Authentically ADHD with Carmen cover art

Authentically ADHD with Carmen

Authentically ADHD with Carmen

By: Where the chaos of ADHD meets self-acceptance growth and a whole lot of authenticity
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About this listen

 Hi! I'm Carmen, a late-diagnosed ADHDer, ADHD life coach, and early childhood special education teacher who wants to spread awareness, relate to other ADHDers, and have fun while talking and learning about the difficulties, awesomeness, and new research behind the neurodiverse ADHD brain. ARE YOU READY?? Let's get started!

carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.comCarmen Irace Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • The Clock is Ticking: Understanding ADHD Time Anxiety

    The Clock is Ticking: Understanding ADHD Time Anxiety
    Aug 2 2025

    Summary: Ever feel like you're running late to your own life? Same. In this hilariously honest episode, Carmen dives headfirst into the whirlwind world of ADHD time anxiety — that all-too-familiar panic that shows up when a deadline is looming… or already passed. 🫠

    We explore why ADHD brains experience time differently, how "Now vs. Not Now" becomes our default scheduling system (thanks, executive dysfunction!), and why we’re constantly torn between hyperfocus and full-blown avoidance. Spoiler alert: it’s not laziness — it’s dopamine-driven chaos.

    But don't worry, it's not just a vent session. Carmen breaks down ten game-changing strategies for planning without panic — including flexible scheduling, intuitive planning, dopamine-friendly rewards, and structured spontaneity (yes, that’s a thing). You’ll walk away with a toolkit for managing your time your way — with compassion, humor, and a whole lot of “me too.”

    Whether you're a deadline daredevil, a professional procrastinator, or someone who just wants to stop time from feeling like a booby trap — this episode is for you.

    🔥 Topics Covered:

    * ADHD and the neuroscience of time blindness

    * Why the future feels fake until it’s on fire

    * How executive dysfunction messes with time perception

    * 10 ADHD-friendly strategies to reduce time-based anxiety

    * And yes, we talk about tacos.

    👂 Tune in for validation, laughs, and real tools to help you stop spiraling and start working with your brain (not against it). Let’s turn the clock into an ally, not the enemy.

    🕰️ Tag someone who lives in the “Now or Not Now” time zone and hit play!

    @authenticallyadhd_podcast

    Follow me:

    Linktree:

    https://linktr.ee/carmen_irace

    Join Focused: https://ihaveadhdllc.ontralink.com/t?orid=29951&opid=1



    Get full access to carmen_authenticallyadhd at carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe
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    36 mins
  • ADHD & Self-Awareness: Understanding Your Unique Brain

