Part 1: The Hormone Shift and ADHD

Part 1: The Hormone Shift and ADHD

/ Regenopause / By

Part 1: The Hormone Shift and ADHD

For years, we’ve been told a one-sided story about menopause: the hot flushes, the mood swings, the sense of decline. But for those of us living with ADHD, the hormonal shift hits with its own unique impact.

In our fertile years, oestrogen and progesterone acted like quiet allies. They buffered the ADHD brain, smoothing out some of the rough edges. When they drop during menopause, the scaffolding comes down. Suddenly, the old “workarounds”—working twice as hard, relying on last-minute adrenaline, masking—don’t hold anymore.

As Gabor Maté reminds us in Scattered Minds:

“The suppression of self and the constant attempt to meet the expectations of others is the psychological bedrock of ADHD.”

And here’s the paradox: menopause unmasks what has been hidden. What once looked like collapse is, in truth, a crack in the old façade. The question becomes—what might be revealed beneath?

Living With ADHD Post-Menopause

The traits are magnified. The forgetfulness. The overwhelm. The fiery outbursts. But so too is the chance for clarity. The masks we’ve worn for decades are harder to sustain. Age strips away the performance.

Carl Jung’s words ring true:

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Menopause insists we make the unconscious conscious. That means confronting the ways ADHD has shaped our lives—and the ways we’ve contorted ourselves to fit into a neurotypical mould.

It can feel raw, frightening even. But it is also the doorway to a different kind of freedom.

✨ In Part 2, I’ll explore how post-menopause and ADHD together open up a frontier of regeneration, authenticity, and what I call “Regenopause.” Stay with me—we are only just beginning.

Reflection Questions for Part 1

  1. How did you learn to “mask” or compensate for ADHD traits earlier in your life?
  2. What strategies once worked for you but no longer serve you after menopause?
  3. Where do you notice yourself feeling most raw or unmasked in this stage of life?
  4. What unconscious patterns are asking to be made conscious now?

 

Get your copy of Regenospan: Growing Newer as you Grow Older here!