ADHD, Oestrogen and Dopamine: A practical guide for vibrant women

Helen Day
5 days ago
20 min read

Do you feel like your ADHD brain keeps changing gear?

Some weeks, your ADHD brain can plan, remember and finish things. You sit down, start a task and—even with a few detours—you get it done. Other weeks, brushing your teeth feels like a major project. You walk into a room and forget why you are there. You look at your to‑do list and feel your brain slide straight off it. You might tell yourself this is “just ADHD”.You might decide you are lazy, inconsistent or unreliable. It is not laziness. It is not a personal failing.

If you are an ADHDer who has a menstrual cycle, is pregnant or postpartum, or is moving through perimenopause and menopause, your hormones are changing the conditions your brain works in. Oestrogen plays a big part in this, and it does so through a familiar ADHD player: dopamine.

In this guide, we will go into the engine room of that experience. We will look at:

how oestrogen and dopamine interact in an ADHD brain
what that means across:
- your menstrual cycle
- pregnancy and postpartum
- perimenopause and menopause
practical ways to change your expectations, routines and supports, so you work with your hormones instead of being surprised by them

By the end, my aim is that you have a simple model for what is happening in your brain at different phases, language you can use with yourself and others that removes shame, and a small set of strategies you can adapt to your own life.

Oestrogen and dopamine: Two characters in your ADHD control room

Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps you notice what matters, start tasks that are boring or have delayed rewards, stay with something long enough to finish it, and feel that small “this is done” sense of satisfaction. In ADHD, the dopamine system is both less efficient and more sensitive. This is why a “simple” form or email can feel physically hard to start, even when you care about the outcome. It is why you might rely on deadlines, drama or a little chaos to get moving. It is part of why you can swing between deep hyperfocus and “I cannot make myself do this at all”. None of that is a character flaw. It is how your brain’s “go” signal is wired.

Oestrogen is usually introduced as “the hormone that controls your period or fertility”. For ADHDers, it has another crucial job. It supports and modulates dopamine and other brain chemicals in ways that change how easy or hard life feels. A helpful picture is this: dopamine is your Wi‑Fi, and oestrogen is the signal strength. You have the same router—your ADHD brain—and the same network—dopamine. But the signal strength is not constant.

Across your month and your life, you might notice patterns like:

On days when oestrogen is higher, you may notice:

tasks feel more possible
you can hold more steps in your head
you have a little more patience and emotional buffer

On days when oestrogen drops, you may notice:

your brain fog increases
you lose track between steps and jump between tasks
small setbacks feel like proof that you are failing

Your values have not changed. Your commitment has not changed. The level of support your brain chemistry is giving you has changed.

Why ADHDers feel hormone shifts so strongly

This is why hormone shifts often hit ADHDers harder than neurotypical people. A neurotypical brain usually has more spare capacity in its dopamine system, so an oestrogen change might register as feeling “a bit off”, but they can still mostly push through. If you have ADHD, your baseline dopamine support is already lower and more fragile. When oestrogen moves, you feel the floor drop more sharply: those “good brain weeks” versus “crash weeks”, or whole life phases—like postpartum or perimenopause—where ADHD moves from background noise to a daily barrier.

On the difficult days, your self‑talk might sound like, “I was fine last week. What is wrong with me now?” or “Everyone else copes; why cannot I?” Those thoughts are understandable—and exhausting. Here is a different script you can try:

“Today my oestrogen and dopamine support are low. My brain is under‑resourced, not broken. I do not need more willpower. I need more scaffolding and softer expectations.”

This is not just a comforting sentence; it is a different way of responding. When you treat a hard day as a low‑support day, you are more likely to adjust the plan instead of blaming yourself. You might let yourself move into a “maintenance mode” version of the day, rely more on the checklists and timers you set up in easier phases, or ask for small changes from people you trust. You stay the same person, with the same values, and you allow your approach to flex with your settings instead of demanding the same output from yourself every single day.

Puberty: the first big oestrogen surge

Puberty is often the first time an ADHD brain and oestrogen really collide. As oestrogen rises, social demands, school expectations and emotional intensity all ramp up at once. For many girls, this is when they first become “too much” or “too sensitive” in other people’s eyes. In reality, their ADHD brain is now working in a louder hormonal environment, with more pressure and less play.

Some will mask harder. Some will fall into perfectionism. Some will be written off as “dramatic” or “lazy” or “not living up to her potential”. Very few will be correctly recognised as ADHD. That early misunderstanding sets the stage for the rest of the story—through cycles, pregnancy, perimenopause and beyond.