    ADHD & Self-Awareness: Understanding Your Unique Brain
    Jul 26 2025
    ADHD & Self-Awareness: Understanding Your Unique BrainCarmen (voice-over): Hey everyone, it’s Carmen here from Authentically ADHD. Have you ever felt like you just don’t know yourself? Like your brain is a mystery you can’t solve? (I see your hand – yes, you too!) You’re not alone. Today we’re talking about ADHD and self-awareness – what that even means, why it’s so tricky for us ADHDers, and how to start building trust in ourselves anyway. We’ll go deep into the science, share real-life stories (hey, I’m no exception!), and even throw in a little humor – because sometimes laughing at our quirks is the best medicine.Quick overview: In this episode, I’ll explain why ADHD makes self-awareness hard (from executive functions to time blindness), how that struggle feels (frustration, self-doubt, and those emotional roller coasters), and then dive into practical strategies for building self-trust and insight. I’ll break it down into tips for teens and adults, since our brains and lives can be a bit different. Ready? Let’s go!Why ADHD Brains Struggle with Self-AwarenessFirst, let’s define what we mean by self-awareness. Simply put, it’s your ability to self-reflect, self-evaluate, and think about your own thinking. Think of it as the “brain’s mirror” – it lets you see your behaviors, emotions, and thoughts clearly, and learn from them. In psychology terms, it’s often called metacognition. Researchers note that self-awareness is a key executive function – basically one of our brain’s management skills. Unfortunately, ADHD often comes with executive function challenges, and yes, self-awareness is one of those tricky pieces.Dr. Russell Barkley, a leading ADHD researcher, actually puts it bluntly: ADHD is a disorder of self-regulation. We struggle to “adult” not because we’re lazy or bad, but because the brain skills that manage ourselves were delayed or impaired. In fact, Barkley’s team points out that ADHD involves deficits in things like self-restraint, self-awareness, self-control of emotion, and self-motivation. In other words, our internal “boss” is weaker. Kristen Carder – another expert and host of the I Have ADHD podcast – explains it simply: “ADHD is a disorder of self-regulation… we struggle to focus because our executive functions are deficient, and we can’t regulate ourselves properly.”.Let’s break down the key brain reasons behind this:Deficient Executive Functions (EFs): Executive functions are like the brain’s CEO, planning tasks and managing actions. In ADHD, these are on the lower side. One of the six main EFs is exactly self-awareness (along with inhibition, working memory, etc.). Because ADHDers often have impaired EFs, our ability to notice and reflect on ourselves is less mature. Barkley even describes ADHD as a sort of “self-regulation deficit disorder,” meaning most EF skills are lagging. This isn’t your fault – it’s how the ADHD brain developed.Weak Working Memory: Working memory is your mental scratchpad – it holds pieces of information so you can use them in the moment. With ADHD, working memory (especially visual/spatial memory) often underperforms. Kristen Carder highlights this: our working memory should help us understand where we are in time and space, but ADHD brains tend to live too much in the “right now”. We literally forget what just happened or where we put things in seconds! This weak working memory means we struggle to recall past actions or project future consequences – both of which are vital for self-awareness.Time Blindness: Related to working memory is a phenomenon you’ve probably heard: time blindness. Dr. Barkley calls ADHD a “nearsightedness to the future.” He explains that people with ADHD are great at the “now,” but tend to lose track of time and future planning. On a practical level, this means deadlines sneak up on us, and we hyperfocus on immediate tasks without realizing how long they take. As one occupational therapist blog put it, ADHD time blindness is a “consistent inability to stay aware of time and consider the future in the present moment”. If you feel like hours can vanish in a blink – like you just started watching Netflix and suddenly it’s midnight – that’s the classic ADHD time warp. Without a good sense of past vs. future, it’s tough to reflect on what really happened or plan for what will happen, hurting our self-awareness.Emotional & Cognitive Overload: Let’s not forget emotional regulation, a cousin to self-awareness. ADHD often comes with intense emotions. A study describes ADHDers having overactive amygdalas (emotion centers) and underactive frontal cortex (self-control center). The result? We feel things more strongly and have a harder time stepping back. When an emotional wave hits, self-reflection goes out the window. (Ever snapped at a loved one then immediately felt guilty but couldn’t explain why? Welcome to ADHD ...
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    38 mins
  • ADHD and Careers

    ADHD and Careers
    Jul 19 2025

    Welcome to another episode of Authentically ADHD! Today, we're diving into a topic close to many of our hearts: choosing a career that aligns with our ADHD strengths and passions.

    Navigating career paths can be overwhelming, especially with ADHD traits like creativity, hyperfocus, and unconventional thinking. We'll explore how these qualities can be superpowers in the right career.

    Join us as we discuss practical tips for:

    * Identifying Your Strengths: Understanding how ADHD traits like spontaneity, problem-solving skills, and hyperfocus can benefit specific career paths.

    * Exploring Interests: Strategies to explore diverse interests and passions effectively, ensuring your career reflects what truly energizes you.

    * Finding Structure: How to seek careers with flexibility and dynamic environments that accommodate ADHD needs while fostering growth.

    * Overcoming Challenges: Addressing common hurdles like time management, organization, and maintaining focus in a career setting.

    Whether you're reconsidering your current career path or embarking on a new journey, this episode will equip you with insights and strategies to navigate the world of work authentically, ADHD style!

    Article:

    Linktree:

    https://linktr.ee/carmen_irace

    Join Focused: https://ihaveadhdllc.ontralink.com/t?orid=29951&opid=1



    Get full access to carmen_authenticallyadhd at carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe
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    50 mins
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