ADHD & Motivation: The Brain Chemistry Behind Why You Can't Just Try Harder

ADHD & Motivation: The Brain Chemistry Behind Why You Can't Just Try Harder

If you've spent years wondering why starting tasks feels impossible — even when you want to do them — this episode is for you. Jorie breaks down the neuroscience of ADHD in plain language: specifically what dopamine and norepinephrine are, how they work differently in the ADHD brain, and why that explains so much of what you've been blaming yourself for. This isn't about effort or motivation. It's about biology — and once you understand it, a lot of things start to make a lot more sense. In this episode: * Why ADHD isn't a character flaw — and what's really happening in your brain with dopamine and norepinephrine * How a poorly filtered frontal lobe explains distraction, emotional overreaction, and task avoidance * Practical, ADHD-friendly tools to work with your brain chemistry — including body doubling, interest-based activation, small rewards, and environment control ──────── 🔗 Ready to work on this with someone who gets it? Apply for Private ADHD Coaching [https://tinyurl.com/yan594da] 📩 Get weekly ADHD insights delivered to your inbox: Jorie's Substack and Newsletters [https://tinyurl.com/33z4a5j5] ──────── RATE & REVIEW: If this episode resonated, please follow the show & leave a review here: https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand [https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand] ──────── ABOUT THE PODCAST ADHD &... with Jorie Houlihan is a podcast for women with ADHD who are tired of trying harder - and ready to understand how their brain works. New episodes drop every week. You can also 👀 watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts [https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts] ──────── Other ways to connect with Jorie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan [https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/] My Favorite Things!: https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc [https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc] ──────── This episode originally aired October 14, 2026 Disclaimer: Jorie Houlihan and the "ADHD &..." podcast are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your specific health needs. Theme music: Jorie Houlihan + GarageBand

ADHD, Hormones and Burnout | Dr. Amy Loden Tiffany

If your focus has crashed and your usual systems have stopped working, this episode is going to give you some real answers. Jorie sits down with Dr. Amy Loden Tiffany, concierge physician and certified menopause practitioner, to talk about the collision between ADHD, perimenopause, and burnout that so many women in midlife are experiencing but not getting answers about. ──────── CONNECT WITH DR. AMY LODEN TIFFANY: Website: https://vitalitymwc.org/ [https://vitalitymwc.org/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramytiffany/ [https://www.instagram.com/dramytiffany/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dramytiffany [https://www.tiktok.com/@dramytiffany] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrAmyTiffany [https://www.youtube.com/@DrAmyTiffany] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-loden/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-loden/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitalitymwc [https://www.facebook.com/vitalitymwc] Get her book, The Postpartum Pivot: https://amzn.to/4wUHKvv [https://amzn.to/4wUHKvv] ──────── 🔗 Ready to work on this with someone who gets it? Apply for Private ADHD Coaching [https://tinyurl.com/yan594da] 📩 Get weekly ADHD insights delivered to your inbox: Jorie's Substack and Newsletters [https://tinyurl.com/33z4a5j5] ──────── RATE & REVIEW: If this episode resonated, please follow the show & leave a review here: https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand [https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand] ──────── ABOUT THE PODCAST ADHD &... with Jorie Houlihan is a podcast for women with ADHD who are tired of trying harder - and ready to understand how their brain works. New episodes drop every week. You can also 👀 watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts [https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts] ──────── Other ways to connect with Jorie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan [https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/] My Favorite Things!: https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc [https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc] ──────── Disclaimer: Jorie Houlihan and the "ADHD &..." podcast are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your specific health needs. Theme music: Jorie Houlihan + GarageBand

ADHD &... Parenting: When You and Your Kid Both Have ADHD | Kelly Kustusch

If you have ADHD and your child does too, you already know how fast things can go sideways. Two big feelings, two dysregulated nervous systems, and about a thousand things that need to get done. In this episode I sit down with Kelly Kustusch, founder of Guided Growth Consulting, to talk about what it looks like to build a calmer, more connected home when ADHD runs in the family. Kelly is a former elementary school teacher, a parent of a child with ADHD, and an advocate who has spent years going into schools to build awareness around neurodivergent and hidden disabilities. Her approach is practical, simple, and rooted in real-life experience. If you have been white-knuckling it through homework battles, school meetings, or moments where you and your kid are just setting each other off — this one is for you. CONNECT WITH KELLY: Website: https://ggconsultme.com/ [https://ggconsultme.com/] Instagram: @guidedgrowthconsulting_ [https://www.instagram.com/guidedgrowthconsulting_/] Facebook: Guided Growth Consulting [https://www.facebook.com/guidedgrowthconsulting] LinkedIn: Guided Growth Consulting [https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidedgrowthconsulting/] 🔗 Ready to work on this with someone who gets it? Apply for Private ADHD Coaching [https://tinyurl.com/yan594da] 🎤 Interested in having Jorie speak at your event, summit, or podcast? Learn More! [https://tinyurl.com/4sv4afpw] 📩 Get weekly ADHD insights delivered to your inbox: Jorie's Substack and Newsletters [https://tinyurl.com/33z4a5j5] RATE & REVIEW: If this episode resonated, please follow the show and leave a review here: https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand [https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand] ABOUT THE PODCAST ADHD &... with Jorie Houlihan is a podcast for women with ADHD who are tired of trying harder — and ready to understand how their brain works. New episodes drop every week. You can also 👀 watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts [https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts] Other ways to connect with Jorie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan [https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/] My Favorite Things!: https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc [https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc] Disclaimer: Jorie Houlihan and the "ADHD &..." podcast are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your specific health needs. Theme music: Jorie Houlihan + GarageBand

