Facing ADHD, Fatherhood, And Forgiveness Scott MacLeans story part 1

Send us Fan MailEver had your brain pitch a hundred worst-case scenarios before you even dial a number? We sit down with a comedian and construction equipment salesman who found out he had ADHD years into adulthood—and finally felt the volume drop on catastrophic thinking. That quiet gave him enough space to act: make the call, do the work, and stop losing the day to imagined disasters. Then life threw a curveball that no planner could forecast: meeting a partner and becoming a father to twins within months.What follows is a candid tour through NICU corridors, night feeds that erased memories, and the shock of parenting with someone you barely know. There’s no gloss here—just the grind of pushing a twin stroller while strangers offer small talk you’re too tired to entertain, and the math of surviving Toronto on one income while trying to keep creative dreams alive. When the relationship ends, the real reframe begins. Single fatherhood splits time and identity, turning off-weeks into a rush of distraction, dating, and distrust. If the person with the most to lose could betray you, how do you ever relax again?We unpack the tools that actually helped. Vipassana meditation to watch thoughts without biting the hook. Indigenous teachings that transform yesterday’s hurt into today’s medicine. A secular take on spirituality that treats inner life like a skill, not a slogan. Forgiveness becomes practical: not a pardon, but a choice to stop letting anger tax every room you walk into. The conversation lands on a sharp question—when does a victim of circumstance become responsible?—and works it through the lens of parenting, accountability, and the kind of model we set for our kids.If neurodiversity, co‑parenting, late diagnosis, and rebuilding trust are part of your story, you’ll find hard-won insight and steady hope here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the moment that hit you most—we’ll read the best ones on a future show.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show