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The Mel Robbins Podcast · August 20, 2026 · 1h 13m

The ADHD Doctor: How to Focus, Stop Procrastinating, Manage Your Emotions, & Feel in Control

Dr. Sasha Hamdani
Show Notes

Mel Robbins gets deeply personal about her ADHD diagnosis at 47, joined by board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Sasha Hamdani. They explore why ADHD is often missed in women and girls, how it's regularly mistaken for anxiety, depression, OCD, burnout, or hormonal issues, and the full range of symptoms beyond attention — emotional dysregulation, sleep disruption, perfectionism, and people-pleasing. Dr. Hamdani provides a four-step action plan, explains what's happening in the ADHD brain, and discusses medication, therapy, coaching, and practical systems that can help.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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ADHD Is Not Just About Attention
Dr. Hamdani explains that ADHD affects far more than focus — it also involves regulating mood, sleep, motivation, energy, and emotions.
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Why ADHD Is Missed in Women and Girls
ADHD symptoms in women and girls often look different from the hyperactive stereotype, leading to missed diagnoses and years of misattributed struggles.
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ADHD Is Often Mistaken for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, or Burnout
The overlap of ADHD symptoms with anxiety, depression, OCD, and burnout leads to frequent misdiagnosis, even by medical professionals.
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Perfectionism, Overworking, and People-Pleasing Can Be Signs of ADHD
Behaviors like perfectionism, relentless overworking, and chronic people-pleasing can be compensatory strategies for undiagnosed ADHD.
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What's Happening Inside the ADHD Brain
Dr. Hamdani describes the neurological underpinnings of ADHD, including differences in executive function and neurotransmitter regulation.
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How Hormonal Changes Intensify ADHD Symptoms
Puberty, postpartum, and perimenopause can significantly worsen ADHD symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations.
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Editorial

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Four Critical Steps If You Suspect ADHD
Dr. Hamdani outlines a four-step action plan for anyone who thinks they or a loved one may have ADHD.
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ADHD Is Not Always a Superpower
Dr. Hamdani challenges the popular notion that ADHD is a gift, acknowledging both strengths and real difficulties.
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Misc

✧Mel Robbins was diagnosed with ADHD at age 47 after decades of being told she was too emotional, anxious, or not trying hard enough.
✧ADHD symptoms often get completely missed in women and girls, in part because they present differently than the hyperactive stereotype.
✧Perfectionism, overworking, and people-pleasing can all be signs of undiagnosed ADHD — not character flaws.
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