For many women with ADHD, burnout doesn’t start with chaos it starts quietly. The slow burn builds in the background as we push harder, over-function, and hold everything together until it all gives way.

In this episode of Angry on the Inside, Jess and Jeannine unpack the hidden signs of the slow burn, the exhaustion you dismiss, the scaffolding you build to stay afloat, and the moment you realize willpower isn’t enough anymore.

Through humor, honesty, and lived experience, they name what ADHD women often don’t recognize: the creeping overwhelm that comes before collapse. If you’ve ever wondered why “holding it together” feels harder every year, this one’s for you.

Topics include: ADHD burnout, late diagnosis, executive-function fatigue, masking, medical gaslighting, and finding self-compassion when the system breaks down.

You’re not alone in this and it’s not just you.

🎧 What ADHD Women Don’t Recognize: The Slow Burn Before Burnout
Chapters (Exact Transcript Timestamps)

00:00 – Juggling Everything

Jeannine opens with the quiet chaos of balancing work, family, and the invisible load of ADHD life.

00:45 – Naming the Slow Burn

Jess defines the “slow burn” the exhaustion and cracks in the armor that appear long before burnout.

01:45 – Jeannine’s Story: Losing Structure

Jeannine shares how staying home upended her scaffolding and led to recognizing her ADHD.

04:03 – Jess’s Story: When the Structure Fades

Jess reflects on losing her anchors smoking, kids’ routines, motivation and seeing herself change.

07:18 – Dopamine and the Disappearing Drive

They unpack ADHD, menopause, and the loss of natural motivation that turns daily life into survival.

08:43 – Comparing ADHD Stories

A reminder that ADHD looks different for every woman comparison only fuels shame.

09:53 – When You “Should” Be Happy but Aren’t

How meeting life’s goals can still feel hollow when executive function collapses.

11:42 – The Burnout Loop

Jess and Jeannine discuss chasing unrealistic standards that drain the body and brain.

15:26 – Misdiagnosis and Medical Gaslighting

Many ADHD women are mislabeled with anxiety or depression before getting the right diagnosis.

19:12 – The Shame Cycle

How “doing everything right” can still fail and the loneliness of feeling broken with no answers.

20:00 – Running Out of Willpower

Jess explains how discipline and willpower eventually collapse under ADHD burnout.

22:03 – The Warning Before Burnout

Jess’s reflection and Jeannine’s closing reminder: burnout isn’t failure it’s your system asking for help.

ADHD women, ADHD burnout, ADHD slow burn, executive dysfunction, masking, medical gaslighting, late-diagnosed ADHD, burnout recovery, neurodivergent exhaustion.