Feb 18
Join Tracy Otsuka as she welcomes Dr. Kristen Nicole to Episode 86 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Always a feisty, fiery person who looks to be challenged to stay engaged, Kristen went to the Air Force Academy on a whim. After graduation, she left for Sub-Saharan Africa for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps. Deeply moved by this experience, Kristen went on to medical school in South Florida with the goal of responding to global humanitarian crises. She is also deeply passionate about the influence of lifestyle choices - food, rest, stress management - on one's ability to live a happy, productive life. Kristen has a health coaching business called Coach Kristen, MD. In her "spare" time, she loves tennis, running, and her 3 dogs.
In this podcast, Kristen shares: The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis, Her childhood experience of ADHD, Her approach to mental health and pharmacology, What she learned about herself at the Air Force Academy, Her experience in medical school, The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible of her success, What she believes the key to living successfully with ADHD is, Her number one ADHD workaround.
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"I love a challenge, I thrive on a challenge, absent a challenge, I have a very hard time focusing or staying engaged."
- Dr. Kristen Nicole
"Adderall is the most effective for a lot of people. It was the most effective for me. It also made me like ragingly psychotic."
- Dr. Kristen Nicole
"Freeing up that energy from like that disordered eating really helped me to kind of, there was a lot of shame around that, you know, and I think that that shame, kept me involved in toxic situations, like, kind of like abusive relationships."
- Dr. Kristen Nicole
- Dr. Kristen shares her personal struggles with depression and how it has shaped her approach to medicine, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in helping others.
- Dr. Kristen shares her personal experience with alternative therapies for treating ADHD and depression, and highlights the limitations of the medical system in addressing these conditions.
- Dr. Kristen emphasizes the importance of a functional approach to treating ADHD, involving lifestyle changes, dietary changes, supplementation, and alternative therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and ADHD coaching.
[21:22 - 36:05] Military Service, Depression, and Career Choices
- Dr. Kristen shares her experience at the Air Force Academy, including her thrill-seeking motivations and the challenges she faced due to untreated ADHD.
- Dr. Kristen shares her personal journey of discovering her values and purpose through experiences in the Air Force Academy and Peace Corps, despite feeling conflicted about her military service.
- Dr. Kristen shares her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, where she educated villagers on malaria prevention and other health issues.
[36:05 - 58:10] ADHD Medication and Its Effects
- Dr. Kristen recounts a heartbreaking story of a mother who walked across the border with a sick baby, only to lose the baby due to lack of access to proper medical care.
- Dr. Kristen discusses her experience with ADHD and how medication has helped her, including a 50% reduction in addictive behaviors.
- Dr. Kristen emphasizes the importance of loving and valuing one's unique ADHD brain.
