The Art of Being Well
The Art of Being Well

Hormones, Histamines & The Shocking Truth About Women's ADHD | Dr. Jolene Brighten

October 5, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a 2026 study—published just three years after Dr. Jolene Brighten began writing her book—researchers finally validated what many women already knew from experience: ADHD symptoms change with the menstrual cycle, and medications work differently depending on where a woman is in her hormonal life. That study is the kind of overdue acknowledgment that drives Brighten’s new book, ADHD and Women, and her argument that women’s ADHD has been systematically misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and undertreated because medicine has been looking at the wrong symptoms and ignoring the hormonal context entirely.

Why Women’s ADHD Looks Different

The classic image of ADHD—a boy bouncing off the walls, unable to sit still—is a male stereotype that misses how the condition presents in girls and women. Brighten explains that once a girl enters puberty, hyperactivity moves inward. “Rather than bouncing off the walls, she’s bouncing off of her skull.” The girl whose report card said “she’s smart but talks too much” or “could do well if she applied herself” may have been struggling with impulsivity and inattention all along. In adulthood, missed ADHD can look like chronic lateness driven by fear of being late, a racing mind at bedtime replaying every unfinished loop, or physical conditions like IBS—roughly 50% of people with ADHD receive an IBS diagnosis. The woman who is most often missed is

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:27) **Introduction and Episode Setup** - Dr. Will Cole welcomes listeners and introduces the episode's focus on women's health, ADHD, and hormones with returning guest Dr. Jolene Brighten.
  • 2 (05:09) **How ADHD Presents Differently in Women** - Dr. Brighten explains that hyperactivity in women is often internalized as a "bouncing off the skull" rather than the classic external hyperactivity seen in boys.
  • 3 (06:48) **The "Killing It" Woman: A Missed Diagnosis** - The woman who appears successful on the outside but is secretly overwhelmed is a common missed presentation of ADHD.
  • 4 (08:41) **Subtypes of ADHD in Women** - Dr. Brighten outlines the three main subtypes: hyperactive, inattentive, and combined.
  • 5 (09:40) **The Hormonal Connection: The Five Ps** - The ADHD brain is hormonally sensitive, with key transitions (the "Five Ps") worsening symptoms: Puberty, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Postmenopause, and Premenstrual.
  • 6 (13:12) **Estrogen's Role in Neurotransmitters and Energy** - Low estrogen is often the most noticeable hormonal driver, as it pulls down key neurotransmitters and impairs mitochondrial function.
  • 7 (18:36) **Tracking Hormones and the Estrogen-Histamine Connection** - The best way to assess hormonal impact is tracking symptoms across the menstrual cycle, especially the 7-10 day window before a period.

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Show Notes

Dr. Jolene Brighten - board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist and author of the new book ADHD and Women - joins Dr. Will Cole to break down why ADHD looks so different in women than in men, the hormonal "five Ps" that can trigger or worsen symptoms, the surprising estrogen-histamine connection, and why perimenopause is so often the moment women finally get diagnosed. For all links mentioned in this episode, visit http://www.drwillcole.com/podcast


Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

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