There are women who look like they have it together from the outside, but inside, everything feels harder than it should. The mental load is constant. Focus slips. Time gets away from them. Everyday life can feel more overwhelming than anyone around them seems to understand. In this episode, Shay sits down with Dr. Jolene Brighten for a conversation about the hidden signs of ADHD in women, and why so many women go years without realizing what they are actually dealing with.
Together, they explore how ADHD often shows up differently in women, why it can be missed or misdiagnosed, and how hormones can shape the intensity of symptoms across a woman’s cycle and throughout different life stages. They also move into the overlap between ADHD and anxiety, trauma, burnout, motherhood, and relationship stress, while staying grounded in practical ways women can begin understanding their brains and bodies with more clarity and compassion.
In this episode
- Why ADHD in women is so often overlooked or mistaken for something else
- The hidden ways ADHD can show up in high-achieving women
- How hormonal changes can affect ADHD symptoms
- The difference between ADHD, anxiety, trauma responses, and chronic overwhelm
- Why thyroid conditions, nutrient deficiencies, and fatigue also deserve consideration
- Practical support ideas around nutrition, routines, and everyday life
- How ADHD can affect relationships, communication, and motherhood
- Moving from self-blame toward greater understanding
If you’ve ever felt like you’re working twice as hard to hold everything together, this conversation may help some of your experience make more sense. Subscribe to the Rising Woman Podcast and share this episode with a woman who may need it.
Guest links — Dr. Jolene Brighten
ADHD and Women (book) out NOW: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten
Rising Woman links
Rising Woman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RisingWoman
Sheleana Instagram: @SheleanaAiyana
Newsletter: https://newsletter.risingwoman.com/
Sheleana's Substack: https://sheleanaaiyana.substack.com/
Becoming the One: https://a.co/d/05Ohal7d
Becoming the One Journal: https://a.co/d/0fzCQUQJ
Thank You for This Day children's book: https://a.co/d/0elmLm2g
