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.

• 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

• 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.

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

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

Instagram: @motherhoodunmaskedunfiltered

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

New episodes released weekly.

Episode 1: Welcome to the Chaos — ADHD, Late Diagnosis & Neurodivergent Motherhood

Why do so many women only discover they have ADHD after becoming mothers?

In the first episode of Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered, hosts Rhiannon (Sydney) and Alisha (Melbourne) introduce themselves and share why they started this podcast for neurodivergent mums.

Both women were late diagnosed with ADHD, and like many women, motherhood was the moment everything changed. The coping strategies, masking, and systems that once helped them function suddenly stopped working under the pressure of parenting, emotional labour, and the invisible mental load that comes with raising children.

This podcast was created for mothers who feel like their brains never switch off, who struggle with overwhelm, emotional intensity, time blindness, and the constant feeling that everyone else seems to be coping better.

In this episode, Rhiannon and Alisha open the conversation about what it really feels like to parent with a neurodivergent brain. Expect humour, honesty, relatable stories, and the reassurance that if your brain feels different, you are far from alone.

If you are a mum with ADHD, think you might be neurodivergent, or simply feel like your mind is constantly juggling twelve tabs at once, this podcast is for you.

What We Talk About in This Episode

• Why ADHD in women is often missed until adulthood

• Why so many women discover they are neurodivergent after becoming mothers

• Masking, coping strategies and the pressure to appear “together”

• The invisible mental load of motherhood

• Emotional intensity, overwhelm and executive dysfunction

• What it means to be a late diagnosed ADHD mum

• Why conversations about neurodivergent motherhood matter

Who This Podcast Is For

This podcast is for:

• Mothers with ADHD
• Women who suspect they may be neurodivergent
• Late diagnosed ADHD women
• Mums struggling with the mental load of parenting
• Women navigating overwhelm, emotional regulation and executive dysfunction
• Anyone who has ever wondered why motherhood feels harder than expected

About the Hosts

Rhiannon is based in Sydney and Alisha in Melbourne. Both are mums who discovered later in life that their brains work differently.

Together they created Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered to talk openly about ADHD, neurodivergence, parenting, and the messy reality of motherhood — without pretending everything is perfectly under control.

This podcast is honest, funny, relatable, and created for mothers who have spent years feeling like they are the only ones struggling.

Follow & Connect

Follow the podcast on Instagram for clips, discussions and upcoming episodes.

Instagram - @motherhoodunmaskedunfiltered

Subscribe - If this episode resonated with you, make sure to follow Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered so you don’t miss future conversations about:

• ADHD in women
• Neurodivergent motherhood
• Mental load
• Emotional regulation
• Late diagnosis
• Parenting with ADHD.

New episodes released weekly.