Adult ADHD, perfectionism, and soft productivity (Fellisia Robinson’s story)

When Fellisia Robinson was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, everything started to make sense.

In this episode, she talks with Laura about what it was like to finally get answers later in life. For years, she struggled with burnout. She felt relentless pressure to achieve — like she always had to prove herself. Her diagnosis helped her understand herself in a new way and then rethink what productivity even means.

Fellisia shares what it was like growing up as a first-generation eldest daughter and navigating corporate spaces as a Black woman. She talks about perfectionism, masking, and choosing soft productivity over constant hustle. Along the way, she’s learning to slow down and give herself grace. And she’s seeing ADHD as a doorway to self-awareness and strength, not a limitation.

Fellisia is the founder of Brown Girl ADHD, which provides education and community for Black women and women of color with ADHD.

For more on this topic

Listen: Masking ADHD to go above and beyond (René Brooks’ story)
Listen: Breaking the burnout cycle
Read: ADHD and perfectionism
Follow: Fellisia on IG and TikTok

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at adhdaha@understood.org

As kids head back to school, it's a good time to remember: not every student experiences the classroom the same way. Through My Eyes, a free interactive experience from Understood, lets you step into a day in the life of a kid with ADHD, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. See their strengths and challenges in a whole new way. Try it out here.

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. 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.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(142)

Calm saving lives, paralyzed by a pasta recipe: ADHD and executive function (Jim Leitch’s story)

Jim Leitch could intubate a patient in the middle of the night — alone, short-staffed, smiling — and feel completely calm. Ask him to follow a pasta recipe? That’s where things got hard: Everyday task...

15 Syys 26min

ADHD contradictions: Hot mess and high performer in equal measure (Sabrina Caluori’s story)

A former boss once described their first meeting this way: “She showed up late and disheveled, and I hired her anyway.” That’s Sabrina Caluori in a nutshell. Sabrina is the chief marketing officer at ...

1 Syys 24min

High-achieving with ADHD and completely overwhelmed (Susie Owens’ story)

From the outside, Susie Owens looked like she was gliding. Straight-A student, entrepreneur, devoted mom — and exhausted in ways nobody could see. When you’re an ADHD high achiever, masking is a whole...

18 Elo 28min

Comedian Taryn Delanie Smith’s wild ADHD ride (Re-upload)

Hey, everyone. There was a publishing issue with this episode last week, but it’s too good to miss. If you downloaded this episode with Taryn Delanie Smith when it first came out, it’s possible you ac...

13 Elo 33min

When ADHD feels like your insides are crawling (Kate Moryoussef’s story)

Why does sitting still feel like a physical emergency? Kate Moryoussef, ADHD lifestyle and wellness coach and host of the “ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast,” spent years convinced she was the problem. I...

21 Heinä 26min

Rage quitting, constant tiny mistakes, and emotional regulation with ADHD (John Garden’s story)

What if the clue to an ADHD diagnosis was making a different tiny mistake every night on stage? John Garden is a therapist and professional musician. He shares how years of strong emotional reactions,...

7 Heinä 25min

Painful everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction (KC Davis’ story)

KC Davis, counselor, author, and host of Struggle Care, talks about the everyday realities of ADHD and executive dysfunction: messiness, boredom, and keeping up with household tasks like laundry. She ...

23 Kesä 32min

I gave 110% with ADHD. They still told me I’d never go to college. (Rebecca Gonzalez-Ojeda’s story)

A tangled ball of spaghetti. That’s how aspiring therapist Rebecca Gonzalez-Ojeda describes her ADHD brain. Diagnosed with ADHD in fifth grade, Rebecca grew up hearing messages to “just try harder” wh...

9 Kesä 19min