Podcast Summary: Adult ADHD Tips – How to Feel Safe

Podcast: Adult ADHD ADD Tips and Support
Host: Michael Joseph Ferguson
Episode Date: November 26, 2024
Episode Overview:
In this episode, host Michael Joseph Ferguson delves into the critical topic of “how to feel safe” as an adult with ADHD. He reframes anxiety and fear as biological responses rooted in brain chemistry—particularly relevant to neurodivergent individuals with creative, imaginative minds. Listeners will discover both immediate and long-term strategies for cultivating a sense of safety, stability, and calm, with actionable, holistic tools grounded in neurobiology, mindfulness, and community connection.

Main Theme and Purpose

• The episode centers on understanding the biology of anxiety and fear—particularly how these feelings are triggered, how they affect those with ADHD, and why creating a sense of safety is essential for mental clarity, time management, and overall well-being.
• Michael emphasizes that ADHD is a neurological type, not a disorder, and advocates proactive, self-compassionate practices to manage the unique challenges that neurodivergent adults face.
• The conversation aims to shift listeners from “overthinking their fears” to “hacking” their nervous system, offering practical exercises for both immediate relief and sustainable calm.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Biological Roots of Fear and Anxiety

Timestamp: [02:46] - [09:31]

• “All fear and anxiety is about feeling safe. Our ability to have a powerful imagination as ADHD individuals can be a curse… it can imagine all sorts of negative things.” (Michael, [03:25])
• Anxiety manifests biologically—contracted muscles, shallow breath, rapid heart rate—and mentally, through intrusive thoughts and images.
• The amygdala (“the gunslinger”) is constantly scanning for threats, triggering fight-or-flight responses (adrenaline, cortisol).
• In modern life, this survival mechanism is frequently and unnecessarily activated, lowering cognitive ability and clarity.

2. Short-Term Strategies to Restore Safety

Timestamp: [10:00] - [24:25]

A. Regulating Breath

• Practice slow, deep breathing (e.g., in for four, hold for seven, out for eight) signals the brain that “we’re safe.”
  • “You’re telling this part of your brain, you know what? We’re safe, everything’s good. Because if I wasn’t safe, I wouldn’t be able to breathe like this.” (Michael, [15:24])

B. Muscle Relaxation

• Release tension during exhales; bring attention to contracted muscles, especially in the belly and shoulders.

C. Heart Rate Monitoring

• Using wearable trackers (e.g., Fitbit Charge 6) can provide real biofeedback to notice when you’re anxious and track progress as you calm down.
  • Tip: Compare your active and baseline heart rate during stress to monitor your calming progress.

D. Quieting Mental Chatter and Imagery

• Grounding techniques:
  • Visually name objects in your environment (“I see the book, I see the kitchen…”).
  • Bring awareness to immediate sensations (feet on floor, shirt on skin).
  • Use senses of taste and smell to anchor in the now.
• Meditation Practices:
  • Resting awareness in the belly—slows thinking and brings body-based presence:
    • “Just let your belly really relax… let your consciousness rest in your belly… it’s a very satisfying and nourishing experience.” (Michael, [21:52])
  • “Bit Meditation” (Body-Image-Talk) from Shinzen Young—guide available in a referenced companion episode.

3. Long-Term Practices for Ongoing Safety and Calm

Timestamp: [24:26] - [33:00]

A. Brain Health Basics

• Regular cardio exercise.
• Diet: higher protein, lower carb, include omega-3s, minimize sugars/additives.
• Eliminate or reduce caffeine—especially if prone to chronic anxiety.

B. Community and Belonging

• Isolation deeply triggers the brain’s sense of danger; sustained isolation is unnatural and can increase anxiety and addictive behaviors.
  • “Having community, having people around you that you’re talking to on a regular basis…on a very deep level in our brain says we’re safe, it’s okay, we can relax.” (Michael, [27:37])
• Strategies:
  • Join groups, volunteer, attend classes—regular connection matters more than type.
  • Community aids resilience during social challenges and lessens “social anxiety.”
  • Contextualize social difficulties as ancient tribal wiring (“If I am banished, survival is threatened”).

C. Media Consumption and Nature Connection

• Limit news exposure; avoid “doom scrolling” to prevent chronic threat activation.
• Nature brings baseline safety signals—ocean, birdsong, or even a walk in the park.
  • “When I go to the beach… staring at cliffs and ocean and tide that have been coming in… for thousands and thousands of years… reminds me this location is probably not going to be much different a thousand years from now.” (Michael, [30:45])
• Birdsong especially—deep in our biology as a “green light” for safety.

D. Exposure Therapy & The Brain Chemistry of Courage

• Avoiding feared experiences strengthens anxiety; intentional, gradual exposure can re-pattern the brain.
  • “As you recoil from those experiences, it strengthens your amygdala, meaning that what you fear persists and gets stronger.” (Michael, [32:10])
• Regularly challenge yourself to “stay with” anxiety-inducing situations—don’t let your world shrink.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the creative ADHD brain:
  • “The same creative mechanism can imagine all sorts of negative things that trigger and cause anxiety and keep us from moving forward.” ([03:30])
• On immediate calming:
  • “We’re hacking into the amygdala and telling it to calm down because it was falsely triggered by something in the environment.” ([09:29])
• On community:
  • “Community and tribe are absolutely necessary for survival… having a support system is almost essential in getting to a place of long term calm, peace and stability.” ([27:50])
• On nature and safety perception:
  • “When we hear the sounds of singing birds… it triggers a deeper part of our brain that we’re safe and the environment is safe.” ([31:39])
• On courage and exposure:
  • “What you fear persists and gets stronger… exposure therapy is a very helpful strategy.” ([32:15])

Important Timestamps

• [02:46] Main introduction to fear, safety, and the ADHD brain
• [09:31] Understanding the amygdala’s role in anxiety
• [13:40] Physical signs of anxiety and the “baseline” state
• [15:10] Breathing exercises for immediate calm
• [17:10] Muscle relaxation and biofeedback with heart rate monitors
• [19:50] Techniques to quiet mental chatter/grounding exercises
• [21:52] Meditation: Resting awareness in the belly
• [24:26] Body-Image-Talk Meditation
• [25:36] Long-term strategies: brain health basics and community
• [27:37] The biological necessity of belonging and social safety
• [30:24] Limiting news/doom-scrolling and seeking nature
• [32:10] Exposure therapy and the “Chemistry of Courage”

Final Thoughts

• Michael repeatedly encourages listeners to remember the biological, not just psychological, nature of safety and to be compassionate with themselves as they integrate these tools.
• “If you’re really struggling with anxiety, please, please find yourself a good therapist.” ([06:58])
• ADHD brains thrive when safety is deliberately built into their self-care routines—with breath, movement, community, nature, and regular returns to the present.

Recommended companion episodes:

• Ep. 93: “The Brain Chemistry of Courage”
• Ep. 89: “Dopamine Detox”
• Ep. 99: “Stress Management and Addictive Behaviors”

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