The ADHD & Perimenopause Plot Twist Nobody Warned Us About
Hi Mobsters! It’s Leah from The House Of Hormones here, bringing you your weekly dose of wellbeing intel.
Be honest… have you ever walked into a room and immediately forgotten why you’re there? Lost your phone while you were holding it? Found yourself staring at a school admin email like it’s written in ancient code? If you’re nodding… welcome. You’re in very good company. Over the past year, women everywhere, have been talking about something big:
Why do so many of us suddenly feel more distracted, overwhelmed, forgetful, emotional, or not ourselves… right around the time our hormones start shifting?
Here’s the truth! What looks like ADHD in your 30s, 40s, and 50s doesn’t always start as ADHD. Sometimes, it starts as perimenopause. Oestrogen is not just a “period hormone.” She’s the CEO of several systems in your brain, especially dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, focus, memory and emotional regulation.
In perimenopause, oestrogen dips like phone signal on a train: up, down, glitchy, impossible to predict. When oestrogen drops, dopamine follows. When dopamine drops, your executive functioning (the part of your brain that handles planning, focus, organisation, and impulse control) gets wobbly. And suddenly, you’re asking yourself: “Why can’t I finish anything?” or “Why do I feel overwhelmed by the tiniest tasks?” Sound familiar?But here's the plot twist.
For some women, these symptoms are purely hormonal. For others, perimenopause unmasks ADHD they’ve always had but brilliantly masked their entire lives. Because who are the world’s best maskers? Women! Mums!
Women who carry the mental load, organise households, juggle work, childcare, admin, emotional labour… all while appearing “on top of it.” But when hormones shift, those coping strategies stop working. Not because you’re failing, but because your brain chemistry has literally changed.Why do Mums feel it harder? Mums are already: sleep deprived, overstimulated, carrying the emotional load, I could go on. Add fluctuating hormones on top? Of course things feel harder. This isn’t a character flaw. It’s biology + life load + zero support.So what can we do? Start with curiosity, not judgement.Take note of your patterns: Do you feel more foggy before your period? More reactive mid-cycle? More scattered since giving birth? Remember we have our FREE Symptom tracker that you can download to make this easier. Speak to your GP if it’s affecting daily life, and yes, mention both ADHD and perimenopause. Many women need someone to join the dots for them.And finally: build support. You do not have to cope alone or guess what’s “normal.”Take this as your weekly reminder that.... You’re not lazy. You’re not losing it. You’re not “bad at adulting.” Your brain is responding to real hormonal shifts, and thousands of women are going through the exact same thing.If you want more on this, drop your questions in the comments and we can get an ADHD + hormone specialist in for a future MOB session.Because when women understand their hormones, we stop blaming ourselves, and start advocating for ourselves. And honestly, that changes everything!
Best
Leah
xx
