Holy Sh*t I Have ADHD

This week Jordan is joined by Ben Holmes of the Guiding Light Podcast.

Ben tells his story of addiction and recovery, and how finding community through 12-Step groups eventually led him to a dual diagnosis of ADHD and Autism.

Ben and Jordan also discuss eating disorders among men, particularly binge eating, and the kinds of supports and stigma reduction that are needed for more men to seek help.

Check out the Guiding Light Podcast at theguidinglight.co.uk and on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out HSIHADHD episode 54 with Ben's co-host Chris Gilham.

JORDAN'S AUDIO NOTE/LISTENER APOLOGY: due to technical issues we had to use Zoom audio for this conversation, and due to further technical issues I didn't realize I a) wasn't recording multiple-speaker output in Zoom and b) was so close to the damn mic. So I am VERY VERY SORRY for the nasty breathing and mouth noises throughout, unfortunately they are literally impossible to mute or mix out due to my bad Zoom setup. Every day I learn and grow. 🙃

Production and music by Jordan Lane.

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EDITOR'S NOTE, MAY 2023: a previous version of this episode contained some inaccurate medical information. That segment has now been removed. For more details check out episode 66 with Arbind Gill. Robbie and Jordan apologize unreservedly for the errors and thank Arbind for lending her expertise in correcting them.

This week we welcome our first guest, AJ Kandy. AJ is a Calgary-based designer and performer who discovered he had adult ADHD about a decade ago. AJ shares his experience with work burnout, getting diagnosed, and what he's learned from his extremely interesting self-directed research into how humans are affected by their physical environment, especially the workplace. No spoilers here, but it turns out the Cool Open Plan Startup Office can be a nightmare for ADHD people to function in.

Written and hosted by Robbie McDonald and Jordan Lane. Production and music by Jordan Lane.

AJ: ajkandy.com twitter.com/ajkandy www.instagram.com/aj_kandy

HSIHADAD: anchor.fm/holyshitihaveadhd

Robbie: twitter.com/robertadinvan

Jordan: linktr.ee/thefresheye

AJ has put together some helpful links to material he refers to:

Reading:

Place Advantage by Dr. Sally Agustin https://www.amazon.ca/Place-Advantage-Psychology-Interior-Architecture/dp/0470422122

Peopleware by Tom deMarco and Timothy Lister https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0321934113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_KSpbGb51AD8KB

“Library Rules: How To Make An Open Office Plan Work,” blog post by Basecamp founder Jason Fried https://m.signalvnoise.com/library-rules-how-to-make-an-open-office-plan-work/

also: Other Basecamp founder, David Heinemeier Hansson disses open offices: https://m.signalvnoise.com/the-open-plan-office-is-a-terrible--horrible--no-good--very-bad-idea/

2002 Article in the NYT about the IBM/Steelcase ‘Bluespace’ smart office concept https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/14/business/new-economy-ibm-and-steelcase-lay-out-their-vision-of-the-office-of-the-future.html?referringSource=articleShare

Watching:

Also fun: This 1994 concept video from Sun Microsystems about a personal information space called Starfire: https://youtu.be/w9OKcKisUrY

TVO’s The Life Sized City documentary series with Mikael Colville-Andersen. He kinda does for urbanism what Bourdain did for food tourism. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgBne2KTlDUwyPE2YYqWeqcAqlK_H_hHg

Playing:

Abzû (E3 launch trailer) https://youtu.be/P2G54w8H4oM

Rime (trailer) https://youtu.be/biPr3V7-IXI

Everything (gameplay trailer) https://youtu.be/JYHp8LwBUzo

Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture (trailer) https://youtu.be/w1tBl7upgDU

This week Robbie and Jordan welcome David Levy of ADHDcounselling.uk and N20 Counselling back for a UK ADHD news roundup.

A recent BBC Panorama documentary featuring reporter Rory Carson stirred up a lot of controversy and inspired a flurry of op-eds. David takes us through some of the responses from both sides of the fence as well as his own thoughts on the matter. Along the way we learn what's new with David's practice, his mental health fanzine The Frame and its upcoming Neurodiversity issue, and why he doesn't like thinking of stimulants as "medication."

