Frenzied, Frazzled and Overwhelmed: The Interaction of Hormones and ADHD in Women in Midlife 

Anxiety was part of my life until age 46 when I was diagnosed with ADHD and started taking Adderall. My anxiety absolutely disappeared. What a relief to have the proper treatment at last.

I'm 36 and wasn't sure this was something I can benefit from. In my opinion the title should be different so that no woman with ADHD (no matter the age) misses this GEM. I'm very grateful for this great presentation - it was not only highly informative but also easy to follow thanks to that woman - a wonderful speaker with the right (for me) type of voice and attitude. I ended up getting educated AND feeling understood. Thank you!

Watching at 2 AM, while playing games on my phone, having gotten a second wind at about 10 PM. Feeling either seen, or called out, LOL.

Words can't express how much this video means to me.

Today, at 57 going on 58, I just talked to my Dr about he possibly that I have ADHD and she agreed! I'm so happy to hear this 😅! What a relief! I cannot wait to finish your talk.

I’m not formally diagnosed by strongly suspect that I have adhd and this is describing me to a T. Like it’s a summary of my behaviour. Thank you. Very useful

I’m almost 41 and just got diagnosed. This lecture actually was one of the few things that convinced me to go and get tested. Thank you. I havent started the meds yet just need to do mandatory health checks, but the organisation tips discussed, I find I’ve tried so many but never persist with it. Also I feel like as soon as I put it down im done with it and never go back until it becomes critical

I am only now realising that all my struggles have been due to this...when I was a child I wanted to please, achieve and I hid all the desperation around that. Added to this, I was adopted, so changes in my brain neuropathy happened early. Even now in my late '60's I 'lost' my purse at a function, someone alerted me to this, I took it and thanked them, then all the change fell out of it, because I had failed to zip it closed. This scenario is no different to what I experienced at 10 years old. I am exhausted! Yes, diagnosed with Depression & Anxiety and told to retire early or the stress I was experiencing would lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes! I feel more at peace now that I have loads of time to achieve things. My dog helps enormously. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier, that's all.

This video should not only be required by every single general practitioner, it should be required by every woman coming of age. Most things in this video resonate so deeply with me. It has brought me to tears. I was diagnosed around the age of 30 and only given Adderall at the time. Absolutely no support or information was shared with me. Now at 46, my heart breaks for all of the wasted time, not only in my womanhood, but also my childhood. So many things make sense now. Hopefully, I can implement these recommendations for myself and both of my daughters. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, wisdom and compassion. 💙 26:31

Oh my gosh! I'm glad I happened to stumble on this. I'm not even a quarter way through and I'm in 😭 Someone finally gets me and it's not just me. I wish I knew how to explain to everyone else in the world why I do or don't do the things I do. They don't get it and I can't explain myself so I shut down in society, isolate, and don't take care of my responsibilities. Once again, about to give up but maybe there's hope. I need to find a counselor who understands adhd so I'm not wasting they're time or mine.. I live in north Spokane, Washington....any ideas ?

I suspected I had ADHD due to my son's diagnosis... But I didn't really researched on what it meant for me. I just started again with therapy to help me work on my depression due to the guilt and self inner critic due to the conflicts I was having with my son being a Single parent. I haven't taken the time to analyze all the coping mechanisms that I had developed along the way. I'm lucky I was able to get myself thr support I need. And finding your videos is helping me find the words and vocabulary for some of the things I couldn't really explain.

Thank you for such an informative hour. I’m a new mom to a 9 month old baby and newly living states away from my family and friends back home. I’ve been struggling lately to manage it all: the home, wanting to be the best mama, working full time, being a wife, maintaining bills…and I end up sleeping about 4-5 hours per night and completely ignoring self care. I’ve pushed off finding a psychologist in our new city, but this motivated me to start looking and doing my best to put my mental health first. This also pushed me to start religiously taking my medication that I take maybe once every 2 weeks currently. Thank you 💕

This is exactly what I needed to hear and learn. I'll be listening to this several times. I'm a midlife woman. Thank you 💛💛💛xx

My partner and I just watched this entire presentation. I am a woman with ADHD, who has experience the death of three close, love, ones my mother and my stepfather and my sister. I have a family of my own in North Carolina and I was the party who had to care for everyone in Philadelphia and their passing. I felt overwhelmed, rightfully so and the fact that I have ADHD didn’t help matters. My life is just now starting to come back together. I learned so much from this presentation one being that they are ADHD coaches. I have a lot of things that I’m good at, but I’m struggling to find out what it is. I get started at what it is. I need to do because I’ve been so caught up in saving everyone else I haven’t even been able to work. So as recommended, I’m going to take little chunks And each day it should get easier. I have a psychologist, but I don’t feel she is very effective. It’s been the normal consensus that when I go to seek help everyone says wow you have a lot on your plate I feel given the right exercises, I could be a lot more productive. I really appreciate this opportunity and your sharing of your expertise. Thank you.

