Episode 99: ADHD, Women’s Health, and Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Jolene Brighten
What if the brain fog, overwhelm, forgetfulness, trouble focusing, or emotional intensity you’ve been blaming on hormones or autoimmune disease has another layer to it?
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by hormone expert, nutrition scientist, and bestselling author Dr. Jolene Brighten for a conversation about ADHD through the lens of women’s hormones, brain health, and autoimmune disease.
Together, they explore why ADHD can look different in women and why so many women aren’t diagnosed until later in life. They discuss how ADHD symptoms can shift throughout the menstrual cycle and become especially challenging during perimenopause, as well as the complex relationship between hormones, inflammation, the gut, and the brain. Dr. Brighten also shares her perspective on hormone replacement therapy for women with ADHD, practical ways to support the microbiome, and simple strategies for making nutrition, movement, and daily life more ADHD-friendly.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why ADHD often looks different in women and can go undiagnosed for decades
- What’s happening in the ADHD brain beyond problems with attention
- How estrogen, progesterone, and the menstrual cycle can influence ADHD symptoms
- Why perimenopause may reveal ADHD that was previously masked or well-compensated
- What women with ADHD should know about hormone replacement therapy
- What we know about the relationship between ADHD, inflammation, and autoimmune disease
- How gut health and food sensitivities may interact with ADHD symptoms
- Practical strategies for nutrition, movement, and reducing overwhelm with ADHD
Resources:
Episode Timeline:
00:00 – ADHD, hormones, and autoimmune disease
01:59 – Introducing Dr. Jolene Brighten
04:10 – How ADHD presents in women
06:48 – What is going on in an ADHD brain?
11:19 – How ADHD symptoms change throughout the menstrual cycle
16:42 – How perimenopause affects ADHD
24:57 – How HRT can affect the ADHD brain
33:44 – The relationship between autoimmune disease and ADHD
37:58 – How to “microdose your microbiome”
43:12 – Food sensitivities and ADHD
45:54 – How to tackle overwhelm with ADHD
49:40 – Wrap-up and closing
