Why Women Get ADHD Diagnoses After Menopause | Andrew Robinson

Dr. Jolene Brighten and Andrew Robinson, ADHD specialist and licensed therapist, reveal that untreated ADHD cuts women's lives short by 8 years and men's by 6 years due to increased risks of car accidents, accidental overdoses, suicide, and missed healthcare appointments. They discuss why 70% of people with ADHD have emotional regulation issues, how stimulant medications reduce all-cause mortality to match non-ADHD populations, and why women are commonly misdiagnosed with anxiety or bipolar disorder instead of ADHD (plus hormone impacts across puberty, premenstrual phases, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause). Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 02:07 – How to Tell If You Have ADHD 04:01 – Why Late Diagnosis Matters for Your Life 06:14 – ADHD Cuts Your Life Short By 8 Years 09:15 – The Truth About Stimulant Medications 12:00 – Common Signs and Symptoms of ADHD 16:07 – How Hormones Impact ADHD Symptoms 18:32 – What Late Diagnosed ADHD Looks Like 21:06 – Understanding Masking and Unmasking 25:02 – Tracking Your Executive Functions 27:05 – Building Skills in Executive Functions 32:23 – Top ADHD Book Recommendations 38:05 – Why Research Ignores Women and Minorities 42:01 – Late Onset ADHD Is Not Real 55:18 – ADHD Is Not a Trendy New Diagnosis 1:09:10 – When to See a Provider 1:12:33 – RFK Jr and Dangerous ADHD Misinformation This episode is brought to you by: Dr. Brighten Essentials Radiant Mind—a science-backed formula created to support women’s brain health through every stage of life. If you’ve ever felt the brain fog of perimenopause or noticed how ADHD can amplify challenges with focus, memory, mood, or sleep, you’re not alone. Radiant Mind combines clinically studied saffron extract, Bacognize® Bacopa, Cognizin® Citicoline, and zinc to help nourish your brain chemistry and support clarity, calm, and resilience. And for a limited time, when you order Radiant Mind, you’ll also receive a free bottle of our best-selling Magnesium Plus—the perfect partner for restorative sleep and steady mood. Learn more at drbrighten.com/radiant. Shop now: http://drbrighten.com/radiant Follow Andrew Robinson : 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myadhdcouns... 🎥 TikTok:   / myadhdcounselor   🧵Threads: https://www.threads.com/@myadhdcounse... 👩🏻‍⚕️Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten: 💻 Website: https://www.drbrighten.com 📸 Instagram:   / drjolenebrighten   🎥 TikTok:   / drjolenebrighten   🧵Threads: https://www.threads.net/@drjolenebrig... 🌟 Grab my free hormone friendly recipes here! https://drbrighten.com/hormonekit/ 👉 If you found this episode valuable, drop a comment below to tell us what you loved most, and share it with a friend! Let’s spread the knowledge. 💬✨ Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE), a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP), a nutrition scientist, and a certified sex counselor through the Sexual Health Alliance. As a licensed physician maintaining an active DEA license and full prescriptive authority, her educational frameworks align with leading global standards, including ESHRE and The Menopause Society. She serves as a faculty member for the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), acts as the Lead Researcher for the Brighten Essentials Research Division, and is currently directing ongoing scientific research initiatives to advance clinical care standards for women navigating complex endocrinology, neurodivergence, and tissue-specific hormone sensitivities. Andrew is a therapist who has and treats ADHD. He was diagnosed when he was 3 years old and went on to pursue a career in mental health. He found a passion for helping people with ADHD and through his extensive experience and training has been providing service to help those struggling with ADHD. He is a certified clinical service provider for those with ADHD. He creates engaging, educational and fun content on TikTok and Instagram under the username “Neurospicycounseling. #Neuroscience #ADHD #HormoneHealth #StrengthTraining #MentalHealth #DrBrighten