Distractd

ADHD Organisation connecting communities, delivering information via industry professionals, education, panel discussions, mingles and advocacy.

https://bit.ly/DistractdLiveTicket

01/06/2026

Have you ever understood exactly what was happening…
and still felt completely overwhelmed?

You knew:
what to do
why you felt that way
what “should” help

…but your body still reacted anyway.

This month at DISTRACTD we’re exploring:
Top-Down, Bottom-Up… and Everything In Between.

A whole-system conversation about therapy, nervous systems, stress physiology, sensory regulation and the environments that shape the way humans function, cope and respond.

Because you didn’t think your way into every feeling…
which is why support sometimes needs to reach the body, nervous system and environment too.

HOTA Basement
Wed June 3
6–8:30pm

Featuring:
• Laura Garcia — Hibiscus Sounds
• Dr Chris Stapelberg
• Kelly Gall

Free community event.

Get your ticket: https://bit.ly/DistractdLiveTicket

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

31/05/2026

Amanda Gorman is the founder and host of DISTRACTD — a Gold Coast community initiative creating accessible conversations around neurodiversity, mental health, regulation and human functioning.

Known for blending lived experience, curiosity and practical conversation, Amanda creates spaces where experts, families, professionals and everyday humans can come together to better understand themselves and one another.

📍 HOTA Basement
🗓 Wed June 3
⏰ 6–8:30pm

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

28/05/2026

Brains, bodies and nervous systems are deeply connected.

At this month’s DISTRACTD event, Dr Chris Stapelberg will explore the biological side of regulation, including stress physiology, nervous system responses, sleep, movement, nutrition, medication and the body’s own “internal pharmacy.”

Because sometimes support isn’t just psychological… it’s physiological too.

Get your ticket here: https://bit.ly/DistractdLiveTicket

📍 HOTA Basement
🗓 Wed June 3
⏰ 6–8:30pm

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

27/05/2026

What if understanding yourself was only one part of the picture?

This month at DISTRACTD, psychologist Kelly Gall joins us to unpack top-down approaches including therapy models, emotional awareness, cognitive load and why insight alone isn’t always enough.

Together we’ll explore how thoughts, nervous systems, environments and bodies all interact - and why support often needs to happen across multiple levels.

Get your ticket here: https://bit.ly/DistractdLiveTicket

📍 HOTA Basement
🗓 Wed June 3
⏰ 6–8:30pm

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

26/05/2026

Sometimes the body responds before the brain can make sense of it.

Laura Garcia from Hibiscus Sounds joins DISTRACTD this month for a calming sound and sensory experience exploring rhythm, nervous system regulation and body awareness.

Through grounding, sound and a guided gong experience, Laura will help us explore how humans don’t only regulate through thoughts — but through sensory experiences, environments and the body too.

Get your ticket here: https://bit.ly/DistractdLiveTicket

📍 HOTA Basement
🗓 Wed June 3
⏰ 6–8:30pm

25/05/2026

Top-Down, Bottom-Up… and Everything In Between

This month DISTRACTD explores the many different pathways humans use to access regulation, support and change.

From therapy and cognitive understanding to nervous systems, biology, sensory experiences and environment, we’ll unpack how these systems interact and why no single approach works for everyone.

Get your ticket here: https://bit.ly/DistractdLiveTicket

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

07/05/2026

Last night’s DISTRACTD event was one of those rooms where you could almost feel the collective exhale happening in real time.

We explored regulation not as a buzzword, but as something that quietly shapes everyday life. The missed text. The shutdown after a long day. The irritation that arrives before words do. The “small” task that somehow feels like climbing a mountain in gumboots carrying groceries and three open tabs in your brain.

Together we unpacked:
• why overwhelm can look so different from person to person
• how stress changes executive functioning
• the difference between capacity and motivation
• why nervous systems matter in relationships, parenting and workplaces
• and why support structures often succeed where shame and pressure fail

Thank you to our incredible speakers for bringing both expertise and humanity to the stage, and to every person who showed up with curiosity, honesty and vulnerability.

DISTRACTD continues to become a space where people feel seen, understood and a little less alone.

06/05/2026

This is the one that explains a lot.

Why do small things feel big?
Why do reactions happen so fast?
Why can relationships feel harder than they should?
Because regulation doesn’t always look calm.

Join us May 6.
HOTA Basement | 6–8:30pm

Our May event is brought to you by Print Sauce.

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

04/05/2026

Meet your May speakers.

This month, we’re exploring Regulation in Real Life through three key lenses:

〰️ Psychological
〰️ Sensory
〰️ Body-based

Because behaviour doesn’t happen in isolation — it’s a response to what’s happening underneath.

Join us for a night of real explanations, real experiences, and meaningful understanding.

HOTA Basement | Wed May 6 | 6–8:30pm

Our May event is brought to you by Print Sauce.

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

02/05/2026

Hi, I’m Amanda — founder of DISTRACTD.

I started these events because I wanted a space where people could finally hear accurate, compassionate explanations about ADHD — without shame, pressure, or needing to have it all figured out.

Each month, we take a different piece of the puzzle and make it make sense.

May is all about regulation — and how it actually shows up in real life.

HOTA Basement | Wed May 6 | 6–8:30pm

Get your FREE ticket, link in bio 👆🏽

Our May event is brought to you by Print Sauce.

#ɴᴇᴜʀᴏᴅɪᴠᴇʀɢᴇɴᴛ

Address

Gold Coast, QLD

Telephone

+61409997295

Website

http://Www.distractd.org/, https://hota.com.au/whats-on/live/talks-and-ideas/distractd, https://www.distractd.org/catego

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148 Eastlake Street, Carrara

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