The Chris Voss Show - The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Unleashing ADHD as a Superpower with Dia Schwarz

Episode Date: September 19, 2025

Unleashing ADHD as a Superpower with Dia Schwarz Noot.us About the Guest(s): Dia Schwarz is a renowned expert in neuroscience and integrative medicine, with a specialization in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As a practitioner and a mother living with ADHD traits, Dia offers a unique perspective on how to manage and empower those with this condition. Her career is marked by a passion for revolutionizing the supplemental health industry through her work with Noots, a mindful and bold supplement brand focused on clean, no-filler products rooted in nature and supported by scientific research. Episode Summary: In this engaging episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss invites Dia Schwarz to explore the oft-misunderstood world of ADHD in adults and children. Dia, a neuroscience and integrative medicine expert, sheds light on why ADHD is not just a children's disorder, but a prevalent and frequently undiagnosed condition in adults. By highlighting the unique neurological wiring of individuals with ADHD, she emphasizes the potential of ADHD as a superpower rather than a disability and discusses healthy, integrative approaches to managing symptoms without relying on traditional medications. The conversation delves into how ADHD presents challenges like anxiety, burnout, and relationship struggles due to symptoms such as time blindness and heightened sensitivity. Dia stresses the importance of not "patching symptoms" with medication alone, advocating instead for comprehensive health strategies involving sleep, nutrition, stress regulation, and supplements. Her company, Noots, offers a range of products designed to support people living with ADHD and other health challenges naturally, promoting an understanding of individual biology and integrating mental health into daily life. Key Takeaways: ADHD is not merely a childhood condition; millions of adults live with undiagnosed ADHD, often mistaking their symptoms for depression or burnout. Recognizing ADHD as a different operating system in the brain is crucial; it is not a sign of being broken or lacking discipline. Integrative approaches, including clean supplements and lifestyle changes, can transform ADHD into a superpower by enhancing focus and creativity. Medication should be used cautiously, serving as a bridge—allowing individuals to explore natural tools and ultimately avoid long-term reliance. The impact of ADHD on relationships and daily life emphasizes the need for awareness and strategies beyond traditional treatments. Notable Quotes: "Diagnosis says you have a sickness; I treat it as a superpower." "ADHD is linked to dopamine differences; it's not about lack of discipline." "Medication should be a bridge, not a cage." "ADHD in adults is like driving a Ferrari with bicycle brakes." "Stop believing you're broken. ADHD is a different operating system."

You wanted the best... You've got the best podcast. The hottest podcast in the world. The Chris Voss Show, the preeminent podcast with guests so smart you may experience serious brain bleed. The CEOs, authors, thought leaders, visionaries, and motivators. Get ready, get ready. Strap yourself in. Keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Because you're about to go on a moment. monster education rollercoaster with your brain. Now, here's your host, Chris Voss. Hi, folks, Voss, here from thecrisVos Show.com. All the ladies, you know, and there, only things that make special. Welcome to 16 years and 2,500 episodes of the Chris Voss show because we just wanted something to do.

For a show to family, friends, and relatives, go to goodreads.com, Fortess, Chris Foss. LinkedIn.com, Fortess, Chris Foss, 1, on the TikTokany and all those crazy places. So, you know, opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host or the Chris Foss show. Some guests of the show may be advertising on the podcast, but it is not an endorsement or review of any kind. When you normally hear ADHD, it's one of those things I have, as everyone knows, most people think of restless kids in a classroom. But here's the truth. ADHD is not just about children.

Millions of adults live undiagnosed, struggling with the burnout, depression, anxiety, or relentless. spine that never finds peace without realizing ADHD may be at the root of it. It's not a lack of willpower. It's a different operating system than it certainly is. Without a manual, it almost feels like chaos or the right guidance to become a superpower. And today we dive into this with someone who knows it from every angle as a neuroscience, integrative medicine, and an ADHD expert, a mother, and someone who's lived with ADHD traits all over life. Please welcome. Dia Swartz on the show. How are you? Very good. Thank you.

