Rae Jacobson

During the pandemic, ADHD diagnosis rates in women nearly doubled. For people like me who follow this kind of thing, it was a huge deal, and one where we couldn't really pinpoint why it was happening. There were a bunch of different reasons, but none seemed all-encompassing. There was a fair amount of news coverage at the time, but most of it was pretty surface level.

During the pandemic, ADHD diagnosis rates in women nearly doubled. For people like me who follow this kind of thing, it was a huge deal, and one where we couldn't really pinpoint why it was happening. There were a bunch of different reasons, but none seemed all-encompassing. There was a fair amount of news coverage at the time, but most of it was pretty surface level.

Someone needed to go deep, and eventually, someone very cool raised their hand for the challenge. Danielle Elliott is a health and science journalist based in New York.

Someone needed to go deep, and eventually, someone very cool raised their hand for the challenge. Danielle Elliott is a health and science journalist based in New York.

And since last year, she's been working with some of my colleagues at understood.org on a new investigative podcast that digs into the reasons behind this rise in ADHD diagnosis and uncovers what going undiagnosed for so long has cost women. It's called Climbing the Walls, and it's a limited series told across six episodes. The first is out now.

And since last year, she's been working with some of my colleagues at understood.org on a new investigative podcast that digs into the reasons behind this rise in ADHD diagnosis and uncovers what going undiagnosed for so long has cost women. It's called Climbing the Walls, and it's a limited series told across six episodes. The first is out now.

Now that Danielle has done all this reporting and immersed herself in the ADHD world, I wanted to talk to her about what led her to make the series and what it was like to be living the story you're trying to tell. This week on Hyperfocus, Danielle Elliott shares her journey from a big question to a new podcast.

Now that Danielle has done all this reporting and immersed herself in the ADHD world, I wanted to talk to her about what led her to make the series and what it was like to be living the story you're trying to tell. This week on Hyperfocus, Danielle Elliott shares her journey from a big question to a new podcast.

Yeah, I feel like this is like, tell me if you agree with this. This to me is like the ADHD thing in life, both in like your personal life and also as like, as a, sort of like the disorder itself, is like it's never the right moment. Like you're always a little behind or a little ahead in everything all the time.

Yeah, I feel like this is like, tell me if you agree with this. This to me is like the ADHD thing in life, both in like your personal life and also as like, as a, sort of like the disorder itself, is like it's never the right moment. Like you're always a little behind or a little ahead in everything all the time.

Oh, I see.

Oh, I see.

And like, I mean – In both little and very big ways.

And like, I mean – In both little and very big ways.

It's kind of like story of your life if you have ADHD. But I'm interested in that in part because like when you hear about like ADHD as a cultural moment, right? Like it is for sure happening. And I've like kind of watched this come and go over years like in different ways. Like women in ADHD feels like the now thing to me.

It's kind of like story of your life if you have ADHD. But I'm interested in that in part because like when you hear about like ADHD as a cultural moment, right? Like it is for sure happening. And I've like kind of watched this come and go over years like in different ways. Like women in ADHD feels like the now thing to me.

But, you know, ADHD, people talking about it, people freaking out about it, people, you know, denouncing it or – wanting to do more for it or whatever it is. Like it's, it's a pretty easy thing to like slot into the discourse. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. And as somebody who has it, and I'd be interested to hear how you feel about this. Like, it's not a moment for us. It's our whole lives.

But, you know, ADHD, people talking about it, people freaking out about it, people, you know, denouncing it or – wanting to do more for it or whatever it is. Like it's, it's a pretty easy thing to like slot into the discourse. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. And as somebody who has it, and I'd be interested to hear how you feel about this. Like, it's not a moment for us. It's our whole lives.

Like, it's like, okay, maybe people either like didn't care before and then cared a lot and then they stopped caring or whatever it is. But like, you're like still there being yourself. So what's that been like, like studying it from this sort of like cultural moment perspective, but also like, Living with it.

Like, it's like, okay, maybe people either like didn't care before and then cared a lot and then they stopped caring or whatever it is. But like, you're like still there being yourself. So what's that been like, like studying it from this sort of like cultural moment perspective, but also like, Living with it.