A Solo Person's Guide to ADHD
A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD is a podcast for adults with ADHD who are doing life without a built-in support system — no partner, no shared mental load, no automatic second brain.
If you’re single, living alone, or functionally solo, ADHD hits differently.
There’s no one reminding you to grab the thing, finish the form, or notice when you’re overwhelmed. Executive dysfunction doesn’t show up as chaos — it shows up as quiet overload, decision paralysis, and the constant feeling that something is wrong, even when you can’t explain what.
This podcast isn’t about productivity hacks, motivation, or “finally getting your life together.”
It’s about understanding what’s actually happening — where ADHD, solo living, and modern life collide — and learning how to build external support, structure, and safety on purpose.
Hosted by Christine Dunning, a master certified life coach, musician, and late-diagnosed adult with ADHD, each episode offers reflection, language, and practical reframes to help you:
- stop blaming yourself for systems that were never designed for solo brains
- identify problems earlier, before burnout sets in
- build structures that work with ADHD instead of against it
You’re not broken.
You’re not behind.
You’re doing too much alone — and this podcast exists to name that, clearly and honestly.
Want to connect? Find me on my website: www.twocatscoaching.com or email me at christine@twocatscoaching.com
A Solo Person's Guide to ADHD
The ASSAP Framework: S is for Security
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Why Overwhelm Isn’t a Motivation Problem
ASSAP Framework: Security
Being told to “just calm down” when you’re already overwhelmed doesn’t help—it usually makes things worse. Especially if you have ADHD. Especially if you’re doing life solo.
In this episode, Christine breaks down why overwhelm is not a motivation issue or a character flaw. It’s a capacity problem—and treating it like anything else leads to shutdown, shame, and bad decisions.
This is the second episode in a four-part series on the ASSAP Framework, focusing on Security: the ability to stay functional enough to think when your nervous system is activated.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- Why “trying harder” fails under overwhelm
- The difference between emotional awareness and emotional processing
- Why calming down is often impossible until understanding returns
- How ADHD overload shuts down working memory, attention, and decision-making
- What “security” actually means (and what it doesn’t)
- How to keep your thinking online without forcing calm
- Why shame is data—not a verdict
- A real-life tech meltdown story (and why it matters)
Key reframes:
- Overwhelm is not laziness
- Shutdown is a nervous system response, not avoidance
- You don’t need calm—you need stability
- Progress looks like fewer destructive decisions, not emotional peace
- Security is about staying present, not fixing everything
Where this fits in ASSAP:
- Access = clarifying what the real problem is
- Security = staying functional enough to think under stress
- If you spiral quickly, starting with Security is valid
- Structure comes after Access and Security—not before
Christine also previews a short, low-pressure audio resource designed specifically for moments when your thinking starts to disappear—something to bridge Access and Security without asking you to fix anything.
About the host:
Christine Dunning is a Master Certified Life Coach and the owner of Two Cats Coaching. She works with adults who have ADHD—especially those who are single and carrying life without a built-in second brain.
This podcast shares the thinking behind her coaching work, with practical reframes you can use in real life.
Explore more:
- Listen to the full ASSAP series
- Find free resources and coaching at Two Cats Coaching
- Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads: @twocatscoaching
Reminder:
You don’t need to calm down before you’re allowed to think.
The goal isn’t calm—it’s support.