Very good. Very good. So give us a dot-coms. Where do you want people to find you on the internets? I want people to find us on the internet on www.w-N-O-T-O-T-U-S. It's an integrative supplement brand without any fillers. And, yeah, we take it very seriously if we talk about no fillers and we say no fillers and we say no, bullshit. So this is where will people find us. We call us the mindful and the bolt and we're ready to revolutionize this industry with very new, integrative medical approaches. But we need you

to work alongside with us. So, yeah, excited to talk about it today, about a very specific topic. So how does this tie in with ADHD? Yeah, well, ADHD, you know, it's one of a very important topic. because people try to numben their symptoms, so to speak. You know, when you hear ADHD, most people think of restless kids in a classroom. There's a truth, you know, ADHD is not about children. Millions of adults live undiagnosts. They're struggling with burnout, with depression, with anxiety, or restless mind that never finds any peace.

ADHD may be the rude. It's not a lack of real power. It's a different operating system. And it's important to talk about it and how does it tie in with Noot? We try to deliver support and solutions and really demand-driven supplementation or interpretive medicine to support the people where they are at. And there are certain things, and that one of it is ADHD, other things are depression, other things are just longing for longevity or biohacking or anti-aging. but ADHD is the one we're going to talk about today because very often it's a taboo topic. And, you know, the worst thing is that most of the people, especially when they are adults,

they are undiagnosed and they're really suffering from that badly. Oh, undiagnosed. So parents often feel desperate when their child is diagnosed with ADHD. What would you say to them? You know, for children, it often shows that not being able to sit still in a class or daydreaming instead of following instructions. They may even face bullying. They label this lazy or troublemakers.

You know, it's very tough for them because it's almost like it's a disability. What I want to say to them is, no, no, it's a superpower if you know how to navigate and with it, alongside with it. And it's the same for adults as well, even worse, but for kids, it kicks in badly. And my focus and my wish for today is to give a little bit of background to understand where this comes from, what can you do without, you know, numbing everything. You have this little kid and you give them this very heavy medications or her. And then you just, you know, they lose the spark. It's like they're a little soul in a cage and they can't embrace themselves because they're numbmed.

Yes, they will not move around anymore. scream and be happy and express themselves because they're under drugs and it's awful. So there should be and there are other solutions out there. That's why I want to dig deeper a little bit today. So in one sentence, what would I say? Even the word diagnosis says, you know, you have kind of a sickness, treated as a superpower. And big leaders out there are all diagnosed with ADHD. just how do we do with it.

They call it the CEO disease because a lot of CEOs have probably because we're manic I suppose. No, because we want to get shit done, you know, we want to really, we are on all the time and we're excited about doing things. We never get tired. And yeah, but there is a big downside, Chris.

So don't be about that. You know, there is a big, big downside. And people just think, oh, yeah, maybe I'm depressed or maybe I'm burned out or maybe where does this anxiety come from or thousands of things of happening here. And most of the time, unfortunately, really relationships fall apart because those people are very often, very hyper-sensitive and have issues with sleep. And they don't even know that it's ADHD. And that's usually, you know, you say millions of adults are living undiagnosed.

If I'm out there in the audience, what does that feel? like? How do I know if I'm maybe undiagnosed? What sort of symptoms are having? Yeah. You know, with children, we talk just about children, but now let's talk about adults. The picture shifts because undiagnosed ADHD

often hides behind symptoms of, as I said, depression, anxiety, burnout. Adults may struggle with time blindness. You know, they never realize how much time has passed and constantly there are later or trying to find something, or are they missing deadlines,

despite they try so hard, or they may feel rejected more intensely than others. What we call rejection, you know, in that context, is high sensitivity. So many live with constant self-criticism. That's a very big thing, you know. We show off, and we kind of, we show, because I have kind of, as a CEO, very often, you just said it. I'm facing partly some issues of HDAD, but I, sorry, ADHD, but I celebrate it because I know how to navigate it and let's get back to the symptoms. So when I say we, that's why, because I really felt it myself and I'm calling themselves lazy and, you know, not being sure if we are as cool as we show off and insecure, but only when the door is closed.

