Making Sense of ADHD: Meredith Jacobs on Turning Struggles Into Strengths

Living with ADHD can feel like trying to piece together a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit—until suddenly, it does. That’s the transformation Meredith Jacobs explores in her book It All Makes Sense Now: Embrace Your ADHD Brain to Live a Creative and Colorful Life. In a candid podcast conversation, she shares how being diagnosed with ADHD at almost 40 years old reframed her entire life story.

Rewriting the Past Through a New Lens

Meredith’s book blends personal stories, scientific explanations, and practical strategies. She recalls her teenage driving record—three accidents in six months, leaving headlights off, constantly locking her keys in the car. What once looked like carelessness now makes sense as expressions of her ADHD brain.

This theme runs throughout her story: what once felt like flaws were actually signs of a brain wired differently, not incorrectly.

Challenging Assumptions About ADHD

One of the most powerful parts of the discussion is how ADHD shows up differently in different people. Meredith challenges the idea that women mostly have inattentive ADHD. Instead, she suggests that societal expectations may mask hyperactivity in girls, teaching them to “be good” and hide behaviors that would otherwise raise red flags.

This insight opens the door to broader conversations about why ADHD often goes undiagnosed—especially in women.

Finding Balance With Treatment

When it comes to medication, Meredith takes a situational approach. On days when she can’t risk her brain “not turning on,” she uses medication. Other times, she leans on exercise and natural strategies. Her perspective reflects an important truth: ADHD management isn’t about eliminating symptoms, but about finding balance.

The Spider-Web Brain: From Struggle to Strength

Perhaps the most empowering part of Meredith’s story is her recognition of ADHD’s strengths. The ADHD brain gathers more environmental data, creating unexpected connections and fueling creativity. “We don’t think in a straight line, we think in a spider web,” she explains.

What can feel overwhelming in structured environments can also be a superpower in creative, intuitive spaces.

Building a Life That Works With ADHD

The conversation doesn’t shy away from the practical challenges—relationship struggles, sleep disruption, disorganized spaces (hello, “doom piles”). But it’s anchored in self-acceptance. Asked if she’d change her ADHD, Meredith doesn’t hesitate: she wouldn’t.

By building systems that complement her wiring instead of fighting against it, she’s found appreciation for what makes her perspective unique.

A New Way to See ADHD

This episode is both validating and hopeful—for those with ADHD and for those trying to understand loved ones. It reframes ADHD from a deficit to a different way of experiencing the world. As Meredith puts it: “It’s unique, it needs to be here, and we just need to understand it better sometimes.”