How Hormones Affect ADHD in Women

How Hormones Affect ADHD in Women

From All Things ADHD by CHADD

January 14, 2026 · 1h 5m · Episode 351

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of hormonal changes on ADHD in women and offers strategies for management.

Hormones play a powerful—and often overlooked—role in how ADHD shows up across a woman’s lifespan. In this episode of All Things ADHD, Dara Abraham, DO, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in adult ADHD, unpacks how hormonal shifts from puberty throughperimenopause and menopause can affect focus, mood, energy, and medication response. Dr. Abraham explains the interplay between estrogen, progesterone, and key brain chemicals, why ADHD is often missed or misunderstood in girls and women, and why symptoms may intensify at certain points in the menstrual cycle or later in life. The conversation also explores practical, evidence-based strategies for managing ADHD during hormonal transitions, including treatmentadjustments, self-advocacy, and lifestyle supports—offering insight for women who have ADHD, parents of girls and adolescents with ADHD, and clinicians alike. Dara Abraham, DO, is a board-certified psychiatrist who focuses on adult ADHD and mental health advocacy. She is in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her expertise and insights have been showcased in articles, podcasts, and conferences, where she works tirelessly to promote awareness and deepen…

People in this episode

Guest: Dara Abraham Do

Topics covered

  • ADHD
  • hormones
  • women
  • mental health
  • treatment strategies

Keywords

  • estrogen
  • progesterone
  • menstrual cycle
  • perimenopause
  • menopause

Sponsors

Otsuka

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Otsuka

Books & works: All Things ADHD

Places: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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