Perimenopause Doesn't Cause ADHD, It Unmasks It: Reclaim Your Brain with Dr. Jolene Brighten

Were you ever told you were "so smart, but" on a report card? So smart, but too chatty. So smart, but not living up to your potential. Dr. Jolene Brighten, naturopathic endocrinologist and author of the forthcoming ADHD and Women, unpacks why ADHD in women looks nothing like the stereotype, and why so many women aren't diagnosed until their late 30s or 40s, often only after their own child gets diagnosed first.

If you've ever felt like the strategies that used to work for you have quietly stopped working, this episode might give you language for something you've been carrying alone for a long time.

🎤 TOPICS COVERED

• ADHD in women: symptoms, diagnosis, and why it's missed for decades
• Why ADHD looks different in women versus men
• Perimenopause and ADHD: why symptoms get worse in midlife
• The five hormonal stages that worsen ADHD (puberty, pregnancy/postpartum, perimenopause, postmenopause, premenstrual phase)
• Executive dysfunction explained: time blindness, task paralysis, and emotional dysregulation
• ADHD masking in women: people-pleasing, perfectionism, and burnout
• Estrogen, progesterone, and the ADHD brain: how hormones affect dopamine and focus
• PMDD and ADHD: the connection between your cycle and your symptoms
• Progesterone sensitivity and hormone replacement therapy for ADHD women
• PCOS, PMOS, and the androgen-ADHD connection
• ADHD and genetics: is ADHD hereditary
• Nutrition for ADHD: gut health, protein, and the three foods Dr. Brighten recommends weekly
• Exercise and the ADHD brain: lactate, BDNF, and why movement improves focus
• Best workouts for ADHD: strength training, sprints, and mobility work
• Creatine, saffron, bacopa, and other supplements for ADHD
• Sleep and ADHD: delayed sleep phase syndrome and the default mode network
• Late-diagnosed ADHD in women: why so many women are diagnosed in their late 30s and 40s

📎 RESOURCES MENTIONED can be found at https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep489

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