Show Notes
In this episode, the Agony Aunties respond to a listener facing multiple bereavements, a late ADHD diagnosis, and ongoing anxiety, leaving her unsure how to understand what she’s feeling or what support she needs. They explore how grief, trauma, and ADHD symptoms often overlap, suggesting it’s more helpful to focus on regulating the nervous system than trying to separate causes. They discuss the importance of connection, updating coping strategies when they stop working, and creating gentle daily structure to ease overwhelm. Above all, they encourage allowing the messiness of grief and embracing this uncertain “in-between” space with compassion and patience.
More from Therapy Works:
Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/
Download the Grief Works app here: https://www.griefworks.com/
Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges.
If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations.
If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Therapy Works
This week’s listener is struggling with the death of her father, who sexually abused her as a child and never acknowledged what he had done. Psychotherapist Julia Samuel and her daughters Sophie and Emily explore the lasting impact of childhood sexual abuse, the complicated grief that can follow the death of an abusive parent and how to find healing from childhood trauma.
How does childhood trauma fuel adult addiction?
This week’s listener is heartbroken by sibling estrangement. Psychotherapist Julia Samuel and her daughters Sophie and Emily explore the pain it causes, why family conflicts can be so difficult to repair and the challenges of parenting adult children when you can no longer influence their decisions.
To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, author and former teacher Rosanna Brown joins Julia Samuel to share the story of her son William and her experience of termination for medical reasons (TFMR).
This week’s listener has recently been diagnosed with ADHD after a lifetime of struggling with strong emotions and impulsivity. While the diagnosis has brought her and her husband a huge sense of relief, understanding and emotional healing, her mother and sisters refuse to accept it, believing her successful career and relationship mean she couldn’t possibly have ADHD.