And, you know, really, the daily life just swings between chaos and bursts of hyperfocus. And then we can work for hours if it's our passion, but if it's not our passion, we can collapse or really get frustrated and upset with the tiniest things. And, yeah, over years, relationships fall apart. Jobs are lost confidence inroads. So many turn to really unhealthy coping, like alcohol, food, risky behaviors to compensate or to stimulate. Anything too quiet, you know, is a problem for the brain. It's a painful reality. Undiagnosed ADHD doesn't just cause focus. It costs life, scary isn't. And love, not even talking

about libido and other things. That's why I say ADHD and adults is like driving a Ferrari with a bicycle brakes, you know. The power, the creativity, the empathy, all is there. With the right tools, without the right tools, sorry, it feels totally uncontrollable. And the strategy is not the wiring, it's the misunderstanding. And once people learn how to navigate it, the chaos is not their destiny anymore. That's when AEDHD becomes a superpower. And you asked me earlier, what is the link to nude? Because it's a supplement brand and a clean supplement brand, that's one thing. But we really try to help people with, let's call them issues or challenges by not numbing the symptoms, like celebrating it, integrating them,

and help people to grow and thrive. It's the same with ADHD, but you're going to face it, and you need support. What about medication? I mean, there's people that get on, what is that, Ritalin and different things that they'll do on ADHD to try and calm us down. What is your perspective? You know, medication can help, of course, with stimulants increase, dopamine and that, you know, that can mean focus, calm, clarity, but they are not without

costs, appetite, loss, and insomnia, anxiety, cardiovascular, strain, even emotional plumbing, you know, for children, we just discussed it, like long-term use of that. They are, for years on that medication, sometimes 25 years longer, just daily, it's a sedation, it carries a lot of risks besides that it definitely suppresses the personality, right? And the development of your own self. Imagine that. I mean, can you imagine? It's like sitting in a fucking prison.

Oh, yeah. And it's awful, right? So for adults, dependence is, of course, a huge danger. And we can't ignore that too many people end up medicated for decades without even learning how to navigate their superpower. So that's why I always say, you know, medication should be a break. not a cage and used wisely with regular revelation is good it can help but it should never be the only answer and that is one thing i really want to mention here i believe most of the people

don't know what what it actually is and you know where where does it come from and it's important that you understand that ADHD is not ADCs it's not a lack of discipline it's a different and now listen why wiring off the brain, right? It's like having a different hard drive. You don't have the same hard drive than somebody else has. So don't judge it. You can't change it. You can reset it.

You can't reset it, but you can learn to navigate it. And neurobiologically, ADHD is linked to differences in, you know, producing dopamine, for example. You are not able to produce dopamine as somebody else's. And why? Then, of course, you're restless. You try to find distraction. You try to do something all the time to create that document, to have a little happiness in your life.

And then, of course, what is the answer of the years? Are the consequence, you're tired. You feel restless. And, yeah, anxiousness and depression very often kicks in then. So, yeah, it's so important to find the right balance about the medication. but first of all, understand what's happening in your brain and where can I support my brain?

And that's when good supplements come in. Oh. Besides medication, you know. And you also talk about how if medication isn't the whole answer, some of the foundations of approaching it in some different ways. Tell us about that. So we definitely, sorry, Chris, go ahead. Slead, nutrition, stress regulation.

as I said from the beginning you know it's very important to have an integrative approach and it's ADHD you can't you can't patch the symptom it's there it's about working with the roots so yes sleep nutrition stress regulation and purpose they are the foundation and then they're like very great help us out there like Entropics, Linesme, Pacopa, Ginko, they support your clarity in a natural way. They're working with your memory and your neuroplasticity without numbering yourself, your feelings, or your personality.

