Grandma Has ADHD

Episode 41 – Beyond Stimulants: Holistic Health Strategies for Aging with ADHD

• Jami Shapiro • Episode 41

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In this empowering episode of the Grandma Has ADHD podcast, host Jami Shapiro talks with Dr. Erica Oberg—ADHD advocate, integrative medicine expert, and wellness speaker—about holistic ADHD treatment for women over 50 who are looking for support beyond stimulant medications.

If your ADHD symptoms have felt more intense as you’ve gotten older—or if stimulants aren’t an option for you—this conversation offers science-backed, natural ADHD treatments that can help. Jami and Dr. Oberg explore how hormonal changes like perimenopause and menopause affect ADHD symptoms, including brain fog, emotional swings, clumsiness, and increased overwhelm.

Dr. Oberg shares her own late ADHD diagnosis story and how she now helps others using a whole-person approach. From sleep hygiene and ADHD-friendly mindfulness to nutrition, genetic testing, and powerful natural supplements like magnesium, bacopa, and ashwagandha, you’ll hear real-world solutions for thriving with ADHD in midlife and beyond.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, struggling with focus and memory, or simply looking for non-stimulant ADHD strategies that actually work, this episode is packed with relatable advice and hopeful insights. It’s especially helpful for women navigating ADHD, aging, and hormone shifts—all at once.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Grandma Has ADHD! We hope Jami's journey and insights into ADHD shed light on the unique challenges faced by older adults. Stay tuned for more episodes where we’ll explore helpful resources, share personal stories, and provide guidance for those navigating ADHD. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this podcast with friends who might benefit. Remember, Make the rest of your life the best of your life.

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Have you ever thought, is this just me? When struggling to stay organized, start tasks, or manage time, for those of us over 50, these challenges might not be just aging. They could be ADHD hiding in plain sight for decades. I'm Jami Shapiro, host of Grandma has ADHD, and I'm building a community where your experiences matter.

Whether you are diagnosed, questioning or simply curious. You are not alone. Our Facebook group is filled with vibrant understanding. People over 50 who share their stories, strategies, and yes, even their struggles with plenty of laughter along the way. Ready to find your people. Join our growing Grandma has ADHD Facebook community.

Please like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen and share it with someone who might need to hear. They're not alone because ADHD doesn't have an age limit and neither does understanding yourself better. Together, we're changing the conversation about ADHD after 50 come be part of the story.

[00:01:25] Jami Shapiro: Hi, and welcome to the Grandma has ADHD podcast. I am always doubly or triply excited when I get to introduce somebody that I actually know who has ADHD and also helps people with ADHD. So I'm going to introduce Dr. Erica Oberg. She is a leading integrative medicine expert with over 20 years of experience helping people

[00:01:50] Jami Shapiro: achieve optimal health and longevity. She blends cutting edge medical research and natural approaches to prevent, reverse, and manage chronic disease. With dual training in naturopathic medicine and biomedical research, Dr. Oberg has published over 30 peer reviewed papers and conducted NIH funded clinical trials.

[00:02:11] Jami Shapiro: She was the founding medical director of Basier University, California, and currently serves as medical director of Marquee Medical, an AI driven prevention and longevity platform while maintaining an exclusive ocean view practice in La Jolla, California. A sought after international speaker at Wellness Retreats Worldwide.

[00:02:32] Jami Shapiro: Dr. Oberg specializes in personalized treatment plans using nutrition, bioidentical hormones, regenerative therapies, and advanced diagnostics. When she's not guiding patients towards peak health, she embodies the lifestyle. She teaches staying active sailing and surrounding herself with joy. And I'm just gonna say if that didn't read like an ADHD bio.

[00:02:56] Jami Shapiro: I don't know. What does. I got exhausted just reading it, so I'm so glad that I just get to introduce you and let you talk. Hi, do you want me to call you Dr. Oberg? Erica. 

[00:03:05] Dr. Erica Oberg: Erica is wonderful. Thank you. 

[00:03:08] Jami Shapiro: Thank you so much for taking time out of your very busy life and day to join our guests on this podcast.

[00:03:16] Dr. Erica Oberg: Well, thank you. I'm happy to be here, Jami, and you're doing such great work, getting the word out there and helping normalize something for people that often have been struggling their whole lives and they didn't even know it. 

