Could your menopause symptoms actually be ADHD?

I’m a chronic list-maker. I can’t function without one. But I also can’t function with one, because after I write everything down, I feel paralyzed. I’m also always losing things. My cards, my keys, my wallet. Certain sounds overwhelm me, I become hyper focused on them and can’t think about anything else. More often than not, I overcommit myself and end up feeling exhausted or resentful.

When I shared all of this information with a doctor, they said I really needed to get an ADHD assessment. I was shocked. At 54 years-old, not once in my life had anyone ever suggested I might have ADHD. I'm not proud to say I wrote the recommendation off. I never made the appointment and instead chose to blame everything on menopause brain fog. (Maybe that's another sign of ADHD!?)

I hadn't thought about it again until recently, when I noticed a flood of DMs and messages from women describing this exact scenario. They were in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and for the first time in their lives, they were given an ADHD diagnosis or told they might benefit from an assessment. They weren't sure what to believe either. Their symptoms weren't the stereotypical hyperactive ones, but their doctors noted that extreme procrastination, difficulty sleeping, and trouble regulating emotions are all signs of ADHD, too.

That's when I knew I needed to take this seriously. So I asked psychiatrist Dr. Tracey Marks to join me on The Tamsen Show. I wanted to find out why so many women are getting diagnosed with ADHD later in life and what we can actually do about it. I also needed to ask the question I kept coming back to: how are we supposed to tell the difference between menopause brain fog and ADHD?

This conversation is one of the most informative episodes on brain health I've ever recorded. Dr. Marks covers everything from ADHD treatment options and science-backed strategies to improve focus, memory, and executive function to what we've been getting wrong about ADHD all along.

After a year of putting this conversation off, I'm so glad I finally had it. If you've ever wondered whether you might have ADHD, or know someone who has been quietly struggling with working memory, completing tasks, or emotional regulation, this episode will give you the clarity you need.

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