What happens when the way your brain works finally has a name — and that name is ADHD… but getting there comes with missteps and harm?

In Episode 15 of Use Your Fear, hosts Michelle & Whitney sit down with Rylan for a raw and honest conversation about late ADHD diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and the emotional toll of being overlooked because you “looked fine on paper.”

Rylan shares how she wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD as a child because she had good grades and was highly active in sports — a common experience for women whose symptoms don’t fit the stereotype. As an adult, she was misdiagnosed and prescribed a medication that significantly worsened her symptoms, leading to severe manic episodes and a year of emotional instability.

In this episode, Rylan opens up about the fear, grief, and confusion that came with those experiences, and how she’s learning to navigate life as a mom, wife, and overthinker while rebuilding trust in her body, her mind, and the medical system.

We talk about:

• How “good grades” and sports masked ADHD in childhood
• The real consequences of misdiagnosis
• Medication that intensified symptoms and triggered manic episodes
• Living with constant mental noise and overthinking
• Fear as spiraling thoughts, self-doubt, and rumination
• Learning self-compassion while still holding yourself accountable
• Using fear as a compass instead of a cage

This episode highlights the invisible labor of neurodivergent moms, the danger of dismissing symptoms based on performance, and the courage it takes to keep advocating for yourself when fear feels nonstop.

💛 Fear doesn’t mean stop. It means look closer.

🎧 If you’ve ever felt unheard, overwhelmed by your own mind, or exhausted from trying to “function” — this conversation is for you.

👇 Like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to feel seen.

#UseYourFearPodcast #ADHDWomen #LateDiagnosis #Misdiagnosis #ManicEpisodes #NeurodivergentMoms #MentalHealthPodcast #Overthinking #HighFunctioning #FearAndGrowth