ADHD across your menstrual cycle

Your menstrual cycle is not just a set of bleeding days on a calendar. For an ADHD brain, it can feel like moving through different operating modes as oestrogen rises and falls. When oestrogen is climbing, your dopamine system often has more support and some of your ADHD tools feel easier to use. When oestrogen drops away, that support thins out and everything can feel heavier and more fragile.

No two cycles are the same. You do not have to match this pattern neatly for it to be real. Think of what follows as a map you can start from, and then redraw for your own body.

Follicular phase: Building brain

The follicular phase is the stretch after your period finishes and before you ovulate. Oestrogen is slowly rising again. Many ADHDers notice a gentle lift in energy, focus and hopefulness. Things that felt impossible a week ago start to feel more doable. You might find it easier to sit down, start a task and stay with it for a bit longer.

This is a phase where your brain is more willing to plan. The risk is that you use this increased capacity to write big, ambitious plans that your later‑cycle self will not be able to carry. Instead of loading yourself up with new commitments, you can treat this as a “future‑you support” phase.

In this phase, you might notice:

feeling more optimistic about routines, habits or projects
finally having the energy to tackle tasks you have been avoiding
saying “yes” to things because they genuinely feel manageable right now

A more helpful approach is to use your extra planning energy to build scaffolding, not promises. You can write simple checklists for “problem patches” in your day, set up recurring reminders for bills or school notes, or create a basic meal rotation that tired‑you can follow. “Good brain” you designs the system; “low‑brain” you only has to press play on it.

Follicular menu: pick 1–2 only

Make one simple checklist for a tricky part of the day (for example, mornings, after work, school run or bedtime).
Put a few important recurring tasks into your calendar with reminders.
Break one big project into smaller steps and name just the first tiny step.
Halve the number of new habits or commitments you are tempted to add this month.

Ovulation: High‑signal brain

Around ovulation, oestrogen often reaches its peak. For some ADHDers, this can feel like ADHD on “easy mode”. Words come more easily, conversations flow and ideas connect. You might feel more social, more verbal and more willing to say yes. For others, the difference is quieter, but there is still a sense of having a little more brain to work with.

When life allows, this window can be useful for higher‑demand work. Presentations, tricky meetings, hard conversations or deep creative projects often take less out of you here than they would a week or two later. You may find that you can hold bigger or more complex tasks in your head without dropping pieces, and that advocating for yourself feels a little easier.

In this phase, you might notice:

finding it easier to talk, present or explain your ideas
feeling more confident about taking on complex or visible work
agreeing to future commitments because current‑you feels capable and energised

The flip side is that ovulating‑you can accidentally overbook menstruating‑you. In the moment, it feels reasonable to agree to extra meetings, social plans or volunteer roles; later in the cycle, those same commitments can feel punishing. A simple boundary is to build in a pause on big decisions. Be as spontaneous as you like with low‑risk choices—what you cook, which walk you take, which small treat you buy within your budget—and give yourself at least 24 hours before saying yes to anything that will still be on your plate in three months.

It is also a great time to capture ideas instead of assuming you will remember them. Keeping a notebook or notes app open and parking ideas there lets high‑signal you leave useful raw material for phases when your brain has less capacity.

Ovulation menu: pick 1–2 only

Move one demanding task (presentation, big email, planning session, hard conversation) into this window.
Write down ideas as they come, instead of trusting you will remember them later.
Add a “24‑hour pause” rule for bigger commitments.
Use this phase for one self‑advocacy task, such as emailing a doctor, HR, or your child’s school.

Luteal phase: Sensitive brain

After ovulation, you move into the luteal phase. Oestrogen drops back and progesterone rises. This is often when ADHD symptoms feel louder. You might find yourself more sensitive to noise, mess and other people’s moods. Tasks that looked manageable a fortnight ago now feel steep and slippery. Rejection sensitivity can flare and small frictions feel bigger than they did before.

In this part of the cycle, it usually helps to deliberately shift from growth to maintenance mode. Instead of trying to improve every system in your life, you give yourself permission to keep the essentials afloat and soften your grip on the rest. This is not “giving up”; it is aligning your expectations with the support your brain currently provides.

