The Impact of Hormones on Cognitive and Emotional Functioning-ADHD-women

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Hormones, particularly estrogen, have a significant impact on the receptors in the brain for anxiety, depression, and ADHD. When estrogen levels are high, women with ADHD experience less anxiety, better focus, and improved mood. Conversely, when estrogen levels drop, particularly during perimenopause, women with ADHD may feel anxious, moody, and experience ADHD symptoms more severely. There are two critical points in a female's life when ADHD is commonly diagnosed: puberty and around the age of 39, which coincides with the beginning of perimenopause. However, psychiatrists and gynecologists are often not trained in understanding how hormones affect cognitive and emotional functioning. They tend to focus on hormone levels within the normal range rather than considering the impact of hormonal fluctuations. It has been found that it's not the absolute amount of estrogen but the fluctuation of estrogen that contributes to ADHD symptoms. Thus, there is a need for greater awareness and research on the importance of hormones in women with ADHD.

ADHD can mess with a person’s ability to remember responsibilities and deadlines, start and stop projects, and show up as the on-top-of-everything employee that a boss expects. For women, these symptoms are also in direct contrast to what society expects us to be: attentive, organized, self-controlled. If you have ADHD, getting practical support from colleagues and emotional support from others in the same boat is essential to reaching your potential at work.

Two women who have ADHD—one’s a psychologist and the other a life coach—explain the many different ways that this chronic, brain-based disorder manifests, and how hormonal fluctuations factor in. They point out coping mechanisms that might actually be making your life harder, and give advice for creating the structure and accountability you need in your job.

Guests:

Kathleen Nadeau is a psychologist, the clinical director of The Chesapeake Center, and author of many books about ADHD, including her latest, Still Distracted After All These Years.

Kristen Carder hosts the podcast I Have ADHD and runs a group coaching program called Focused.

Resources: