When trauma goes unprocessed, it can quietly intensify ADHD emotional dysregulation, making the fear of being unheard shape your entire life. In this episode of South of Normal, I sit down with Joanie Collins, a 68-year-old woman who lived decades with undiagnosed ADHD while carrying severe unresolved trauma, to explore how emotional sensitivity, panic, and withdrawal develop as nervous system responses. We talk about how trauma amplifies ADHD emotions, why rejection sensitivity dysphoria becomes so intense, and how learning to feel heard, validate emotions, and set boundaries can finally bring relief. This conversation is for ADHD adults and parents who have always felt “too sensitive” without ever understanding why.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(01:50) The “All In” ADHD Pattern and Constant Pivots

(03:51) Why ADHD Was Missed in Women for Decades

(08:45) Emotional Sensitivity, Shame, and Self-Judgment

(14:18) Living Unheard and Carrying Trauma in Silence

(20:56) What Trauma Did to Safety, Trust, and Identity

(31:20) ADHD, People-Pleasing, and Fear of Rejection

(46:06) Healing Trauma, RSD, and Learning Boundaries

(59:27) Advice for Anyone Living in Silence

Have you ever felt unheard for so long that it changed how you show up in relationships or in life? Let me hear your answer in the comments.

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