Rejection sensitivity and ADHD as an Emmy-winning comedy writer (Dan McCoy’s story)
02/04/25 • 25 min
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Dan McCoy understood better his mood swings, fear of rejection, and hyperfocus when he was diagnosed with ADHD last year. He got an ADHD evaluation after reading an article his brother wrote about being on the autism spectrum.
Dan is a comedy writer who’s won two Emmy awards for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also co-hosts the movie podcast, The Flop House. Dan explains how comedy writing can be exposure therapy for rejection, and how he’s coping with managing emotions.
Related resources
Timestamps
(01:24) Dan’s recent ADHD diagnosis
(03:55) Recognizing emotions and burnout from masking
(06:40) The “Boom Bust” ADHD energy cycle
(08:05) Would it have been helpful to have an ADHD diagnosis as a child?
(11:26) Rejection sensitivity and comedy writing
(15:32) Does ADHD make you funny?
(19:34) Are people considerate of ADHD characteristics?
(22:34) What is Dan working on?
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! page on Understood
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org 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
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today.
Dan McCoy understood better his mood swings, fear of rejection, and hyperfocus when he was diagnosed with ADHD last year. He got an ADHD evaluation after reading an article his brother wrote about being on the autism spectrum.
Dan is a comedy writer who’s won two Emmy awards for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also co-hosts the movie podcast, The Flop House. Dan explains how comedy writing can be exposure therapy for rejection, and how he’s coping with managing emotions.
Related resources
Timestamps
(01:24) Dan’s recent ADHD diagnosis
(03:55) Recognizing emotions and burnout from masking
(06:40) The “Boom Bust” ADHD energy cycle
(08:05) Would it have been helpful to have an ADHD diagnosis as a child?
(11:26) Rejection sensitivity and comedy writing
(15:32) Does ADHD make you funny?
(19:34) Are people considerate of ADHD characteristics?
(22:34) What is Dan working on?
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! page on Understood
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org 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
A deeper dive on ADHD, sex, and consent (Cate Osborn is back!)
We’re running a survey to see how podcasts help women with ADHD learn about mental health and health-related topics. Make your voice heard today.
ADHD affects our whole life — even our sex life. Our friend Cate Osborn, who has a background in sex education, is back to chat with host Laura Key about executive function challenges that may pop up in the bedroom. Cate and Laura dive into topics like ADHD and consent, working memory, and rejection sensitivity.
Cate hosts another Understood.org podcast, Sorry, I Missed This, a show about ADHD, intimacy, and communication. Check it out for some deeper dives into this episode’s topics!
Note: This episode contains conversation about sexual assault.
Related resources
Hear Cate’s personal story: ADHD and hormones (Cate Osborn’s story)
Cate’s podcast, Sorry, I Missed This!
Timestamps
(02:34) Why it’s called “Sorry, I Missed This”
(6:50) Executive function impact on relationships
(10:04) “Sex is a task”
(12:20)Task initiation impact on relationships
(14:07) Communication, working memory, and consent
(16:31) Time perception, impulsiveness, and dating
(20:46) “It’s not your fault”
(23:19) How to approach consent as a person with ADHD
(27:33) Cate’s own journey with ADHD and sexuality
(30:09) How rejection sensitivity complicates consent
(33:32) Cate’s email
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! page on Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org 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
Sensory overload and self-advocacy with ADHD (Margaux Joffe’s story)
Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now.
Margaux Joffe’s “aha” moment came during a shopping trip to IKEA with her mom. She had an intense sensory overload experience, which her mom later suggested could be ADHD-related. Margaux, who’d been diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a teenager, had never considered ADHD.
She was diagnosed with ADHD at age 29. In the years since, she’s become a global advocate for neurodiversity and accessibility. Check out her conversation with host Laura Key about justice sensitivity, workplace accommodations, and self-harm in undiagnosed women.
Related resources
- ADHD and sensory overload
- ADHD and depression
- Understood.org’s 2024 Neurodiversity at Work Survey Fact Sheet
- Margaux’s website, margauxjoffe.com
Timestamps
(01:55) Margaux’s IKEA story, and “aha” moment
(07:34) Sensory sensitivity and ADHD
(09:03) Undiagnosed ADHD leading to anxiety and depression
(12:38) Breaking down during transitional periods
(14:16) Being told she was just “too much” as a child
(18:44) What has she learned in the 10 years since being diagnosed?
(21:12) What has she learned through working with other women with ADHD?
(23:29) Self-advocacy and disclosure at work
(26:35) What’s Margaux up to now?
For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! page on Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org 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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