In this phase, you might notice:

feeling more on edge or easily overwhelmed by everyday demands
struggling more to start or finish tasks, even with systems you normally like
interpreting slips and forgetfulness as proof you are failing

A reusable “bare minimum” list can be powerful here. You decide in advance what counts as enough on a hard luteal day: taking your meds, eating something with protein, checking your calendar once, doing one work task and one small home task. On the worst days, if you hit that list, you are done. You also assume your working memory has less capacity, so you back it up with more external support—timers, alarms, obvious sticky notes and shared calendars. That is not overkill; it is appropriate for this phase.

Luteal menu: pick 1–2 only

Create or use a “bare minimum” list (meds, food, one work task, one home task).
Move non‑urgent tasks out of this week in your calendar.
Add extra reminders (timers, alarms, notes) for the few things that really matter.
Reread a note from steadier‑you reminding you this is a low‑support phase, not a personal failure.

The pre‑menstrual days: Red‑zone brain

In the final days before your period, oestrogen can drop sharply. For many ADHDers, this is the most intense stretch. Mood swings may be stronger, thoughts more black‑and‑white, and your tolerance for noise, mess or other people’s needs much lower. Executive function, which was already under pressure, can feel almost absent.

In this red‑zone period, scope reduction is often the most realistic and compassionate move. It can help to ask, “If I had the flu, what would truly have to happen today?” and let that answer guide your priorities.

In this phase, you might notice:

feeling “done” with everyone and everything, even people you care about
reacting more sharply or tearfully than you usually would
old routines slipping through your fingers, even ones that felt solid last week

This is not you “backsliding”. It is your brain running on emergency power. Emergency power has different rules.

This is where any “red‑day systems” you have previously set up earn their keep: pre‑written messages to move non‑urgent meetings, default easy meals, extra alarms for school pick‑ups or medication, and a pre‑decided rule that you will not take on new commitments or big conversations if you can help it.

If it feels safe, you can also name this pattern with someone you trust. For example: “I am in my pre‑period red zone. My ADHD and hormones gang up for a few days and I am more sensitive and forgetful. If I am quiet or snappy, it is about my brain state, not about you. I am going to lower my load until this passes.”

Red‑zone menu: pick 1–2 only

Ask: “If I had the flu, what would actually have to happen today?” and drop the rest where you can.
Turn on “red‑day systems”: default meals, extra alarms, pre‑written “can we move this?” messages.
Let one whole category go (for example, complex cooking, extra social plans, non‑urgent admin).
Tell one trusted person, “I am in my red zone. I am lowering my load for a few days.”

You can also make a standing decision now—while you are not in it—about one thing you will always drop or downgrade in those days. Writing that down turns it into a pre‑agreed kindness, not a last‑minute failure.

ADHD across pregnancy and postpartum

Pregnancy and the first year after birth are not one long, blurry season. There are several distinct phases, each with its own hormone pattern, energy level and ADHD flavour. Oestrogen climbs across pregnancy and is especially high in the second and third trimesters. After birth, it drops sharply. On top of that, many ADHDers change or stop medication, especially early in pregnancy, and then add broken sleep and new responsibilities after the baby arrives. You do not have to experience every phase the same way other people do. Use this as a map you can scribble on.

First trimester: Falling apart a bit

In early pregnancy, your body is quietly doing a lot of work. Hormone levels are shifting rapidly, but oestrogen has not yet reached the very high levels seen in late pregnancy. Many people are also changing or stopping ADHD medication around this time. Nausea, exhaustion and anxiety are common, and your brain is trying to keep up while running on less support. For a lot of ADHDers, this trimester feels less like “glowing” and more like “fraying at the edges”.

In this phase, you might notice:

heavier brain fog and distractibility, like your thoughts are wading through mud
sharper emotional swings—crying more easily, feeling panicky, or jumping from excitement to dread
old coping tools (late‑night focus, last‑minute sprints, heavy reliance on coffee) suddenly not working or not feeling safe
forgetting questions, instructions or appointments unless they are written down

The goal here is not to be organised and radiant. The goal is to get through a demanding adjustment period with less self‑blame and fewer moving parts.

First Trimester menu: pick 1–2 only

Choose one capture spot (notes app or notebook) for all pregnancy questions, answers and dates.
Lower your expectations for this trimester: focus on food, rest where possible, hygiene and key appointments.
Ask one trusted person to be your “admin buddy” for forms, appointments or Centrelink/insurance.
Book one conversation with your GP or prescriber about ADHD medication in pregnancy, so you are not managing that decision alone.

