Podcast Summary:

Adult ADHD ADD Tips and Support - "ADHD Superpowers – A Paramedic’s Rescue Mission with Skylar Duran"
Release Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Michael Joseph Ferguson
Guest: Skylar Duran, Paramedic/Firefighter, San Diego

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the 10th anniversary of the podcast with a compelling interview featuring Skylar Duran—a paramedic and firefighter in San Diego—who shares his journey integrating ADHD “superpowers” into his high-stakes career. The conversation delves into Duran’s personal story, practical strategies for neurodiverse adults, the pivotal role of mindfulness and self-acceptance, and highlights an extraordinary rescue mission during the historic 2024 San Diego flood. The central message: ADHD, when managed and embraced as a neurological type rather than a disorder, can be a tremendous asset in demanding, unpredictable professions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Skylar’s Backstory: Growing Up with ADHD

• Childhood marked by extreme hyperactivity, creativity, and musical talent.

• Early struggles with focus, especially in structured educational settings.

• Supportive family capitalized on his hyperfocus by encouraging music (practicing saxophone, with incentives).

  "All I did was spend time with the horn...time would fly and those eight hours would fly by because I was so hyperfocused." (08:46 – Skylar)

• Reflection on dangers of modern digital distraction for neurodiverse kids, loss of deep engagement with creative outlets (10:21 – Michael & Skylar).

2. Navigating Paramedic School & Professional Challenges

• Entered paramedic school; found “in-the-box” testing environments especially tough due to classic ADHD traits: overstimulation, distractibility, missing key details.

• Managed to pass didactic and field internship but failed initial field training due to confidence issues and “microscope” scrutiny (12:31 – Skylar).

• Turnaround came after a 6-month reset period, ongoing self-work, and coaching:

  "I was kind of in crisis mode...you were able to pull my head out from under the water, but I still wasn't swimming too great. Eventually, I was able to finish." (14:35 – Skylar)

3. ADHD Management Tools for First Responders

• Mindfulness:
  Game-changing for managing anxiety during chaotic calls and ongoing education requirements.

  "Just being able to practice mindfulness in that moment...surrendering to the fact that it's happening...that little thing right there has helped in so many aspects of my life." (16:15 – Skylar)

• Diet, Exercise, and Routine:
  Incorporating cardiovascular exercise, regular nutrition, and targeted supplements to discharge excess energy and reduce overwhelm.

• Self-acceptance:
  Recognizing and working with, not against, neurodivergent wiring:

  "Understanding how my brain wiring works...clicked for me. It made so much sense." (16:24 – Skylar)

4. Sensitivity as a Paramedic “Superpower”

• Sensory/cognitive sensitivity (a challenge in daily life) turns into deep situational awareness in the field:

  "The sensitivity aspect plays a role...recognizing how somebody feels, their vibe, their mannerisms—I'm tuned into all that." (20:34 – Skylar)

• Empathy enables building immediate trust with distressed or manic patients, applying mindfulness strategies in real time (21:43).

5. The 2024 San Diego Flood Rescue: Putting ADHD Strengths to the Test

(Timestamps: 23:28–40:48)

• Mission Overview: Responding to a historic “1,000-year flood,” entering deep, high-velocity water to rescue trapped residents, including a small child.

• Operational Chaos: Limited resources, few protocols applicable, major improvisation; teammates depended on real-time judgment and heightened alertness.

  Notable Quote:

  "My partner and I, we look at each other and we're like, all right, let's go, we're getting in. No safety systems, no ropes...just freelancing." (28:58 – Skylar)

• ADHD “Superpowers” in Action:

  • Hyperfocus and adaptability allowed him to function optimally under pressure, notice critical details, and process multiple streams of information simultaneously.
  • Heightened sensory awareness, quick thinking, and comfort with chaos were necessities, not liabilities.

  "All the distractibility that I feel like I receive on a regular basis as being these hunter types...it's working overtime in these moments, but all that input gets put to great use. It feels like everything kind of slows down." (34:28 – Skylar)

• Aftereffects:

  • Processing trauma/acute stress with recurring dreams (“searching for people for like two weeks” – 37:48).
  • Received the City of San Diego’s Medal of Valor, the highest departmental award.

6. The Hunter-Farmer Theory & Embracing Neurodiversity

• Discussion of Tom Hartmann’s “hunter-farmer” theory—how traits labeled as ADHD may be evolutionary advantages in specific contexts.
• Skylar is living proof: what seemed like burdens in school or at home become literal life-saving capabilities in emergency response (35:38 – Michael).

7. Advice for Neurodivergent Professionals and New ADHD Diagnoses

• Embrace Uniqueness:

  "If somebody's just finding out they have ADD or ADHD, it's okay. You're a unique individual and you have an opportunity to be different in a very, very positive way." (42:44 – Skylar)

• Incremental Progress:

  "You just try to get 1% better every day...Consistency is what changed my life." (44:01 – Skylar)

• Long-Term Mindset:
  Accept that ADHD is a lifelong wiring; focus on building strategies and routines to support it over time.

• Growth from Challenge:

  "How you handle what some people may label as defeat or failure I think is one of the best things you can learn to filter out...that's where the most growth is." (45:38 – Skylar)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hyperfocus as a Gift:

  "Time would fly and those eight hours would fly by because I was so hyperfocused." (08:46 – Skylar)

• During the Flood Rescue:

  "There was fear there, at least, knowing this is potential for loss of life...but at the front was, we had a job, a task to complete." (32:42 – Skylar) "This little girl was like, are you okay? I was like, I'm just really tired...I remember laughing about it later." (33:33 – Skylar)

• ADHD Strengths in the Field:

  "Your brain's moving super fast, so it feels like everything kind of slows down...pattern recognition, calm through chaos, thrive-ability in chaos." (34:28 – Skylar)

• Advice to Others:

  "You get comfortable with being uncomfortable and embrace that grind and just get 1% better every day." (44:47 – Skylar)

Important Timestamps

• Introducing Skylar & Background: 05:32–08:43
• Musical Hyperfocus & Family Influence: 08:43–11:00
• ADHD in Paramedic Training: 12:31–16:03
• Mindfulness Techniques: 16:15–20:08
• Sensitivity & Patient Empathy: 20:08–23:17
• 2024 San Diego Flood Rescue Begins: 23:28
• Flood Rescue Details: 28:40–34:28
• Processing Trauma/Post-Event: 37:48–38:50
• Receiving Medal of Valor: 38:50–40:36
• Final Advice/Encouragement: 42:44–46:08

Conclusion

This episode powerfully reframes ADHD as an alternate, valuable neurological wiring. Skylar’s experiences—marked by resilience, insight, and real-world heroism—showcase how neurodiversity, properly understood and managed, can be transformational both personally and professionally. The discussion provides not only inspiration but also practical techniques for adults with ADHD to harness their unique gifts in their own “rescue missions,” wherever those may be.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Drummer and the Great Mountain (book & website) – drummerandthegreatmountain.com
• Hunter-Farmer theory (Tom Hartmann)
• Online support group and free resource toolkit via podcast website

To Connect or Learn More:
Visit drummerandthegreatmountain.com for support groups, books, resources, and tools.