In a video interview with WebMD, Molly Seidel opens up about how she manages her ADHD and OCD. The Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon has spoken publicly in the past about her mental health struggles, which contributed to her decision to Run/Walk a Race last summer. Even as she was racking up wins throughout 2021, her mental health was shaky, so this past year she’s prioritized becoming fully healthy.
Seidel first developed OCD in middle school, which eventually led to her eating disorders. She wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until February 2022, but in hindsight, the signs were there. Running was essentially how she self-managed her ADHD. The disorder commonly presents itself in women as high-achieving perfectionism, not outbursts. The hyperactivity Seidel felt was funneled into running: It helped her focus, and she was only able to complete her homework after workouts.
As a pro, she runs upwards of 130 miles per week, and she says that when her brain is working well, it can help her zone in during training and stay focused through the pain of a 26.2 mile race.
“However, when my brain is at its worst, when I’m not putting in the work, and when I’m in a very unhealthy state, it completely backfires,” she tells WebMD. “And so that’s the thing. I feel that in certain ways my brain almost is like tailor-made for the sport that I do. It just can get out of control very quickly if I don’t give it the time and attention that I need to be paying to it.”
That’s been Seidel’s major focus over the past year or so. While she’s still seeking a therapeutic use exemption for the option to use Adderall during future competitions should she need it, she says she’s no longer taking medication. She finds that what works best for her is prioritizing specific lifestyle changes that help her brain work optimally. For her, that’s a combination of talk therapy, various somatic therapies, and a consistent meditation practice which includes mindfulness and breathwork.
She told Runner’s World last year that she also limits her social media usage. She gets locked out of Instagram after five minutes a day, just enough time to fulfill her sponsor obligations. “Social media is really toxic for my brain,” she said.
Having lived with various forms of neurodiversity since childhood, Seidel tells WebMD, “I feel right now that I’m in a place where obviously with this kind of stuff you’re never like quote unquote ‘cured,’ but I feel in a much better and more stable place than I’ve been in a really long time due to taking a step back over this last year and really putting in the work and the time to focus on it.”
Seidel finds it empowering to be involved in her own care and enjoys reading medical papers and doing her own research, especially on alternative techniques for treating ADHD. Having that competency has given her a better understanding of how her brain works. “And I think that ultimately is the point of therapy,” she says in the interview. “Maybe some aspect of it is being able to take ownership of not just expecting that I’m going to go to a doctor and they’re going to give me a pill and that’s going to fix everything.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back, What Is a Therapeutic Use Exemption TUE, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
