339 | August 2020 Q & A with Brendan Mahan and Will Curb

Did you know that the ADHD brain doesn't have enough Dopamine to get the intrinsic reward from doing small things like washing dishes? Listen as with his guests, and , answer questions from the listeners in our monthly Q & A session of . We are taking questions from you, the listener, about situations you want to talk through. It doesn't matter if it's personal or professional; we are here to give you our perspective and see if we can help you find some answers.  Melissa starts us off with a question about keeping her house clean because, with nothing else to do during COVID, they cleaned things that haven't been cleaned in years. Another question is about resources to examine before she has her first ADHD testing. Daniel asks a question about how to build habits for things that have future payoffs. Autumn wants to know how to limit or correct her eight-year-old daughter's action with scissors. Bri is struggling with impulsiveness and regulating her emotions. Deborah has a problem getting her twenty-year-old to take their medicine, and she is worried because he will be leaving home again soon. Ari is asking for some of their favorite autobiographies or memoirs written by people with ADHD. Erica is looking for ways to set a schedule now that she is unemployed and has trouble getting anything accomplished.  Please note that when we discuss medications, we can only address personal experience. Anytime you have been prescribed a drug, you should reach out to your provider regarding your symptoms and experiences. Not all medications are useful for all people. There are various options, and you'll need individual help to determine which medicines are right for you. We covered a wide range of topics, and we provide some creative takeaways no matter what stage you're in with your diagnosis. Listen in as we discuss your questions and the struggle we still have dealing with our ADHD. Your Resources: You'll learn: [01:50] Welcome to our monthly Q & A with Will Curb and Brendan Mahan. [02:12] Melissa has a question about how to keep her house clean. [02:58] Eric shares some things that help him keep things up. [05:04] Brendan shares his thoughts on decluttering. [08:00] Eric says that any task we do requires three things. [12:20] A listener wants to know if there are any resources she can look at before her first test for ADHD next week. [15:01] Brendan and Will give their insights into what she will experience during her testing. [16:52] Will shares what he wishes he would have none when he was diagnosed. [19:44] Daniel would like some support around getting through things that are future-directed. [21:15] Brendan shares how ADHD works on the brain with Dopamine. [24:25] Daniel says that using the payoff as a reward doesn't work for him. [31:54] Autumn asks about how to take scissors away from her eight-year-old daughter. [33:34] When a kid says I don't know why I did, it is a valid answer. [35:40] Eric shares his thoughts on this. [37:19] Could this be a sensory issue? [39:48] Bri struggles with impulsiveness and regulating her emotions. [42:50] Eric wants to find out more about her fear around medication. [45:27] If your medication is correct, you will feel you are thinking clearly. [48:15] Eric shares how long he has been on stimulant medicine. [49:13] Brendan shares his ideas around this question. [52:58] Deborah would like help with her child that refuses to take medicine and has depression. [54:35] Eric says that she needs to take his side effects seriously and to quit pushing the meds on him. [55:45] Brendan speaks about how he felt when he was twenty, and his mom was trying to decide for him. [57:52] Will says that if you are going to force him to do one thing, make it either meds or coaching. [59:48] Ari wants to know some of the best autobiographies or memoirs by individuals with ADHD? [1:00:08] Eric, Brendan, and Will share some of their favorites. [1:02:22] Erica was just released from a job and wants to know if they have any suggestions for setting up a daily routine. [1:05:04] Eric suggests planning out what she wants to do for that day and being accountable to a friend to complete it. [1:08:04] Brendan shares some ideas with Erica for setting goals. [1:09:49] Will speaks about getting an alarm clock that makes you get out of bed to turn it off. [1:11:46] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron by clicking on our Patreon tab at Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Groups The 16th season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups are ending soon.  ArC 17 Summer Sessions run July 11th – Sept. 19th.   We only have 9 spots remaining. Please visit to learn more and sign-up for our Last Scheduled Registration Event on June 11th at 3 PM CT.  You don’t want to miss it! Support the Podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patron-only Group Coaching Sessions.  Learn more at . ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to apply to join the ADHD reWired Secret Facebook group, go to and fill out the application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 PM CT. Go to Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, .