[00:03:27] Jami Shapiro: yes. so before we get into how you help from a medical perspective, can you tell me a little bit about your ADHD backstory?

[00:03:35] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah, sure. it's always kind of fascinating to look in the rear view mirror right. And realize how things had been present for a long time. ButI actually discovered that I had ADHD, I probably shouldn't say this, as a doctor, when a friend gave me an Adderall and suggested that I try it 'cause I was complaining that I needed to focus and do some writing and she said

[00:04:00] Dr. Erica Oberg: Just try one. You might like it. And obviously we don't encourage people to take each other's medications, but I was shocked at how my brain felt different, it just felt better calmer. Everything was clear, all that chatter was gone and I sat down and I got focused. And so I got super curious myself.

[00:04:20] Dr. Erica Oberg: I recognized in other people, but I started, just looking back and reflecting on just kind of my life, when I was a kid in high school and in college, obviously I did very well in school, went on to medical school, but I could never sit still in the classroom. I was always the person in the back of the room leaving early, coming in late working on a different project, while I was in that class.

[00:04:45] Dr. Erica Oberg: And so just in retrospect I realized how much of that was very classic ADHD behavior. and how much things can calm down and help us be more productive when we have the right tools on board. So whether that's medication or any number of the natural things that we might talk about today there's a lot of ways that people can be helped with ADHD, but that's how I found it out myself.

[00:05:11] Dr. Erica Oberg: Kind of a fun way. Nice. 

[00:05:13] Jami Shapiro: Well, no, it's interesting and again, I do not talk about medicine. I am not a doctor. You are. But because a lot of our audience are really not going to be able to take medications because they're being treated for other things,I really stay away from it. But I will say that I have heard that experience pretty commonly that if you take an Adderall and it calms you down, that's a pretty good indication that you have ADHD.

[00:05:35] Jami Shapiro: Not that should, forego screening, but it just seems to be a common experience and I have also tried it myself. andwhat I've learned is that I also was the student that was doing the homework, the class before it was due. So I wasn't really paying attention in class.

[00:05:49] Jami Shapiro: But we tend to be bright not to toot our own horns, but that's why I said your bio reads like someone with ADHD many people are. Quote unquote twice exceptional. So a lot of those gifted kids are also ADHD. And we're able to sort of function until we just can't. And then that's when it sort of comes up.

[00:06:07] Jami Shapiro: But a lot of the people listening, wouldn't have been diagnosed because we are just really learning about ADHD and realizing that it's heritable and that it expands. It's not just the hyperactive little boys. So definitely one of the things that I wanted to discuss with you, because I know.

[00:06:23] Jami Shapiro: Hormones come to play with the rise in symptoms of ADHD. And also I wanna talk about that, but I also of course wanna hear what can we do to with diet and exercise and, from a integrative perspective. So a lot there. 

[00:06:37] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah, there is a lot there. There definitely is. And the hormone piece is an interesting one because I think as you know, women are approaching perimenopause estrogen levels are starting to decline.

[00:06:51] Dr. Erica Oberg: That also happens to coincide.For biochemical reasons with when a lot of women first become aware that maybe they have ADHD, they've been able to hold it together maybe better than previously, and you hit that menopause perimenopause, estrogen levels are declining and some of the symptoms of the brain fog, the disorganization mood symptoms, rage symptoms, all of those are just so much.

[00:07:19] Dr. Erica Oberg: All those ADHD symptoms of. disorganization just becomes so much worse during that perimenopausal period, and that's because estrogen levels are declining. 

[00:07:30] Jami Shapiro: So I wanna ask you two things. One is, I just recently read an article that said that women who haveRougher periods like rougher emotions leading up to periods or during their periods but that I always really struggled with my mood disorder around my period and that's more common with people with ADHD.

[00:07:46] Jami Shapiro: do you know anything about that? 

[00:07:47] Dr. Erica Oberg: Absolutely. Yeah, it's pretty well documented in the research literature and it's that similar phenomenon, but say in like adolescent girls, that maybe are just starting to cycle and they notice their ADHD symptoms and mood symptoms in general tend to get.

[00:08:03] Dr. Erica Oberg: Much worse, like right before the period, in those first couple days of the period. And that's because estrogen levels are declining. And estrogen actually modulates dopamine. Right. And ADHD is a condition of dopamine imbalances in our brain. And so when the estrogen drops, we don't have that modulating effect anymore.

