- Dr. Rebecca Richey returns to talk about the wild intersection of ADHD and perimenopause, or as she calls it, “When the wheels fall off the bus.”
- Anxiety might actually be your ADHD talking – When you treat the ADHD first, the anxiety often gets way quieter. It's not the main problem; it's the monkey on your shoulder that comes with ADHD.
- Perimenopause + ADHD Your estrogen is ping-ponging all over the place while your executive function was already struggling. No wonder everything feels impossible.
- There's literally no protocol for this – Research on women's hormones and ADHD is basically nonexistent. We're all just figuring it out together through trial and error (and group texts about estrogen patches).
- Late diagnosis is super common – So many women get diagnosed in their 40s because they finally hit the point where all their coping systems can't keep up anymore. Career peak + aging parents + big kid problems + perimenopause = diagnosis time.
- Stimulants aren't scary – Kids with ADHD who are medicated have better outcomes across the board: fewer car accidents, less substance abuse, better relationships, lower suicide rates. The zombie thing was a 90s problem.
- The hypervigilance is real – That constant "am I forgetting something?" anxiety comes from decades of being the "good girl" who couldn't let anyone see how hard things were. BUT: You're not in danger anymore – Your 8-year-old self believed she was in danger when she got in trouble. But you're an adult, and nobody's putting you in timeout.
- Perimenopause has gifts too – Like suddenly realizing you're not always wrong. And giving way fewer fucks about what other people think. Welcome to your "actually, I'm the fucking queen" era.
- Find practitioners who actually listen – You might try 17 medications before finding the right one. You need someone who won't treat you like a burden.
- Hang on—it gets better – Women in post-menopause are the happiest they've ever been (aside from ages 0-10). So buckle up, but know there's light at the end of the tunnel.
Follow Steph on IG @stephsprenger, and on Substack at The Reclamation Era. Looking for a community of creative midlife women? Check out MidCircle
Check out Dr. Richey’s appearances on The Mother Plus Podcast:
Dr. Rebecca Richey is one of Colorado’s first prescribing psychologists, dedicated to empowering women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals through compassionate, evidence-based care. With advanced training in clinical psychopharmacology and a deep understanding of the unique mental health challenges faced by her clients, Dr. Richey offers an integrative approach that includes medication management, psychedelic therapy, and psychological testing. Learn more here.