Thank you so much for making this ❤ I’m 60 still going through menopause I have a dual diagnosis of ADHD and Bipolar

Good grief!!! This is describing my life from 46 to 55 and I can’t even tell you how much I would’ve benefited from even knowing that I wasn’t simply a strange and lazy, emotional failure but instead I was neurodivergent. Oh well! Gotta keep going!

This speaks exactly to what I am going through - thank you

I am 51 years old and diagnosed ADHD 3 months ago. I'm so very, very grateful for having found this video, as I do not have much clinical support. I am now a subscriber and will receive your notifications. Also, I subscribed to the ADDitude print magazine. These sources are so helpful to help me understand myself and to be able to explain it to others, especially family members that I'm not lazy. Thank you!

That is what happened to me. I was anxious because my Adderall had stopped working a few years after stopping HRT. The psychiatrist said I needed to come off adderall and pushed Lexapro on me. I got worse. Eventually I stopped Lexapro and resumed low dose HRT, but was depressed and mentally sluggish. Am back on Adderall now. Depression improved, thinking came back.

I just realized I have ADHD at 51 after thinking it was depression for 35 years. Problem is that now that I know it, I can’t medicate with stimulants because of my blood pressure. It’s very disappointing to see the light but not be able to reach it

My luck with bringing a sock to answer the door I'd leave the sock by the door, forget what I was doing and forget where I left the sock.😅😅

This was so comprehensive and helpful for me. I have been doing my ADHD homework since diagnosis in the past few months, trying to learn as much as I can about it. Thank you for this video!

Best video ever. Thank you.

This was extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

Very helpful - thank you!

Thank you for this much needed ❤😊

Very informative presentation and what a wonderful, pleasant voice. Thank you so much for such positive and helpful information.

Thanks So Much 😱👍

Informative x

What an amazing and informative video ❤❤ Thank you😊

So absorbed into this talk - the best pace, information and understanding I’ve heard !! Thank you

Wow!! Great tips will have this in my folder as a reminder I'm not lazy or crazy 😊 Thank you!

This video is one of several CHADD videos I've zoned in on and watched this am. Fantastic info presented quickly and concisely with those wonderful Powerpoint points and time stamp prompts. My favorite videos I've seen in a long time! 66 YO widowed female diagnosed recently after 30yo son was clinically diagnosed. A "teledoc" practice I found agrees that with regular reporting BP I'm a good candidate for medication. Out of pocket I can't afford Vyvanse - the medication that's literally changed my son's life and gives me a quiet, under-the-radar productive, happy day that my generic Adderall doesn't (no insurance for Tx or Rx).

I can't thank you enough for making this video. Before being on meds, I literally felt like I was losing my mind-that I was developing Alzheimer's. I have always had problems throughout my life and have been diagnosed with many things, which I believe are accurate, but I believe the ADHD was missing. For one-I have a parent who exhibits ADHD traits. ADHD is hereditary. I also have never felt quite right. All you say makes sense. I am hoping the meds can get me back on track, especially in regards to interpersonal relationships and work. I have done 10 years + of therapy and it worked to a certain degree, but could never quite grasp the meaning. On meds, my comprehension has increased which makes me believe that I have been living with ADHD since youth. I was a tomboy, as a youth and very rebellious as a teen, etc...can't fathom why no one would suspect I had this and suggested for me to go see a doctor. It's tough for people or lower socio-economic status to get proper diagnosis. They are often labelled problematic, shamed and disowned. It needs to be taken more seriously in elementary education, because the truth is that many women/people just don't have the support and sometimes do not see what is blatantly obvious, until they hit rock bottom, and so many years wasted.

Wonderful

It is true that ADHD is nothing, compared to all the other terrible, horrible, untreatable, physical or psychological health issues & conditions out there, YET, I wholeheartedly believe that it is such a CURSE… It affects all aspects of one’s life, ALL, and it hits you in such an unconventional way that confuses you terribly. It feels like you have perfectly healthy feet yet you are completely paralyzed…

