When It’s Not Just ADHD: Exploring Underlying Health Issues Affecting Symptoms

Summary

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Translating ADHD

Episode Summary: "When It’s Not Just ADHD: Exploring Underlying Health Issues Affecting Symptoms"

Hosts: Asher Collins (“Ash”) & Dusty Chipura
Release Date: May 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Ash and Dusty dive into the important, often overlooked topic of how underlying health issues can make ADHD symptoms significantly worse—or even masquerade as new ADHD challenges. Drawing on recent coaching experiences, personal stories, and evolving research, they emphasize the need to look beyond ADHD when symptoms suddenly change or intensify. The discussion covers how hormonal changes, chronic conditions, sleep disruption, and issues with treatment follow-through can interact with ADHD, complicate diagnosis, and impact daily life. They deliver practical advice for self-advocacy, personal health tracking, and adapting coaching strategies for complex needs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. When Symptoms Get Worse, It’s Not Always “Just” ADHD

• Ash explains the main theme upfront: If ADHD symptoms suddenly worsen, “there’s a pretty good chance that there is something else physiologically going on with you” (02:05, Ash).
• The episode urges listeners to remain curious and open-minded when ADHD patterns shift, especially if mood, cognition, or executive function changes are abrupt or significant.

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2. Hormonal Changes and ADHD: The Overlooked Intersection

PMS, PMDD, Perimenopause, and Menopause

• Dusty highlights how premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can temporarily worsen ADHD symptoms for many clients: “That time right before or at the beginning of your period is a time…where ADHD symptoms worsen, brain fog is higher, and negative thought patterns are harder to dismiss.” (03:21, Dusty)
• Naming the experience (“PMS gremlins”) helps recognize it as temporary and lessens its emotional impact.
• Perimenopause and menopause also often worsen ADHD symptoms: “Memory doesn’t work the way that it used to… clients are concerned…that maybe there’s something else going on in their brain. And we find that the answer is actually they’re in perimenopause.” (04:12, Dusty)
• Personal Story – PMDD: Dusty shares her recent diagnosis of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), describing severe emotional and cognitive effects before discovering treatment with fluoxetine.

  “With pmdd, the rejection sensitivity goes up so high that it actually crosses a threshold into, like, paranoia… It’s so disruptive” (05:40, Dusty) “It’s been, like, life changing.” (06:44, Dusty)

• Ash reflects that if he’d known more when younger, he might have managed symptoms related to hormonal cycles better (07:38, Ash).

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3. Chronic Health Conditions That Can Mimic or Worsen ADHD

• Anemia Example: Ash describes a client with “incredibly, incredibly low iron,” whose severe brain fog and mood problems improved dramatically once the anemia was addressed (07:56, Ash).
• Both hosts emphasize: sometimes fixing an underlying condition clears the “fog” and allows ADHD strategies to work again.
• Other Overlaps:
  • Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Hypermobility/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Dusty notes these are increasingly recognized as co-occurring with ADHD, though not directly caused by it.

    “You could have a health issue that’s completely unrelated to ADHD but giving you kind of similar symptoms like brain fog or overwhelm or mood issues… there are some really interesting overlaps there.” (09:51, Dusty)

  • TMJ and Migraines: Both can disrupt sleep and exacerbate executive dysfunction; these are “not an ADHD sleep procrastination” problem, but genuine medical issues (12:24, Ash).

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4. ADHD, Chronic Illness, and the Limits of Coaching

• Dusty raises the point that “you can’t coach someone out of their chronic illness,” and that standard coaching frameworks don’t always fit this population.

