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ADHD Chatter Podcast

Dr Alex George's 5 Tips That WILL Improve Your Anxiety

Today we’re speaking to Dr Alex George, some might know him from the popular Reality TV show Love Island, but today he’s got his Doctor’s hat on to speak about his ADHD diagnosis and how best to harness it.

Alex PartridgehostDr. Alex Georgeguest

Jan 29, 20241h 21mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Reframing ADHD: attention placement, stigma, and strengths
The host and Dr Alex George set the tone by challenging common stereotypes about ADHD and discussing why the label can feel inherently negative. Dr Alex argues that people with ADHD have plenty of attention, but the difficulty is where attention is placed in environments designed for neurotypical brains.
- •Dr Alex says ADHD is often framed negatively because the name implies “deficit,” despite people having adequate attention.
- •He describes how traditional long classroom blocks can disadvantage ADHD, while shorter, interest-led learning can help people excel.
- •He challenges the “naughty boy” stereotype and discusses how misunderstanding can lead people—especially women—to miss the possibility of ADHD.
- •They frame neurodivergence as potentially valuable in creative and leadership contexts when environments fit the person.
Diagnosis ripple effects: making sense of the past and finding acceptance
Dr Alex explains how his diagnosis changed his life and helped him reinterpret childhood patterns through a new lens. He describes the relief of acceptance and the shift from trying to change himself to harnessing strengths while acknowledging challenges.
- •Dr Alex says his ADHD diagnosis largely changed his entire life by helping him understand himself.
- •He reflects on early indicators like not sleeping well as a baby and struggling to sustain attention on uninteresting tasks at school.
- •He describes a “reverse domino effect” of reinterpreting his life experiences after diagnosis.
- •He emphasizes acceptance as a major benefit of diagnosis and says he now focuses on harnessing the benefits of ADHD.
Feeling different at school: boredom, removal from class, and low expectations
The conversation turns to what it meant for Dr Alex to feel different in school and how he was treated as a result. He recounts being removed from class and hearing messages that underestimated his potential, while also reflecting on how support and freedom could have changed outcomes for many others.
- •Dr Alex describes either getting bored quickly or struggling to engage unless interested, which led to classroom disruption and removal.
- •He recounts being told—via his mother—that expectations should be low for his future, including doubts he could become a doctor.
- •He says he forced himself to conform to a neurotypical approach and got into medical school, but notes many others may not have had the same support or stubbornness.
- •He argues many neurodivergent people mainly need freedom to be themselves rather than being forced to conform.
Classroom anxiety and the cost of constant correction
The host shares his own early experience of panic and anxiety in a classroom setting, connecting it to ADHD-unfriendly environments. Dr Alex responds by discussing how lack of understanding in systems can contribute to later difficulties and how awareness in early years matters.
- •The host describes having his first panic attack at age six in a classroom after being put on the spot.
- •He links anxiety to being “acutely aware of everything” and to environments not suited to how his brain worked.
- •Dr Alex says teachers often do their best, but without awareness they can’t support what they don’t understand.
- •Dr Alex emphasizes how formative early years are and argues better system awareness could reduce harmful outcomes.
A toolkit for anxiety: nature, exercise, cold showers, and “zooming out”
Asked what helps his anxiety, Dr Alex outlines the practices he relies on and why they work for him. He emphasizes building a personalized toolkit and describes specific grounding and preventative strategies he uses regularly.
- •Dr Alex credits nature therapy—especially walking outdoors—as a major tool for grounding and reducing anxiety.
- •He shares a “zoom out, zoom in” mental exercise to reduce the sense that problems are all-consuming.
- •He says exercise is one of his biggest preventative tools for anxiety and for ADHD-related difficulties, describing its sustained dopamine effect for him.
- •He adds cold showers as another practice that boosts his mood and helps him start the day calm.
Making time for self-care: screen time reality checks and future-focused choices
They discuss why small daily routines can shift mindset and productivity, especially in the morning. Dr Alex challenges the idea of not having time by pointing to phone usage, and both explore ways to remember the true cost of choices like drinking.
- •Dr Alex argues self-care is a statement that you matter and creates a positive cycle over time.
- •He suggests checking screen time and “stealing” time back from phone use for exercise, walking, or meditation.
- •He advises acting based on how you’ll feel later, not how you feel in the moment, and describes a “fast-forward” method he uses.
- •The host describes journaling or photographing himself when hungover to counter forgetting how bad it felt later.
How habits form: motivation → discipline → automatic routine
Dr Alex explains how he thinks about habit-building and why motivation is unreliable on its own. He shares a practical technique—recording “before and after” videos—to create proof that doing the hard thing improves how he feels.
- •Dr Alex says motivation tends to last only a few weeks, and then discipline has to carry the habit until it becomes automatic.
- •He frames discipline as being attached to outcomes (grades, fitness goals, staying alcohol-free).
- •He shares a method: record yourself before exercise when you don’t want to go, then record after to capture the emotional shift.
- •He emphasizes learning what works personally and using simple “tricks” to stay consistent.
Why quitting alcohol can help ADHD: impulsivity, anxiety, and muted positives
Dr Alex and the host explore how alcohol interacts with ADHD, focusing on impulsivity, anxiety rebound, and reduced performance. They also discuss perceived social smoothing versus the longer-term costs, with both describing how stopping or reducing drinking changed their experience.
