ADHD, Perfectionism and Anxiety: A Mother's Story with Patricia Sung

The connection between motherhood and ADHD is often made through
cases where children are diagnosed with the condition. But what
about situations where a mother is struggling with some level of
ADHD? Our guest today, Patricia Sung, has her own podcast that
deals with that exact question! Motherhood in ADHD is her
exploration of her journey, grappling with the difficulties of
her ADHD and the beauty and glory of raising children. Patricia
shares her story of a late diagnosis going into her college years
and how difficult it was to manage initially. 

Almost twenty years later she has a much larger set of tools and
strategies for managing but she tells us how becoming a mother
threw another spanner in the works and posed a whole new set of
challenges for her. She talks about how it is possible to
flourish with ADHD and how your tools and planning can become
your lighthouse in a stormy sea. We discuss the difficulty of
separating ADHD from personality traits and how perfectionism is
strongly linked to her awareness of her condition. Patricia wants
to help mothers be the best they can be, even with the issues
that stem from ADHD. For her it is all about reassurance and
removing self-doubt, creating a sense of community and solace.
The conversation also covers the shame spiral that can occur and
ways that she has found to exit the cycle. For a beautiful,
hopeful and honest discussion on something not often spoken about
enough, tune in with us today.





Key Points From This Episode:


Some background on Patricia and her podcast about mothers
with ADHD. 

Patricia's later diagnosed with ADHD and what happened when
she arrived at college. 

Common reactions to ADHD diagnoses and the spectrum of
feelings that arise.

Challenges to mothers with ADHD; Patricia's experiences since
having kids 

The importance of planning and what happens when something
unforeseen arises. 

Connections between perfectionism and ADHD and the
development of over-carefulness.  

The differences between each person's kind of ADHD; no one
size fits all system for coping. 

Getting help and the role of a counselor in managing the
challenges of ADHD. 

Patricia's experience of 'brain-spotting' and accessing
uncomfortable feelings.   

Feelings of guilt and shame around motherhood and
hopelessness in the face of struggle.    

Including your children in your life; keeping boundaries but
showing up authentically.

The recipe for great teams, culture, and communication; less
judgment for voicing issues. 

Patricia's message of hope, community and letting the light
shine in safely.






Tweetables:


“When you have the right support with ADHD, you can flourish.” —
Patricia Sung


 [0:09:11]


“Everyone's ADHD is different.” — Patricia Sung [0:21:25]





Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:


Mosaics of Mercy


Patricia Sung


Motherhood in ADHD


Brené Brown


Harry Potter


Burnout


C.S. Lewis


The Power of Habit


Smarter, Faster, Better


Charles Duhigg