  “Sometimes coaching does just have to be more like executive functioning support… because we have to focus on managing those underlying things first.” (13:16, Dusty)

• Ash agrees, yet points out that ADHD coaching can play a crucial supporting role:

  “Coaching alongside medical intervention can make a significant difference… it may look like supporting consistent implementation of medical advice, tracking symptoms, or helping with physical therapy routines.” (14:16, Ash)

• Real-world examples:
  • Helping a client reduce migraine triggers by managing stress (the “arc cycle”) and developing a running practice (15:10, Ash)
  • Supporting clients with IBS or physical therapy to follow through consistently
  • Dusty describes challenges in self-applying medication as directed (topical creams), as “ADHD impacts our ability to manage these conditions” (17:18, Dusty)
  • Medical non-compliance (“treatment non-compliant”) often has ADHD-related roots (18:40, Dusty)
  • Quote:

    “Sometimes… we need to sit down with that coach and be like, okay, how am I actually going to make sure that I do [the treatment] enough times? Because otherwise it just doesn’t happen.” (19:24, Dusty)

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5. Ash’s Personal Example: High Hematocrit and the Overlooked Body-Mind Connection

• Ash shares a powerful story about how, after months of brain fog and fatigue, he realized he had neglected his own care routine (blood donations needed due to testosterone therapy and high hematocrit). He misattributed his symptoms to chronic depression and ADHD.

  “ADHD can make it hard for us to get past the symptoms…and get curious about what’s at cause.” (22:49, Ash)

• The story underscores both the importance of routine medical monitoring and the challenge of “tuning into your body” when executive dysfunction clouds awareness.

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6. Advocating for Yourself in the Healthcare System

• Dusty cautions that not all care providers are proactive or attentive, and self-advocacy is often necessary, especially with chronic or “invisible” conditions.

  “If you have a care provider who isn’t taking your concerns seriously… ask them to note that down in your file.” (24:48, Dusty)

• Ash flags that brain fog or symptom changes in someone with an existing ADHD diagnosis may be too often dismissed by providers as “just your ADHD.”

  “Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself… I know what my ADHD looks like, and this is significantly different.” (25:39, Ash)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s a pretty good chance that there is something else physiologically going on with you.” (02:05, Ash)
• “…naming it [PMS symptoms] helps me recognize that, yes, things feel bleaker or darker right now, but giving it a name reminds me that this isn’t a permanent state of being.” (03:35, Dusty)
• “It’s crazy…out of control. [PMDD] can even lead to, you know, thoughts of suicidality…It can completely incapacitate you…so grateful that I’m like, not [in Lala ‘crazy land’]…” (06:07, Dusty)
• “You can’t coach someone out of their chronic illness…sometimes coaching does just have to be more like executive functioning support.” (13:16, Dusty)
• “ADHD can sometimes make it hard for us to get past the symptoms…and get curious about what’s at cause.” (22:49, Ash)
• “If all you know right now is ADHD symptoms seem worse, the opportunity here is to tune into your body and see if pulling on that thread from a physiological standpoint isn’t what makes the most sense.” (23:12, Ash)
• “Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself…this is not just my ADHD. This is something more.” (25:39, Ash)

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Suggested Actions and Final Takeaways

• Track your symptoms: Sudden or marked changes could signal a physiological cause.
• Get regular check-ups and consider basic labs to rule out common underlying issues (iron, hormones, etc.).
• Leverage ADHD strategies and coaching to help with adherence to treatment plans.
• Advocate for yourself with healthcare providers; note refusals in your file if dismissed.
• Remain curious: If something feels “off,” don’t automatically blame ADHD.

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Key Timestamps

• 02:05 – Introduction of the episode’s core message; when symptoms worsen, consider non-ADHD causes.
• 03:13–07:31 – Hormonal cycles, PMS, PMDD, and menopause impacts on ADHD.
• 07:56–09:51 – Example of addressing anemia to clear brain fog and mood problems.
• 09:51–12:24 – Overlapping/co-occurring chronic illnesses (MCAS, hypermobility, TMJ, migraines).
• 13:16–17:18 – Coaching with chronic illness: limits and adaptive strategies.
• 17:18–20:39 – Challenges with treatment adherence; integrating ADHD coping approaches.
• 20:39–23:10 – Ash’s story: high hematocrit and rediscovering the physical causes of brain fog.
• 23:10–25:39 – Self-advocacy in the medical system and summary advice.

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This summary reflects the lived experiences, humor, and authentic language of both hosts, offering listeners concrete strategies and validation for navigating ADHD alongside other health challenges.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Ash.

