384 | June Q&A with Will Curb, MJ Siemens, Coach Moira Maybin, Coach Roxie Martin, & Barb

In this episode, Eric Tivers is joined by Will Curb, MJ Siemens, and ADHD reWired coaches Moira Maybin & Roxie Martin. Barb also joins the panel as the ADHD reWired podcast family takes in and answers the questions from the listeners of the ADHD reWired Podcast. Brendan Mehan, we missed you this month! Every second Tuesday of the month, the ADHD reWired panel takes questions from our listeners live about their ADHD-related topics. Whether it’s personal or professional, the panelists are here every single month to ask questions and offer their knowledge and unique perspectives to help ADHD folks find the solutions they need.  Thank you for listening to the Q & A session this month. We cover a wide variety of topics and provide creative takeaways, no matter what stage you're in with your diagnosis. Listen in as we discuss your questions and the struggle we all continue working through as we navigate with ADHD. Find the other podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network:   What will you find in this episode? [00:01:43] - Welcomin the ADHD reWired Podcast Family!  [00:02:10] - Roxie and Will confirm rumors about their new podcast [00:03:21] - Jane asks, “What can you do when you just cannot get your brain to engage, even if you want to?  [00:03:34] - Eric explains how trying to force it doesn’t work; he shifts to prioritizing sleep, and his brain doesn’t (typically) work with lack of sleep.  [00:04:27] - Will says going for a walk and getting movement in is helpful. [00:05:05] - Eric talks about how even though taking breaks is difficult, he always feels better after doing so. [00:05:38] - Moira talks about hormones and how expectations can be managed around hormonal cycles, while Eric mentions her podcast [the ADHD Friendly Lifestyle!] [00:06:37] - Roxie talks about riding on someone’s coattails, listens to ADHD-related podcasts & content, and enjoys singing karaoke for a break. [00:07:22] - Eric mentions Adult Study Hall and how a pomodoro dance break was really useful and fun! [00:07:52] - When MJ feels stuck, they talk about reaching out and telling someone, talking with their partner for a break, doing jumping jacks, and taking a pet-parent break.  [00:08:53] - Will encourages ADHD folks to write down things that don’t work and mentions how scrolling social media doesn’t typically work.  [00:09:18] - Eric likes video games but doesn’t usually stop at just 5 minutes of playing.  [00:10:03] - Scott asks about being on Adderall and wonders if his experiences are because of taking medication.  [00:10:27] - Eric encourages folks to talk to their doctors and the documented side-effects of stimulant medication.  [00:15:50] - Terry wants the panelists to talk about medications, particularly when kids are reluctant and contrary to medical advice. [00: 16:15] - Eric talks about how the research shows that when parents push medication during adolescence, the likelihood of the teens going back to medication as adults is drastically decreased. Eric encourages to allow the teen to make the call, which makes it more likely for them to go back to the medication as adults.  [00:17:04] - Eric also encourages parents to read about motivational interviewing. [00:17:56] - Moira encourages parents to include the kids as part of the conversation.  [00:20:10] - Eric encourages a healthy-fat high-protein breakfast before giving them their medication and let kids eat when they’re hungry.  [00:21:07] - Andrew wants to improve his communication skills and wonders if CBT or other methods could be helpful. [00:21:36] - Eric says CBT or DBT could be helpful.  [00:22:06] - Mentioned: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny and Kerry Patterson  [00:23:15] - Will talks about trying different communication models, such as a phone call or text to give the brain time to catch up. [00:24:13] - Eric says to take a break but 23] commit to coming back.  [00:25:00] - Roxie realizes trying to get into problem solving before we’re ready that we have such a huge breakdown. [00:25:10] - Mentioned: Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Marilee Adams [00:25:25] - Kristen asks, “How do I lessen my interrupting in group discussions?” [00:25:36] - Moira talks about hyperarousal and treatments that helped her [00:26:03] - Eric and Moira encourage writing stuff down; Eric talks about some coping mechanisms and sitting in the discomfort of silence.  [00:27:00] - Will talks about cultural conversational styles across the U.S.  [00:27:37] - Suzanne asks about how to respond or having a set of pre-fabricated responses when people make comments about over-planning and other ADHD-related topics, while keeping composed. [00:28:20] - Eric thinks it’s cute when someone says, “You’ll remember that.”  [00:28:42] - MJ admits to being a chronic over-planner and talks about coping mechanisms they’ve developed with having ADHD. [00:30:23] - MJ encourages being okay with what we do and to give ourselves grace, and “Slow motion is better than no motion! [00:31:47] - Suzanne also asks if a lot of this is internal dialogue and talks about everything she writes down after grocery shopping.  [00:32:36] - Eric says, “Do what works for you!” [00:32:48] - Moira talks about being selective with sharing about her ADHD and driving with a GPS is always useful for her. [00:34:20] - Hannah asks about international support for people with ADHD. [00:41:10] - Mentioned: adhd-hub.com / adhdactually.com (not reviewed) [00:41:34] - Elaine asks about “transition dread” [00:42:48] - Roxie asks Elaine some coaching questions  [00:45:08] - Elaine talks about food sensitivities  [00:45:45] - MJ also asks Elaine some coaching questions and talks about doing new tasks. [00:47:06] - Elaine is reminded of fun things & wonders about doing brand new tasks.  [00:47:32] - Eric asks Elaine if there is anything she can let go of and talks about “CRS” [00:48:15] - Eric and Elaine talk about admin work while being self-employed and being seen. [00:48:57] - Eric stresses that it is important that you feel seen and understood by the professionals you are working with and to get people who understand you on your team. [00:49:46] - Eric says he will always need help, and needing help is okay. [00:50:38] - Rob asks if neurotypical folks have the same problems or issues that folks with ADHD have.  [00:52:17] - Eric mentions that we may not be fully aware that we do some things better than other people because those things don’t feel hard. [00:53:17] - Eric talks about the struggle of putting something in the mail. [00:53:58] - Moira acknowledges that neurotypical people have the same struggles, but that ADHD also affects us socially, at home, and affects our working memory.  [00:54:58] - MJ shares their observations about how certain tasks seem much easier for neurotypical folks than ADHD folks.   [00:56:05] - Grace asks if coaching would be useful even with a brand-new diagnosis and still earned a PhD [00:56:30] - Eric talks about coping skills, intelligence, and gives kudos for resilience and tenacity. [00:56:58] - All the panelists vote “Yes” to group-coaching for ADHD, no matter what stage or how recent the diagnosis was.  [00:57:58] - Jason asks how to go about getting a diagnosis in Canada. [00:58:23] - MJ highly encourages folks to find professionals who specialize in ADHD and why that’s important. [00:59:28] - Moira mentions CADDRA and CADDAC who list practitioners in Canada, and the importance of knowing what symptoms to talk about.  [01:00:56] - Eric encourages folks to get on a list to see someone even if it’s a long wait.  [01:02:41] - The panelists circle back to Terry’s question about keeping kids accountable without nagging them. [01:03:15] - Barb talks about dry-erase boards and letting her son check things off instead of nagging. [01:03:45] - Eric repeats motivational interviewing - it’s a great place to start, and says there is no such thing as failing when we’re trying new things.    Also mentioned in this episode: Become a of ADHD reWired