The voice in my head said “You’re stupid”: ADHD and negative self-talk (Carla Ciccone’s story)

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


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empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like
ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work,
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