Second trimester: Emerging steadiness (sometimes)

As oestrogen continues to climb and some physical symptoms ease, many people describe the second trimester as a little more stable. This is not true for everyone, but for some ADHDers there is a noticeable shift: less nausea, more energy, slightly smoother moods. If you are still unmedicated, it might feel like your brain is being held up a bit more by hormones than it was in the first trimester.

For others, the second trimester is still tiring and full of appointments, but at least the ground stops moving quite so fast.

In this phase, you might notice:

a bit more focus and energy than you had in the first trimester
fewer emotional crashes, or at least more recovery time between them
more mental space to think about birth, money, leave, or how life will look with a baby
the temptation to suddenly “catch up” on everything you dropped in the first trimester

If this trimester feels steadier, you can use that extra stability carefully—to put gentle scaffolds in place for future‑you—rather than to prove you can “do it all”.

Second Trimester menu: pick 1–2 only

Create one simple weekly overview (paper, whiteboard or digital) with key appointments and tasks visible in one place.
Set up a basic “postnatal bare minimum” list (what counts as enough on hard days once baby is here).
Have one practical conversation with your partner or support person about how chores and care might look after birth.
If you feel clearer, use that to tackle one admin task that will help later (for example, leave forms, benefits, childcare waitlists).

Third trimester: High oestrogen, heavy body

By the third trimester, oestrogen levels are very high compared with a normal cycle. For some ADHDers, this feels surprisingly good mentally: more grounded, more focused, more emotionally even than usual. You may find yourself thinking, “Oh, so this is what other people’s brains feel like most of the time.”

At the same time, your body is working hard. You may be more physically uncomfortable, less mobile and more tired. There are often more appointments and more decisions about birth plans, work handover and logistics. In this phase, you might notice:

a clearer or calmer mind than earlier in pregnancy, even if your body feels wrecked
feeling more able to plan, prioritise and have difficult conversations
a strong urge to “nest” and get everything perfect before the baby arrives
or, alternatively, feeling very done and counting the days, with less patience for other people’s needs

If your brain does feel the best it has ever felt, it is okay to enjoy that. It is also important not to promise postpartum‑you that she will have the same capacity. Late pregnancy can be a rare “boosted” phase; postpartum is usually not.

Third Trimester menu: pick 1–2 only

Use this clearer phase to set up light‑touch systems for postpartum (for example, a shared calendar, a meal roster, or a list of people who have offered help).
Write yourself a short, kind note to read in the newborn phase, explaining that things feel hard because the supports have changed, not because you are failing.
Decide on a very simple “postnatal plan” for chores (what gets done, what gets ignored, and who does what).
Gently cap new commitments that land after your due date; assume postpartum‑you will have less capacity, not more.

Postpartum: ADHD in a new world

After birth, your hormonal landscape changes quickly. Oestrogen, which was supporting you at high levels in late pregnancy, drops sharply. If you are breastfeeding, it can stay lower for longer. Sleep fragments, your days are chopped into tiny pieces, and you are handed a new role with no real onboarding. An ADHD brain that may have felt surprisingly steady in late pregnancy can suddenly feel like it has lost its scaffolding overnight.

Many ADHDers describe postpartum as the time when their symptoms move from background static to the foreground. Even if pregnancy felt mentally smooth, the mix of hormone changes, sleep loss and constant demands can bring a new level of difficulty. In this phase, you might notice:

losing track of time, feeds, naps or medications unless they are written down somewhere obvious
needing routines to be incredibly simple, with fewer steps and less improvising
intense emotional swings—deep love and connection alongside anger, numbness, anxiety or intrusive thoughts
struggling to reply to messages or organise visitors, even when you want support, and then feeling guilty or ashamed about that

None of this means you are failing at parenthood. It means you are doing it inside a body and brain under heavy load.

ADHD, dopamine and postpartum depression

For ADHD brains, the postpartum period is not just “tired and emotional”. The sudden drop in oestrogen after birth disrupts dopamine support in the brain, which can make existing ADHD challenges much harder. This, combined with sleep deprivation and new demands, increases the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety.

Research shows that ADHD is an independent risk factor for PPD. Large studies suggest that women with ADHD are about five times more likely to experience postpartum depression and anxiety than women without ADHD. Put another way, roughly 2 in 10 women with ADHD will receive a diagnosis of postpartum depression in the first year after birth, compared with a much smaller proportion of women without ADHD.

These numbers are not here to scare you. They are here so that if you do struggle, you know it is not a personal failing. It reflects how an ADHD brain responds to the hormone‑driven dopamine crash and the intensity of postpartum life. Knowing this in advance means you and your care team can plan support, rather than waiting until you are in crisis. If you find yourself feeling low, on edge, or numb and disconnected for more than a couple of weeks, it is important to talk to a professional. When ADHD and PPD or anxiety show up together, treatment often works better when ADHD is also addressed.