Then, of course, adaptogens like Ashwaganda or Rodiola, they support your cortisol balance. That's another big issue for ADHD. I don't want to call those patients, but they're not patients. They just have a different, you know, their brain works differently. But it's very hard for them to balance your cortisol. And that's why, you know, you have issues with resilience.

So there are answers out there, and we created a few supplements. Of course, I suffered myself, and I tried to understand how to navigate with it better. It was very helpful because it made me a very successful entrepreneur, and I always had the power and the drive, and I would work restlessly. But then at a certain point, it kicks in. And that's when I decided to really come up with alternatives, like our happy mood, our stressless and deep sleep formulas to support and to connect you with yourself and to not disconnect you for yourself, with yourself. And another thing, you know, it's great to look into for anybody who has ADHD. If you go into microdosing and you're going to speak with your doctor about it, and specialists about it.

but it's really, really helpful. Microdosing, meaning whatever your condition is, whatever your symptoms are, you can really go into them and stimulate them and support that part of you, which needs help. So now with new, you took and built it not just as another supplement brand. It's a clean premium company focused on biohacking and integrative medicine. And then you have it rooted in nature, back by science. and it's not about symptom patching.

What does symptom patching mean? Symptom patching is when you call me and say, you know, hey dear, what's up? You know, I just lately I feel, I have my next show going on tomorrow. Can you imagine I had to go back home five times because I couldn't find my key. Then I lost my phone and I'm miserable. I don't even know what my next podcast is about. It's overwhelming and I gain weight and I'm constantly in trouble with my life, so there's a lot of symptoms, right?

So now I can tell you, okay, go to your obstinateress, ask for some whatever kind of numbing sedative medication, or I could tell you, hey, go have your blood work checked, go have a test. You might be in that context because we're speaking about ADHD, check your hormone levels. Where are you at? Menopause doesn't only kick in for a woman. It's called differently with men. So it's about to answer your question, it's not just, oh, I have a headache, I take a pill. Okay, why do I have it?

What happened? Did I hydrate you know? Why is this happening? You can touch symptoms easily. You can also look into it. And then do not, you would not number new symptoms. You would understand why they are here and then work alongside with them to do what? to understand your body and then be healthy.

Do you think, Chris, you're going to be healthy if you patch your symptoms? Does that make sense? No, it's going to fucking kill you. That's for sure. Sorry, it's going to be a lot of beeps in that show, but it's going to kill you. You can patch you symptoms. You can take antireflex medication every day. You can lower your cortisol levels with statins.

You can do all this kind of crap. You can. You pay the bill later, maybe sooner than that. And I feel very sorry for that. But you need to be brave and you need to take responsibility. responsibility. People just very often want the magic pill to patch their symptoms. Not many are really willing to look into. So tell us about some of the different products that you have on your website.

What are some of the things I can find on here? I see a number of different things in the shop. It's great that you give me the opportunity to talk about the products. I don't want to make it to commercial. I really want to make sure that the people are listening to it, hopefully can take something with them and, you know, feel inspired. But I'm happy to talk a little bit about products. Just a quick, I mentioned a few. And they're not, of course, only related to ADHD. There's a lot of products there where, you know, for different symptoms or also only for biohacking and longevity, making sure you, you know, you have gracefully and with

energy, a lot of options, for example, Genius Mushrooms and Genius Mushrooms 2.0, when you're through heavy exam phases, or you have a lot of demand, high work demand, or you want to increase your creativity, then you, you know, or you want to have very strong adaptants and neutropics, you take Genius Mushrooms. If you want to make sure your inflammation decreases and you have, you're fully on, and you want to prevent from dementia. you want to choose Neuroflame. If you want, yeah, if you want to have, let's talk about sex first, okay, because nobody else does.

