
INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS & LIVING FREE: The Man Who Hitchhiked His Way Out of Mental Prison
ADHD UntangledShow Notes
You know those thoughts that pop into your head? "What if I just opened this car door on the motorway?" Or "If I don't touch that lamppost in 10 seconds, someone I love will die."
Adam Lind lived with intrusive thoughts so severe, he'd wake up every morning thinking "what's the point?" — until he discovered he wasn't his mind. And he proved it by hitchhiking across 26 countries with £5,000 and a backpack.
This conversation goes deep: from OCD and health anxiety, to why external freedom (living on a narrowboat, travelling the world) means nothing if you're still trapped inside your head. Adam shares how he went from existential spiraling to creating a life of genuine human connection — and why your intrusive thoughts might actually be trying to protect you.
If you've ever felt like your mind is holding you hostage, or you're chasing freedom in all the wrong places, this episode will completely shift your perspective.
Join the free Untangled Community → https://chat.whatsapp.com/IDapTLhfuvy8KzYfZ8rhYP
Become an ADHD Coach → https://drmiguel-rosie.untangledco.com/adhd
Retreats → https://untangledco.com/retreats
Follow Adam → https://www.instagram.com/adam.floatinghome/
Follow us → https://www.instagram.com/adhd_untangled/
Alt version if you want shorter/punchier:
INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS: The Man Who Proved You're Not Your Mind
"What if I opened this car door right now?" "If I don't touch that lamppost, my mom will die."
Adam Lind's intrusive thoughts were so severe, he couldn't function. Until he hitchhiked across 26 countries and discovered something therapy couldn't teach him: You are not your mind.
This is the conversation about what happens when you chase external freedom (narrowboat life, traveling the world) but you're still trapped inside your head — and how to finally break free.
More from ADHD Untangled
Mother, Listen to This | Angela Heap
Do you have a dream you keep talking yourself out of?
Do you ever wonder how your ADHD impacts your sex life?You are not alone. ADHD doesn't magically switch off when the clothes come off.
Do you think you're too chaotic to meditate? Attempted it and failed, time and time again
How many times have you thought about closing down your business this month? This week? Today?Every single hand went up when I asked four female ADHD founders that question. Because here's what nobody posts on Instagram: running a business with ADHD is the quickest way to figure out how your ADHD shows up as both a struggle AND a strength.In this raw, honest, and hilarious live panel, I sat down with Jess (Sacred and Wild), Cat (Yogi Bare), Katie France (Love Bomb Bags), and Natt (Waking Dreams) to talk about the reality of being a female founder with ADHD.We talk about people-pleasing that nearly cost Cat her entire business, Katie's struggle with posting out the right bags to the right people (executive function is REAL), why having two ADHD brains in business together means you might "accidentally commit fraud," and how Jess's perfectionism has kept years of work hidden from the world.But we also talk about why none of us go back. Why the 9-5 isn't an option for brains wired like ours. Why freedom matters more than money. And why, despite everything, we keep showing up.Natt drops the mic with: "Your ADHD would not even be a talking point without capitalism."And Jess reminds us all: "I see the work people put out into the world and I just think, bloody well done. I don't judge it. I just really respect people trying and just being out there doing it."This one's for every woman who's ever felt like giving up but keeps showing up anyway.IN THIS EPISODE:✨ Why we all threaten to quit (regularly)✨ How people-pleasing can cost you everything✨ Executive function struggles are not stupidity✨ The reality of working with other ADHDers✨ How perfectionism keeps you stuck✨ Why we can't go back to corporate burnout✨ The real reason we keep going (it's not money)✨ Why capitalism makes ADHD "problematic"✨ Taking a day off is productive, actually✨ Giving yourself the same grace you give other womenFour incredible women. Four thriving businesses. Four ADHD brains refusing to dim down.Generator. Alive. Colourful. Chaotic.Not broken. Not struggling. Not failing.Bloody well done for just doing it.