The ADHD Signs Women Keep Missing with Tracy Otsuka
Women with ADHD are still being overlooked, misunderstood, and misdiagnosed, and the consequences can be profound. In this episode, I sit down with Tracy Otsuka, ADHD Coach and bestselling author of "ADHD for Smartass Women', whose mission is to help women stop pathologising themselves and start recognising their inherent creativity, intelligence, and strength.
Tracy shares her personal story, beginning with her son’s diagnosis at age 12, which sparked her deep dive into understanding ADHD. What followed was her own late diagnosis, years of independent research, and the creation of a global community that now reaches millions.
We explore why girls and women often slip through the cracks, why inattentive ADHD can be so invisible, and how societal expectations create trauma that compounds symptoms. Tracy breaks down the differences between being a hyperactive ‘doer’ versus an internal ‘thinker’, and why so many clever, capable women spend years believing they’re simply not trying hard enough.
Most importantly, Tracy offers a different way of understanding ADHD; one that centres interest, creativity, dopamine, and authenticity rather than deficit and disorder.
What You’ll Learn
- The surprising reason so many smart, capable women with ADHD remain undiagnosed well into adulthood
- Why Tracy does not believe ADHD is a disorder, and what the research actually shows about mental health outcomes
- How chronic trauma (including the trauma of feeling misunderstood) can masquerade as ADHD symptoms
- Why women with ADHD often become perfectionists, people pleasers, or high achievers
- How an interest-driven nervous system really works
- Why your brain lights up for some tasks and completely shuts down for others (it’s not laziness)
- The importance of designing your life around your strengths rather than forcing yourself to fit neurotypical expectations
- Practical strategies for thriving with an ADHD brain — at work, at home, and in relationships
Resources mentioned in this episode
The A-OK Mind App:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/a-ok-mind/id6749597141
Cube Timer
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3KFIG3E
Amazon Australia: https://amzn.to/48zwY2C
Readwise:https://readwise.io
Connect with Tracy:
https://www.tracyotsuka.com
If you’d like more conversations like this, or you have questions you’d love me to explore in a future episode, you can submit them via http://www.crappytohappy.com.au/
