June 8
Author Cynthia Hammer’s journey with inattentive ADHD first began when she received her diagnosis at the age of 49, a pivotal moment that sparked her passion for advocacy and education. She founded the non-profit ADD Resources, which aimed to educate adults about ADHD and grew to become a thriving organization.
Then, while in Covid isolation Cynthia wrote her memoir, Living with Inattentive ADHD, and through her book she discovered the disheartening truth that children and adults with inattentive ADHD in particular continue to be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This realization led her to establish The Inattentive ADHD Coalition, a new non-profit with a mission to ensure that children with inattentive ADHD are diagnosed by the age of 8 and that adults seeking help receive accurate diagnoses.
During our conversation, Cynthia and I discuss the unique challenges faced by individuals with inattentive ADHD, the reasons why it’s missed so often, the value of early diagnosis, and the critical work her organization is doing to change things, thirty years after her diagnosis. Cynthia's expertise and advocacy efforts shed light on a lesser-known aspect of ADHD and bring hope to those who have long struggled without a proper diagnosis. I’m just delighted to share Cynthia’s insights with you this episode. What I love most about her is that she has no plans to retire and fade into the sunset. Instead, she spends hours a day helping those with ADHD. When I grow up, I hope to be just like her.
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"Curiously, I think when we find our passion, it's so energizing I don't feel tired."
- Cynthia Hammer
"I worked to find men that had inattentive ADHD and I interviewed 24 of them and their stories were very, very similar to what a woman's story would be. Their profiles and the emotions they had, the feelings of rejection, the shame, the anger, depression, all the same as the women. So I think to me, the fact of not getting diagnosed contributes to a lot of these problems. And people will say, having ADHD isn't the problem, not knowing I had it was the problem."
- Cynthia Hammer
"With ADHD, it's a pack of cards. You throw the cards on the ground and you get those cards and I get these cards. We get different cards but it's all from the same pack, and so we all present differently."
- Cynthia Hammer
- Cynthia was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD at 49, after founding a nonprofit to educate adults about the disorder.
- Cynthia wrote a memoir about her ADHD journey, but her editor suggested focusing on her ADHD experience to make it more impactful.
- Cynthia shares her experiences with ADHD and how it has impacted her life, encouraging others to speak up and seek help.
[23:43 - 40:28] ADHD, Challenges, and Neurodiversity
- Cynthia discusses the challenges of identifying and supporting children with ADHD in elementary school, particularly girls who may show signs of the disorder later on.
- Cynthia describes hyperactive individuals as high-energy, fluent in language, and loving life, while acknowledging that she doesn't see herself that way
- Cynthia discusses the need for a more inclusive understanding of ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions, arguing that current labels are insufficient and can lead to stigma.
- Cynthia discovers that men with ADHD experience similar emotional struggles as women, despite societal expectations of masculinity.
- Cynthia reflects on her own experience with ADHD and how it may have contributed to her success, without providing specific traits or examples.
- Cynthia Hammer encourages listeners to pursue their passions despite being late bloomers with ADHD.
Website: www.iadhd.org
Questionnaires that are helpful for identifying adults and children with possible inattentive ADHD: www.iadhd.org/adult/#info and www.iadhd.org/child
Parent support groups on FB:
Inattentive ADHD support for parents
ADDitude - ADHD Support Group for Parents
