The Identity Trap: Who You've Been Told You Are - 130

Who told you who you are? For most adults with ADHD, the answer is: other people. Teachers, parents, partners, report cards, diagnoses. In this deeply personal episode, DrB examines how ADHD identity gets constructed from negative reflections, what living inside a broken identity actually costs you, and a practical four-step framework for building a new one.

This is not positive thinking. This is identity work — one of the most powerful and underutilized tools in ADHD transformation.

Key Points Covered

• How ADHD identity is formed from other people's limited perceptions

• The shift from "I struggled" to "I am a struggler" — and why it matters

• What a shame-based identity costs you: ceiling, energy, relationships

• 4-step framework: audit, trace origins, find counter-evidence, act first

• Why identity shifts through action, not through waiting to feel differently

Links Mentioned

drbarbaracohen.com — All episodes + show resources

It Was Never You Masterclass – More Than ADHD Coaching, August 25, 2026, 10 am – 2 pm pacific time + VIP hour:  https://itwasneveryoumasterclass.com/ 

Get Sh*t Done (GSD) Program Information – 9-month program
https://www.drbarbaracohen.com/gsdprogram

Grant assistance page for help with funding for GSD program:
https://www.drbarbaracohen.com/financial-assistance 

The Transformation Club (TTC) – if time or money commitments have been holding you back - the affordable membership program for Executive Function skills development:
https://www.drbarbaracohen.com/ttcprogram 

Free PDF - 13 Signs Weak Executive Functioning Is Holding You Back:
https://www.drbarbaracohen.com/Executive-Function

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