Why Adult ADHD in Women Often Goes Undiagnosed | Shanna Pearson - EP 718

Passion Struck with John R. Miles

John R. Miles

Mental Health, Alternative Health, Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.7 • 779 Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2026

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if the chronic overwhelm, emotional chaos, and sense of being "too much" or "not enough" stem from Invisible ADHD rather than personal shortcomings?In this revealing episode of Passion Struck, Shanna Pearson, founder of the world's largest one-on-one ADHD coaching program and author of the bestseller Invisible ADHD: Proven Mood and Life Management for Smart Yet Scattered Women, joins John R. Miles. With over 26 years of experience and her own late-diagnosed ADHD journey, Shanna explains why ADHD in women often remains hidden or misdiagnosed as anxiety, depression, or character flaws. She draws from hundreds of thousands of coaching sessions to highlight internal struggles like masking, rejection sensitivity, rumination, and burnout that intensify in midlife amid hormonal changes.John and Shanna discuss the neurological roots of these experiences, why traditional strategies fall short for women, and practical tools from her book. The conversation centers on reclaiming agency: moving beyond endless effort to sustainable approaches that align with an ADHD brain, restore momentum, and foster genuine self-worth.If you have ever felt smart yet scattered, unseen by others and sometimes yourself, or exhausted by success that drains rather than fulfills, this episode offers validation and clear steps forward.Passion Struck was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot’s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show’s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/invisible-adhd-in-women-shanna-pearson/Download a Free Companion Workbook with reflection prompts tied to this episode.All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_MilesPre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/For more about Shanna Pearson: https://expertadhdcoaching.comBook: Invisible ADHD available wherever books are soldIn this episode, you will learn

Why adult ADHD in women frequently goes undiagnosed or gets mislabeled as anxiety or depression
How masking, people-pleasing, and emotional overwhelm conceal core ADHD traits in females
The impact of rejection sensitivity, self-doubt, and identity erosion on self-worth
Why symptoms often escalate in midlife due to perimenopause, burnout, and hormonal shifts
Practical tools from Shanna’s coaching and book for managing mood, creating state changes, and building self-trust
How to shift from constant overcompensation to strategies that work with an ADHD brain
Why naming the experience and accessing targeted support restores clarity and meaning

Support the MovementEvery human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.Wear it. Live it. Show it.https://StartMattering.comDisclaimerThe Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

Connect with John

Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/
Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
Keynotes, books, podcast, and resources: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles
Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/

Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up next on Passion Struck.
0:02.2	It bothers me when people refer to ADHD as a superpower.
0:06.4	It really does because there's nothing about ADHD that makes life easier.
0:12.3	And it's difficult to manage ADHD on so many levels, like in your relationships,
0:17.9	career, personal health, name it.
0:20.8	And so when people are like, oh, this is a superpower, you should be able to do like all of
0:24.7	these things so much, you've got this and you don't.
0:27.3	And you know that life is really hard and you know that you're struggling and you know
0:30.7	you're working a hundred times harder than every single human and longer than anyone.
0:36.0	There's no superpower.
0:37.4	And so then you just feel like there's something else that's wrong with you because you can't even use your superpower.
0:41.7	You don't even know where it is.
0:43.0	Like where's the superpower part of this?
0:44.7	Welcome to Passionstruck.
0:47.0	I'm your host, John Miles.
0:48.9	This is the show where we explore the art of human flourishing and what it truly means to live like it matters.
0:55.5	Each week, I sit down with change makers,
0:57.7	creators, scientists, and everyday heroes
1:00.3	to decode the human experience
1:02.5	and uncover the tools that help us lead with meaning,
1:05.2	heal what hurts, and pursue the fullest expression
1:08.5	of who we're capable of becoming.
	...

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