I am so sad to hear that these symptoms are going to get worse over time. UGH

I went to a psychiatrist at the VA when I was 37 or 38 (I’m an Army Veteran). I told her I had a 4 yo son & felt so overwhelmed. I couldn’t keep up with appts or bills being due, & was constantly late & frazzled. I felt lazy, even though I worked nonstop at home & barely sat down. I’d clean all day, then at bedtime realize I hadn’t actually gotten anything cleaned up. My house was a disaster. I worked in circles, never completed a task I started. I had a strict schedule I followed before & after my son was born, up until he was about 2. Then chaos just consumed me. I told her I was sure I had ADHD. I had recently learned about it because my stepdaughter was diagnosed a few yrs back. I had almost every symptom & would label myself on the severe side. I was tested for dyslexia as a young child in the late 80’s. My parents were told I didn’t have dyslexia, I just needed to slow down & pay attention to what I was writing & reading. Ummm, hello!?!? Did ADHD ever come to mind Doc?! Lol! That psychiatrist told me she was sorry I wasn’t able to adjust to motherhood. That some women just struggle being moms. I burst into hysterical tears. I’m actually crying as I type this, reliving the cruel words she said to me during a vulnerable time. I have fibromyalgia, so I was on methadone for pain management (instead of relying on pills throughout the day). She saw it listed under my meds in my chart and told me she thought I was only there looking for pills. She said my Dr wrote “patient wants medication for ADHD.” I didn’t ask for medication, I told my Dr I thought I had ADHD & would like to be tested. According to VA protocol, only psychiatrists can diagnose/treat ADHD. So he told the psychiatrist in his notes I “needed meds”. He didn’t mean for it to be taken out of context or used against me. He felt so bad when I told him what happened. At the end of my visit, the psychiatrist kept telling me “even if you have it, I can’t treat you for it because of the meds you’re on.” I asked several times in different ways “so do I have ADHD, or not?” She just repeated what she already told me. I left thinking I had anxiety & was a bad mom, because that’s what she labeled me as. She prescribed antidepressants (which I never took because I hate them & they don’t work). Fast forward to 2 yrs ago. I go for an evaluation the VA has set up. The Dr doing the evaluation says I have ADHD & it’s listed in my file. The Dr wrote she didn’t want to treat me because of “addiction” (which isn’t why I’m on methadone). I once again found myself crying because she lied to me. That Dr is the worst person I’ve ever come across in the medical field. She sent me into a deep depression after that visit & I felt so hopeless. Imagine someone telling you your disability is your fault & you suck at life. One year ago this March, I finally got treated for ADHD. It changed mine & my families lives. It even led to my (now 8 yr old) son being diagnosed & treated, which changed the entire course of his future. I’m now in college full time to get a degree in education, while working full time teaching at a Primary school in my son’s school district. For anyone suffering with untreated ADHD, seek help, & keep seeking it until you receive it. You do not have to live like that. Life doesn’t have to be exhausting, frustrating, or complicated. It can be fulfilling, simple, & everything you ever wanted it to be.

Yessss❤ I feel like finding the correct doctor is the biggest obstacle I am facing. You understand this whole scenario but where can I find someone who is like you:(

I told my husband that sometimes it feels like a squirrel is running to the other side with a nut and just bounce around without distributing the info. Looking at your slide with synapses the brain is acting kind of like that, except the squirrel throws the nut and the nut boomerangs back at him only to run to a new location and have the same thing happen again. The brain is active, but not efficient when I’m in that state

But how do I get help??? I’ve been on Wellbutrin, Zoloft and other non stimulant ADHD meds… they are not working. I can’t get anyone to prescribe me a stimulant. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to get treatment for this. Every task feels like Mount Everest. I cannot make myself do anything and I feel like a complete failure at life.

I'm 46 was officially diagnosed at 45 . Unfortunately because of my past I can not find a doctor to give me the medicine I need. So here I am almost divorced after 17 years of marriage because my change of life everything is in super hyperdrive and I literally am rolling on steam grasping for any life line any bit of comfort everything I see is oh take this.. Well where please tell me where cause god knows I've tried

Nice job, you packed a lot into this. I’m going to need to listen to it again so I can pass on parts to my wife.

That's crazy

Is it possible to receive the presentation on my email?

I know I'm in this Picture and I really don't like it! Thanks though because: spread the Word!

❤

Can anyone tell me who the speaker is in this video?

Lots of good info with one or two sketchy statements, but ok. For women, read everyone. For ADHD, read many people. The lifestyle advice is great and everyone can benefit. Synthesizes many sources of good wisdom and methods and approaches to life. But the no1 thing these 'experts' totally ignore is that it's the chaotic mental state (for whatever reason) means your performance of this super virtuous lifestyle tskes massive effort and results in constant recidivism. Plus doing all these things costs money and energy and focus and TIME. And learning new things is extra effort and scary, on top of money and time. Mindfulness like a guru is almost the extreme opposite of the ADHD mindset, a nice ambition... plus it's not a 10min miracle if your life is a train wreck. , strange how this disease is so prevalent nowadays among the middle class and medical community... The greed for perfect performance and lifestyle has become medicalised. The middle class attitude etc... way to go being culturally myopic.

There is no treatment of ADHD if ADHD- medications are NOT working and they don't work in all cases. At least when you are middle age, you know 99% the scills in this video anyway because of your own experience. By the way, instead of modern meditation "mindfulness" you can do the very old autogenic training by Schulz. It is a relaxation technique first published by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz in 1932 (without music!) and it is evidently against stress, anxiety and pain because it influences the vegetative nervous system. And healthy diet, regulary sports, having hobbies, (music, dancing, painting) going for a walk regulary, meeting people, these are all "standarts" our parents told us. Nevertheless the techniques are not enough anymore when you are middle aged...😢 In this case it is better to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression to get a pansion, because with the diagnosis ADHD you get nothing in my country. And what about telling women with ADHD to start to take women-hormons in time ? Why not?

The level of "um"s is super distracting. Had to turn it off :(