- •Dr Alex argues alcohol provides no real benefit, framing relaxation as temporary dissociation followed by worse stress/anxiety later.
- •He says alcohol and ADHD often don’t mix well and points to high rates of alcohol use disorder among people with ADHD.
- •The host says alcohol worsens his ADHD in the short term and increases negative effects for days afterward while muting positives like creativity.
- •Dr Alex describes alcohol as “rounding off the edges” socially but at a cost to mood, impulsivity, and overall performance.
Rejection sensitivity and confidence: practicing discomfort and separating thoughts from truth
The conversation shifts to rejection sensitivity and how confidence is built. Dr Alex describes confidence as a practiced mindset built through repeated exposure to discomfort, and both explore how anxiety and rejection sensitivity can be driven by interpretations rather than facts.
- •Dr Alex says he’s sensitive to rejection but became more confident by repeatedly doing things that scare him and surviving them.
- •He describes panic attacks as a physiological response to a threat that isn’t actually present.
- •They discuss how to handle rejection sensitivity by distinguishing real rejection from perceived rejection.
- •Dr Alex emphasizes that thoughts aren’t necessarily truth and suggests letting thoughts pass rather than engaging with them.
Relationship dynamics and the burnout-busting 24-hour rule
They discuss how ADHD traits show up in relationships and commitments, especially overcommitting and impulsive “yes” responses. Dr Alex shares tools like the 24-hour rule and imagining yourself on the day of the commitment to decide more wisely.
- •Dr Alex describes being highly empathetic and driven to “fix” problems, but notes relationship challenges when neurotypical and ADHD styles differ.
- •He introduces the 24-hour rule to prevent impulsive commitments in work and life, especially when already at capacity.
- •They connect overcommitment to burnout, anxiety, and the pain of later backing out or letting people down.
- •Dr Alex shares a tactic: fast-forward mentally to the day of the event and ask if you’d truly want to be doing it then.
ADHD item: the hairdryer, white noise, and calming the mind for sleep
In the show’s signature segment, Dr Alex picks a hairdryer to represent ADHD, explaining its soothing white-noise effect for him. He shares how sound helped him sleep as a child and discusses using white or brown noise to unwind and focus.
- •Dr Alex says the hairdryer’s white noise relaxes him and links it to childhood sleep difficulties.
- •He explains why continuous sound can feel calming and mentions white noise and brown noise as options.
- •He jokes about the impracticality of running a hairdryer constantly and suggests using recordings instead.
- •The host connects with a similar experience of a humming lamp helping focus by stabilizing mental “chatter.”
Medication and designing life around ADHD: autonomy, flexibility, and workplace support
Dr Alex shares his experience with ADHD medication, describing using short-acting stimulants when needed rather than daily. He emphasizes reshaping work and study environments for autonomy and flow, and both discuss accommodations that help people perform without rigid processes.
- •Dr Alex says his psychiatrist prioritized lifestyle foundations first (like alcohol and exercise) before adding medication.
- •He describes using medication for focus on necessary but unstimulating tasks, and using it “as and when” depending on life demands.
- •He says creating autonomy and blank space helps him work with his energy—switching tasks or walking when unproductive.
- •They discuss workplace and university accommodations, focusing on outcomes rather than fixed processes and supporting flexibility.
Masking less, mindset practices, and gratitude (plus sponsor segment)
Dr Alex reflects on masking and the exhaustion of forcing himself to be someone he wasn’t, describing diagnosis as a relief that allowed him to be kinder to himself. He also mentions starting the day with gratitude and a mental fitness app during a sponsor segment.
- •Dr Alex says trying to be neurotypical after school experiences was exhausting and felt like a harmful form of self-denial.
- •He describes being more accepting on unproductive days and reframing self-talk to be kinder.
- •He says he now starts his day with gratitude alongside routines like cold showers and walks.
- •During a sponsor segment, he mentions a men’s mental fitness app and how morning mindset work can change the day.
“Washing machine of woes”: parking tickets, memory gaps, and writing everything down
In a community Q&A segment, they respond to a listener’s recurring parking ticket problem and broaden it into common ADHD challenges like procrastination, forgetting, and memory inconsistency. Both emphasize simple external systems—notes, alarms, diaries, and visible tools—to reduce “ADHD tax.”
- •Dr Alex advises paying anxiety-causing items immediately if they’re within your control, using a “sphere of influence” lens.
- •They discuss avoiding rabbit holes by writing down distracting thoughts to revisit later.
- •Dr Alex shares frustrations with remembering phone numbers, birthdays, and dates despite being able to recall complex medical details when engaged.
- •They recommend practical systems: notes apps, calendars, reminders, and visible planning tools like a whiteboard.
Impulsivity, spending, and advice to a younger self: owning differences
They wrap with reflections on impulsivity—especially spending—and the difference between spontaneity and harmful consequences. In closing, Dr Alex offers advice to his younger self about authenticity, turning perceived weaknesses into strengths, and valuing the process of life more than milestones.
- •Dr Alex struggles to separate impulsivity from drive, but identifies spending as a major area that can cause problems, especially at university.
- •He notes spontaneity can be positive, while impulsivity implies negative consequences or risk-taking that harms you.
- •He describes taking an unusual career path and says ADHD may have contributed to being willing to take that turn.
- •He tells his younger self not to waste time pretending to be someone else and to recognize that differences can become strengths over time.

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