[00:08:24] Dr. Erica Oberg: And so all of those symptoms get magnified. So that can happen, right around the menstrual period. And then it starts happening a lot during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen levels are declining as a whole, not just at that time of the cycle. So what 

[00:08:41] Jami Shapiro: can a woman, who has ADHD expect as she is, going from, beginning menses, into pregnancy, into men?

[00:08:50] Jami Shapiro: Like, is there anything that you can share with us about 

[00:08:52] Dr. Erica Oberg: yeah, there's definitely some patterns across the life cycle and progesterone can play a role there as well. I think you have children, don't you, Jami? I do, yes. Yeah, so remember that sort of pregnancy bliss where you feel like you can actually tolerate.

[00:09:09] Dr. Erica Oberg: Kind of a lot like Sitting on the couch and nursing a baby for hours on end, right? So progesterone can have kind of a modulating effect on some of those worsening symptoms. And so as women are going through their life cycle and different hormones are active at different times, we notice that interplay between mood and hormones quite a lot.

[00:09:31] Dr. Erica Oberg: So usually pregnancy is kind of a better time and breastfeeding for women. In terms of that interplay between ADHD and mood and hormones, I mean, I talk to women about this all the time. It gets much worse like in your forties and as you approach 50 and sort of that menopausal period.

[00:09:52] Dr. Erica Oberg: So I talked to an awful lot of women in my practice who, in their forties, feel like everything should be going. Fantastic. Maybe their cycles aren't super irregular yet, or maybe they're just starting to get irregular, but they feel like they're just losing their mind. They're overwhelmed, they're brain fog.

[00:10:11] Dr. Erica Oberg: They can't remember anything. They can't focus on anything. And that's a big piece of that interplay between mood and dopamine and estrogen levels. 

[00:10:21] Jami Shapiro: Sure. I will also note for me the clumsiness has gotten really, really bad. Like I'm speeding through so much that I'm not carefully pausing and so that I'm constantly spilling things, which I'm noticing is definitely increased.

[00:10:36] Jami Shapiro: Sure. So lemme ask you another question since I've got you. I am on hormone replacement. It's the best thing ever. Best thing ever. Yes. I've heard two different things. And you're a doctor, so I wanna ask you, I've heard you should be on it for no more than five years. I was walking with a friend of mine yesterday who's 65.

[00:10:52] Jami Shapiro: She's been on it for more than 10. And she said she's gonna stay on it for the rest of her life. And I know it's making a difference in my life. can you share with the audience what the current thought is on how long we can be on? Yeah, 

[00:11:04] Dr. Erica Oberg: sure. it's evolving, it's changing, right?

[00:11:07] Dr. Erica Oberg: So the old, recommendations that you should use the lowest dose possible for the shortest amount. Time possible. That recommendation came in the early two thousands out of flawed research. Mm-hmm. There was this women's health initiative study. They published it before they reran the analysis and double checked everything.

[00:11:26] Dr. Erica Oberg: And that effectively stopped hormone replacement therapy for women for quite some time. So we're really just now, I mean there's lots of research in Europe That study didn't really get the splash there. And we also have, bioidentical hormone options, right? Not the conjugated, equine estrogens that were used back then, but bioidentical, estradiol, and estriol.

[00:11:50] Dr. Erica Oberg: So there's a big difference. but I think we also have different expectations for ourselves as women of middle age, right? If you think about sort of evolutionarily, by the time you hit 50, maybe you had five, 10 years left of your life. Women just didn't live to that time period. They certainly weren't running companies and doing all of the many things that we do as middle-aged women these days.

[00:12:16] Dr. Erica Oberg: And so to do that, often we're kind of at the top of our careers around age 50. Right. And so to be wanting to continue to perform. At your optimal level, feel your best, not feel like a grandmother perhaps just yet. Right? then I think hormones are very appropriate. 'cause if women do go off them at whatever point they do, that aging process is gonna pick up right where it left off, right?

[00:12:42] Dr. Erica Oberg: Then you're gonna have the hot flashes, the declines in your bone health. The increased risks of cardiovascular health, the increased risks of dementia, all of those things that hormones protect us from. Of course, that protection stops as soon as we stop taking them. So 

[00:12:58] Jami Shapiro: does that mean that at this point we can continue to take them throughout our life span or, yeah, I, have women in our eighties who are on hormone replacement therapy.

