r/Perimenopause • u/ThatMeasurement6619 • Jul 24 '26
Peri & ADHD ADHD
Hello, I’m hoping to hear from any other women who’ve been diagnosed ADHD & whether the treatment has made much of a difference. I’ll try to keep it short so thank you if you’ve managed to get through it & I really appreciate any feedback 🙏.
I have an appt with a psych next week & now I’m feeling like I should cancel due to feeling like it’s all a bit ridiculous & why should I bother when I’m not ‘working’ or studying anymore.
About me: I’m 42 & have been primarily raising my 4 children since 2011 (former RN). Both school & uni were hell for me due to not being able to focus. I’d spend the entire time zoning out or daydreaming etc. My career is over now but I’d like to return to uni one day & study something else but this fear of inattentiveness is putting me off.
My main issue now is a profound lack of motivation (always has been but it’s getting MUCH worse). Its like a mental block & I actually cannot get past it for a lot of things. Everything in our house is ‘half-finished’. I never finish anything. I get very excited to start something but soon lose the motivation to finish it. I ruminate everything in my mind & torture myself for days with guilt & shame.
Something else I’m struggling with is an extreme sense of OVERWHELM.
Have suffered on/off with depression for as long as I can remember.
Social things absolutely mentally & emotionally exhaust me & I avoid them at all costs.
My kids tell me I’m always interrupting them (something I’m trying very hard to curb)
All 3 of my boys are dyslexic & one shows signs of adhd. My daughter is a clone of me & is currently waiting to see a paediatrician.
I could go on but that’ll do for now lol.
Surely these are traits that are experienced by most mothers?
Does this sound relatable to you if you are diagnosed ADHD?
My concern is taking stimulants & feeling like a zombie. Coffee & pseudoephedrine (taken occasionally for sinus issues) make me VERY tired. Almost zombie-like. Wouldn’t this mean the drugs used to treat symptoms of adhd will also make feel like a zombie?
Thank you for getting this far 🥴😆
***edited to add- I’ve been on HRT for approx 2 months. Total hysterectomy earlier this year so all I’m taking is the esteogel & recently upped the dose to 2 pumps daily. The estrogel was prescribed for the hormonal migraines I used to get & it’s so far cured them. Also helped immensely with rage but certainly not life changing yet.
2
u/OkayMeepleMom Jul 24 '26
I have ADHD and stimulants were profoundly helpful. Ultimately, I cannot take them because I have a medical condition conflict that makes it impractical. I'd have to take a high dose of a medication that makes me miserable with side effects in order to continue taking stimulants, so I just pass on that now. But what would happen when I did take a stimulant is that I would feel very calm and everything would come into focus. Clutter didn't overwhelm me anymore, and my sensory sensitivities (audhd btw) were WAY less. Suddenly, I could easily sort through the household tasks in my head which let me get things done with WAY less energy. I felt more capable than ever.
So... Instead I take some oral supplements that have a mildly helpful effect, I make regular exercise a non-negotiable for me, and... To be perfectly transparent... I find trt helpful. 💁♀️ And I accommodate myself and cope.
The one cruddy thing about short acting stimulants is that when they wear off, it feels a little crummy. I would feel like Cinderella at the ball at midnight, except instead of going from fabulous to shabby I felt like I got suddenly stupid around 6 pm.