The Dr. Brighten Show

ADHD and hormones are deeply connected, and shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone may help explain why focus, mood, executive function, and even the experience of ADHD medication can change across the menstrual cycle and during perimenopause. View the full show notes and additional resources at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/adhd-hormones-in-women/.

In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, I’m joined by board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Agnes K. Simone, MD and ADHD nutrition researcher Annika Joya, MS, for a conversation about what happens when ADHD meets the menstrual cycle, PMDD, and perimenopause. We talk about why some women feel like they have a completely different brain depending on the week of their cycle, why ADHD medication may feel less effective before a period, how estrogen interacts with dopamine, and why women can reach their 40s and suddenly feel like the systems that worked for decades no longer work.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why the follicular phase may feel easier for some women with ADHD

How estrogen and dopamine interact in the ADHD brain

Why ADHD medication may feel different during the luteal phase—and why you should not change your dose without speaking with your prescriber

What to track for two cycles if your ADHD symptoms or medication response change before your period

How sleep, nutrition, stress, and eating consistency can influence how your brain feels

What premenstrual exacerbation (PME) is and how it differs from simply having “bad PMS”

Why some women describe PMDD as feeling like they become a completely different person before their period

Why PMDD isn’t simply a matter of being “low in progesterone”

How masking can allow ADHD in women to remain undiagnosed for decades

Why ADHD does not suddenly begin at age 45

How perimenopause can affect focus, memory, mood, sleep, and executive function even without classic hot flashes

Why a single estrogen or progesterone blood test cannot diagnose perimenopause

Why women deserve individualized conversations about hormone therapy, birth control, ADHD medication, and their own symptoms

Simple strategies for feeding yourself when executive function is low

Practical things you can start doing now when ADHD feels harder during certain parts of your cycle

Dr. Simone also explains why an ADHD diagnosis requires looking for symptoms that were present in childhood or adolescence—not simply symptoms that suddenly appeared in midlife. Later, we discuss how masking, life demands, and hormonal changes can collide during perimenopause and make previously effective coping systems stop working.

The episode specifically moves from menstrual-cycle changes and medication response into estrogen, dopamine, progesterone sensitivity, PMDD, masking, perimenopause, hormone therapy, and finally a practical “Protocol Playground” for what listeners can start doing now.

🩺 Dr. Jolene BrightenDr. Jolene Brighten is a women’s hormone expert, naturopathic physician, Certified Menopause Society Practitioner, nutrition scientist, certified sex counselor, host of The Dr. Brighten Show, and author of ADHD and Women.

🌐 Dr. Brighten Website: https://drbrighten.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

👩‍⚕️ MEET THE EXPERTS

🧠 Dr. Agnes K. Simone, DO

Dr. Simone is a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Olea Women’s Health, where her work focuses on the intersection of psychiatry, hormones, perimenopause, menopause, cognition, and women’s mental health.

Olea Women's Health https://www.oleawomenshealth.com/about-dr-agnes-simone

🌐 Dr. Agnes Simone: https://www.simonepsych.com/

🌿 Olea Women’s Health: https://www.oleawomenshealth.com/

🍓 Annika Joya, MS — Nutrimind Lab

Annika holds a master’s degree in health psychology and specializes in translating ADHD nutrition research into practical strategies for neurodivergent people. Nutrimind Lab https://nutrimindlab.com/about-annika

🌐 Nutrimind Lab: https://nutrimindlab.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutrimindlab/

🔗 Annika’s Links: https://linktr.ee/nutrimindlab

📕 ADHD AND WOMEN

🧠 Get ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

The book dives much deeper into how hormones, the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, nutrition, sleep, stress, and other factors can influence the way ADHD presents in women.

🎁 RETREAT GIFT: If you get ADHD and Women and enter by October 9, one person will receive a gifted spot at my May 2027 retreat. Details and entry are here: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

🌿 SPONSOR + RESOURCES

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🎧 The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/

📝 More women’s health education: https://drbrighten.com

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

👍 LIKE this episode if it helped you understand your brain differently.

💬 COMMENT with the biggest thing you recognized in yourself—or tell me whether your ADHD feels different depending on where you are in your cycle.

📲 SHARE this with the woman who keeps saying, “I swear my ADHD gets worse before my period.”

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to The Dr. Brighten Show so you don’t miss the rest of the ADHD in Women series.

⚕️ Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not individualized medical advice. Always work with a qualified healthcare professional regarding diagnosis, medication, hormone therapy, supplements, or treatment decisions.
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ADHD in women symptoms can hide behind straight As, a successful career, a packed calendar, and the exhausting work of appearing “fine.” In Episode 1 of the ADHD in Women series, Dr. Jolene Brighten joins psychiatrist Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone, pediatric psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, and clinical s/xologist Dr. Leann Borneman to unpack the signs women mask, the assessment gaps that lead to missed diagnoses, and how to advocate for a thorough evaluation. View the full show notes at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/adhd-in-women-symptoms/ .

