Hormones Gone Haywire and ADHD-You’re Not Alone
If you have ADHD, you understand too well the challenges of planning your day, remembering where you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to be doing, then finding the motivation, organization and focus to get it all done.
If you’re a woman, you also feel the pressure of juggling the insane number of roles we’re expected to play-mother, wife, care taker, taxi driver, social scheduler, and the list goes on. Wait, then there’s that part or full time job you might have on top of everything else.
So what if you’re a woman with ADHD? Yikes, now you feel like you have to find some serious super powers. But doesn’t every woman need that cape? Well, yes, it seems to come with the territory, but if you are a woman with ADHD, you might not be aware that you have a different and more difficult path than your male counterparts.
Because you are female, you naturally go through cycles of fluctuating hormones for let’s see…. your whole life. It’s that gift/curse thing your mother told you about. The gift is obvious- that estrogen and progesterone make it possible for us to experience the miracle of childbirth, give us beautiful hair and strong bones among other things.
The curse? Monthly pain, mood swings, and PMS during your reproductive years. Just when you thought you’d get a break, it’s time for menopause and the menu changes a bit to dry skin, more mood swings, hot flashes, brain fog and a glitchy memory. This midlife experience is compounded by a couple of major life transitions (kids leaving home, caring for aging parents, retirement) that demand our best selves to show up. I hesitate to focus on the negative when there are so many wonderful things happening at the same time. But, my point is this-be aware that if you have ADHD, you may need more support than women who don’t.
An article in ADHD Weekly, The Complete Picture: How Estrogen Affects Women with ADHD, highlights information from the work of Dr Patricia Quinn, a physician, researcher and author ( see reading list below). The article references Dr Quinn as writing that “the changes in estrogen levels at puberty and again at menopause can dramatically impact a woman’s ADHD symptoms, along with her ability to function. Similar fluctuations related to a woman’s menstrual cycle can worsen both her ADHD symptoms and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.”
Carol Robbins Ph.D. also points out that “ADHD that may have been considered subclinical (not fully meeting diagnostic criteria) and that may have been more manageable earlier in life may leave middle-aged women wondering why they now feel so overwhelmed and like they are "losing it.”
What to do? Building self awareness around the timing and severity of your symptoms will help you prepare for those changes and, guess what, there’s an app for that. It’s called Clue Period Tracker for iPhones and Period Tracker for Android. This information will also act as a powerful tool when talking to your doctor. Your physician can help you decide whether you need to adjust or add any medications to your routine. I’ve listed a few resources below that can also help you understand how hormones affect your body and your ADHD. My overall message is to reach out for help.
As Dr Quinn says, “The key to better outcomes for women with ADHD lies not only in better recognition of the disorder, but in the realization that in addition to their ADHD, they must cope with an ever-changing hormonal environment that can have a significant impact on their ADHD symptoms”.
There are so many resources-physicians, therapists, coaches and support groups-to guide, educate and support you along the way. There’s no need to go it alone ladies.
Suzanne Leon is a Certified Professional Coach who works with people affected by ADHD/ADD. Visit her website to learn more about the services she provides.
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Sources for this article:
The Complete Picture: How Estrogen Affects Women with ADHD, ADHD Weekly
Robbins, C. (2019) Frenzied, Frazzled and Overwhelmed: The Interaction of Hormones and ADHD in Women in Midlife ADHD Weekly.
Suggested Reading:
100 Questions & Answers About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) In Women And Girls, Patricia Quinn, MD
Understanding Girls with ADHD, Updated and Revised: How They Feel and Why They Do What They Do, Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, Ellen Littman, PhD, and Patricia Quinn, MD
Understanding Women with ADHD, Patricia Quinn
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