Is it ADHD or just life?

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, distracted, or burned out. But how do you know when it might be ADHD rather than just everyday life?

In this episode of Thriving with ADHD, host Nada Pupovac is joined by Dr. Jennifer Dall, a Grief-Informed Neurodivergence Specialist and founder of ADHD Holistically. Together, they explore how to distinguish between normal life stress and ADHD, and why so many people — especially women — go years without recognizing the signs.

Dr. Jennifer shares both her professional expertise and personal experience of being diagnosed with ADHD in her 50s, offering a compassionate and practical perspective on understanding your brain, recognizing patterns, and managing daily life with more ease.

You’ll learn:

•  How to tell the difference between ADHD and everyday overwhelm 
•  Common behaviors that are often misunderstood or mislabelled 
•  Why patterns and consistency matter 
•  Practical tools and mindset shifts to reduce overwhelm 
•  What to do if you think you might have ADHD 

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered: Is it ADHD… or is it just life?

Dr. Jennifer Dall's website and social media links:

• Website: https://adhdholistically.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhd.holistically
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/ADHDHolistically/100077667853992/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-dall-ed-d-226857317/

Thank you for listening to Thriving with ADHD. This show is produced by Animo Sano Psychiatry. For more information about our clinic, please visit animosanopsychiatry.com. 

Animo Sano Psychiatry is constantly looking for the talent in behavioral health. If you are a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or mental health therapist, we'd love to hear from you. Visit our Careers pages to learn more about the available positions. https://animosanopsychiatry.com/careers/ 

Transcript

One of the things is that I think if you are quiet and you sit back with yourself, whatever these issues are that are coming up, you will see that they’ve always been there, whether you knew what they were or not. It’s not like a cold where you just woke up today and you had it.

Welcome to Thriving with ADHD, a podcast where we share everyday practical tips to thrive in life as an adult with ADHD. This podcast is brought to you by Animo Sano Psychiatry, a behavioral health practice with a specialist ADHD clinic based in North Carolina. And this is your host, Nada Pupovac.

Welcome back to Thriving with ADHD, dear ADHD community.

This month’s topic is one that so many people quietly wonder about: is it ADHD, or is it just life?

Because let’s be honest — modern life can feel overwhelming. We are juggling responsibilities, dealing with constant distractions, and trying to stay on top of everything.

So how do you actually tell the difference between everyday stress and mental health conditions?

In this episode, we are unpacking how to spot the signs of ADHD without jumping to conclusions.

I am joined by Dr. Jennifer Dall, a grief-informed neurodivergence specialist, educator, and founder of ADHD Holistically. She helps women, especially those diagnosed later in life, understand how their brains work and build lives that truly support them.

Diagnosed with ADHD in her fifties after years of being told she couldn’t possibly have it, Dr. Jennifer combines lived experience with over 25 years of professional expertise across education, ADHD coaching, yoga, and grief work.

Dr. Jennifer Dall, you’re very welcome to the Thriving with ADHD podcast. It’s such a pleasure to have you here.

We will be talking about making a distinction between everyday life stress and what might actually be ADHD.

With the lives we are leading nowadays, everything is so busy and distracting, it’s hard to tell the difference. So with someone coming with such a wealth of knowledge — both personal and professional — I hope you can help us make sense of this topic.

Is that okay with you?

That is fine with me. I look forward to having this conversation.

And you said we can call you Jen, so we will continue with that.

Yes, you can call me Jen.

Excellent. So once again, the warmest welcome.

Let’s get started with the first question.

So many people today feel overwhelmed, distracted, or burned out. How can someone start to tell the difference between normal life stress and signs that it might actually be ADHD?

So that’s a really interesting question, and we get that a lot now, especially in the last few years.

One of the things is that if you sit quietly with yourself, whatever these issues are that are coming up, you will see that they’ve always been there, whether you recognized them or not.

Sometimes they get labeled as behavior issues, attitude issues, or laziness. But whatever is making you think you have ADHD — it’s been there in some form.

It’s not like a cold where you just wake up one day and suddenly have it.

So part of it is asking: has this always been there?

If you reflect, or even talk to people who have known you for a long time and who you trust, they might be able to give you some insight.

Another thing is this: if it’s just stress, and you remove the stress — say you go to a quiet place where there are no demands — those symptoms should ease significantly.

But if someone with ADHD goes to that same place, some of the intensity might reduce, but the underlying patterns are still there.

You may still struggle with emotional regulation, organization, or focus.

They may be less intense without external pressure, but they don’t disappear.

That’s one of the key differences.

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