Podcast Summary: Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen

Episode: Dr. Alok Kanojia: Make ADHD Your Superpower
Host: Chrissy Teigen
Guest: Dr. Alok Kanojia (Dr. K)
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chrissy Teigen explores the complexities of ADHD with Dr. Alok Kanojia (Dr. K), a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, meditation teacher, and creator of the Audible Original "30 Days to Thrive with ADHD." The conversation dives deep into personal and clinical understandings of ADHD, confronting stigma and misunderstandings, examining diagnosis controversies, and uncovering practical approaches for thriving with neurodiversity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. K’s Personal and Professional Journey

• Dr. K’s Struggles with Focus:

  • Recounts spending hours trying unsuccessfully to study (01:56).
  • Found traditional advice to "focus on one thing" unhelpful, especially as someone with a non-neurotypical brain.
  • Turning point came from an ayurvedic physician in India who told him, “Your mind is like the wind. It needs diversity... If you try to just do one thing, you're gonna get bored.” (03:25)
  • Learning meditation and embracing his differences marked his path toward success and supporting others.

• Approaching ADHD with Compassion:

  • Dr. K created "30 Days to Thrive with ADHD" to provide tools and understanding outside standard psychiatry, especially for those who don't fit the neurotypical mold.

2. Understanding ADHD and Misconceptions

• Is ADHD Understood or Overused?

  • Chrissy questions if everyone thinks they have ADHD now, noting the blurred line between modern life overload and clinical diagnosis (00:45).
  • Dr. K explains:
    • ADHD is both over and underdiagnosed depending on context and gender (16:52).
    • Modern tech culture may reduce attention span in everyone, creating further confusion.

• The Diagnostic Process

  • A thorough clinical interview can often reveal ADHD within 15–30 minutes, but spectrum and subclinical cases are common and easily missed (15:55, 13:35).
  • Girls are underdiagnosed due to less hyperactivity; symptoms in girls often show as “spacey or airheaded” rather than disruptive (09:39).

• Notable Statistic:

  • “By the second grade, many children with ADHD aren’t invited to a single birthday party.” (07:19) — Dr. K, on early exclusion and self-esteem issues in ADHD.

3. ADHD, Comorbidities, and Gender Dynamics

• Self-Esteem, Depression, and Addiction:

  • High comorbidity with depression and addiction (06:31, 07:20).
    • “ADHD is a risk factor for things like addiction… This is how we get so much misdiagnosis and so much adult diagnos[es] because there are other things that seem to be more front and center.” (07:20)

• Gendered Experiences and Expectations:

  • Girls and women often present inattentively; boys more often get diagnosed due to hyperactivity (09:33).
  • Societal expectations of women/mothers intensify the impact and stigma of ADHD (23:23–25:57).
    • “Women with ADHD… 50 to 70% of them, the ADHD is a core reason why they get divorced…” (23:57)

4. Medication vs. Psychotherapy

• Medications:

  • Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin can improve symptoms, but only by about 30% on average (18:13).
  • Medication effects depend on whether the person is neurodiverse or neurotypical (10:57–12:39).

• Therapy:

  • Psychotherapy improves outcomes by 60–70%, but takes much longer to show results (18:52).
    • “The really interesting thing is that psychotherapy for ADHD improves things by about 60 to 70%. But it works way slower.” (18:51) — Dr. K

5. Finding Diagnosis and Self-Acceptance

• Struggling for Certainty:

  • Chrissy shares her need for “proof,” wishing ADHD could be seen on a brain scan, and her doubt that doctors might not believe her honest answers (19:08–21:29).
  • Dr. K reframes:
    • Diagnosis isn’t just about checklists but about understanding and accepting one’s internal experience.
    • Many seek external labels but real change comes from recognizing and embracing one’s own “story” (24:24–25:57).

• Meaning in Struggle:

  • Dr. K advocates a karmic, nonjudgmental perspective; failures aren’t always “bad”—sometimes they’re essential for growth (26:49–29:02).
    • “Everything that you are is exactly what you need to be right now.” (27:46)

6. Practical Toolkit: “Urge Surfing”

• Urge Surfing Explained (32:01):

  • For impulsivity, Dr. K suggests “urge surfing” — noticing and riding out an urge instead of fighting it or giving in.
    • “You don't need to conquer anything... All you need to do is wait it out... the urge will naturally subside.” (32:30)
  • Start with small urges; practice teaches the brain new responses (34:13–36:10).

• Analogies and Encouragement:

  • Resisting impulses is like working out the brain’s “frontal lobes” — hard but builds strength (36:31).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Your mind is like the wind. It needs diversity.” (03:25) — Dr. K quoting his ayurvedic mentor.
• “ADHD is the most overdiagnosed and the most underdiagnosed condition today.” (16:52) — Dr. K
• “It’s not about fixing you. It’s about helping you find your way through the noise and finally feel like you’re getting somewhere.” (00:45) — Chrissy
• “Everything that you are is exactly what you need to be right now.” (27:46) — Dr. K
• On urge surfing: “Just watch the urge grow, and then watch it shrink… the goal is inaction.” (33:24) — Dr. K

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Chrissy’s Brain Overload: 00:45–01:56
• Dr. K’s origin story & ADHD journey: 01:56–05:10
• ADHD, self-esteem, and addiction: 06:31–07:44
• Girls, underdiagnosis, & hyperactivity: 09:33–10:10
• Medication effects explained: 10:57–13:04
• ADHD spectrum & diagnosis debate: 13:33–16:52
• Gender, motherhood, and ADHD stigma: 23:23–25:57
• Self-acceptance, labels, and meaning: 26:20–29:02
• Practical exercise – Urge surfing: 32:01–37:05

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is candid, warm, and often humorous, balancing clinical insights with vulnerable personal stories. Dr. K provides gentle but direct reframes for Chrissy’s doubts, turning the search for a diagnosis into an invitation for self-compassion and curiosity. The toolkit section offers empowering, actionable advice for both ADHD and broader struggles with impulse and self-regulation.

Final Thoughts

This episode demystifies ADHD by framing it as a difference rather than a deficit—inviting listeners to embrace neurodiversity, seek the support that works for them, and find practical, compassionate strategies to thrive. Dr. K’s journey from academic struggle to acceptance, combined with Chrissy’s relatable questioning, creates a safe, insightful space for anyone who has ever felt “too much” or “not enough” in a world built for the neurotypical.