[B]

And I'm Dusty. Wait, that's not how that goes. Let's try that again. Hi, I'm Ash.

[A]

And I'm Dusty.

[B]

And this is translating adhd.

[A]

Hey everyone, Just a reminder that Boot Camp is coming up in June. So the ADHD Boot Camp is our mega home organizing d doomboxing body doubling extravaganza. You get to hang out with me for 40 hours on a zoom call. Not all at once. Don't worry, we're going to take breaks and everything. Me and a bunch of my clients, we do this every year. We go through and we like decompress every room of our house that has gotten cluttered. We like go through the drawers, we go through the cupboards, we reset things, we look at various pieces of content and media and philosophies around organizing. I'm not an organizing expert, Ash is, but I. I'm a repository of organizing hacks. So I help people come up with ideas for problem areas of their homes, what they can do about them. We also tend to get a little bit of digital decluttering in. And so this is going to be happening starting June 7th. We are going to try to tackle most, if not all, the major rooms of your house. There's going to be intercession support. It's going to be lots of fun, we're going to take lots of breaks. It sounds scary, but it's not. So if you would like to sign up for that, please go to ADHDStudio CA and I will help you crush all those doomboxes. Or at least take them from like 40 doomboxes to, I don't know, 34. Let's be reasonable listeners.

[B]

Our next Patreon subscriber event is with me on Tuesday, May 14th at 8pm Eastern. This is a live coaching demo. So I will coach one participant around a topic of their choice and afterwards we will talk about what happened in the coaching. If you've never been exposed to coaching before, this is a great way to see what coaching looks like in action. I also find from my group coaching courses that witnessing other people being coached can help you understand something, something new about your own adhd. So this is a really worthwhile event to attend if you have the time to do so. If you're not currently a Patreon subscriber, you can visit the website translating ADHD.com click on the Patreon tab and for $5 a month you gain access to these monthly events with either Dusty or myself, and you gain access to the Podcast Discord I am also still taking new clients. I'm really trying to pack my schedule, guys. I recognize that the economy isn't great, so I'm doing more sliding scale, which means I need more clients. So if you are thinking about AD PhD coaching and interested in working with me, Visit my website, coachasher.com and fill out the form and we'll have a conversation from there. Dusty Today we are talking about something that has been relevant in a lot of my coaching sessions recently and actually has been relevant for me as well, and that is the fact that it's not always adhd. And I'm going to give kind of the moral of this particular episode up front, and that is if ADHD symptoms are suddenly worsening in a pretty significant way, there's a pretty good chance that there is something else physiologically going on with you.

[A]

How so? What do you mean?

[B]

Dusty this could be any number of things, and I'm going to start with one that we've already covered and we dedicated an entire episode to. But that is absolutely worth repeating for those of you who menstruate pms. That that time right before or at the beginning of your period is a time for every single one of my clients who menstruate that we've noticed a pattern where ADHD symptoms worsen, where brain fog is higher, and where negative thought patterns, especially when we get to a point in the coaching where we're having a new experience with those negative stories, where clients are more readily able to sort of notice and dismiss those stories as not being true, rather than reacting to during the PMS moment. That can be much harder to do. When I was still experiencing pms, I used to call that the PMS gremlins, and naming it that way sort of helped me recognize that, yes, things feel bleaker or darker right now, but giving it a name reminds me that this isn't a permanent state of being and that yes, things are going to be a little tougher for me in this moment. Alongside that, perimenopause and menopause are another stage of life for those of you who menstruate where ADHD symptoms absolutely worsen. I've had so many clients who are in that perimenopause moment and maybe don't quite realize that when we're in coaching and we come to this awareness that they're concerned about worsening ADHD symptoms, to the point that some of my clients have been concerned that maybe there's something else going on in their brain. Like my memory doesn't work work the way that it used to. Am I losing memory? Am I losing cognitive function? And we find that the answer is actually they're in perimenopause. And that's having a significant impact on their cognition.

