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Navigating Perimenopause as a Neurodivergent Person
It’s time for more research on how it affects us
As a neurodivergent person, my experience of perimenopause felt very different to my neurotypical peers. I’m not alone, with research suggesting that this is a difficult life stage for many people who are autistic or have ADHD.
Hot flushes were the least of my problems in perimenopause. I’ve always been sensitive to heat and even the British summer is uncomfortable, but I have ways to deal with the discomfort. What I wasn’t prepared for were some of the other things that the decline in oestrogen levels would bring.
My ADHD symptoms increased, and my stimulant based medications became less effective. Anarchy had taken over my brain. I couldn’t focus on a task for very long, I kept losing things, I was miserable, and I couldn’t sleep. I was much more disorganised, and I worried that things would only get worse if I didn’t start hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
There isn’t much research on the impact of perimenopause on ADHD, but some research suggests that hormone levels in those assigned female at birth do have an impact on ADHD symptoms at different stages of life including during periods, in the perinatal period and during perimenopause.
