A breakup, an intense reaction, and the ADHD questions surrounding it all (Danielle Elliot’s story)

Danielle Elliot was considering breaking up with her partner...and then he broke up with her first. Danielle had a “big, out of character” reaction: By 4am that night she was packed and ready to leave. The whole experience left her feeling unsettled. Why had she reacted that way? That sparked a deep dive into rejection sensitivity and ADHD.

Danielle is a health and science journalist who’s now asking a bigger question: Why are so many women being diagnosed with ADHD — and why now?

She explores this in Understood.org’s new limited-series podcast, Climbing the Walls. Listen to Danielle’s personal story here — then check out Climbing the Walls on your podcast platform of choice. 

Related resources

• Listen to the Climbing the Walls podcast
• ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)
• ADHD breakups: Impulsive texts and overthinking regrets, from Sorry, I Missed This

Timestamps

(01:26) Danielle’s pandemic diagnosis after a strong reaction to a break up

(08:26) Danielle’s need to travel

(12:15) Danielle’s relationship with relationships, and rejection

(16:02) Hosting Understood.org’s Climbing the Walls podcast

For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. 

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As kids head back to school, it's a good time to remember: not every student experiences the classroom the same way. Through My Eyes, a free interactive experience from Understood, lets you step into a day in the life of a kid with ADHD, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. See their strengths and challenges in a whole new way. Try it out here.

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