[A]

Yeah, certainly. And like, now, just to kind of add on to what you're saying about pms, there's a threshold where we start calling it pmdd, right? Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. And this is really, really new research. And I'm actually. Was recently diagnosed with pmdd, and I've had to start taking fluoxetine or Pro in the week before my period in my luteal phase. And it's crazy because, you know, for most of my. My reproductively active years, which I'm still in, I had different kinds of hormonal birth control. And for about 20 of those years, I was on, like, a. I had an iud, so I had the kind where you just didn't get a cycle at all. And so I think I kind of never realized this, but. But thinking back to my early teens, it actually made sense. And so for me, with pmdd, the rejection sensitivity goes up so high that it actually crosses a threshold into, like, paranoia. Like, it's like social paranoia and, like, phobia and, like, ruminating thoughts and, like, can't, Like. And it's so disruptive. Like, I'll be crying, weeping in the kitchen at, like, 7 in the morning, trying to get my kids lunches ready, and they'll, like, walk in. And I'm like, I'm fine, guys. I'm just having a hard time. And I'm like. And I'm late because I'm obsessively checking my phone about, like, you know, somebody that I think is, like, talking about me behind my back. Like, it's. It's crazy. Like, it's out of control. And with. I take a low dose. I take 20 milligrams of fluoxetine for up, you know, five to seven days. And honestly, Asher, it's been, like, life changing. Like, because there's so many days where when I'm in that phase and I'm on those meds, I just think to myself, like, huh? Like, I'm just having a totally. Some days I'm having a good day. Sometimes I'm having a bad day, but I'm like, I'm having such a normal day. My brain feels totally normal. I can, like, feel the difference between how I feel and when I'm, like, in, like, lala crazy land. And I'M just like, man, I'm so grateful that I'm like, not because, like, I have so much stuff to get done. But. And it's so it's separate, but it is connected because it has impacts on your executive function. It has impacts on your emotional regulation, but it is like, and it can even lead to, you know, thoughts of suicidality and all this kind of stuff. So it's, you know, it can completely incapacitate you. And I'm so glad now that we have so much more research about how the stuff, the life cycle of our menstrual cycles impacts our cognition and our executive function. So that's that is a huge one for sure, and one that's personally that I've had to manage just these past couple of years.

[B]

Wow. Thanks for sharing that, Dusty. If this was still an issue for me, I've now had a hysterectomy, so I don't have those particular challenges anymore. And because I'm on testosterone, I don't have the cognition effects of menopause, thankfully, which I am appreciative for. But I do, I do think that that might have applied to me as well and would have been worth pursuing for me had I known. So, listeners, if this sounds like a challenge for you, might be something to check out. But now let's talk about some other ones that have come up recently. I have a client who has been in a serious season of struggle, just went through a couple of major life transitions, and this client is adhd. We're going to do that episode on ADHD at some point. But the relevant piece of information that distinguishes ADHD people for the context of this story is that ADHD people tend to find comfort in routine in a way that those of us who are purely ADHD don't necessarily experience. And so this person's life transition meant that previous supportive structures and routines just are not there anymore and are not an option for her in the way that they were before. And so we've been in this kind of struggly place in our coaching for a while, trying to find some footing. And meanwhile she discovered that her anemia had come back in a big way. So she had incredibly, incredibly low iron. And once she started taking care of that, all of the sudden her context isn't different, but our ability to do something with it is, because she was experiencing such severe brain fog and low mood that cleared up almost immediately. And so now there's opportunity to find clarity and do something with that clarity that just wasn't present when this Unknown physiological thing was happening in the background.