📘 Preorder ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

👍 Like this video, share it with the woman who has been told she is “too successful” to have ADHD, and subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show so you do not miss the rest of this eight-part series.

Many women with ADHD were never disruptive in class. They may have been the student who got straight As, the employee who pulled off impossible deadlines, or the partner who carried the entire mental load while quietly falling apart. This conversation explains why achievement does not rule out ADHD, why attention can look inconsistent, and why a 15-minute screener cannot replace a complete clinical assessment.

🎓 Meet the expert panel

🩺 Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, nutrition scientist, and author of ADHD and Women.

🧠 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone is a board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and psychiatric evaluation.

👩‍⚕️ Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric psychologist and board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist.

💬 Dr. Leann Borneman is a clinical s/xologist (PhD), licensed psychotherapist, and ADHD relationship expert.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn

🧩 Why straight As, organization, hyperfocus, career success, or marriage do not rule out ADHD.

⏰ How time blindness, procrastination, internal restlessness, and emotional dysregulation can show up in adult women.

📝 How to build an ADHD evidence map before you book an evaluation.

🧠 Why you can manage a crisis, run a business, or write a book, yet still struggle to answer an email or make a dentist appointment.

🔥 Why urgency can temporarily help an ADHD brain engage, and why relying on stress eventually stops working.

🤝 How body doubling can support task initiation, persistence, and completion.

🧬 What we know about ADHD’s genetic contribution and why trauma alone does not explain every case.

🎭 How masking can look like perfectionism, over-preparing, people-pleasing, hypervigilance, and exhaustion.

🏫 How parents can advocate for accommodations without reducing ADHD support to medication alone.

🚩 What a thorough ADHD assessment includes, plus the red flags to watch for in an evaluator.

🔎 Why anxiety, depression, OCD, learning differences, iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, and psychosocial stressors deserve consideration in an assessment.

⚖️ How bias affects who gets diagnosed, treated, accommodated, or labeled as “difficult.”

🧠 A practical note before an ADHD evaluation

📱 Open your Notes app and write down what happens, where it happens, how often it happens, what it costs you, how you compensate, and what you remember from childhood.

🗂️ Add examples such as missed deadlines, chronic lateness, unpaid fees, relationship conflict, all-night overwork, or the systems you use to avoid forgetting something important.

🩺 Bring that note to a qualified clinician. A diagnosis requires a full assessment, but your history helps the right provider ask better questions.

📚 This episode offers education and does not replace individual medical or mental health care. Work with a qualified clinician for diagnosis, treatment, and medication decisions.

✨ Connect with the panel

🌿 Dr. Jolene Brighten Website: https://drbrighten.com

📸 Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/

▶️ Subscribe to Dr. Jolene Brighten on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

🩺 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone: https://www.simonepsych.com/

📸 Follow Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone: https://www.instagram.com/dr.agnesksimone/

🧠 Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart: https://drannlouiselockhart.com/

📸 Follow Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.annlouise.lockhart/

💬 Dr. Leann Borneman: https://www.bornemancoaching.com/

📸 Follow Dr. Leann Borneman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drb_unfiltered/

💌 Subscribe, like, and share this episode with someone who has spent years wondering why life feels harder than it looks from the outside.
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Did you know women with endometriosis are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD? In my new book, ADHD and Women, I connect the dots between hormones, pain, mood, focus, and the symptoms women are too often told to simply push through—so you can finally understand what is happening in your body and brain. Get your copy: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

Endometriosis in perimenopause can become more painful, more inflammatory, and far more confusing, but it is not “all in your head,” and it is not simply a matter of estrogen being too high. In this AMA, Dr. Jolene Brighten and Angela, who works with her behind the scenes, answer your biggest questions about endometriosis, adenomyosis, progesterone, HRT, surgery, fibroids, and what changes as hormones shift; view the show notes at https://drbrighten.com.

💬 If this conversation helps you feel more informed, please like, share, comment, and subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show so more women can access evidence-informed conversations about their health.
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ADHD rejection sensitivity can make one comment, one text, or one change in someone’s tone feel like proof that everything is falling apart. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Alex Partridge joins me to unpack rejection sensitivity, masking, identity, self-trust, and the hidden emotional cost of ADHD; view the full show notes at
https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/adhd-rejection-sensitivity/

📚 My new book, ADHD and Women, explores the relationship between ADHD, hormones, the nervous system, nutrition, and the experiences women are so often never taught to connect.

🎁 Preorder the book and see the current limited-time bonuses here:https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

In This Episode

Why ADHD can make rejection and criticism feel disproportionately intense

How childhood comments like “you’re too much,” “stop being so emotional,” or “why are you so weird?” can shape the way you see yourself as an adult

How masking can slowly shift the question from “Who am I?” to “Who do I need to be so people will accept me?”

