ADHD and living up to potential
ADHD and living up to potential  
Podcast: The ADHD Channel for Women
Published On: Tue Aug 11 2026
Description: “You’re not living up to your potential.” If those words have haunted you, you’re not alone — and the story you’ve been telling yourself about why might be wrong. Dr. J breaks down two patterns she sees in her ADHD clients: the person who checked out after years of “you’re smart, you just don’t apply yourself”; and the high achiever whose color-coded planners are hiding total exhaustion.  She digs into research on ADHD and perfectionism, and why so many women spend decades masking or overachieving without ever getting a diagnosis. Then, five concrete strategies:  Understanding your type of ADHD Creating distance from the inner monologue Figuring out whose goals you’re chasing Building a plan that works with your brain instead of against it Unmasking with the right people Your potential was never a ceiling you kept failing to reach. It’s a launching pad — and you get to define it. For more on this topic  Watch: ADHD and burnout Watch: ADHD and people pleasing For a transcript and more resources, visit The ADHD Channel for Women on Understood.org. You can also email us at podcast@understood.org. 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.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.