Depression, relationships, and the myth of the ADHD “superpower” (Max’s story)
08/22/23 • 25 min
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Max Willey, an expat living in Norway, often found himself overwhelmed by complex tasks as a kid. There were too many moving parts, and his brain was always racing too fast. A teacher thought he might have ADHD.
But it wasn’t until adulthood that Max was diagnosed “by accident.” He was feeling depressed and was struggling with some relationships. When he sought treatment, he was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression all at once.
Max felt relieved. And he’s come to see ADHD as a “glorious curse.” It has its downsides — but also allows him to feel and do wonderful things.
Listen in as Laura and Max unpack this and more.
To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resources
- ADHD and creativity
- Trouble getting work done is real. Executive function challenges may be the culprit.
- ADHD and depression
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Max Willey, an expat living in Norway, often found himself overwhelmed by complex tasks as a kid. There were too many moving parts, and his brain was always racing too fast. A teacher thought he might have ADHD.
But it wasn’t until adulthood that Max was diagnosed “by accident.” He was feeling depressed and was struggling with some relationships. When he sought treatment, he was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression all at once.
Max felt relieved. And he’s come to see ADHD as a “glorious curse.” It has its downsides — but also allows him to feel and do wonderful things.
Listen in as Laura and Max unpack this and more.
To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resources
- ADHD and creativity
- Trouble getting work done is real. Executive function challenges may be the culprit.
- ADHD and depression
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Previous Episode
ADHD, social awkwardness, and ghosting (Allison’s story)
Allison O’Keefe, a UX designer in Detroit, always felt she rubbed people the wrong way. Then, in her early teen years, one of her friends confirmed it when she called Allison “the annoying friend” behind her back. This made Allison more cautious in social situations, which often overwhelmed her. Worse, she also found herself accidentally “ghosting” people, forgetting to respond to their messages.
Eventually, a therapist asked her if she’d ever been diagnosed with ADHD, and the diagnosis started to make a lot of sense. She now feels less isolated — even as she still grapples with how open she wants to be about her ADHD.
How do folks with ADHD navigate these choppy social waters? Listen in as Laura and Allison sort through these questions and more.
To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resources
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Next Episode
Rejection sensitivity, ADHD drain, and the power of failure (Weston’s story)
“The cup that is draining.” That’s how musician and content creator Weston Gardner describes ADHD’s effect on him. He’d spent his whole life feeling like he couldn’t do things that came so easily to everyone else. Weston was at his wit’s end. Getting diagnosed with ADHD (along with anxiety and panic disorder) has helped him be kinder to himself and accept his ADHD brain for how it works.
Weston is a musician and content creator who goes by Arcane Anthems (@arcaneanthems). His music sets the scene for podcasts, Twitch streams, tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, and more.
This episode is guest hosted by ADHD Aha! alum Cate Osborn. Cate, aka @catieosaurus, is a content creator and co-host of Catie and Erik’s Infinite Quest podcast. Listen to this week’s episode to hear Cate and Weston talk about ADHD and gaming, rejection sensitivity, and the power of failure.
To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resources
- ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria
- Emotional sunburn: What rejection sensitivity feels like
- In It podcast: The benefits of gaming for kids
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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