ADHD Party Planning Spiral: Dopamine, Time Blindness & a Melting Piñata [Episode 14]

This week on Grab Her By The Mic, we recover from Noah’s birthday party like it was a combat mission, unpack why kids’ parties have become miniature Met Galas, and deep-dive into the emotionally feral science of ADHD planning spirals (dopamine + time blindness + social comparison = a perfect storm).We also get swept up in Wuthering Heights discourse (because Philsy hyperfixed, mispronounced it, and then said a word that didn’t exist), share live thoughts on the America’s Next Top Model documentary (including the Tyra trench coat conspiracy), and survive Mabel choosing violence via tiny pinching hands.We also cover:Kids’ birthday parties escalating over the last decade - from donuts-on-a-string to full event production energyADHD hyperfixing: why planning is addictive (but execution is hell), and how time blindness makes “the night before” feel reasonableSocial comparison theory: how Instagram + celebrity parties quietly reset your baseline and make “simple” feel like failureWuthering Heights basics: what “wuthering” means, why it’s not a romance, and why most movie versions skip the second-generation chaosAmerica’s Next Top Model documentary hot takes, Tyra’s vibe, and why wardrobe can be a silent message (visual signalling / costume semiotics)The discovery of a lemon-lime “Frankenstein” tree and the spiritual experience of realising your backyard is graftedWe also play Finish My Sentence: Mum Edition (Unhinged) for the SideQuest. A game where motherhood meets chaos, honesty, and the kind of answers that probably shouldn’t be admitted on record.Explicit, feral, occasionally educational, and deeply validating.See you next Tuesday. 💋Chaos Correctional (Fact-Check Corner):Stick around after the outro for Chaos Correctional - where we fact-check ourselves before the internet does.This week, we correct:Obama + aliens: what he actually said on the No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen podcast, and what he clarified afterwardsSadomasochistic: what it means, and why it gets used to describe Catherine + HeathcliffTyra’s trench coat theory: whether wardrobe can convey a message without saying it (visual signalling, costume semiotics, impression management, visual rhetoric)Skewith: not a real word… but now officially in the GHBTM dictionaryA Quiet Fart (2021): yes, a Quiet Place parody exists - but with farts as the survival threatLinks & Things We MentionedAs always, here are the receipts - every link we referenced (and corrected) in the episode and Chaos Correctional:🎉 Download the Chaos Proof Party Planner 🍷 Recap & RoséRisky Business Luxe Riesling🎬 A Quiet FartFull trailer on Youtube🧠 Social Comparison TheoryLeon Festinger (1954) - A Theory of Social Comparison ProcessesVogel et al. (2014) - Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem⚡ ADHD + DopamineVolkow et al. (2009) - Dopamine reward pathway differences in ADHDNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) - ADHD overviewADDitude Magazine - ADHD Brain & Dopamine⏰ ADHD Time Blindness Barkley, R.A. (2012) - Executive Functioning & ADHDADDitude - ADHD Time Blindness explainer💌 Loved this episode?Hit follow / subscribe so you don’t miss future chaosLeave us a 5-star review if you cackled, cried, or felt seenScreenshot & tag us on socials so we know you’re listening (and so we can feel important)🎙 New episodes every Tuesday👉 Follow us: @grabherbythemic📩 Got a question for Ask the Unqualified? DM us or email [email protected] - zero credentials, maximum confidence.