Overlapping Perimenopause, Autism & ADHD
My Sketchbook Art Inquiry: Hot Pink Meno-Storm (how it feels in my body as I go through perimenopause)
Perimenopause requires real life changes for many women and AFAB folk (especially if also autistic/ADHD - overlapping symptoms intensify symptoms)
I’ve been openly talking for a while now about how much of an impact perimenopausal symptoms and hormonal shifts are impacting my Autistic-ADHD brain and nervous system.
Considering that 51% of the human population will experience menopause, it’s truly disgraceful that we’re really only starting to get serious research coming through about this huge life transition for women and AFAB folk … and how it can affect different populations, like those of us who are neurodivergent.
In an effort to make sense of my own perimenopausal challenges and experiences, I’ve been deep diving into art-making and research about how peri-menopause impacts our brain-body-nervous systems, and mapping this across with how experiences overlaps with Autism and ADHD.
My discoveries have been EPIC!
Although there is still very little research so far, the evidence is clear: Out of almost 20 symptoms spanning menopause, Autisic and ADHD’ers may share almost all of them (bar hot flushes, night sweats and dry skin changes). Throughout my research, these results are coming from scientific studies, as well as lived experience accounts by neurodivergent people in peri/menopause.
Check out this overlap in symptomatic experience between menopause and neurodivergence:
Excerpt from: Gottardello & Steffan (2024) Fundamental intersectionality of menopause and neurodivergence experiences at work. Maturitas. https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(24)00202-0/fulltext
If you’re interested in discovering more recent research/discoveries on perimenopause / menopause, check out:
This book: THE MENOPAUSE BRAIN
This podcast: Dr Louise Newson - Maybe it’s Menopause
This podcast: PERIMENOPAUSE - WHAT’S ACTUALLY GOING ON?
This video: Navigating menopause as an autistic / neurodivergent person
P.S. Many of us feel so alone in our neurodivergent-menopause experience, and sharing about it together can help. I’d like to focus on creating a creative/educational/social group on this topic in the future, so we can explore and navigate this time together. What are your thoghhts? Drop me a line if this is something you might like to be part of.
Big Love,
Chrissy x