[00:13:07] Jami Shapiro: I love to hear it so I would love for you to just explain what the difference is between Bioidentical 'cause I don't know that everybody understands that term, so that would be helpful too. I don't know who's listening, This might be their first exposure. 

[00:13:18] Dr. Erica Oberg: That's a very good question.

[00:13:20] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah. And the devil is definitely in the details on this. Our bodies make hormones. We have three estrogens, actually, estradiol, estriol and estrone men make the stuff too, just lower amounts. We have other hormones like testosterone, progesterone cortisol, or stress hormone. So most people have heard of perhaps at least some of those.

[00:13:42] Dr. Erica Oberg: So those are all ones that our body makes, and we have the ability. To pharmacies can make those exact same chemical compounds so it looks exactly like what's in your body and their chemical structure is exactly the same. And so, not surprisingly, our bodies recognize those bioidentical hormones more easily, and they can be used more efficiently. Now, there are other hormone products out there birth control pills, right? Most women are familiar with those. Those are not bioidentical. Premarin is an old preparation that used to be used still is unfortunately for menopause. And it literally is a conjugated equine estrogen.

[00:14:23] Dr. Erica Oberg: So they collect the estrogens that are, excreted by horses in urine, and it gets processed and it gets turned into a pill for women. And as you might imagine, that estrogen looks nothing like a human woman's estrogen. And so it has to be broken down and metabolized, and you get all sorts of yucky byproducts that the liver has to deal with.

[00:14:48] Dr. Erica Oberg: And so in my practice, we never use anything but bioidentical 

[00:14:53] Jami Shapiro: hormones. Right. And I believe it was Premarin that was responsible for the study that came out that made everybody stop you. She's nodding her head. That was, and I think that they did it on women that were even like more than 10 years postmenopausal.

[00:15:06] Jami Shapiro: And it was such a badly done study and I'm just a lay person and I know this. And then that was why a lot of women, are still afraid to go on, Bioidentical hormone replacement. HRT is what they call it, HRT therapy. So I'm really glad that you're dispelling that.

[00:15:20] Jami Shapiro: I'm personally glad to hear that I don't have to get off because I had pain everywhere. I had frozen shoulder. I had no idea that it was all related to perimenopause. No one told me I'm going to the doctor. He sends me to a specialist. I was seeing somebody else for pain in my knee. and 

[00:15:36] Jami Shapiro: It's all gone now and I wish that we've doing a better job of getting that word out. 

[00:15:42] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah, the body pain can be huge. 

[00:15:44] Jami Shapiro: yeah, for sure. Okay, so we're going to take a break, but when we come back, I would love to hear your advice for, our audience of people that are 50 and over. Mainly women, but we do not discriminate.

[00:15:56] Jami Shapiro: You don't have to be grandma or a woman to listen, but. who knows? Maybe you're listening for a partner, but what would be the advice that you would give people who are struggling with both ADHD and just the normal wear and tear of aging.

[00:16:09] Jami Shapiro: So we're gonna take a quick break and come right back.

 

 Are you tired of feeling like you can't get it together? Struggling with clutter that overwhelms you despite your best efforts. Wondering why organization feels impossible while others make it look so easy. You are not alone and it's not your fault. Hi, I'm Jami Shapiro. Host of the Grandma has ADHD podcast and I understand exactly what you're going through.

I combine my years of hands-on work as founder of Silver Linings Transitions, a move management and home organizing company, together with ADHD coach, training and help adults 50 and over connect the dots between ADHD and lifelong struggles. Whether you are downsizing, decluttering, or simply trying to create systems that work for your ADHD brain, I provide virtual and in-person coaching for those in the San Diego area.

Together we'll develop practical strategies that honor how your brain actually works, not how you think it should work, ready to trade. Shame for understanding. Visit grandmahasadhd.com. Or call to schedule a discovery session at 7 6 0 6 0 7 7 3 7 7 because it's never too late to finally make sense of your story.

 

Ever wondered why helping a loved one declutter feels like speaking different languages? I did, especially with my mom. It wasn't until I founded Silver Linings Transitions helping San Diego seniors organize and move for over a decade that I discovered why we all experienced clutter differently. And for those of us with ADHD, it's a whole other world.

