ADHD and Trauma Pt 6: You’re Not Broken — The World Is Gaslighting You

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Episode 041: How Capitalism, Culture, and Dopamine Traps Target the Disconnected Brain

In this groundbreaking episode of Don’t Mind Me, I Just Have ADHD, host Ron Souers pulls back the curtain on a painful truth: our suffering isn't a personal flaw—it’s a long-standing profit model.
⁠
This is Part 6 in our raw and revelatory series on ADHD and trauma, where we explore how shame, masking, and burnout are engineered outcomes of a culture built on disconnection. From Edward Bernays and the birth of modern advertising to the dopamine traps of social media, we uncover the systems that prey on the neurodivergent mind—and why your struggle is not a moral failure, but a survival response.
⁠
You’ll learn how capitalism rewards your burnout, how identity is marketed and monetized, and why reclaiming your rest and joy is nothing short of revolutionary.
⁠
Ron blends research, real talk, and revolutionary compassion to remind you:
🧠 You’re not broken. The world is gaslighting you.

📚 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔️ The hidden role of capitalism and advertising in shaping ADHD-related shame
✔️ How grind culture exploits neurodivergent minds and conditions us to self-exploit
✔️ Why social media and consumer tech are engineered dopamine traps
✔️ What “identity over-functioning” is—and how to spot your own masking habits
✔️ Actionable mini-practices to reclaim joy, pause self-judgment, and resist performance pressure
✔️ The deeper connection between trauma, masking, and addiction (and what we can do about it)

Other Great Ways to Connect with Me:

👩‍🏫Strength Coaching with Ron: www.youradhdguy.com
📬 Subscribe & join The Kindness Circle!

👩‍🦯Tik Tok @RonSolo1

📻 Patreon Patreon.com/ronsouers
📨Email Ronsouers@dadhdwss.com

"Don' Mind Me, I Just Have ADHD!" w/ Ron Souers:

Hosted by Social Shift coach and fierce kindness and ADHD advocate Ron Souers, this podcast is a raw, real, and a radically compassionate space for adults navigating ADHD, depression, anxiety, and the beautiful chaos of being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world.

Each week, Ron dives deep into the emotional archaeology of what makes us feel “too much” or “not enough,” and unearths practical, science-backed strategies to shift your perspective. From masking and rejection sensitivity to procrastination, imposter syndrome, and the ADHD–LGBTQ+ intersection, no topic is off-limits.

This is more than a podcast—it’s a permission slip to feel, to heal, and to take up space.

Expect:

🔥 Hard truths wrapped in kindness
🔥 Courageous conversations with guests who get it
🔥 Simple tools for focus, rest, connection, and growth

You don’t need to be fixed. You just need to be seen.
So hit subscribe, take a deep breath, and let’s make it cool to be different—together.

Recent Episodes:

The Wounds We Carry: ADHD, Trauma, and Healing (Part 1 with Kayla Crane)

Mental Health at Work: Why You’re Burned Out and Still Hiding It