Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

Diagnoses are meant to help people access care, but some diagnoses carry far more consequences than others. Conduct disorder is one of them.
Diagnosing someone with conduct disorder can be like placing a lifelong label on them — a label that can shape how educators, clinicians, and institutions interpret behavior long after the diagnosis is made. Studies show that Black, brown, and low-income children are far more likely to be diagnosed with conduct disorder. And the stigma attached to that label can be severe. Even life-altering.
For this episode, we spoke with our brilliant colleague, Dr. Kristin Carothers, a licensed clinical psychologist. She explains what conduct disorder is and why it’s so controversial. And she looks at how race and other biases factor into diagnosis — and what it means to give someone a label that is anything but neutral.
For more on this topic
Read: The difference between disruptive behavior disorders and ADHD
Read: More than just a “bad kid”
Read: Study on racial disparities in ADHD and conduct disorders
Read: Misdiagnosis of mood disorders in Black teenagers
For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]
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ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood 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

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The ADHD internet is crowded and not all content is created equal. From unlicensed coaches to miracle cures and viral “hacks,” misinformation spreads fast and wide.
The problem is that many prominent voices have little to no formal training. And algorithmic incentives encourage creators to bait their audience.
Cate Osborn, known online as @catieosaurus, joins Hyperfocus to explain how the ADHD content economy works. She looks at why grifting thrives and how power, profit, and trust in online mental health spaces affect our understanding of ADHD.
For more on this topic:  
Read: What is an ADHD coach?
Read: 50% of mental health TikToks contain misinformation (The Guardian)
More on Cate: Cate’s book, tour dates, and podcast
For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood 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.

U.S. kids are more depressed, stressed, and anxious than ever. ADHD and autism diagnosis rates are steadily rising. What’s going on? 
In this episode of Hyperfocus, journalist Jia Lynn Yang joins Rae to examine how major school policy shifts in the U.S. have changed what’s expected of kids, often with unintended — and serious — consequences. 
Drawing from her New York Times reporting and her personal experience as a parent, Jia Lynn explores whether school itself may be contributing to the crisis — and what kids actually need to thrive.
For more on this topic:
Read: Jia Lynn’s piece: America’s children are unwell. Are schools part of the problem?
Read: CDC youth mental health snapshot
Read: The evolution of common core standards
For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood 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.

If you have ADHD or autism, research shows you’re at a much higher risk for developing chronic pain — a connection many doctors and patients still don’t know about. In this episode of Hyperfocus, we talk with a doctor who’s trying to change that.
Dr. Michael Lenz, a Wisconsin-based pain specialist, explains what the medical community is discovering about the connection between ADHD, autism, and chronic pain, including conditions like fibromyalgia and migraines. He also shares stories from his practice, including times when treating a patient’s ADHD unexpectedly improved their chronic pain symptoms.
For more on this topic:  
Dr. Lenz’s podcast and book
The Weak Link: Hypotonia in Infancy and Autism Early Identification - PMC
ADHD-pain: Characteristics of chronic pain and association with muscular dysregulation in adults with ADHD
Order friend of the show Craig Thomas’ book 
NIH study on joint hypermobility 
For a transcript and more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood 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.

This week on Hyperfocus, Rae is in the guest seat for an appearance on Hacking Your ADHD, a podcast hosted by William Curb. 
Listen for a fascinating conversation on a topic that’s really common in ADHD circles: the tendency to attribute everyday behaviors to ADHD.
For more resources, visit Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.
Understood 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.