Is It Just Me, or Am I Losing My Mind?
The Truth About ADHD in Adults
Ever walked into a room and forgotten why? Or opened 15 tabs on your browser and still couldn’t remember what you were looking for in the first place? If you’ve spent years feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or like you're running on caffeine and chaos, you might’ve wondered: Is this just life... or is something else going on?
For many adults—especially women—ADHD isn’t something they discover until much later in life. By the time they make it to therapy, they’ve already spent years labeling themselves as lazy, disorganized, or just "bad with time." The truth? You’re not broken. And no, you’re not the only one.
ADHD in Adults Looks a Little Different
When people think about ADHD, they usually picture a hyperactive kid bouncing off the walls. But adult ADHD doesn’t always look like that. In fact, it often looks like:
Chronic procrastination (followed by panic-productivity at midnight)
Forgetting appointments, names, even entire conversations
Struggling to finish tasks, even ones you want to do
Constantly losing keys, phones, and the will to do laundry
Feeling mentally exhausted by 10am
Living in a state of "organized chaos"
It’s not that you’re not trying. You’re probably trying harder than anyone around you even realizes. ADHD isn’t about effort—it’s about executive function. And that’s something therapy can absolutely help with.
ADHD Is Often Misdiagnosed—Especially in Women
Let’s talk about the invisible crowd here: women with ADHD.
Many women grow up internalizing their symptoms. Instead of hyperactivity, they develop anxiety. Instead of blurting things out in class, they daydream or zone out. They’re often labeled as spacey, emotional, or "too sensitive." Add a few decades of people-pleasing, perfectionism, and burnout—and you’ve got the perfect storm.
Because these symptoms are often missed or misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression (which, by the way, frequently show up alongside ADHD), many women don’t get properly identified until adulthood—often after their own kids are diagnosed.
So… What Can Therapy Do?
Glad you asked. Here’s what ADHD therapy doesn’t look like: endless checklists or being told to "just try harder."
Instead, therapy is a place where we get curious about how your brain works, not critical of it. Together, we’ll:
Identify the patterns that are tripping you up
Work on time management that actually works for your brain
Build structure in a way that feels flexible, not suffocating
Learn how to regulate overwhelm and stop the burnout cycle
Address any underlying shame, perfectionism, or imposter syndrome
You’ll also learn to stop fighting your brain and start working with it. That’s where the real magic happens.
ADHD + Real Life
Here’s the thing: ADHD isn’t just about missed deadlines. It’s emotional. It’s personal. It affects your relationships, your self-worth, your sex life, your parenting, your ability to rest.
Maybe you’re someone who:
Always feels like they’re failing at "adulting"
Can’t shut your brain off at night (and then can’t get out of bed in the morning)
Feels like you have a million ideas but struggle to follow through
Gets stuck in "all-or-nothing" mode: either crushing it or totally crashing
You’re not lazy. You’re not flaky. Your nervous system is trying to keep up in a world that wasn’t exactly designed for the ADHD brain.
ADHD and Trauma Often Go Hand-in-Hand
If you’ve experienced trauma or grew up in a home where you had to be constantly on alert, your ADHD might feel even more intense—or may have been missed entirely. Trauma can mimic or amplify ADHD symptoms, especially in women and LGBTQ+ adults.
Therapy that’s trauma-informed can help you untangle what’s ADHD, what’s trauma, and how they may be feeding into each other. Spoiler: they both deserve compassion, not criticism.
How I Work with Adults with ADHD
I'm not here to give you gold stars or make you feel bad about being a creative, passionate, slightly chaotic human. I’m here to help you:
Find systems that fit you, not the other way around
Learn self-compassion (especially when you miss a deadline or lose your car keys again)
Untangle the mess of shame and self-doubt that’s been following you for years
Figure out how your ADHD intersects with your identity, your relationships, and your goals
Therapy with me is direct, human, a little funny (because ADHD therapy shouldn’t be boring), and deeply collaborative.
You’re Not Behind. You’re Right on Time.
Maybe no one ever taught you how to manage your brain. That’s not your fault. But now you have the chance to do something about it—and I’d be honored to support you.
You don’t have to keep pretending to have it all together. You don’t have to keep apologizing for being "too much" or "not enough."
You just have to show up.
If you're an adult navigating ADHD in Macungie, PA or anywhere in Pennsylvania, reach out. Let's work together to create more clarity, structure, and peace in your life.