372 10 Signs You’re In A Dysfunctional Family
I Have ADHD Podcast
Kristen Carder
4.8 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2026
⏱️ 65 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today’s episode is part one of a two-part series on dysfunctional families and ADHD.
I’m sharing this from a very real place. The last few weeks have been heavy with extended family drama, and when things feel overwhelming, I name it and bring it into the light. As someone writing a book on healthy relationships for adults with ADHD, I want you to know I come by this work honestly.
When I look at my own family tree, I see generations shaped by abuse, addiction, emotional neglect, and unaddressed mental health struggles. I refuse to despise my lineage—but I also refuse to continue these patterns. It stops with me.
If you have ADHD, there’s a strong chance your family system shaped how safe it feels to have needs, set boundaries, and regulate emotions. This episode isn’t about blame or shame—it’s about clarity.
You’ll learn:
- Why dysfunction can exist even when there was love
- How emotional neglect often goes unnoticed
- Why guilt shows up when you set boundaries
- 10 common signs of a dysfunctional family system
Awareness is how cycles are interrupted. In Part Two, we’ll explore what healthy families actually look like and how to move toward that—without burning it all down.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode is sponsored by Marley Spoon. |
| 0:02.9 | Every January, I tell myself, okay, this is the year that I'm going to get better at meals. And every January, my ADHD brain is like, cool plan. Let's order takeout. Let's door dash. Again, let's do it. Because meal planning has always, always, always been my downfall. I do want to eat well. I want to feed my family well, but in between work |
| 0:21.8 | and kids and decision fatigue and just being tired and overwhelmed, it's just too much. It's just |
| 0:26.6 | too much and that's why Marley Spoon has genuinely been a game changer for me. What I love about Marley |
| 0:32.6 | Spoon is how ridiculously easy they make everything. They send you chef-designed recipes, perfectly portioned |
| 0:39.5 | ingredients, and you choose what works for your life that week. Some nights I cook, other nights I need |
| 0:44.8 | dinner like yesterday, soon, fast, and Marley Spoons' prepared meals in that case are lifesavers, |
| 0:51.4 | delicious, ready-in-minutes, and zero mental effort. And if I do have a little |
| 0:55.4 | energy, their 20-minute meals and tray-baked dinners are my favorite hack. You literally throw |
| 1:00.9 | everything on one tray. They even include the tray, y'all, and boom, dinner is done. One of my |
| 1:06.9 | recent favorites that I made this week was their everything nachos, like they're loaded, |
| 1:11.5 | loaded nachos. Oh my goodness. One of those meals, I look at it and I'm like, I made this. I made |
| 1:17.4 | this. And the best part, I'm cooking at home more. I'm stressing less about food and eating out |
| 1:24.0 | and all the money wasted when I door dash. and I'm eating better than I have in a long |
| 1:28.4 | time. It feels like hitting reset without trying to become a whole new person, which is amazing. |
| 1:35.3 | This new year, fast track your way to eating well with Marley Spoon. Head to Marley Spoon.com |
| 1:41.4 | slash offer slash I have ADHD for up to 25 free meals. That's Marley Spoon.com slash offer slash I have ADHD for up to 25 free meals. That's Marley Spoon.com |
| 1:50.0 | slash offer slash I have ADHD for up to 25 free meals. Marley Spoon, meals, Reimagined for |
| 1:58.4 | for real life. |
| 2:10.7 | Welcome to the I Have ADHD podcast, where it's all about education, encouragement, |
| 2:13.0 | and coaching for adults with ADHD. |
| 2:16.9 | I'm your host, Kristen Carter, and I Have ADHD. |
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