For decades, women with ADHD have been told they're "just anxious," "just depressed," or "just stressed." Meanwhile, their physical symptoms - heavy periods, migraines, gut issues, dizziness when standing - have been dismissed as separate problems.
They're not. They're all connected.
Dr. Asad Raffi has assessed thousands of ADHD women and discovered something revolutionary: ADHD is a brain-body condition. The female presentation doesn't even resemble what's in the diagnostic manuals. So how is a clinician using a checklist going to diagnose any woman? They can't. And they haven't.
In this raw and honest conversation, Dr. Asad explains why 50%+ of women sitting in GP waiting rooms could actually have undiagnosed ADHD, why the medical system has failed women for so long, and what actually needs to change.
We explore the micro-fractures of accumulated trauma, why ADHD can look like complex PTSD, the "whole heap of shit" happening beneath the surface that single-lens diagnosis misses, and the critical importance of understanding hormones, inflammation, and the brain-body connection.
And in the most moving moment of the interview, when asked what he said to his teenage daughter when she got diagnosed with ADHD, his answer was simple:
"Welcome to the club."
This conversation will change how you see ADHD, your body, and yourself.
IN THIS EPISODE:
✨ Why physical symptoms are the primary indicator of ADHD in women
✨ The connection between hormones, inflammation, and brain health
✨ Why women have been chronically misdiagnosed for decades
✨ ADHD vs complex PTSD - understanding micro-fractures and accumulated trauma
✨ Why looking at ADHD from a singular lens will always get it wrong
✨ The importance of community, connection, and reaching out
✨ What he told his daughter when she was diagnosed
Dr. Asad Raffi is a leading consultant psychiatrist, founder of Sanctum Healthcare, and father of three girls. His mission was born from his daughter's ADHD diagnosis - and he's determined that no woman is left misunderstood.
UK