Head, heart, hormones: Why women’s ADHD care should treat the whole person | Hyperfocus

Earlier this year, Hyperfocus took a field trip to San Diego. We were there to visit an ADHD conference called APSARD which stands for the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (quite a mouthful). A conference of ADHD professionals might not sound fascinating but let me tell you – it was. We learned a ton. But amid all the fascinating talks and people, there was one person and one talk I really wanted to find: A keynote speech about how ADHD affects women’s bodies by Dr. Sandra Kooij. Sandra isn’t someone you can just invite over for a chat if you live in New York. First, she’s busy, but more importantly, she lives and works in the Netherlands. I find her research fascinating, and when I heard she was going to be speaking at APSARD I knew we had to talk to her. What Sandra is doing is something so sensible – and so radical. Looking at ADHD as a whole-body issue. Digging into how it can affect women’s hormones, our health, and especially our hearts. So, when I was able to finally track her down, I was thrilled when Sandra agreed to sit down for a conversation with me. We didn’t waste any time and quickly set up a makeshift studio and made this week’s episode of Hyperfocus. Also, a quick note on the audio this week: We had to record this episode outside the conference hotel, on a bustling patio full of ADHD professionals and some noisy birds. So please forgive the extraneous sounds. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 04:07 Swedish registry study data on diseases in people with ADHD 07:06 ADHD and hormones 13:56 Cardiovascular disease in women 20:21 Talking to your doctor about diseases related to ADHD Related resources: MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel https://www.understood.org/en/podcast... Did my ADHD make me more likely to have postpartum depression? https://www.understood.org/en/podcast... ADHD Powerbank: Sandra’s video platform https://www.adhdpowerbank.com/ The Head, Heart, Hormones foundation (in dutch with translations) https://www.h3-netwerk.nl/en/home-eng... Prevalence of hormone-related mood disorder symptoms in women with ADHD https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33302... The heart health and ADHD connection https://www.understood.org/en/article... For a transcript and more resources, visit the Hyperfocus page on Understood https://www.understood.org/en/podcast... We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] Questions about learning and thinking differences? Get answers and expert-vetted resources by asking the AI-powered Understood Assistant: https://www.understood.org/en/assista... Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at https://www.understood.org/en/donate?... For more resources, support, and excellent memes, subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on: Instagram:   / understoodorg   Facebook:   / understood   TikTok:   / understood.org   Pinterest:   / understoodorg