Why Alex believes rejection sensitivity can become one of the most debilitating and overlooked parts of ADHD

How an unanswered text, unusual tone of voice, meeting request, or single negative comment can trigger catastrophic thinking

How people-pleasing and fear of disappointing others can undermine your ability to trust your own instincts

Why an emotional trigger can lead to quitting, relationship conflict, impulsive decisions, or behaviors you regret once you’re regulated again

What it can feel like to receive an ADHD diagnosis and suddenly realize you don’t know who you are underneath years of masking

Why your brain may seek out criticism—even when you’re already feeling terrible—and how to interrupt that pattern

How creating a bank of real evidence can help challenge the story rejection sensitivity is telling you

How to repair after an intense emotional reaction without using ADHD as an excuse for harmful behavior

Why someone who appears “high functioning” at work may actually be high masking and completely depleted by the time they get home

Why “you just need to try harder” may be one of the most damaging messages people with ADHD hear

How curiosity, pattern recognition, creativity, entrepreneurship, and intense interests can become powerful ADHD strengths

About Alex Partridge

🎙️ Alex Partridge is the founder of UNILAD and LADbible, host of the award-winning ADHD Chatter podcast, a Sunday Times bestselling author, and a leading voice in conversations about ADHD and neurodiversity.

In this conversation, Alex shares not only what he has learned through interviewing hundreds of experts, but his own experiences with masking, alcoholism, entrepreneurship, rejection sensitivity, identity, and rebuilding self-trust.

This Episode Is Brought to You By

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Follow Alex Partridge

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_partridge_100/?hl=en

🌐 Website: https://www.alex-partridge.com/

🎙️ ADHD Chatter:https://www.instagram.com/adhd_chatter_podcast

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ADHD_Chatter_Podcast

Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten

🌐 Website: https://drbrighten.com

🎙️ The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast

📚 Books: https://drbrighten.com/books

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

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📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

Join the Conversation

💬 Have you ever interpreted a tiny change in someone’s tone, a delayed text, or a request to “talk later” as proof you had done something wrong?

👇 Tell me in the comments what rejection sensitivity or masking has looked like for you.

👍 Like this episode if it helped you put words to something you’ve experienced.

📤 Share it with someone who has spent years believing they were “too sensitive” or “too much.”

🔔 Subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show for more evidence-informed conversations about ADHD, hormones, women’s health, relationships, and the brain.
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Cellular aging may be happening faster than your chronological age suggests—and in this episode, Dr. Will Cole explains what can accelerate it, what mitochondrial dysfunction can actually feel like, and what may help protect your healthspan; view the full show notes at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/cellular-aging/. We break down the science of biological age, organ aging, inflammation, metabolic health, circadian rhythms, nutrition, movement, and practical longevity strategies you can actually use.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s may be experiencing accelerated cellular aging

How your heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs can age at different rates

Why brain fog, fatigue, feeling wired-but-tired, and anxiety with exhaustion may be clues worth paying attention to

How inflammation and “cellular confusion” may affect mitochondrial function and aging

Which metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory markers Dr. Cole considers clinically meaningful

How environmental toxins, microplastics, PFAS, stress, trauma, food, and artificial light may influence cellular health

The surprising conversation around nature, bird song, spirituality, community, and longevity

Why light exposure can disrupt more than sleep—your organs have their own cellular clocks

Why fatigue in women, including women with endometriosis, deserves to be taken seriously

How fasting, green tea, polyphenols, and meal timing fit into the longevity conversation

How to build a longevity-supportive plate without following a rigid wellness diet

Why a 10–15 minute walk after dinner may be one of the simplest metabolic tools available

Zone 2, REHIT, strength training, sauna, cold exposure, and mobility—what may actually be worth your time

And how to support healthier aging without turning wellness into a full-time job

ABOUT DR. WILL COLE

Dr. Will Cole is a functional medicine expert, New York Times bestselling author, and an early pioneer in functional medicine telehealth. In this conversation, he shares concepts from his newest book, Heal Your Cells, and explains the clinical lens he uses to think about inflammation, mitochondrial health, metabolic health, and longevity.

🌐 Dr. Will Cole: https://drwillcole.com

📘 Heal Your Cells: https://healyourcells.com

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drwillcole

CONNECT WITH DR. JOLENE BRIGHTEN💛

🌐 Dr. Brighten: https://drbrighten.com

🎙️ The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrBrighten

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

📌 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drjolenebrighten

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

✨ Dr. Brighten Essentials: https://drbrighten.com

🏷️ Use code POD15 where applicable.

📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

📘 Heal Your Cells by Dr. Will Cole: https://healyourcells.com

🌐 Dr. Will Cole’s website + resources: https://drwillcole.com

🎙️ More episodes of The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts

❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOW

👍 LIKE this episode if it gave you a new way to think about aging and cellular health.

💬 COMMENT below: What is one longevity habit you’re actually willing to start this week?

📤 SHARE this episode with someone who is constantly tired, dealing with brain fog, or wants to protect their health for the long term.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to The Dr. Brighten Show for evidence-informed conversations about women’s health, hormones, brain health, metabolism, longevity, and the science that helps you better understand your body.

⚕️ This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Always discuss changes to your medications, supplements, fasting practices, or treatment plan with your healthcare professional.
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