There is a well-documented link between ADHD and addiction.
We hope you find this page helpful. Remember, ADHD symptoms affect everyone differently, so if you have any concerns, it’s always best to speak with a healthcare professional.
ADHD is often seen as something diagnosed in childhood, but for many women, ADHD symptoms can become more noticeable or even emerge for the first time during menopause. Hormonal shifts can have a profound effect on brain function, leading to increased difficulties with focus, memory, and emotional regulation. Understanding how menopause and ADHD interact can be key to finding the right support and improving your quality of life.
For many women, menopause brings with it a host of physical and emotional changes. It’s a time of transition, often accompanied by symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. But if you’ve been noticing more difficulty concentrating, staying organised, or managing day-to-day tasks, you might also be wondering if something else is at play.
ADHD is a neurological condition that affects attention, impulse control, and the ability to keep organised. While it’s traditionally associated with children, many women are only diagnosed in adulthood, often when the hormonal changes of menopause trigger a worsening of symptoms.
Oestrogen plays a key role in regulating dopamine, the neurotransmitter involved in attention and executive function, which is why the hormonal fluctuations of menopause can affect how your brain works. During perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause), oestrogen levels decline, and as a result, ADHD symptoms can become more pronounced.
You might notice things like:
These changes can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD before. But recognising this link can help you understand why you’re feeling this way – and more importantly, what you can do about it.
The overlap between menopause and ADHD can be particularly challenging because many symptoms of menopause, like memory lapses, trouble sleeping, and mood changes, can mimic or exacerbate ADHD. If you already have ADHD, you may feel like your symptoms have worsened; if you’ve never been diagnosed, you might begin questioning if ADHD is part of what you’re experiencing.
Both ADHD and menopause can affect your ability to stay organised, manage time, and control impulsive behaviours. The result is often feeling more overwhelmed by daily tasks, especially at work or in managing household responsibilities. You may also feel more anxious or emotionally reactive, which can lead to frustration or guilt if you’re struggling to keep up.
However, these challenges are manageable, and recognising the role of ADHD in menopause is the first step towards finding relief.
If you’re dealing with both menopause and ADHD, the good news is there are steps you can take to manage your symptoms and feel more in control.
Here are a few strategies that can help:
During menopause, the decline in oestrogen levels significantly affects brain function, particularly in areas related to attention, memory, and emotional regulation. Oestrogen helps modulate dopamine, a neurotransmitter crucial for maintaining focus and managing impulsivity – two core challenges in ADHD.
As oestrogen decreases, ADHD symptoms may intensify, leading to more frequent episodes of forgetfulness, difficulty focusing, or messiness and disorganisation. These hormonal changes can cause cognitive issues in women who have never previously experienced ADHD, making it harder to stay on top of tasks or manage emotional responses.
Understanding the role of hormones in exacerbating ADHD symptoms can help women make sense of these changes and explore treatment options that address both ADHD and menopause-related challenges.
Many women going through menopause report memory lapses, sometimes referred to as “menopause brain,” characterised by forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and difficulty recalling information.
When ADHD is also present, these memory problems can become even more pronounced. ADHD already affects working memory – the ability to hold and manipulate information over short periods – making it challenging to stay organised or complete tasks. When compounded by menopause, these cognitive issues can lead to frustration, irritability and anxiety. Tasks like remembering appointments or where you left your keys may become overwhelming.
Understanding that these issues are a result of both ADHD and hormonal changes can reduce self-blame and encourage seeking help, whether through ADHD treatment, hormone therapy, or memory-strengthening techniques.
Both ADHD and menopause can cause emotional turbulence, making it difficult to manage mood swings, irritability, or feelings of being overwhelmed.
During menopause, fluctuating hormones (particularly oestrogen) can affect mood regulation, often leading to heightened emotional sensitivity or unpredictable mood changes. For women with ADHD, this emotional instability may feel more intense, as ADHD also affects impulse control and emotional self-regulation. This combination can lead to frequent irritability, anxiety, or frustration, which may affect relationships or performance at work.
Recognising the role that both ADHD and menopause play in these emotional changes can empower women to seek support. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and lifestyle adjustments like mindfulness or stress-reduction techniques can help balance emotional responses.
There is a well-documented link between ADHD and addiction.
For many, anger is a challenging and often overlooked symptom of ADHD.
ADHD and anxiety frequently co-occur, creating a challenging mix of symptoms.
Understanding the relationship between ADHD and Autism is crucial, particularly as more research reveals how these conditions frequently co-occur.
If you have ADHD-like symptoms, you might notice that creativity plays a significant role in your life.
ADHD and depression frequently co-occur, and the combination can make daily life feel even more overwhelming.
The overlap between ADHD symptoms and disordered eating behaviours is significant.
Many ADHD sufferers experience intense emotions and difficulty managing them.
Executive functioning refers to a set of cognitive processes that help you plan, focus, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks.
It’s not just about fidgeting. It’s about a brain that never seems to switch off.
Intense concentration that can last for hours. This state of absorption can be both a strength and a challenge, depending on how it’s managed.
If you experience ADHD symptoms alongside frequent joint pain, dislocations, or extreme flexibility, you might be dealing with more than just one condition.
Impulsivity can affect many areas of life, from personal relationships to work.
Inattention in ADHD goes beyond occasional forgetfulness or distraction.
If you find yourself getting irritated more easily than others, you’re not alone, and there are ways to manage it.
Many individuals with ADHD also experience specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia.
Memory lapses can lead to frustration, feelings of guilt, and misunderstandings in relationships.
For many, symptoms can become more noticeable or even emerge for the first time during menopause.
Struggling with disorganisation and clutter?You might be experiencing one of the most common challenges linked to ADHD.
Managing finances can be a daunting task for anyone, but for individuals with ADHD, it often feels even more overwhelming.
ADHD affects the dopamine system, which plays a key role in regulating attention, effort, and motivation.
Parenting is a complex task for anyone, but when ADHD is part of the picture, it can feel even more demanding.
ADHD and perfectionism may seem like opposites, but they often coexist, creating a unique set of challenges.
ADHD can make it harder to plan, organise, and estimate time effectively, which are all crucial elements in getting tasks done.
If you have ADHD, you may experience intense emotional reactions to perceived or actual rejection, a condition known as Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD).
With the right strategies and mutual understanding, ADHD doesn’t have to be a barrier to healthy, meaningful relationships.
Restlessness is one of the hallmark symptoms of ADHD, particularly in individuals with the hyperactive-impulsive presentation.
Individuals with ADHD often experience low self-esteem due to a lifetime of challenges.
Sensory processing challenges are often a significant part of the experience for many individuals with ADHD.
Sleep disorders are a common challenge for individuals with ADHD, making it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed.