David is a BACP-certified Counsellor who practices in-person in London UK, as well as online. Follow David and ADHD Counselling:

adhdcounselling.uk

n20counselling.co.uk

twitter.com/adhdcounselling

instagram.com/adhdcounselling.uk

Articles discussed in this episode, as well as bonus reading:

Rory Carson: "I don't have ADHD, but three private clinics say I do." https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65534449

BBC Panorama: "ADHD: Private clinics exposed by BBC undercover investigation." https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65534448

Nancy Doyle: "ADHD Short Cuts: A National Scandal For UK." https://www.forbes.com/sites/drnancydoyle/2023/05/15/adhd-short-cuts-a-national-scandal-for-uk/

Kate Nicholson: "BBC's ADHD Documentary Has Raised A Lot Of Eyebrows – And Not About The Clinics." https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bbcs-adhd-documentary-raised-lot-141724035.html

James Jackson: "Panorama’s gonzo documentary risks making people think that I’m faking ADHD." https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/bbc-panorama-adhd-mental-health-b2340491.html

Mike Smith: "Is it really too easy to be diagnosed with ADHD?" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/17/nhs-psychiatrist-adhd-underdiagnosis

Peter Hitchens: "Does ADHD Even Exist?" https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12096593/PETER-HITCHENS-know-question-loads-trouble-does-ADHD-exist.html

Adrian Chiles: "No, ADHD is not a con." https://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2023/may/18/no-adhd-is-not-a-con-if-thats-the-message-you-got-from-panoramas-expose-you-werent-paying-attention

Sophie McBain: "There are concerns around ADHD overdiagnosis. But what about misdiagnosis?" https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2023/05/concerns-adhd-overdiagnosis-misdiagnosis-mental-health-depression

Kelly Given: "BBC should apologise for sensationalist ADHD documentary." https://www.thenational.scot/comment/23530060.bbc-apologise-sensationalist-adhd-documentary/

Rachel Charlton-Dailey: "Dangerous coverage of ADHD means women like me don't feel like we can ask for help." https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/adhd-overdi...

This week Robbie and Jordan chat about catastrophic thought spirals, anxiety, and some of the strategies we use to snap ourselves out of the self-reinforcing feedback loops where catastrophizing and RSD intersect.

Call to listeners: how do YOU deal with an anxiety spiral? Let us know in a voicemail!

Mentioned in this episode:

Robbie's short film The Spiral

Soap Cutting ASMR from The Most Satisfying

Harvesting Daikon with Two Cats from Shironeko Blog

Further reading:

Talkspace: What is Catastrophic Thinking?

Healthline: 5 Ways to Stop Spiraling Negative Thoughts from Taking Control

Mayo Clinic: 5 Ways to Stop an Anxiety Spiral

Headspace: 4 Things to Remember the Next Time You're Spiraling

Thank you so much to our Patreon subscribers Dave M, Jill B, Page N and Brianna G. Your support means so much!

Production and music by Jordan Lane.

Find HSIHADAD online:

anchor.fm/holyshitihaveadhd

patreon.com/holyshitihaveadhd

HSIHADHD Facebook

Twitter: @hsihadhd

Instagram: @holyshitihaveadhd

Robbie: twitter.com/robertadinvan

Jordan: linktr.ee/thefresheye

A lot has changed in the way we talk about health over the last 40 years. Including the terminology around disability.

Person-first language entered the popular lexicon in the early 1980s, when AIDS activists in Denver rightfully advocated for terms that centered their humanity and not victimhood. But other groups, including Deaf and Blind advocates, felt that PFL terms were ableist, emphasizing personhood over disability, when those disabilities are integral to their experience of the world, shaping their individual identities and giving rise to a rich disability culture.

This week, Robbie and Jordan talk through their thoughts and feelings on Person-First and Identity-First language as it relates to ADHD. The identity-first construction of "ADHD Person" is grammatically awkward, but PFL's "person with ADHD" contains an underlying implication that it's a problem to be solved. ADHD isn't a disease to be cured, but a different brain composition. A large part of treatment is simply awareness; people who understand themselves as ADHD, recognize the disabling and disruptive aspects and how they affect their lives, can take the first step to creating mitigation strategies through individualized care.

They also discuss Elon Musk's recent appearance on SNL, the ensuing discussion around the term Asperger's, and why it's a problematic label for Autistic people. Devon Price offers a succinct primer on the mistaken use of the word in this article.

They also talk about how the shifts in language over time means they can habitually slip into ableist language, even about their own experience, and how the anonymity of information hubs like Twitter facilitates the kind of language and identity policing that stymies authentic dialogue.

Jordan mentions an upcoming book by Da'Shaun L. Harrison. You can find their book Belly of the Beast on this preorder page and follow Da'Shaun's Twitter: @DaShaunLH

Hosted by Robbie McDonald and Jordan Lane. Production by Robbie McDonald and music by Jordan Lane.

Find HSIHADAD online:

anchor.fm/holyshitihaveadhd

patreon.com/holyshitihaveadhd

HSIHADHD Facebook

Twitter: @hsihadhd

Instagram: @holyshitihaveadhd

Robbie: twitter.com/robertadinvan

Jordan: linktr.ee/thefresheye