Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You want to support the Dom Harvey podcast and help it grow in 2026? Well, now you can. Just go to dom.co.nz and click the orange button to make a one-off contribution or even better, a regular payment. dom.co.nz Look for the orange button. Hello and welcome to the Dom Harvey Podcast. Coming up, Dr. Kieran Kennedy.
I really, really want to make it clear for people that having ADHD, autism, neurodivergence, this is not a blanket negative. And so for a lot of people living with ADHD especially, it can have a lot of strengths and great things to it. And if that's the case, people might not necessarily feel they need to get a formal kind of medical diagnostic stamp or get treatment.
Dr Kieran Kennedy, also known as the Hot Doc, is a New Zealand-born and trained psychiatrist, now based in Sydney. When it comes to his work in adult ADHD assessment and treatment, he is widely regarded as the go-to guy in Australian media. Outside of his medical work, he also dabbles in modelling and bodybuilding, and he's even been on the cover of the iconic Men's Health magazine.
Not bad for a farm boy from Waiuku. In this episode, we cut through the noise and misinformation surrounding ADHD, and Dr. Kennedy answers your questions. what ADHD actually is, why diagnosis has exploded in recent years, how it presents differently in men and women, why assessment can be expensive and slow, how ADHD can affect self-esteem, relationships, work and identity, and much, much more.
This is a practical, no BS, myth-busting conversation, which I hope will be beneficial for anyone who is ADHD curious. This is the Dom Harvey Podcast, and here is Dr. Kieran Kennedy.
Thank you so much for having me.
Well, look at this, the hot doctor. Is it helpful or a hindrance being an attractive doctor?
Well, I'm going to sound like a prick however I answer that question. Look, I mean, it meant for some fun, you know, patient experiences during medical school and things in some ways. But yeah, maybe a gym-obsessed bodybuilding doctor isn't what a lot of people expect possibly.
Yeah, cover boy as well. You've been on the cover of Men's Health magazine. And if you go to your Instagram page, there's some modelling shots there. And you're like, I want this guy to be my doctor.
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Chapter 2: What is ADHD and how is it defined?
Where did that sort of interest or intrigue begin?
Yeah, well, I think I always, I mean, initially I wanted to be a vet for a long time. I just loved being out on the farm and I loved animals. You know, dad was also a bit animal obsessed. So there was just chickens and birds and dogs, cats, everything else when we were growing up. So always sort of knew that I sort of loved biology and nature and wanted to help.
people or animals initially in some way. And then I think as I kind of moved through college and got older, I realised I loved just rambling with people and talking and hearing their stories. And so I think that's when I pivoted and said, we'll give med school a crack. Yeah, for better or worse, but here we are now, so it's, yeah.
So how do you end up in psychiatry, and what does it sort of mean specifically?
Yeah, it's a good question, because I often, you know, I think there's quite a bit of confusion around psychiatrists, psychologists, kind of the different terms and things, so a psychiatrist, I guess in a nutshell, is a doctor who has specialised and done training in mental health, so we train in Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia.
There's also quite a lot of neurology and brain sort of training, too. So that's sort of a doctor who specialized there. And then psychology is equally, if not more important. But a psychologist is someone who might help people through talking therapy and different things. But yeah, for me, I started doing a psychology degree at Auckland University.
And then after I finished that degree, I decided, you know, I would dive into doing another five years of study and went to Auckland Medical School and the rest is history. So yeah, I got a wee bit swayed by the bright lights of plastic surgery and surgery for a while. I actually really enjoyed that as a student.
But I think I always knew that I was going to go into psychiatry because I loved psychology and just talking to people really. So it's... Yeah, it was a bit of a clear-cut path for me, really.
Oh, did you look at the plastic surgery thing, did you?
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Chapter 3: Why has the diagnosis of ADHD increased in recent years?
Thank you, mate. Thanks so much.
Dr. Kieran Kennedy on the Dom Harvey Podcast. Thank you for listening all the way through to the end. I hope you found that episode educational, informative, and mostly helpful. Yeah, I don't know, if you're in a position where you're ADHD curious, I hope that provided some answers to some questions you might have and have given you some clarity on what to do next.
Hey, a little bit of housekeeping before we go. You can get hold of me anytime you want. My email is dom at podlab dot nz. Or if you're on social media, you'll find me on Instagram, domharveynz. You can slide into my DMs. I love hearing from you guys with guest suggestions for future episodes. sponsorship inquiries, constructive criticism or feedback, anything like that. Oh, hey, one more thing.
If you enjoyed the show and you want to help it and you're in a position to help it, you now can. If you go to my website, dom.co.nz, you'll see a little orange button at the top that says support the show. And you can make a one-off contribution or a regular payment to the show, which is going to help grow it. Yeah, look, no pressure. No expectation.
I'm never going to put a paywall on this thing. I want this content to be available for as many people as possible. But yeah, if you like the show and you're in a position to help and you feel inclined to, that's how you do it. dom.co.nz and look for the little orange button. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening and I hope to see you next time on the Dom Harvey Podcast.
See ya.
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