In this week's ADHD Women's Wellbeing Wisdom episode, we revisit a ground-breaking conversation with Dr. James Kustow. Dr. Kustow is a highly regarded expert in adult ADHD, author, Director of Education at UKAAN and the winner of the ‘Genius Award’ at the 2021 Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards run by Genius Within.
In this episode, Dr. Kustow shares how ADHD is more than just a brain-based condition and explains how physical health conditions such as chronic pain, gut issues, and hypermobility are all linked to ADHD through inflammation and autoimmune conditions.
My new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, is now available, grab your copy here!
What You'll Learn:
- How the structure of Western medicine is neglecting ADHD patients with unexplained physical symptoms
- How integrating physical and mental health approaches can lead to more complete, compassionate ADHD care
- The overlooked physical health issues often linked to ADHD, including chronic pain, fatigue, immune challenges, and gut problems
- How hypermobility and connective tissue disorders like EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) are commonly seen in ADHD
- The relationship between collagen deficiency, gut health, and mental health symptoms in ADHD women
- What the somatic super syndrome model reveals about inflammation, blood flow to the brain, and mental health
- How dysautonomia and conditions like POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) affect mood, sleep, anxiety, and cognitive function
- The role of inflammatory mediators in ADHD and why they're crucial to understanding chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and autoimmune issues
Timestamps:
- 1:16 – The Structure of the Western Medical Setup and Its Gaps in ADHD Care
- 2:50 – How Dr. Kustow's Personal Experience Shaped His Holistic Approach to ADHD
- 4:12 – Common Patterns in Physical Health Issues Among ADHD Patients
- 6:48 – The Link Between Connective Tissue Issues and ADHD
- 8:38 – Inflammatory Mediators and Their Role in ADHD’s Physical Presentation
- 9:23 – Understanding the Somatic Super Syndrome Model
- 11:45 – Dysautonomia and How It Impacts ADHD Symptoms
- 14:00 – EDS and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder in the ADHD Population
If you’ve ever felt like you can't join up the physical conditions you're navigating, this episode is for you. ADHD affects the whole body, not just the brain, and understanding that opens the door to more effective and compassionate support.
Links and Resources:
- Join the Waitlist for my new ADHD community-first membership launching in September! Get exclusive founding offers [here].
- Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website [here].
- Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod
Kate Moryoussef is...