Is ADHD A Disability Or Just A Neurological Difference?

02/16/22 • 33 min

EPISODE 8

If we were not to label ADHD as a disability, as a mental condition, as a disorder, then what would that mean? Would that just mean that ADHD is non-existent, and our brain doesn't have any differences compared to what a typical “brain” would have? In this episode of the ADHD Owned Podcast, I shared my opinion on whether ADHD is a disability or just a neurological difference. I also shared what my ADHD journey looked like and the mindset shifts I went through to make ADHD not the villain of my story.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. I am not licensed or certified, but I'm just sharing my personal experience as someone diagnosed with ADHD.

(01:24) ADHD as a disability

(04:20) How disabling ADHD looks like for me

(07:48) The impact of ADHD on day to day life

(09:20) My ADHD journey: The grief stage and the feeling of hopelessness

(14:23) What you focus on expands

(20:42) ADHD as a neurological difference

(21:48) Labeling disability as a “limiting belief”

(25:03) Making ADHD not the villain of my story

Links:

EPISODE 8

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. I am not licensed or certified, but I'm just sharing my personal experience as someone diagnosed with ADHD.

(01:24) ADHD as a disability

(04:20) How disabling ADHD looks like for me

(07:48) The impact of ADHD on day to day life

(09:20) My ADHD journey: The grief stage and the feeling of hopelessness

(14:23) What you focus on expands

(20:42) ADHD as a neurological difference

(21:48) Labeling disability as a “limiting belief”

(25:03) Making ADHD not the villain of my story

Links:

Previous Episode

My Horror Story & the Hard Lessons of Doing a Launch as a Squirrely ADHD Entrepreneur

EPISODE 7

So many people like to talk about success stories but not so often do we talk about the “failures” that happen in everyday business. This episode of the ADHD Owned Podcast is a bit of storytelling where I shared a colossal mistake I made in my business and the hard lessons I learned from it. In your own ways, you've probably felt like you “dropped the ball” on certain things, and it's important for us to see them not as failures, and not proof that you should close up shop, but lessons that help you get through it. These lessons in business are even more important to talk about because these are the ones that we really learn from and that's what you're going to get from listening to this episode.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. I am not licensed or certified, but I'm just sharing my personal experience as someone diagnosed with ADHD.

(02:35) The pressure of always one-upping ourselves as business owners and where it stems from

(04:43) The story behind the creation of the Mastermind and why I ended up feeling not aligned with doing it

(07:02) What it feels like to be putting an offer out there and then deciding not to push through

(09:05) Deciphering my hesitancy with the Mastermind and talking myself into doing it

(10:50) The fun part: The Masterclass & The not so fun part: Not giving myself enough time to do the work I had to do

(16:20) The Masterclass bloopers

(19:06) The overwhelming emotion I felt after committing the rookie mistakes

(21:39) Plot twist: The Squirrelpreneurs Academy–the business course that every ADHD entrepreneur would have wanted to go through

(24:00) The need to get this offer out vs. The courage to let it go

(30:06) The questions you need to ask yourself before launching an offer

Links:

Next Episode

Unmasking: Sharing My Story The Way It Is, Taking Up Space and Refusing To Be Invisible

EPISODE 9

As entrepreneurs with ADHD, sometimes we want to be invisible as if we were not a rock in someone's way. But we should try NOT to do that–we can allow ourselves to take up space. So many of us have hidden, and have tried to tone down what we really want to say, what we really want to do because toning it down meant that it was safe. We felt like that was going to protect us and maybe to a certain extent it did protect us. But the question today is, is it protecting you now? Or is it holding you back?

In this episode of the ADHD Owned Podcast, I talked about my own experiences as I navigate the shifts in my life as a first-generation Colombia American, a mother, a wife, an entrepreneur, and simply a human with a neurodivergent mind, and why I decided to share my story the way it is, to encourage ADHDers to take up space and to refuse to be invisible.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. I am not licensed or certified, but I'm just sharing my personal experience as someone diagnosed with ADHD.

(00:48) The good side of social media: Finding solidarity and realizing that we are not alone in our journey

(02:36) Motherhood: Rewiring change and breaking unhealthy cycles

(07:56) The BIG and little “T” trauma

(08:37) Unsubscribing to a toxic mindset and what it looks like to be a first-generation Colombian American

(13:05) The ups and downs of being diagnosed with ADHD early on

(14:59) Being invisible vs. taking up space

(17:05) The knee jerk reaction to overstimulation and exhaustion: Finding someone to blame

(23:04) Neurodivergent: Being sarcastic but also compassionate and empathetic at the same time

(24:59) Unmasking: Sharing my story the way it is

Links: