Voicing experiences of menopause & ADHD ignites understanding, transforms silent struggles into shared knowledge; sparking societal awareness. - kas

Double Stigma

A recent survey performed by 'ADDitude Magazine' shed light on how menopausal changes can severely exacerbate ADHD symptoms for women with new cognitive and emotional challenges.

Having experienced this myself, I understand the disorientation of feeling your usual mental sharpness slip away. When you've relied on your cognitive acuity, that sudden sensation of being "stupid" is incredibly frustrating -- emotional regulation and memory suffers, requiring different coping strategies. Your ability to mask your ADHD becomes more challenging.

When I first began experiencing this — no one around me really made an effort to understand or seemed to want to, even my then-boyfriend with whom I lived. It was an extremely lonely period for a bit. That's why educating families, partners, and spouses about this is so important.

I did however find help in somatic therapy and acupuncture which fit my needs and experiences, and I highly recommend it. I just hope this opens some eyes and has people cutting women a little slack as we adjust to operating under a “new normal" for a while.

For further insights: ADHD Impairment Peaks in Menopause, According to ADDitude Reader Survey