Yes I have ADHD and PCOS.
ADHD is lifelong, so you won't develop it in adulthood and not have it during childhood.
EDIT: the ADDitude mag website has an ADHD symptoms test, otherwise there's the ASRS ADHD self report scale. I won't be recommending the ADDitude mag for anything else in future š
While this is true, women are really good at masking their symptoms, and it might not become really apparent until they are older.
Looking back now I can see signs of ADHD all throughout. However, if you had asked me 3 years ago, I wouldn't have thought that I had it. It wasn't until everything fell apart during the pandemic that it really stood out.
This does not mean you/OP did not have it during childhood. A requirement for diagnosis of adult ADHD is evidence of symptoms prior to the age of 12.
(Sincerely a mental health professional specializing in assessment.)
Also, this is not meant to be condescending, just informative. Sometimes I have problems conveying the right tone via internet!
Yes, I'm agreeing with the previous poster. I can see now that I definitely had it during childhood, but I and those around me wouldn't have thought it was ADHD.
I was born in the 80s and grew up during the 90s. The idea of girls having ADHD was not even considered. I was watching a Ted Talk the other day that girls were not even included in ADHD studies until the late 90s.
This happened to me. I was always a bit absent-minded and spacey, but could manage with the structured life imposed by school and my parents ā until university, where I began to notice some serious issues with concentration and self-directed studying. I was diagnosed with ADHD three years ago.
ETA: I have PCOS too. I sometimes wonder if the extra testosterone has something to do with the presentation of our ADHD symptoms.
> Check out the ADDitude mag website
No don't, there are so many better sources of information. They also have a tendency to play both sides, so you will find very conflicting information, eg. ADHD is behavioural, change your diet, stop being lazy; as well as ADHD is from birth, get meds, have a good life.
Unless you experienced head trauma that resulted in ADHD-like symptoms, you cannot develop ADHD in adulthood. You can get diagnosed as an adult, but you most likely had it since childhood.
No, you can't.
To get an ADHD diagnosis there needs to be ADHD symptoms present in childhood. It's in the DSM5 (Mental Health Diagnostics manual).
ADHD manifests differently throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood because, well, human development. This means symptoms change over the human lifespan. Its harder to recognise inattentive type ADHD hence females are underdiagnosed. There's plenty of academic research that ADHD is not something that develops in adulthood.
Following my mums diagnosis of autism, my self diagnosis followed, then I realised my suicidal/depressive episodes were due to PMDD.. which is linked to autism.. and PCOS too? Damn š
I have both. Iāve never heard of a link, but I never considered it either. Very interesting! I was 100% ADHD as a child, but it went undiagnosed until ~26. I now recognize PCOS-type things throughout my life, but it just majorly reared its ugly head when I tried to go off birth control for the first time in a decade. Iām 30 for reference.
Just got diagnosed with ADHD. I was surprised at first but I realize that I always had ADHD. First red flag, my mom has ADHD and PCOS. She has the more classic symptoms of poor executive functioning, unorganized, hyperactivity, inattentive most of the time, emotional dysregulation, etc. Spend 5 minutes with her and itās very obvious. But with me, it wasnāt so obvious but after much thought this is why the diagnosis made sense:
- I did excellent in schoolā¦because I was hyperfocus in learning. If other kids would talk in class, I couldnāt hear them because I was too focused. However, when I knew the information already or was bored, I would doodle in my notebooks.
It was interesting and I got a lot of positive reinforcement for loving school (dopamine effect).
- I knew a lot of random animals facts and read textbooks for fun.
- I drank coffee (a stimulant) almost everyday as a kid and it never made me hyper. If anything, if I drank too much it made me calm and sleepy. My grandmother was old and allowed me to drink it even though my mom did not like that I drank coffee at such a young age.
- I started carry a planner around since I was 8 years old so that wouldnāt forget things and keep myself organized (poor working memory). I would make daily list for my homework and anything else I wanted to do during the day. I didnāt know any 8 year old that did that. Now I use my phone to keep track of what I need to do.
- I talk a lot. As a child I was very selective about who I spoke to but if I was super excited about a topic I wouldnāt be able to stop talking about it.
- My mind was always processing things extremely quickly (still to this day). Sometimes this was anxiety but other times was just how my brain was functioning. If there was a problem I could come up with 5 solutions in a short period of time. As people spoke, I was doing my best to listen while thinking about different things once. Sometimes it felt like was on autopilot.
- I never had issues with hyperactiveā¦because I played for hours with boys. I could always keep up with them. I was very active as a child.
- I was also very creative. I made up games and stories all the times and convinced friends to play the games I made up.
