Navigating Adult ADHD – Episode #101

Title: 5 Things to Know & Do After Your ADHD Diagnosis
Host: Xena Jones
Date: February 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is designed for adults who have recently been diagnosed with ADHD. Xena Jones shares five essential insights and practical steps to take following your diagnosis, mixing science-backed research with evidence-based coaching tools. Her “no BS” approach is aimed at helping listeners understand their unique ADHD brains and learn how to work with (not against) them, to boost well-being, self-confidence, relationships, and productivity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Your Brain Works on Interest, Not Importance

(02:10 - 06:35)

• Main Idea: People with ADHD have an interest-based attention system. You’re wired to focus on what’s interesting rather than what’s important.
• Importance: Understanding this difference removes self-blame and opens a door to harnessing your strengths.
• Practical Tips:
  • Use the NICU tool: Novelty, Interest, Challenge, Urgency. If you can add these elements to a task, you’re more likely to engage with it.
  • Example: Xena struggles with writing, so she walks by the beach dictating ideas (novelty & interest), then goes to a café without her laptop charger to create a deadline (urgency).
• Quote:

  “If something is interesting to you, right? You’re all over it... Our non-ADHD friends, they prioritize based on importance, whereas we do not. We prioritize based on interest.” – Xena Jones (03:10)

2. Dopamine Dynamics – Fueling Motivation

(06:36 - 09:04)

• Main Idea: ADHDers have unique dopamine systems, often with less natural dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation and satisfaction.
• Key Concepts:
  • Quick dopamine (e.g., phone scrolling, gaming) gives high spikes and rapid crashes, often leaving you feeling worse.
  • Slow dopamine (e.g., exercise, being in nature, pursuing hobbies) provides longer-lasting motivation and stability.
• Pro Tips: Shift your activities to favor slow dopamine for more balanced mood and productivity. Eat high-protein foods to support dopamine production.
• Analogy:

  “Quick dopamine would be like squeezing all the juice out of half a lemon, real fast. Slow dopamine is like slowly squeezing the other half, drip, drip, drip. Even when you finish, you’ve still got juice left in your lemon.” – Xena Jones (08:17)

3. Medication is Just One Tool – Build Your ADHD Toolkit

(09:04 - 11:00)

• Main Idea: Medication can help, but it’s only one part of ADHD management. Expect a process of finding the right type and dose, which can take up to a year.
• Action Steps:
  • Track your symptoms (anxiety, mood, focus) over time as you try medication.
  • Advocate for yourself. If something feels off, raise it with your medical professional.
  • Invest in other supports, like coaching or therapy.
• Resource: Episode 20 – “Why ADHD Meds Aren’t Enough. And 13 Other Tools You Can Use.”
• Quote:

  “Finding the right medication and the right dosage can and will take time… I recommend you allow a year to get that dialed in.” – Xena Jones (09:43)

4. Interoception: The Overlooked ‘Sixth Sense’

(11:00 - 13:28)

• Main Idea: Many adults with ADHD struggle with interoception—the sense of what’s happening in your body (hunger, thirst, stress).
• Implications: You might not feel subtle cues (like needing the bathroom, getting stressed) until they’re urgent, which leads to missed self-care and emotional regulation challenges.
• Good News: Interoceptive awareness can be improved with practice.
• Personal Story:

  “Sometimes I will miss the warning signs that I need to pee until I’m, like, jumping out of my seat, running to the toilet… Why didn’t I do something about this sooner?” – Xena Jones (13:14)

• Related Resource: Emotional Regulation Course (coming soon); more on interoception in future podcast episodes.

5. Symptoms Fluctuate Daily – Especially with Hormones and Sleep

(13:28 - 18:01)

• Main Idea: ADHD symptoms often change from day to day. Fluctuations are strongly tied to hormonal cycles (particularly estrogen) and sleep quality.
• Especially Relevant For: Women and anyone with a hormonal cycle. Many are diagnosed after age 35 when estrogen shifts amplify symptoms.
• Strategies:
  • Track your cycle and symptoms simply—a calendar in the bathroom works!
  • Adjust expectations for productivity based on how you feel each day.

    “If you have 30% today and you give 30% today, then you gave 100%.” (17:45)

• Other Triggers: Poor sleep amplifies symptoms and mood swings.
• Quote:

  “I know for me I’m way more irritable and frustrated as soon as my meds wear off on a day when I hadn’t slept well the night before. Like, I’m not a joy to be around sometimes.” – Xena Jones (16:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “ADHD is not something we need to fix. It’s something that we need to work with, right? We simply have a different brain.” – Xena Jones (01:12)
• “We prioritize things that are interesting over things that are important… That’s a difference.” – Xena Jones (03:10)
• “Our brains are always seeking dopamine. But not all dopamine is created equal.” – Xena Jones (07:07)
• “Medication can be incredibly helpful, but just consider it one of the tools on the belt… And the more tools you’ve got, the better your life’s going to be.” – Xena Jones (09:12)
• “Interoception is like our body’s internal alarm… When the alarm is on silent, we don’t always get that memo.” – Xena Jones (11:57)
• “If you have 30% today and you give 30% today, then you gave 100%.” – Xena Jones (17:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01 – 02:10: Welcome and overview
• 02:11 – 06:35: Interest-based attention and the NICU tool
• 06:36 – 09:04: Dopamine dynamics and practical management
• 09:05 – 11:00: Medication as one tool; tracking symptoms and advocacy
• 11:01 – 13:28: Interoception and its impact on self-care and emotions
• 13:29 – 18:01: Fluctuating symptoms, hormone cycles, sleep, and productivity expectations

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Free 10-step checklist: navigatingadultadhd.com/checklist
• Episode 20: “Why ADHD Meds Aren’t Enough. And 13 Other Tools You Can Use”
• Emotional Regulation Course (coming soon)
• Upcoming Masterclass: “Four Steps to a Happier & Easier Life After an ADHD Diagnosis”

Summary Takeaways

• Don’t blame yourself—ADHD means your brain truly works differently.
• Make tasks interesting and leverage your attention system with tools like NICU.
• Shift to more slow dopamine activities for motivation and wellbeing.
• Build a robust ADHD toolkit; medication is just one piece.
• Track and respond to physical and emotional needs; awareness and self-compassion are crucial.
• Expect—and accommodate—day-to-day variability in your ADHD experience.

This episode is a supportive “start-here” for anyone newly diagnosed, blending practical wisdom, research, and lived experience with warmth and clarity.