Postnatal life with ADHD is a season for anchors, not perfection. Instead of expecting a tidy routine, you can aim for a small number of daily touchpoints: feeding the baby, taking your meds, one small practical task, one point of human contact. You can assume from the start that your memory will be patchy and build systems that do not rely on you remembering: whiteboards, notes, timers, shared calendars, and honest conversations with people you trust.

Postpartum menu: pick 1–2 only

Choose 2–3 daily anchors (for example, baby feeds, your meds, one small home task) and let that be enough.
Use a simple visual system to track feeds/meds/naps (whiteboard, paper by the cot, or one app you actually tolerate).
Keep a short “help list” on the fridge, so when people say, “What can I do?” you do not have to think from scratch.
If low mood, high anxiety or numbness stick around for more than a couple of weeks, book one appointment to talk about it with a professional—and mention your ADHD clearly.

Perimenopause, menopause and beyond: ADHD in shifting hormones

Perimenopause, menopause and post‑menopause are not single moments. They are a long hormonal transition where your ovaries gradually wind down. Across these years, oestrogen does not simply slide down in a neat line. It often becomes more erratic—sometimes higher than before, sometimes dropping sharply—before eventually settling at a lower baseline after menopause.

Because oestrogen has been quietly supporting your dopamine system for decades, this change in its pattern can have a noticeable impact on ADHD symptoms, mood and energy.

Perimenopause: when oestrogen stops playing by the rules

Perimenopause is the lead-up to menopause, typically lasting 4-8 years on average, though it can range from a few months to over 10 years Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic. During this time, oestrogen does not gently fade out. Instead, it fluctuates erratically—rising and falling unpredictably instead of following a regular monthly pattern. These hormonal swings are what drive most perimenopausal symptoms.

For ADHDers, that instability matters because oestrogen helps support dopamine. When oestrogen is up, some women briefly feel sharper or more motivated. When it drops, focus, energy and mood can drop with it. The problem is not just “low oestrogen”, it is the constant up‑and‑down.

Fluctuating oestrogen levels

During perimenopause:

Patterns are unpredictable: Oestrogen does not decrease steadily at first. It goes through periods of higher‑than‑usual and lower‑than‑usual levels, from one cycle to the next.
Ovulation is irregular: Erratic hormone levels mean ovulation may be skipped or happen at odd times, which directly affects your cycle.
You can get both “too much” and “too little” symptoms: At different times you might have signs of oestrogen excess (heavy bleeding, bloating, breast tenderness) and deficiency (hot flushes, mood changes).

Common oestrogen‑linked perimenopause symptoms

You might notice:

Irregular periods: Cycles that change in length, heaviness and flow.
Hot flushes and night sweats: Rapid drops in oestrogen affect the brain’s temperature control.
Mood swings and emotional changes: Fluctuating oestrogen can contribute to irritability, anxiety or low mood.
Sleep problems: Hormonal changes, night sweats and racing thoughts can all disrupt sleep.
Vaginal and urinary changes: Over time, as oestrogen falls overall, vaginal tissues can become drier and thinner, increasing discomfort with sex and the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Brain fog: Many women report memory glitches or trouble concentrating.
Other physical symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, and joint or muscle aches are also common.

Layer ADHD on top of this, and those “brain fog” days or mood swings can feel more intense, or more frequent, than for women without ADHD. Strategies and meds that used to work steadily may now feel more hit‑and‑miss because the hormonal background is less stable.

Perimenopause menu: pick 1–2 only

Talk to your doctor: Bring a clear list of symptoms and mention both ADHD and perimenopause; ask for a proper assessment rather than assuming “this is just ageing”.
Track simply: Use a very simple system (a few words in a diary or app) to track cycles, sleep, mood and ADHD symptoms so you can spot patterns over months.
Adjust lifestyle in ADHD‑friendly ways: Focus on low‑friction changes—regular movement you don’t hate, easy‑to‑prepare food, basic stress‑management tools you will actually use.
Discuss treatment options: Ask about hormone therapies and non‑hormonal options that may help, and how they might interact with any ADHD medications.

Menopause: the end of cycles, not the end of you

Menopause is a single point in time: you have gone 12 full months without a period that is not explained by pregnancy, breastfeeding, surgery or medication. For many women, this happens in their late 40s or early 50s.