[A]

Yeah, it's interesting that you say this Ash, cause like sometimes I think you could have a health issue that's completely unrelated to ADHD but giving you kind of similar symptoms like brain fog or overwhelm or you know, mood issues. Right. But then also what's so interesting to me is we're finding out more and more that like some of these conditions are like co occurring. So a couple of big ones I've been learning about lately are MCAs or Mast Cell activation syndrome and hypermobility usually related to Ehlers Danlos. Right. And so I've had clients where and they, they sometimes come to coaching not knowing that there's like any connection. And of course I'm not telling them there is, but I'm like, hey, maybe you should like read up on this because I've heard that there might be where they have like neck issues and they have like joint issues and they have like a lot of body and back issues that often related to like hypermobility or they've got MCAs. Mast cell activation syndrome has to do with like histamine. This is like the big, right now, this is like the big trendy thing and I want to caution anyone listening about over reading into it. Like I feel like we go through phases in the grassroots neurodivergence space where like we hook onto one idea and like right now the big trendy thing is like histamine. And so like two things can be true. Certainly it's true that histamine can be related to like brain fog, executive function, yada yada, like you know, feelings of tiredness. And there can be some co occurring conditions like MCAS that are more prevalent in those with ADHD and vice versa. But it's like histamine's not like, doesn't explain everything. Right now everyone's like, it's all histamine, everything's histamine. But there are some really interesting overlaps there where I have clients who have completely separate physiological conditions that, that, that completely play into like you said, our ability to get anything done. Right. It's not the adhd. It's like they're too, they are physically too fatigued or they're physically in too much pain. And so it's always interesting to me when those conditions do show up more with adhd, but they're, you know, for all intents and purposes kind of separate things that have to be managed separately. And yeah, like when you're in pain all day it drains your executive function because you have to regulate so much more. And of course your irritability is going to be increased and of course your ability to like manage communications is going to be like, decreased. Right. Like, it, it makes sense.

[B]

It absolutely makes sense. And in some cases it's also disrupting sleep. I have a couple of clients struggling with tmj, which by the way, I learned from one of those clients has strong links to adhd. And so.

[A]

Yeah, and migraines too.

[B]

And migraines too. And so those clients are experiencing sleep disruption that needs to necessarily be managed by trying to manage or have a different experience with the TMJ itself. No amount of coaching, this isn't an ADHD sleep procrastination, revenge bedtime type problem. This is a waking up in pain problem. Waking up in pain and unable to go back to sleep. And so no amount of coaching or managing the ADHD be is going to create a different experience there.

[A]

I am so glad you said that, Ash, because like, when you go through coach training, you learn how to coach, there's sort of like a, you know, from the ICF standards, there's sort of like a right and a wrong way. And I, I think that standard coaching just doesn't have the framework for the fact that this subset population of people needs more specificity in general. Like sometimes we do need someone to just body double us. Sometimes we do need someone to just give, like, help us come up with a solution. But then moving one step further, like what you're talking, you can't coach someone out of their chronic illness. And so what does coaching look like when you're working with someone like that? And for me personally, and I'd love to hear your experience, but like, for me personally, like, sometimes coaching does just have to be more like executive functioning support and like problem solving and like scaffolding because like, we have to focus on, you know, man, like you said, managing those underlying things first. Because there's just no point trying to go one level up to like, oh, and like, and who would you be if you like, blah, blah, blah. Right? Like that's not helpful when, when you're in pain or when you just can't get through the day. It could be disempowering.

[B]

I agree with you, Dusty, but I will also add that there is a school of thought in coaching that really acknowledges the brain body connection. And I have had multiple instances of success there where coaching alongside medical intervention can make a significant difference. For example, I have a client who when we first started working together, experienced pretty significant migraines but also had some awareness about what that pattern looked like for her. And it was really related to what we call on this show the arc cycle, right. The adrenaline response cycle, where it was, she was a student and so like end of semester where it's cram time, rush time, get everything done time, that level of stress in her body would ultimately lead to a migraine. So coaching to a couple of different things there. Number one, reducing the crunch time thing, right? Getting, getting things done more consistently so that crunch time isn't so crunchy when it does happen. And number two, for her very kinesthetic person in general, picking up a consistent running practice, which is a way for her to relieve stress in her were two things that significantly changed her relationship with migraines. And by the way, for those of you that experience migraines, I'm not at all saying that behavior changes will necessarily create change for you because I've had clients for whom that's not true, that no amount of behavior change is going to help. But for this client, changing habits and behaviors and doing some work on the ADHD side of things so that things don't all end up falling into a very small period of high stress made a significant difference for her. I think the other opportunity as a coach, and this is also an opportunity for me to bring in another ADHD connected disorder, which is ibs, is well known to be connected to adhd. So I have a client that is currently working through understanding his ibs. And our coaching in part has been consistent implementation of the strategies or practices that have been recommended by his medical practitioners and observing what impact that does or does not have, which can be really hard for those of us with adhd. This is also a common theme for my clients. I have some clients with some physical disorders that have regular physical therapy that they need to be doing. So coaching can look like coaching to the ADHD that's getting in the way of doing the pt. And again also observing, noticing, turning our attention towards is this having a positive impact and if so, what is that and if it's not having a positive impact, now that client has some information to take back to their medical practitioner to look for next steps or adjustments along the way.

