When ADHD AND PERIMENOPAUSE COLLIDE

For many women, the cracks don’t appear out of nowhere. They show up quietly…struggling in college, after becoming a mom, or in the slow shifts of perimenopause.

ADHD doesn’t suddenly develop. The coping mechanisms you built (rigid routines, masking, people-pleasing) are breaking down under the strain of shifting hormones.

Estrogen drops, and suddenly the things you managed before feel heavier. Memory gets foggy. Emotions swing harder. Sensory input feels louder, almost unbearable. Even simple tasks take more energy than they used to.

These transitions, physical and emotional, often unmask what was there all along. But instead of answers, most women are told they’re just stressed. Overwhelmed. Too sensitive.

Many women feel isolated and wonder if they’re “losing it.” Caught in shame cycles, they turn inward…blaming themselves and trying desperately to “fix” what feels broken.

You’re not broken, and you don’t need fixing. Your brain and body are going through big shifts, and the old ways of coping just aren’t cutting it anymore (because they weren’t designed for this season). What you really need now is permission to slow down, get curious about what’s actually going on, and start building support systems that meet you where you are not where you think you “should” be.

This is where you start building a new toolbox.

That might include medications—like menopause hormone therapy (hormone replacement therapy) or ADHD meds, as powerful supports. But it’s also about the foundations: nourishing your body, improving sleep, moving in ways that feel good, managing stress, and creating space for rest.

This isn’t about doing it all perfectly. It’s about finding what helps you feel steady in a season of so much change.

The most powerful tool of all is understanding yourself, dropping the mask and meeting this version of you with love, compassion and grace.