By this stage, oestrogen has dropped to a lower, more stable level. The wild swings of perimenopause begin to ease. That does not mean you suddenly have no hormones, but it does mean your brain is now working with much less oestrogen support for dopamine. For a lot of ADHDers, this feels like someone has quietly lowered the volume on energy, motivation and resilience.

You might notice:

A heavier, more constant brain fog.
Planning, initiating and switching tasks feels harder than it used to.
Mood feels flatter, more anxious, or more easily derailed by stress.
Old coping strategies (overworking, perfectionism, masking) simply stop stretching far enough.

This is also the stage where many women are first diagnosed with ADHD. Earlier in life, those cyclical rises in oestrogen may have been quietly rescuing your dopamine system—just enough to scrape by. Once oestrogen stops periodically boosting dopamine, the underlying ADHD traits stand out more clearly. To you, it may feel like you are “falling apart”. In reality, menopause has unmasked a pattern that was there all along.

Naming this matters. It shifts the story from “I’ve lost it” to “my brain and hormones have changed, and I’m finally seeing my true baseline.”

Menopause menu: pick 1–2 only

Ask your GP or psychiatrist directly about ADHD if you recognise lifelong patterns, not just recent changes.
Review both menopausal symptoms and ADHD together, rather than treating them as separate planets.
If you already have an ADHD diagnosis, revisit your meds and strategies in light of this new hormonal baseline.

Post‑menopause: a long chapter in a different brain

From 12 months after your final period, you are considered post‑menopausal. Ovulation has stopped. Oestrogen is low and more stable. The intense hormonal chaos of the transition usually settles, even if some symptoms—like flushes, joint pain or dryness—linger.

This phase can last 30–40 years. That is a long time for an ADHD brain to live in a low‑oestrogen environment. Without the old cyclical boosts, your nervous system is now working without that hidden scaffolding for dopamine and serotonin.

Common themes in this stage include:

A lower “stress tolerance” than you had at 25 or 35, even if life looks calmer.
More obvious gaps in memory, organisation and follow‑through, especially without external supports.
A growing awareness that past “burnouts” or “nervous breakdowns” were likely ADHD plus hormones, not personal failure.
A mix of grief (for lost years and missed diagnoses) and relief (for finally having a clear name and framework).

For many women, this is when their ADHD story finally comes into focus. Without monthly oestrogen swings smudging the picture, the lifelong pattern is easier to see—for you, and for clinicians. That late diagnosis can hurt and heal at the same time.

Post‑menopause is a powerful time to gently redesign your supports so they match this new, more stable but lower‑oestrogen brain.

Post‑menopause menu: pick 1–2 only

Simplify your support systems: fewer, more reliable tools (one calendar, one reminder system) instead of complicated setups you can’t maintain.
Protect the pillars that help both ADHD and low oestrogen—sleep, regular movement, connection—even in very small, doable doses.
Treat a late ADHD diagnosis as information, not a verdict: it explains your past and gives you options for your future.

Putting it all together: your vibrant ADHD brain, through every phase

From your first period to your last, and far beyond, your ADHD brain has been navigating a complex dance with oestrogen and dopamine. For too long, this dance has been invisible, leaving many vibrant women feeling confused, frustrated, or simply "not enough."

What we now understand is that:

Oestrogen is a quiet ally for dopamine: It helps your ADHD brain with focus, motivation, mood and energy.
Hormonal shifts are not just "women's issues": They are neurobiological events that profoundly impact how ADHD shows up.
Your experience is valid: Whether you felt "off" during your period, struggled through pregnancy, or found yourself unmasked in perimenopause, your brain was responding to real, physiological changes.
A late diagnosis is a new beginning: If you are only just connecting these dots now, in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond, it is not too late. This new understanding is a powerful tool.

This journey through puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, perimenopause and post‑menopause is not about "fixing" yourself. It is about understanding your unique brain in its ever‑changing hormonal landscape. It is about giving yourself permission to adapt, to seek support, and to build a life that truly works for you, not against you.

You are not broken. Your brain is not failing. You are a vibrant woman with an ADHD brain, and you deserve to thrive in every phase of your life. Armed with this knowledge, you can advocate for yourself, adjust your strategies, and finally give your brilliant brain the support it has always needed.

If you’re seeing yourself in this

If parts of your life suddenly make more sense after reading this, that is information, not a verdict. You do not have to rewrite your whole story this week. You are allowed to start very small.