If you are listening in the San Diego area and feeling stuck with moving. Paperwork, photos or home organization. Our team at Silver Linings Transitions gets it. We understand ADHD's unique challenges and we won't just help you get organized. We'll create sustainable systems that. Finally stick Schedule a consultation with our team today at 7 6 0 5 2 2 1 6 2 4.

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[00:18:54] Jami Shapiro: And we are back with Dr. Erica Oberg. She is an integrative medicine doctor in the San Diego area. So before we went to break, I wanted to know if you, Erica could share some advice and some tips for the 50 and over population who are tuning into this podcast.

[00:19:13] Jami Shapiro: And by the way, if you are tuning in, thank you. I hope that you will share it with your friends and your family and join us. On the Grandma has ADHD Facebook page, as well as the Grandma has ADHD website. Don't wanna keep plugging that, but can you share what what you think would help people who are listening.

[00:19:31] Dr. Erica Oberg: I think there's a lot of places where people can start to help themselves or get more information to really dial in their individual strategy For ADHD let's talk about, mindfulness as an example. Right. So mindfulness meditation can be tremendously useful for people with ADHD, but ironically, it's one of the hardest things for somebody with ADHD to do, 

[00:19:55] Dr. Erica Oberg: imagine sitting down for a silent meditation. But there are many other ways that we can practice mindfulness in ways that I think are maybe a little bit more natural for an ADHD personality and the. One that comes to that's usually most accessible are more moving meditations, something like Tai Chi or sometimes a yoga class.

[00:20:18] Dr. Erica Oberg: But those Qigong, those ancient Chinese moving meditations can be very, very useful for people with ADHD because you're getting the benefits of mindfulness, but you're moving so, It's entertaining the body at the same time. 

[00:20:34] Jami Shapiro: I had also learned that yoga's really actually very good for an ADHD brain, and the way that does the balancing 

[00:20:39] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah, absolutely. Those are such good practices, but it's working because it's strengthening any mindfulness activity. Any type of meditative activity is strengthening our ability to connect with our prefrontal cortex. Right? The thinking part of our brain. And one of the things that's often happening in ADHD because it's a dopamine related condition as we is the impulse control, right?

[00:21:03] Dr. Erica Oberg: So The motivation, the reward of dopamine, but The sort of the reactive impulsiveness side. Of dopamine make daily functioning a little bit challenging. And so any type of this meditative practice that's gonna help us upregulate the thinking part, the part that can like say, okay, don't open that other window on your browser.

[00:21:25] Dr. Erica Oberg: That part that's going to, help you with a little bit of impulse control. That can be a really useful tool for people from the mindfulness perspective. 

[00:21:35] Jami Shapiro: Sure. I know diet and exercise and sleep are really important. Can you give us some, tips with that? 

[00:21:40] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah, for sure.

[00:21:41] Dr. Erica Oberg: Getting a good night's sleep is absolutely critical. And while we're asleep, that's when we are releasing growth hormone, and that's going to be helping us with all of the repair and the rejuvenation. And another very important thing that's happening during sleep is our brain detox, 

[00:21:58] Dr. Erica Oberg: we have this system called the glymphatic system that's in our brain that while we're asleep. We're cleaning out the junk, We're filing away, the old messages. We're deleting things, but we're also detoxifying out things like excess dopamine. And so if we're not getting good quality sleep, some good deep sleep that housekeeping.

[00:22:19] Dr. Erica Oberg: Activity just isn't happening, and that makes everything worse, That level of neuroinflammation just exacerbates all of our symptoms and ultimately, shows up as dementia or a cognitive decline Over many, many years. Not the people with ADHD are necessarily at any higher risk for neuroinflammation than other people who aren't sleeping.

[00:22:40] Dr. Erica Oberg: But I think people with ADHD probably feel it a little bit more when they aren't getting good quality sleep. 

[00:22:47] Jami Shapiro: Right. that begs a great question, But I have heard that there isn't a direct correlation between ADHD and dementia, that it's more the lifestyle choices, like not getting proper sleep, like not having proper diet and exercise like addiction and, smoking 

[00:23:02] Jami Shapiro: And that kind of thing. But I'm gonna go back and stop, squirreling on you. I have heard that in terms of sleep, that it isn't just the amount of hours, but there's also like a time that you should be asleep for optimum circadian rhythms. Is that true? 