If your libido is low and you have issues in a relationship and you just feel, you know, how can we know, spice it up a little bit, you try love games. And the good thing is for men and for women, and really works without side effects. And I want to go deeply into it if you're interested, just check it out. Female fertility.

If you have issues, you know, kind of pregnant and receive, or like becoming a mother, you want to look into that if you have issues with your testosterone level instead of getting injections out there and you have erection issues. You want to look into alpha male. Now it looks like, okay, it's very medical, but it's not because if you want to have a great skin and a glowy skin, you maybe just want to choose vehicle glow or you're going to prevent menopause. You're looking to prevent, you can't prevent it, but you can support it. You can look after your hormone balance you want to choose menopause harmony or aguache so yeah there are a few products many of them uh which i feel are yeah demand driven and demand driven meaning like when i saw

my son generation said you know saying mom oh my god it's so much like my mom's keeping in it's too much for me and need support i try to figure out how to support and what can we do to not patch symptoms to use your words again to work alongside the body and its biology workside along the biology now you mentioned that ADHD is a superpower what do you mean by that yeah think of history is great innovators Leonardo da Vinci Mozart Einstein Walt Disney Richard Branson oh my god you want to name them all many showed ADHD traits like restless non-linear like rule-breaking minds they don't like rules like rules They want to go beyond, then you can't stop them.

They didn't fit into the system, right? So they, what did they do? They built their own system. And that's the essence of ADHD as a superpower for me. It's fast thinking, it's creativity, it's intuition, a very high empathy. Hyperfocus sounds negative, but it's also great. Yeah. Hyperfocus.

Think of Mozart, right? What did this guy do? Amazing stuff. So, yeah, when passion is engaged, people really, they bring it to another level. The challenge is navigation. With awareness and the right tools, ADHD is not a handicap. It's really an accelerator. So if you have a kid that was your first question with ADHD diagnosed, celebrate it, please.

It's not a disease. It's not a disability. It's a superpower. Just learn more about it. and learn your care and how to navigate with it and through it and grow with it and not break. That's super important.

Well, this sounds like a lot of interesting stuff for people. And, you know, ADHD, I mean, I don't, honestly, in some ways I've been challenged by all my life, but it's a superpower. I mean, people always ask me, how are you able to do

so many things and run so many companies and do so many projects and yeah Chris, welcome to the club I was born in it I was born in the club what would you tell every parent

of every undiagnosed child with ADHD one thing what would it be you know parents your child is not broken and adults you're not lazy you're not too much you're not impossible to love

ADHD listen please is a different operating system it's not a defect stop believing you're broken or stop believing your kid is broken you are becoming he has the CEO disease he's going to make some money this has been powerful thank you for your honesty your expertise in your heart you're not just reframing ADHD you're showing people how to live it differently give us your dot coms or dot your dot internet so people can find you on the

interwebs yeah of course of course it's um new dot you as mentioned in the beginning, and then on Instagram is at nude.world. And you can, of course, any message will be treated confidentially. If you have any issues, questions, just reach out to us. We try to help. We try to support as good as we can. And on nud.us, excuse me, you find a lot of information, and you can also send us emails directly.

And, you know, I really want to say, thank you, Chris. My message basically is simple besides all, you know, trying to sell any kind of products my message is very very simple let's stop outsourcing our health in general let's own our wiring and let's live the change we want to see just be brave you know and live and enjoy your life and look into it don't patch symptoms don't patch the symptoms look into it and do it and all that good stuff well thank you very much for coming the show we really appreciate it very insightful thank you so much Chris Thank you. And thanks for mine for tuning in. Go to Goodreads.com, Fortress, Chris Foss,

LinkedIn.com, Fortress, Chris Foss, won the TikTok, and all those crazy pleas, the internet. Be good to each other. Stay safe. We'll see you next time. And I should have a...