What Is ADHD Masking? The Perimenopause ADHD Connection

About this episode

Dr. Brighten discusses ADHD masking and its connection to perimenopause, exploring how hormonal changes affect women's coping mechanisms and mental health.

If you’ve ever wondered why you used to be able to hold it all together and now suddenly feel like your brain is working against you, this episode will hit home. In this conversation, Dr. Brighten unpacks the reality of ADHD masking, why so many women go decades without a diagnosis, and how perimenopause ADHD symptoms can make long-standing coping mechanisms stop working almost overnight. This episode connects the dots between hormones, executive dysfunction, burnout, sensory overload, and the invisible labor women carry every day, making it especially relevant for women who have spent years being told they are lazy, too emotional, or simply need to try harder. In this episode, listeners will learn why ADHD masking is not “faking it,” but a survival strategy many women rely on to fit in, perform, and protect relationships. They will also hear how hormonal shifts, especially during perimenopause, can strip away the brain’s ability to compensate, revealing symptoms that may have been present all along. Dr. Brighten also explores the overlap between ADHD, autism, sleep issues, metabolic health, chronic stress, and women’s hormone changes, while offering practical ways to reduce…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Jolene Brighten

Topics covered

• ADHD masking
• perimenopause
• women's health
• hormonal shifts
• executive dysfunction
• burnout
• sensory overload

Keywords

• ADHD
• masking
• perimenopause
• hormones
• women's health
• executive dysfunction
• burnout
• sensory overload
• brain health
• chronic stress

Sponsors

Dr. Brighten Essentials Radiant Mind

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Dr. Brighten Essentials Radiant Mind

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