[00:23:15] Dr. Erica Oberg: I think it's gonna vary a little bit for everybody, but most of the research does suggest, there are those occasional people who think that they can get away on six hours of sleep at night, but you really can't.

[00:23:26] Dr. Erica Oberg: Most people really do need eight hours of sleep. And some of those, the technologies that are available to help track our sleep, like the Aura rings or Apple watches. Those can be a trade off 'cause you don't necessarily want, devices in the bedroom. But those can be really insightful as you're starting to make some lifestyle changes so that you are getting better quality sleep.

[00:23:49] Dr. Erica Oberg: And one of the things that I usually recommend at the beginning with people that are having trouble sleeping, of course, after, Dark bedrooms, quiet, all of the sort of sleep hygiene things. But the supplement magnesium can be particularly important and impactful for sleep. And it's a very mild, easy thing that is appropriate for almost everybody to improve the quality of their sleep.

[00:24:14] Jami Shapiro: That's super helpful. So, I wanna take it back to you and your practice. So if somebody comes to you and maybe they're looking for not the conventional, this is the way Western does it, but, I wanna blend in a little Eastern, which is,I guess what integrative medicine is. am I correct about that?

[00:24:30] Jami Shapiro: Funding in the Eastern and the Western? 

[00:24:31] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah, I call it an all tools in the toolbox approach, So, we're paying attention to lifestyle, we're paying attention to your personal preferences. We're using dietary supplements, we're using herbs, we're using medication, we're using, referrals to acupuncturists.

[00:24:48] Dr. Erica Oberg: All of those tools can be appropriate depending on the person. So when people start with me, it always starts off with getting to know that person. And so my first appointments are 90 minutes because I really wanna be able to take time to know the whole you, not just, the frozen shoulder or the complaint that, made you schedule the appointment, but the whole person.

[00:25:10] Dr. Erica Oberg: And then as we're looking at the whole person, we can really start to figure out, what the underlying cause is, essentially of what's going on. So often people bring lab tests that have been run by other doctors. a very common scenario is the person who said, like, I feel awful.

[00:25:27] Dr. Erica Oberg: I've seen several doctors. They all tell me my numbers look great, but why don't I feel great? And so that can be a very common scenario. And sometimes integrative medicine doctors read those numbers a little bit differently, Like. Great. Your numbers look good. you're not dying, but they might be suboptimal.

[00:25:44] Dr. Erica Oberg: Or maybe those things haven't even been investigated. So specific with, mental health and ADHD. Often some of the deep work that we do is doing tests and listening to diets to look for nutritional deficiencies and brain imbalances where you might need more of different amino acid precursors.

[00:26:04] Dr. Erica Oberg: So those are some of the places that we often start with helping people with a workout. Is to really understand, what is going on in your brain and what other variables are there. Yeah, I could tell you some interesting things about a common genetic variant that plays a pretty big role in ADHD.

[00:26:23] Dr. Erica Oberg: Iso there are two very common genes called the COMT gene and the M-T-H-F-R gene. And they control processes that we call methylation. And that's basically how we're going to activate a lot of our neurotransmitters, like dopamine being the important one for today's conversation.

[00:26:44] Dr. Erica Oberg: So a COMT mutation. I often think about it, like, imagine you have a colander in your brain that's holding your dopamine, Mm-hmm.a bowl with lots of holes in it, And you could have a really tight mesh colander where very little. Falls through, or you could have really big open holes and a lot is falling through.

[00:27:05] Dr. Erica Oberg: Mm-hmm. So this gene controls basically the size how quickly we process dopamine. And so if you are a slow processor. You're going to have a really high level of dopamine building up, and that's gonna give you, the anxiety, the impulsivity, some of the inattention that goes along with that.

[00:27:26] Dr. Erica Oberg: If you have a really fast loss of dopamine, you're gonna have, low motivation, lethargy, et cetera. But they also have positive sides to 'em, If you have a lot of dopamine, you might have some anxiety, but you're also probably gonna be better. That's when you're gonna function at your best, 

[00:27:45] Dr. Erica Oberg: and be very task oriented and very specific. People that lose a lot. they probably are a little bit calmer, but they're also prone to depression. And so this is a long way to get to the, the point of the story, but if you know that genetic mutation in yourself, which way you are, then we can plan for it.

