Fit In but Never Belong: Unmasking with Diann Wingert

What if ADHD isn’t something you “outgrow,” fix, or hide, but something you learn to work with?

In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, we sit down with Diann Wingert—former psychotherapist, entrepreneur coach, and host of the ADHD-ish podcast—for a deeply human conversation about adult ADHD, late diagnosis, masking, and radical self-acceptance. Drawing from decades of clinical work, research, and lived experience, Diann reflects on why ADHD doesn’t disappear with age and why some adults struggle while others thrive.

Together, we explore what happens when women are diagnosed later in life, how hormones and perimenopause can intensify ADHD traits, and why so many adults are misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression instead of being properly identified with ADHD. Diann also shares powerful insights on masking: what it protects us from, what it costs us, and how unmasking (safely) can lead to deeper connection and belonging.

This conversation is about understanding your brain, questioning outdated labels, and learning how to build a life that works with the mind you have, not the one you were told you should have.

✨ Highlights ✨

✔️ Why ADHD is not outgrown, and what actually differentiates adults who struggle from those who thrive

✔️ The hidden link between perimenopause, hormones, and worsening ADHD symptoms

✔️ Masking vs. safety: when hiding helps, when it harms, and how to begin unmasking responsibly

✔️ Why late diagnosis often brings relief first… and grief second

✔️ How ADHD is frequently mistaken for anxiety or depression, especially in women

✔️ Why “disorder” and “deficit” language can quietly lower expectations and reinforce shame

✔️ What radical self-acceptance really looks like for ADHD adults in real life

🎙️ This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered:
– “Why do I still struggle as an adult?”
– “What if I was diagnosed later than everyone else?”
– “Who am I without the mask?”

📺 Watch the Full Episode
 👉 YouTube: @attentiondifferent

We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the modern world. We periodically feature experts, special guests and influencers in the ADHD community.

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