. The idea that adults should eat a certain way can be unhelpful and ableist. Focus on doing what works best for you.

This week, I’m talking with Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith, co-founders of the ADHD edutainment platform Attention Different. It’s a podcast and resource hub for ADHD adults looking for support, humor, and, most importantly, strategies that actually work.

I got to know Stephen and Aaron at the 2024 ADHD Conference in Anaheim. Stephen’s a filmmaker and longtime ADHD advocate who’s been trying to reframe ADHD as a difference, not a disorder. Aaron’s a licensed therapist and ADHD coach, helping clients bridge the gap between clinical understanding and real-world functionality.

In this episode, we dig into the messy middle of adulting with ADHD. We explore why the strategies that worked before suddenly stop working, the emotional aftermath of small mistakes, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is just… breathe.

I had a lot of fun with this one, it’s a grounded, funny, and deeply practical conversation about living with ADHD, without trying to fix it into something it’s not.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/226

YouTube

Patreon

This Episode's Top Tips

1. You don’t need to finish all the dishes to feel like you’ve succeeded. Sometimes, doing just part of the task can be good enough, and good enough is a win.

2. We’re not always going to have high-capacity days, so work on shifting your mindset from “What can’t I do?” to “What can I do with the energy I have?” Reframing these thoughts can help manage low-capacity days with less shame.

3. In conflict, slow down. Shut up, breathe, listen, ask questions. This sequence can help de-escalate emotional tension, create space for connection, and avoid falling into defensiveness.

Hey Team!

This week I'm talking with H.H. Rune, a Pacific Northwest-based author whose writing explores neurodivergence, identity, and rediscovering meaning in everyday life. Rune was diagnosed with ADHD at 52 after decades of feeling like she was just "bad at life"—something I know I’ve felt a lot of in my own journey.

In our conversation today, we talk through the emotional processing of a late diagnosis—Rune describes it as going through the five stages of grief—and how she’s reshaped her relationship with herself, her work, and the people around her. Rune also shares the evolution of her long-running book series and how ADHD both challenged and fueled her creative process.

Listen to the Climbing the Walls podcast here!

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/225

YouTube

Patreon

This Episode's Top Tips

1. Avoid relying on memory, especially for creative ideas, and lean on tools like reminders, email, and structure to back up your attention. Don’t trust your brain to remember and instead trust the systems you’ve set up.

2. Try celebrating your ADHD curiosity. Instead of shaming yourself for going down “random” thought paths, reframe your curiosity as a gift and use humor to engage others.

3. Getting a late diagnosis can require a lot of emotional processing. Rune describes going through the five stages of grief post-diagnosis, acknowledging that the loss of a "life that could have been" is real and valid.

This week I’m joined again by Cynthia Hammer, founder of ADD Resources, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition, and more recently, FINDtheADHDgirls. Cynthia’s been a driving force in ADHD advocacy since the 90s and continues to be one of the loudest and clearest voices calling for earlier, more accurate diagnoses—especially for girls.

In our chat, we talked about how inattentive ADHD often slips through the cracks, especially in school settings, and how often many of us end up masking so well that even parents and teachers miss the signs. And since inattentive ADHD is predominantly seen in women, this is just another one of those issues that has driven so many women to go undiagnosed.

Cynthia walks us through the new ADHD screening checklist she developed, the importance of identifying co-occurring conditions, and how things like sleep, histamine intolerance, and even stretchy joints can intersect with ADHD in ways that aren’t always obvious.

Listen to the Climbing the Walls podcast here!

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/224

YouTube

Patreon

This Episode's Top Tips

1. 1. Not all hyperactivity is easy to spot. When dealing with combined type, many suppress hyperactivity and find subtle, socially acceptable ways to move around (like volunteering to hand out papers or making frequent trips to sharpen pencils) as a form of masked hyperactivity.
   2. Masking can often lead to delayed or missed diagnosis, especially for those who are people pleasers or academically high-performing. When a child seems fine at school but crashes emotionally at home, that’s a sign they may be overcompensating or masking symptoms all day.
   3. Early intervention helps build long-term executive function. Treating ADHD early isn’t just about managing symptoms in the moment; it's about teaching skills like organization, regulation, and focus while the brain is most plastic and ready to learn.