ADHDifference - COACHING & ADHD PARALYSIS + guest Caroline Beresford

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Julie Legg speaks with Caroline Beresford about the concept of ADHD paralysis, a state of mental "freeze" where decision-making and action become difficult or impossible. Caroline shares her personal journey with ADHD, her experiences as a parent of children with ADHD, and her insights as a certified ADHD coach.

Together they discuss the unique challenges of ADHD paralysis, its triggers, and strategies to overcome it. A common stigma associated with ADHD paralysis is the perception that it is laziness or a lack of willpower. People often misunderstand ADHD paralysis as "procrastination" or "not trying hard enough," which leads to judgment from others and self-criticism from those with ADHD. Caroline emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and recognizing the role of executive function deficits in ADHD-related paralysis.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Caroline’s ADHD Journey: Her ADHD diagnosis journey was influenced by her experience as a parent navigating her child’s ADHD diagnosis and her decision to train as an ADHD coach​.
• Understanding ADHD Paralysis: Overwhelm, perfectionism, fear of failure, and large, unstructured tasks often trigger paralysis​. ADHD paralysis can affect everyday tasks, work, and relationships, as individuals struggle to take action despite having a clear intention to do so​.
• Strategies to Overcome ADHD Paralysis: Include breaking tasks into smaller steps, external accountability, self-compassion, and time awareness tools.
• Common Stigma: ADHD paralysis is often misjudged as laziness or lack of effort, but it’s actually caused by executive dysfunction, making it difficult to start tasks despite wanting to, leading to shame, self-doubt, and misunderstandings from others.
• Coaching Role: Caroline helps ADHDers manage symptoms, reduce paralysis, and find personalized solutions.

LINKS

• Julie is the author of THE MISSING PIECE: A Woman's Guide to Understanding, Diagnosing, and Living with ADHD (Harper Collins, 2024): https://julielegg.nz/
• ADHDifference - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhdifference_podcast/
• Caroline Beresford – The Addvocacy Project Website: https://www.theaddvocacyproject.com/
• Caroline Beresford - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-beresford-the-addvocacy-project/

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