[00:28:04] Dr. Erica Oberg: In the case of this gene, we can plan for it with making sure we supplement with the right vitamins and minerals that are going to regulate that activity so it normalizes it so it's not too fast or too slow. It's normal. 

[00:28:18] Jami Shapiro: Wow. So I didn't even know that was an option, so I'm so glad you did share that.

[00:28:23] Jami Shapiro: And can somebody see you if they are not in San Diego? 

[00:28:27] Dr. Erica Oberg: Or California? Yes, we do. I'm licensed in California and Washington and Arizona and Colorado. So we do telehealth with people in all of those states. And my health coach works with people in all states. That's 

[00:28:40] Jami Shapiro: great.

[00:28:41] Jami Shapiro: So I wanna make sure that we let people know how they can find you and we're not done with the conversation, but I definitely wanna make sure we get that in there. How can they find you? Erica? 

[00:28:49] Dr. Erica Oberg: A good place to start is with my website, which is just dr erica oberg.com, dr erica oberg.com.

[00:28:56] Dr. Erica Oberg: And one thing that is probably interesting to your audience there is our brain health program. Mm-hmm. So we have a 90 day program for people that are really interested in sort of diving into their brain health for the first time with some testing and some. Very individualized recommendations.

[00:29:15] Dr. Erica Oberg: That includes a lot of the stuff that we're talking about. dialing in the diet, dialing in the fitness, dialing in the sleep, but also some coaching and some supervision around, playing with a couple different supplements perhaps, and kind of working from that perspective to help people really understand their brains and how to optimize.

[00:29:35] Jami Shapiro: that's amazing. I wanna make sure that anybody who is not watching this on YouTube and can't see the spelling, that they know that Dr. Erica Oberg is E-R-I-C-A-O-B-E-R-G. So I wanted to make sure that I put that in. Thank you for that. I'm not always good with the details, but this is important.

[00:29:51] Jami Shapiro: I'm even excited, in this conversation. so I wanna go back to the ADHD conversation because, and I like to balance it. First is, do you see it in your own family and in your upbringing? Can you see where ADHD maybe played a role in your parents or how you might have been parented?

[00:30:09] Dr. Erica Oberg: I would say probably less on that front, but it has shown up in my niece And just watching her she's 16 now. But as a very young girl, just spaciness and attentiveness Forgetting to why she went upstairs to get her socks and coming back down without the socks.

[00:30:27] Dr. Erica Oberg: Watching that transformation, she was kind of not a great student early on. Before she was diagnosed. And then once she was diagnosed as watching her thrive and blossom and organize her life and perform really well in school and just have a lot more confidence. it is been really positive to see the positive impact and accurate diagnosis has made in her. Sure. 

[00:30:51] Jami Shapiro: So I'm gonna totally TMI on you and do an ADHD thing, but the best internet I have in my house, is in my 17-year-old daughter's bedroom who was just diagnosed with ADHD.

[00:31:01] Jami Shapiro: And I basically create that zoom zone. for any of you who are watching, I'm going to pan over to what I had, that is ADHD showing up. That's probably what you would've seen in my room growing up. So then another question that I like to ask people is, if there was a button and you could turn off your ADHD and you could not have it, would you have opted to push that button?

[00:31:25] Dr. Erica Oberg: Probably not. I mean, I do think it helps me be a high performer, get a lot of things done. It definitely, goes along with creativity, that ability to free associate and come up with new creative ideas. I think that it's. Dopamine dependent. So that's definitely an advantage.

[00:31:45] Dr. Erica Oberg: and I think, some of the important lifestyle skills like adequate sleep and taking magnesium and making sure that I'm not under fed and, hypoglycemic, all of those things do help with ADHD, but they're gonna help with so many other things. So I think.

[00:32:03] Dr. Erica Oberg: Learning the coping skills that people need to be really successful with ADHD. Those benefits are spilling out into, healthy benefits in all dimensions of their life. 

[00:32:14] Jami Shapiro: Right. that's excellent advice. Okay. So I always, especially when you have ADHD, and I don't know how you are, but like, oh, I wish I had said that.