ADHD and the Adulting Gap: Career, Money, and Self-Trust | Heather Redisch

If you have ADHD and have ever felt like the real world wasn't built for your brain, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Jorie and Heather Redisch, founder of Adulting 101 Masterclass and the Talent Maven, dig into why that transition hits harder with ADHD, and what self-awareness, self-advocacy, and the right kind of accountability can actually do. In this episode: ➜ Why the workplace removes the supports school provided and how to advocate for yourself before you're in crisis ➜ How ADHD and time blindness show up in your finances (and what genuinely helps) ➜ The "personal user's manual" strategy that can change how your manager supports you ─────────── CONNECT WITH HEATHER REDISCH: Website: https://www.adulting101masterclass.com [https://www.adulting101masterclass.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adulting101masterclass [https://www.instagram.com/adulting101masterclass] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherreddisch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherreddisch] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adulting101masterclass [https://www.facebook.com/adulting101masterclass] ─────────── 🔗 Ready to work on this with someone who gets it? Apply for Private ADHD Coaching [https://tinyurl.com/yan594da] 🎤 Interested in having Jorie speak at your event, summit, or podcast? Learn More! [https://tinyurl.com/4sv4afpw] 📩 Get weekly ADHD insights delivered to your inbox: Jorie's Substack and Newsletters [https://tinyurl.com/33z4a5j5] ─────────── RATE & REVIEW: If this episode resonated, please follow the show & leave a review here: https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand [https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand] ABOUT THE PODCAST ADHD &... with Jorie Houlihan is a podcast for women with ADHD who are tired of trying harder - and ready to understand how their brain works. New episodes drop every week. You can also 👀 watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts [https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts] ──────── Other ways to connect with Jorie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan [https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/] My Favorite Things!: https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc [https://tinyurl.com/4ykszepc] ──────── Disclaimer: Jorie Houlihan and the "ADHD &..." podcast are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your specific health needs. Theme music: Jorie Houlihan + GarageBand

ADHD at Work: The Case for Neuro-Inclusion | Tracy King

Why Neuro Inclusion at Work Matters for Women With ADHD Have you ever felt like the workplace was designed for literally everyone except your brain? You are not imagining it. It kind of was. My guest today is Tracy King - speaker, learning strategist, neuro-inclusion advocate, and CEO of Inspired Ed. Tracy has spent over 25 years making learning environments and workplaces actually work for every kind of brain. They are also neurodivergent, and they bring both the research and the lived experience to this conversation. We cover a lot of ground in this one: * What neuro-inclusion is and why it is not the same as a DEI checkbox * The business case for supporting neurodivergent employees (including some numbers that are hard to argue with) * What masking costs neurodivergent women — physically, emotionally, and professionally and more! This is a conversation for every woman with ADHD who has spent years white-knuckling her way through a workplace that did not see her — and for anyone who wants to understand why building more inclusive environments benefits everyone, not just the people who need it most. ─────────── CONNECT WITH TRACY: * Website: www.inspired-ed.com [http://www.inspired-ed.com] * LinkedIn: Tracy King CEO [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracykingceo/] ─────────── 🔗 Ready to work on this with someone who gets it? Apply for Private ADHD Coaching [https://tinyurl.com/yan594da] 🎤 Interested in having Jorie speak at your event, summit, or podcast? Learn More! [https://tinyurl.com/4sv4afpw] 📩 Get weekly ADHD insights delivered to your inbox: Jorie's Substack and Newsletters [https://tinyurl.com/33z4a5j5] ─────────── RATE & REVIEW: If this episode resonated, please follow the show & leave a review here: https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand [https://ratethispodcast.com/adhdand] ABOUT THE PODCAST ADHD &... with Jorie Houlihan is a podcast for women with ADHD who are tired of trying harder - and ready to understand how their brain works. New episodes drop every week. You can also 👀 watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts [https://www.youtube.com/@joriehoulihan/podcasts] ──────── Other ways to connect with Jorie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan [https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1/] My Favorite Things! ──────── Disclaimer: Jorie Houlihan and the "ADHD &..." podcast are not medical professionals. The information shared in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your specific health needs. Theme music: Jorie Houlihan + GarageBand