ADHD Aha! - Not “dumb” or a “hot mess”... it’s ADHD (Jenny Lorenzo’s story)

Not “dumb” or a “hot mess”... it’s ADHD (Jenny Lorenzo’s story)

12/06/22 • 24 min

Before getting diagnosed with ADHD, comedian Jenny Lorenzo felt like she was “dumb” and “not good enough” — a race car without brakes that left disaster behind. As she learns more about ADHD and how it impacts her, she’s pushing back on people who think ADHD is “a joke” and who don’t believe ADHD is real.

Jenny co-hosts the Hyphenated podcast, an English-language podcast about living in the hyphen that connects American and Latin culture.

On this episode of ADHD Aha!, she shares her take on how ADHD is perceived in Hispanic culture — and how frustrating it is when friends and her community don’t take ADHD seriously. Host Laura Key and Jenny also talk about forgetfulness and why people with ADHD might overexplain things.

Check out the Hyphenated podcast.

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

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

Jenny co-hosts the Hyphenated podcast, an English-language podcast about living in the hyphen that connects American and Latin culture.

Check out the Hyphenated podcast.

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

Previous Episode

What ADHD feels like and sounds like (Yinan’s story)

What does ADHD sound like? What does hyperactivity feel like? Yinan Shentu, a voice actor, theme park performer, and world-class collector of hobbies, hits the nail on the head with his impressions and descriptions. Yinan was diagnosed with ADHD last year after starting yet another new hobby: stock trading. When reading about trading, he realized he was re-reading the same sentence seven times and still couldn’t remember what it was about. One online ADHD test later, and he felt certain he had ADHD.

A lot of his childhood made more sense after his diagnosis. He would act out all the time to keep from being bored — even a clown talked to him about his behavior! Now, Yinan’s ever-changing job performing as different characters fits right into his fast-paced brain.

Join this conversation between host Laura Key and Yinan. They also talk about fidgeting, and how starting a task is the hardest part.

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

Next Episode

Executive function and ADHD shame in women (Katy Weber’s story)

Katy Weber’s ADHD symptoms took center stage during the pandemic. She was stuck in “waiting mode” and experiencing “time blindness.” And then she learned about executive function and dug into signs of ADHD in women.

Before the pandemic, the stereotypes that surround ADHD never felt relatable to Katy. Once she was diagnosed, she started talking to other women with ADHD and found her community. Now, she sees how ADHD shows up in her children, and she’s getting them the support they need — earlier than she got it.

Katy is an ADHD advocate and coach and the host of the Women & ADHD podcast. Katy had Laura on her podcast, and now it’s Katy’s turn in the hot seat! Check out Katy’s interview with Laura.

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.