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Why ADHD Labels Can Hold You Back (with Nir Eyal)
Description
Presented by Understood.org
Getting diagnosed with ADHD explains a lot. Then it starts explaining too much.
In this episode, Nir Eyal breaks down what happens after that initial relief. When ADHD stops being useful information and starts becoming your identity.
He shares how that shift can quietly limit effort, create anxiety loops, and turn every struggle into “this is just how I am.”
This isn’t about ignoring ADHD. It’s about understanding the difference between what’s real and what you’ve started to believe about it.
Because those beliefs don’t just describe your behavior. They shape it.
You’ll hear how to separate facts from interpretations, why beliefs are tools not truths, and how small shifts in how you think can reduce friction and make action easier.
What We Cover:
- Why ADHD diagnosis brings relief, then can create new limits
- The difference between a label and an identity
- How “this is just my ADHD” becomes a stopping point
- Why beliefs increase or reduce effort before you even start
- The difference between pain and suffering in focus and work
- A simple way to question beliefs that aren’t helping
If you're enjoying ADHD Skills Lab, you may also enjoy Understood.org’s new podcast, Sorry, I Missed This.
Listen here: https://lnk.to/sorryimissedthisPS!theadhdskillslab
Connect With Nir Eyal
Book: geni.us/beyondbelief
Website: nirandfar.com
Instagram: instagram.com/nireyal
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