[00:32:21] Jami Shapiro: that comes up for me all the time. So anything that I didn't ask or you want to share because I wanna make sure that we are whole and complete when we, complete this call. And I wanna personally thank you like I learned so much myself. and I, imagine it's gonna be hugely beneficial to our audience.

[00:32:38] Dr. Erica Oberg: Well, I'm so glad that you've learned a lot from this. Definitely, and that's what I love. I love helping people, learn to understand their own health and their own bodies. And it's a very empowering place, right? When you understand what's going on and what's leading you to think the way you are, feel the way you are.

[00:32:56] Dr. Erica Oberg: And then, once you know what's going on, then you can be empowered to make those decisions, whether that's. getting the appropriate medical care to get, medications or treatments or learning how to start practicing Tai Chi. like once you know what's going on at an underlying cause, then then I think it's very empowering to be able to know what you can do about it.

[00:33:18] Dr. Erica Oberg: As Maya 

[00:33:18] Jami Shapiro: Angelou says, when you know better, you do better. And I love that quote. 

[00:33:21] Dr. Erica Oberg: It's 

[00:33:22] Jami Shapiro: a 

[00:33:22] Dr. Erica Oberg: beautiful quote. I love that one. 

[00:33:23] Dr. Erica Oberg: Yeah. so any other parting words for us? Dr. Erica Oberg. I would just add maybe a few other things that people might want to play with themselves on the natural products front.

[00:33:35] Dr. Erica Oberg: There can be some very safe and nice herbs with good research support that can help people that don't want to consider medication. And my two favorites are a plant called Bacopa. B-A-C-O-P-A. There's lots of research studies on it, improving cognitive function and attention. So that's one of my favorite ones.

[00:33:56] Dr. Erica Oberg: And then ashwagandha is another favorite herb that can be really helpful for calming things down, just kind of helping you have. Calmer, steadier energy as opposed to, hectic energy. So those are two things. You can readily find those in, whole Foods or Trader Joe's or any place that carries vitamins and supplements and they're safe.

[00:34:18] Dr. Erica Oberg: So most people can experiment with those. 

[00:34:22] Jami Shapiro: That's awesome. Well, Thank you. that's amazing. I'm gonna have to look into those myself. any things that you need to be aware of? Like any conditions, if you have this, you shouldn't take this. Or if you're on this medication, you shouldn't take it.

[00:34:32] Jami Shapiro: Yeah, 

[00:34:32] Dr. Erica Oberg: definitely. Thank you for that Reminder. Anybody who's on, psychiatric medications already should definitely get a second opinion before they start combining natural products and prescription products in the same space. So, you definitely don't want to be doubling up on two things that are acting on your brain in potentially different ways without having some professional advice on whether that's the right thing to do or not.

[00:34:56] Jami Shapiro: Well good. I am glad that I asked that question then. Well, again, thank you so much. Thank you to everyone who listened. If you want to find or speak with Dr. Erica Oberg, you can find her at D-R-E-R-I-C-A, Oberg, O-B-E-R-G dot com, I'm guessing correct correct.com. I hope you would own the.com on your own name, 

[00:35:17] Dr. Erica Oberg: dr erica oberg.com.

[00:35:18] Dr. Erica Oberg: Exactly. 

[00:35:19] Jami Shapiro: Well, thank you for listening. Again, if you liked this, please share it. Subscribe to it, comment. That is how we are growing this audience, and most importantly, we are reducing the stigma around ADHD, and that is why I am so glad when I have people like Dr. Erica Oberg, who has ADHD is openly saying, I have ADHD.

[00:35:39] Jami Shapiro: And realizing you can be an amazingly bright. Person who contributes to the world and have ADHD and we definitely need to keep getting that message out there. Thank you so much. 

[00:35:50] Dr. Erica Oberg: Thank you, Jami 

[00:35:51] Dr. Erica Oberg: 

[00:35:55] Dr. Erica Oberg: The opinions expressed on Grandma has ADHD podcast are those of our guests and hosts and are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. This podcast does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The content discussed in this episode is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

[00:36:17] Dr. Erica Oberg: Always seek the advice of your physician, mental health, professional, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or mental health concern. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast.

[00:36:35] Dr. Erica Oberg: If you think you may have a medical emergency. Call your doctor or emergency services immediately. The host, guests and producers of Grandma has ADHD. Do not assume any liability for the content of this podcast. Listen at your own discretion.