[A]

Yeah, I'm so glad you said that. And I actually think we are talking about the same thing because what you're talking about is leveraging coaching to follow through on the actions that would help a person manage that condition. And that's what I'm saying as well. Right. Like I'm saying to me that's where kind of like, it becomes more about that really logistical. We kind of, you know, we talked a few. I don't know how many sessions ago or how many. I don't know how many episodes ago. We talked about sort of like, these different types of coaching. But, like, that's what I'm saying, right? Like, sometimes the coaching is much more, like, cerebral and. And I think that that's not as useful when it's like, you know, yeah, what can you do to manage your migraines? Like, that's, you know, that's where we're at, and that's, like, what it has to be about because then we can get to the other side of that. So this is actually something I talk a lot about in the context of pregnancy. Coaching is you. You're hitting the nail on the head here, Asher. Like, ADHD impacts our ability to manage these conditions. I had this issue myself. I got this weird rash on my tattoo. Like, I had a tattoo on my arm. I went to Mexico, and then all of a sudden part of the tattoo, like, one of the colors in the tattoo started bumping up and, like, kind of getting itchy, and it was, like, all covered in bumps. And that happens to me from time to time, but this was, like, consistent. I talked to the tattoo artist about it. They were like, yeah, you know, sometimes when you go through a barometric. Barometric pressure change, it happens, but it, like, just never went away. And it was there for, like, a year, and it was really weird, and it would, like, sort of come and go. So finally I went to the dermatologist and they, like, gave me this cream, like, this steroid cream. And I was using the cream, but I was not using it as per their directions and not just not using it as frequently as I was supposed to. And the rash never went away or the, like, bumps in the tattoo. And it wasn't until finally I talked to my partner at the time about it, and he's like, you really need to be using this, like, way more than you are. Like, you're not using it enough. And I had to set up, like, I had to use my ADHD strategies and be like, okay, alarms, notes, reminders, and for a period of a couple of weeks, like, applying it topically enough times, it went away. And I've never had that problem again. But I had it so much longer than I needed to. And I've had that with other, like, any kind of eczema or, like, steroid cream related condition. I'm just not good at, like, Applying it as many times as I'm supposed to. And what you're saying about, like, physical therapy, I've also had so many clients who struggle with physical issues and for way longer than they need to because doing the thing as many times as they need to do it is really hard. And so how this relates back to pregnancy is like, my colleague Alex Bacon, who is a midwife, taught me a term that clinical practitioners use which is, I think it's like treatment non compliant or like there's some like, really unfortunate term that they use. But like it's something about non compliance. Right. And that's tough because medical practitioners may not understand the way that ADHD impacts our ability to follow through on treatments that are recommended and needed. And so that is where coaching, you know, like, literally, sometimes, whether it's from your therapist and it's a therapeutic tool, or whether it's from your physical therapist and it's a stretching tool or a physical door, like, sometimes we need to sit down with that coach and be like, okay, how am I actually going to make sure that I do this enough times? Because otherwise it just doesn't happen. So the ADHD plays into the chronic illness, which plays into the adhd. Like, it's just this, like, spiral. And I do think you're right about that. Like, sometimes the coaching needs to be focused on just like, how do we get you to follow through on the thing that you know you need to do? And what does that actually look like?

