Women & ADHD

Jes Hagan: ADHD, PMDD & hormonal mood symptoms

Jul 1, 2024

Jes Hagan, a nutritional therapist and integrative menstrual health educator, discusses the connection between hormones, menstrual cycles, and ADHD in women. They delve into the challenges of receiving accurate diagnoses, lack of education on women's health topics, and holistic treatment options for hormonal mood symptoms.

01:00:16

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Jes Hagan

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Quick takeaways

Hormonal fluctuations can affect ADHD medication effectiveness, highlighting the importance of managing symptoms appropriately.

Women with ADHD face challenges in navigating the medical system and lack of education on related topics.

Integrative approaches, such as psychoeducation and lifestyle changes, can empower individuals in managing ADHD and PMDD symptoms.

Deep dives

Discovering ADHD in Adulthood

Many women, including the podcast host Katie, have discovered they have ADHD in adulthood, leading to a reevaluation of their lives and relationships. The lack of awareness around ADHD in women and the struggles faced in navigating medical systems are highlighted.

Intro

5min

Navigating Diagnoses of ADHD and PMDD

17min

ADHD Lounge Community and Managing Hormonal Mood Symptoms

2min

Navigating ADHD, Hormonal Mood Symptoms, and Women's Health

17min

Challenges of Executive Dysfunction in ADHD and the Influence of Menstrual Cycle on ADHD Medication Effectiveness

3min

Understanding ADHD, Perimenopause, and Hormone Replacement Therapy

5min

Navigating Healthcare Challenges and Advocacy for Women with ADHD

14min

Episode 188 with Jes Hagan.

“The first study on women and ADHD was done in 1979, but there wasn’t a study on the menstrual cycle and ADHD until 2017.”

Jes is a nutritional therapist and board-certified integrative menstrual health educator and coach. She is the founder of Her Mood Mentor, a virtual premenstrual clinic. Her own experience of living with misdiagnosed and undiagnosed Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and ADHD has fueled her determination to help others reclaim their lives from hormonal mood symptoms.

PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that can come with significant emotional and physical symptoms that typically occur during the luteal phase. Anywhere from 3-8% of menstruating adults have PMDD, while roughly 46% of women with ADHD also experience PMDD.

Jes and I talk about her personal diagnosis journey, starting with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder at the age of 17. She shares about her later diagnoses of PMDD and ADHD, and how medical research has been slowly connecting the dots when it comes to how our hormones and menstrual cycles affect our ADHD.

We also get all fired up over the lack of education on a lot of these topics that relate to women with ADHD, as well as the challenges we face navigating the medical system with ADHD.

Finally, Jes discusses some of the amazing holistic treatment options available for anyone who struggles with hormonal mood symptoms.

TRIGGER WARNING: Throughout the episode, Jes mentions her experiences with suicidal thoughts during PMDD, so if that subject is a difficult one for you, you might want to sit this episode out.

Website: hermoodmentor.com

Instagram: @hermoodmentor

Additional links:

Save 10% off any of the following courses with code KATY:

FREE Premenstrual Supplement Directory

A father's perspective on PMDD (Youtube video with Jes’ dad)

Additional references:

Prevalence of hormone-related mood disorder symptoms in women with ADHD (2021)

Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome in Autism: A Prospective Observer-rated Study (2008)

Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage (2023)

Sex differences in childhood psychopathology: A review. (1979)

Annual Research Review: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls and women: underrepresentation, longitudinal processes, and key directions (2022)