What would change if you learned that struggling with ADHD isn't a motivation problem but a knowledge gap?
In this episode of Attention Different, Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith sit down with 𝐃𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧, a psychiatrist who has spent decades working with adults with ADHD. Known for his work around Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and the interest-based nervous system, Dr. Dodson brings a perspective shaped by years of listening to people with ADHD describe their experiences, struggles, strengths, and the ways their nervous systems actually work.
Together, they explore the emotional side of ADHD, from the intensity of rejection and criticism to the lasting impact of being told you’re “too much.” The conversation moves beyond a deficit-focused view of ADHD to look at masking, shame, authenticity, and the strengths that can emerge when the right conditions are in place. They also unpack what it means to have an interest-based nervous system and how interest, challenge, novelty, urgency, and passion can help people with ADHD get engaged, get “in the zone,” and better understand what allows their abilities to show up.
✨Highlights✨
✔️ Why rejection and criticism can carry so much emotional weight for people with ADHD
✔️ How RSD and life experiences can intersect
✔️ What Dr. Dodson means by an “interest-based nervous system”
✔️ The role of interest, challenge, novelty, urgency, and passion in ADHD engagement
✔️ How masking can affect identity, acceptance, and self-worth
✔️ Why noticing what works can be just as important as identifying what doesn’t
✔️ How to begin building your own “owner’s manual” for your ADHD brain
✔️ Why a strengths-based understanding of ADHD can change the way you approach your abilities
“𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐴𝐷𝐻𝐷, 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒.” — 𝐃𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧
💬 What helps YOU get into the zone? Is it interest, challenge, novelty, urgency, passion, or something else? Tell us in the comments.
For anyone with ADHD who has ever questioned why their abilities seem to show up so easily in some moments and feel out of reach in others, this conversation offers a different perspective. By understanding what engages your nervous system, recognizing the impact of rejection and masking, and paying closer attention to the conditions where you function at your best, you can begin to understand your ADHD brain through its strengths, not just its struggles.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺:
- Hosts: Stephen Tonti, Aaron Smith & Devin Pitts-Rogers
- Producer: David Grabowski
- Editors: Ian Lopez & Luis Paulo de la Fuente
- Sound Mix & Theme Music: David Grabowski
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We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.
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