[B]

Dusty? I also just went through a period where I was significantly affected by something I wasn't taking care of and I didn't realize it. So yet. One more thing I want to name that is worth checking out if it's something that might apply to you. My challenge was high hemocrit, which is I produce too many red blood cells. This is a potential side effect of testosterone hormone replacement therapy for anyone who falls into that category. But it can also happen if you live at high altitude or if you have sleep apnea or if you smoke. So there are a number of potential causations for high hemocrit. It is common in bodies that run on testosterone, but it's not exclusive to bodies that run on testosterone. High hemocrit causes brain fog because it increases the thickness of your blood, which impairs blood flow to the brain. And this is something that I know is a side effect of my hrt. I am supposed to donate blood once every six weeks or so and I had not donated blood in several months. But alongside that, I was diagnosed with A chronic health condition. And I had a hysterectomy. And so I was in this place where I was experiencing extreme fatigue, which is another side effect of high hemocrit and extreme brain fog. And dusty. I honestly just thought that I was chronically depressed. Like between the state of my life and the state of the world, I was like, this is just my new normal. And because I have adhd, I had just plumb forgotten to take care of my high hemocrite. It was so far out of my brain. And every time I would remember, I'd be in the car or something, like not in a place where I could make a note or make an appointment or do something about it. So this went on for months and I finally took care of it about a month ago. And it was absolutely incredible how much better I felt. So a couple of things about that. Number one, to double down on your story that ADHD can make it hard to do the thing you know you ought to do. But to add to that, ADHD can sometimes make it hard for us to get past the symptoms, in my case fatigue and brain fog, and get curious about what's at cause.

[A]

Right, because you just think it's the adhd.

[B]

Right? Right. You think it's the ADHD and or you tolerate discomfort, this mounting discomfort, because we don't turn our attention to it in a useful way. There's this mounting discomfort that we just tolerate and we don't realize to what degree we're tolerating it. So listeners, a couple of opportunities here. Number one, if something we've expressly named here applies to you, then pulling on that thread and seeing how you can have a different or better experience there is going to help you have a different or better experience with ADHD symptoms that are made worse by these things. But I think more so than that, with adhd, we just often don't pay attention to our bodies in a useful way. So if all you know right now is ADHD symptoms seem worse, the opportunity here is to tune into your body and see if pulling on that thread from a physiological standpoint isn't what makes the most sense. I know that I am terrible about getting regular checkups. So if I didn't have to get my labs run for my HRT to have it prescribed, I would not have my labs run regularly. I would not know what was going on with my hemacredit. If you haven't had just a general checkup, had your labs run just to see where you're at, where you might have some deficiencies do that because there are a number of deficiencies that we did not name today that can absolutely make ADHD symptoms worse.

[A]

I also want to just flag here, too, that, like, unfortunately, not everybody's care provider is like, that great. And sometimes people. People do bring up their concerns and they get dismissed. So if. If you have a care provider who you feel like isn't being as attentive or taking your concerns seriously, one tip I heard is to, like, ask them to note that down in your chart. Like, if you go, hey, like, I think I might have pots, and I'd like a, you know, tilt table test, or I'd like to, you know, explore that. And they go, ah, yeah, no, you don't really meet any of the. Like, I don't think that's a problem for you. You can go, okay, yeah, so we're not gonna do the test. Would you mind, please, noting that down in my file that you've declined to pursue this further? Right. Because sometimes we don't have the best care providers, unfortunately.

[B]

Gusty, I'm really glad you said that, because the final point I was going to have to make is the unfortunate truth is a lot of my clients, particularly those are experiencing things that sound like adhd, that are experiencing things like brain fog if they have an ADHD diagnosis already, are dismissed by the care provider is, yeah, that's just your adhd. So don't be afraid to advocate for yourself. Don't be afraid to say, no, this is not just my adhd. This is something more. I know what my ADHD looks like, and this is significantly different than that. I really feel that there is something else going on with. With me. On that note, Dusty, I think that this is a good place for us to wrap for this week. So, listeners, until next week, I'm Ash. And I'm Dusty, and this is the Translating ADHD podcast. Thanks for listening.