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Ep. 499 ADHD Is Not What You Think – The Most Misunderstood Condition in Women with Shanna Pearson

  • Team Cynthia
  • 2 days ago
  • 2 min read

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I am delighted to connect with Shanna Pearson today. She is the Founder and President of Expert ADHD Coaching, which is the most extensive ADHD coaching program of its kind in the world, providing one-on-one, action-based coaching for adults who are easily distracted and seeking personal, professional, and financial success. Shanna is also the author of Invisible ADHD. 


In our discussion, we take a clear and practical look at what ADHD really is. We unpack the chemical changes that occur in the brain, highlighting the gender differences, and exploring why women have become the lost generation and why so many people get misdiagnosed. We also discuss common conditions that often accompany ADHD, the challenges of social conditioning, and share practical tools for addressing ADHD.


Whether you have ADHD or you struggle with overwhelm, this discussion offers helpful insights and strategies that are sure to make a real difference.


IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

  • What ADHD truly is

  • The brain biochemistry of those with ADHD

  • How ADHD differs in men and women

  • Why Shanna refers to women whose ADHD is undiagnosed until perimenopause or menopause as a lost generation   

  • How ADHD in women often gets misdiagnosed

  • How hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause impact ADHD symptoms

  • How societal expectations tend to exacerbate ADHD symptoms in women

  • Strategies for managing ADHD

  • Lifestyle factors that are essential for managing ADHD symptoms

  • How her book, Invisible ADHD, can help anyone struggling with ADHD or overwhelm


Bio: Shanna Pearson

Shanna Pearson is the Founder and President of Expert ADHD Coaching, the most extensive ADHD coaching program of its kind in the world, providing one-on-one action-based coaching for easily distracted adults seeking personal, professional, and financial success. With over 26 years of experience, she has designed and led focus and goal-achievement programs for executives and directors at Fortune 500 companies and world-class institutions, including Google, X, Tesla, PayPal, Pfizer, Intel, Ford Motor Company, Yale School of Medicine, Disney, Meta, Johnson & Johnson, Apple, and SpaceX—and has helped tens of thousands of adults transform their lives through her results-driven, brain-based approach. In addition to degrees in Psychology and Education, Shanna’s credentials include a lifetime spent mastering her own ADHD. She personally trains, certifies, and mentors all coaches in her proprietary Action-Based Coaching method and oversees more than 60,000 coaching sessions each year. She has been featured on NPR, FOX, NBC, Global TV, CTV, and more. Her new book is INVISIBLE ADHD: Proven Mood and Life Management for Smart Yet Scattered Women (Macmillan Flatiron; 9/9/25)

“Every woman going through the menopausal phase of life benefits from the tools that people with ADHD need to function.”


– Shanna Pearson

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Connect with Shanna Pearson


Transcript:




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