The voice in my head said “You’re stupid”: ADHD and negative self-talk (Carla Ciccone’s story)
Podcast: ADHD Aha!Published On: Tue Apr 28 2026
Description: Carla Ciccone, author of Nowhere Girl: Life as a Member of ADHD’s Lost Generation, shares what it’s like to grow up thinking you’re the problem. She talks about learning to mask when she was just 6 years old and living with constant negative self-talk. Like many girls with ADHD, Carla hid her struggles and felt like a lost cause. Carla opens up about her inner voice — the one that says “you’re stupid” — and how fear, failure, and pressure from others can build deep self-doubt. Motherhood became a turning point, pushing her to change the way she spoke to herself so her daughter wouldn’t continue the cycle. Also in this episode: Carla draws parallels between her experiences with asthma and ADHD. For more on this topic Listen: ADHD and self-medicating Read: 3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHD Watch: How to combat negative self-talk with ADHD For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org . 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.
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