Ep 155 Important Perspectives from a Pioneer for Women and Girls with ADHD. Dr. Ellen Littman Part 1

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions

This podcast features Dr. Ellen Littman, a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience specializing in neurodiverse populations, focusing on individuals with high IQs, ADHD, and autism. Educated at prestigious institutions, she has dedicated her career to identifying and addressing the complex and often overlooked presentations of ADHD, particularly in women and girls. Dr. Littman discusses her journey into the field, starting from her internships in New York, where she first noticed the underrepresentation of girls in ADHD diagnoses. Despite early dismissal of her theories, Dr. Littman, through persistence and collaboration with other pioneers like Patricia Quinn and Kathleen Nadeau, brought significant attention to gender differences in ADHD, leading to her co-authoring a groundbreaking book on the subject. The podcast explores misconceptions about ADHD, particularly in women, the challenges they face, including misdiagnosis, the impact of estrogen on symptoms, and the pervasive issue of shame. Dr. Littman also highlights the importance of recognizing ADHD in the context of coexisting conditions like fibromyalgia. The discussion concludes with insights into the slow progress in broadly recognizing and treating ADHD in women, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy and education.

00:00 Meet Dr. Ellen Littman: A Pioneer in ADHD and Neurodiversity
02:58 The Journey of Understanding ADHD in Women and Girls
09:08 Challenging Gender Bias and Misdiagnosis in ADHD
13:51 The Personal Stories of Women with ADHD
18:22 Changing Perspectives: Global Impact and Clinical Challenges
22:27 A Call to Action: Reducing Stigma and Embracing Neurodiversity

Support the show

A Fibromyalgia Starter Pack, which is a great companion to the book Conquering Your Fibromyalgia, is now available. Dr. Michael Lenz practices general pediatrics and internal medicine primary care, seeing patients from infants through adults. In addition, he also will see patients with fibromyalgia and related problems and patients interested in lifestyle medicine and clinical lipidology. To learn more, go to ConquringYourFibromyalgia.com. Remember that while Dr. Lenz is a medical doctor, he is not your doctor. All of your signs and symptoms should be discussed with your own physician. He aims to weave the best of conventional medicine with lifestyle medicine to help people with chronic health conditions live their best lives possible. Dr. Lenz hopes that the podcast, book, blog, and website serve as a trusted resource and starting point on your journey of learning to live better with fibromyalgia and related illnesses.