Many describe ADHD as living with a brain without a virus filter. Where every stimulus from the world around you and your own body demands attention. And competes for your brain’s processing space. Can you relate to it?  Then it may be no surprise that you feel overwhelmed by completely ordinary things. Or that you can go crazy when others move, chew, or breathe. Or that it’s difficult to handle sensory or visual impressions while trying to maintain focus on what you should be doing right now.  When the brain’s filtering functions are impaired, one easily becomes stressed and overwhelmed

The invisible girls with ADHD grow up and become adolescent young women with ADHD. And then they are far from invisible to us. The unfortunate paradox, however, is that we missed them as young girls because they tried to hide their challenges. And that we miss them again as adolescents when they show them in bright daylight.  When research is done on prepubertal boys, girls and women with ADHD will miss out on critical interventions and personalized treatment to help manage their ADHD symptoms.  During the time girls and women remain undiagnosed, displaying their ADHD symptoms come masked as comorbidity

When it comes to women’s health and well-being, particularly for those navigating life with ADHD, the differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump couldn’t be more frightening.  As a girl or a woman with ADHD, you face unique challenges that may put you in vulnerable situations.  Your challenges can also be amplified by societal ignorance. As well as the lack of attention to women’s rights and mental health in broader policy discussions.  If you’re female with ADHD, there’s only one possible choice in the upcoming US election. Pro-choice! And here’s why: Unique Challenges for Women with ADHD Sadly enough, girls

The human brain is a marvel of evolution. Finely tuned over millions of years to help us survive and thrive. But let’s be honest: the world we live in today is far from the one our ancestors faced. And our stone age brains sometimes struggle to keep up with the changes. Imagine this:  Thousands of years ago, our ancestors were busy hunting, gathering and protecting themselves from predators. Their brains were wired for quick decision-making, recognizing patterns and focusing on short-term rewards. Basically, staying alive.  Fast forward to today. Instead of worrying about where our next meal comes from, many

Being a woman living with ADHD often means struggling with food, weight and a cycle of yo-yo dieting. Many women swing between restricting their eating and overindulging, making it hard to find balance. In this post we dive into the unique challenges ADHD presents with food. You’ll get practical tips for to escape from unhealthy habits. So, this thing with ADHD, food and weight!  You either stick to your diet so strictly that you barely eat anything. Or you just give up and eat whatever you feel like.  You first gain a lot of weight and feel awful about yourself

Recent research shows that decreasing estrogen levels during menopause affect brain structure, connectivity and metabolism. This contributes to the most common menopause, or rather perimenopause, symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog, insomnia and mood swings. We’ll dive into what the research says and give tips for managing (peri)menopausal symptoms. For decades women have either been told that “it’s all in your head” meaning that they are just imagining their symptoms. Or that “it’s just a natural phase of life” meaning that it’s just to man up and pull yourself through this.  Recent research, however, shed new light on the

There is no “quick test” for ADHD. A significant part of the assessment for an ADHD-diagnosis involves self-evaluating and clinical interviews with experienced psychologists and doctors focusing on ADHD as well as on other somatic conditions and psychiatric diagnoses. However, various tests may be included in an ADHD assessment, depending on the individual situation.  Medical Tests & Examinations  ADHD can almost be considered a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that doctors need to conduct different tests to rule out other causes of the symptoms, for example: thyroid issues or anemia (which can be checked with a blood test), alcohol or

A Testimony from Sam – A Satisfied Letterlife User The user Sam shares how Letterlife helped her understand ADHD’s link to hormonal changes. And also advocate for cyclic dosing with her doctor. This article explores how such insights can lead to more personalized and effective medication for women with ADHD. As many women with ADHD wonder, I’ve often pondered “Why is there no cyclic medication for ADHD?” On the surface it seemed as simple as something akin to the rotating birth control compacts that many of us have seen. But, of course like all things involving ADHD and women. The

After a diagnosis at seventy-five, I needed a new way to manage my ADHD and anxiety without relying on medication. It turned out, the answer was with me all along! Here I’ll share how movement and song transformed my life. Bringing calm and joy in ways I hadn’t imagined. I knew I had to come up with something to replace the meds I had been taking for years for my ADHD and anxiety after an “asymptomatic” AFib diagnosis at seventy-five stopped me in my tracks.  Until then, I hadn’t given my meds or how they might impact my cardiovascular health as