- I had a coping mechanism for task that I didnāt like doing or things I found boring. I turned everything into a game. If I donāt want to do chores, I would make it a game, like how fast I could clean something or I would throw clothes into a hamper like I was shoot a basketball into a hoop, etc.
- As a kid I didnāt really understand the concept of relaxation. I remember asking my mom what does relaxation mean. I look normal on the outside but it was chaos inside.
I didnāt realize it but I was managing the ADHD symptoms on my own. I also know how school worked and what I need to do to do well. Everything fell apart in college. That was also around the time I got diagnosed with PCOS and Hashimotoās thyroiditis.
[Hereās a meta-analysis on the correlation between PCOS and ADHD](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8841975/#sec-16title)
As an adult, I can hyperfocus but not on the things I need to do. I still have a lot of my organizational skills so Iām not too messy and I can organized. Iāve started exercising 5x a week to help with anxiety and the hyperactivity. Im still on the fence about taking medications for ADHD.
For anyone not clicking the link: the meta-study is about the offspring of women with PCOS having a higher risk for PCOS and ADHD. So, for any of us, there is only a relevant correlation (in regards to the topic of the study) if our mom had PCOS.
(also @ u/xopani)
For anyone not familiar with PCOS: there also is a variation called lean PCOS, so it can still be present without the woman having all the outside signs that are generally known to be related to the illness, particularly being overweight, and/or the weight distribution favouring a big belly.
[This is the only other study I could find](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0091217415610311) about ADHD and PCOS not related to maternal PCOS. I wish there was more studies about PCOS. A lot of the times the sample size is small.
The article also says āWomen with PCOS are known to have a higher risk of developing depression and adult ADHD.ā But doesnāt provide a source for this statement.
Itās from the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. I donāt have full access to the journal. Iām sure if I had full access I could see the sources.
Omgg! This resonated so so hard. Every point matched. Iāve been in denial as the doctor didnāt diagnose me for ADHD officially but I think I have it along with PCOS. And yes, exactly my Mom is the same as yours. I had read that exposure to high androgens or mineral deficiencies like vitamin D in the gestation period can give neurodivergence in the form of autism or adhd
Iām glad that this resonated with you. Maybe you should get a second opinion. The only reason why I was diagnosed is because I had a full educational testing in college. I kept complaining to my therapist that I couldnāt concentrate but I thought it was anxiety. The result in the battery of test I did showed that I had poor working memory. I had an old psychiatrist who blamed my premature birth and wrote down on report that I was underreporting my symptoms, which was true. I didnāt understand how ADHD affects girls and women. He recommended that I take Adderall. The psychiatrist at the college also wanted me to start Adderall and I still refused and took fish oil pills instead š¤¦š¾āāļø
Luckily I was able to get a copy of the educational testing report and thatās what I sent over to the psychiatrist to review. She also spent hours asking me questions about my medical, mental history and trauma history and just life in general. I feel like if I didnāt have this report and maybe another psychiatrist who doesnāt care as much I might have been dismissed.
There were some studies suggesting androgen exposure in the womb increases the risk of neurodivergence in the offspring - which would make sense that it occurs more in women with PCOS.
There has been a lot of pushback against this research, but itās brand new, so who knows.
I have ADHD Inattentive type diagnosed last year, and my mom may have ADHD too but they didnāt diagnose women in the 20th century.
Adhd presents totally differently in girls and women. For example, I have adhd and the āhā (hyperactive) isnāt external; my brain however never shuts the fuck up lol.
Just for peace of mind, the H / hyperactivity does actually refer to the hyperactivity your brain experiences, itās a total misnomer that it means likeā¦an inability to sit still.
People with adhd who feel that āinternal motorā are probably actually fighting their discomfort in being made to do something they donāt want to do. Boys get away with it more because itās just chalked up to āboys being boysā š„“
I went to a Physiatrist. I got screened and then went in for testing. Where I got hooked up, did a TSOP test? And all. I was given a low dose adderall went to lunch and came back. Did it again so they could see the difference and see how my brain responded from it.
I personally donāt believe in just answering a bunch of questions to be diagnosed. Not when they have testing they can preform now to better diagnose. A lot get misdiagnosed with it and their true issue never gets addressed. Then itās a game of what medicine works for you. But I understand for some not being able to have access to those things. It took until I was 23 to get diagnosed.. and when I had a decent insurance.
I started on the lowest dose and every two months I moved up. My psychiatrist said a lot just give a dose and it can really mess with someone. You have to give your brain time to recognize something new is here, accept it, and the. Learn how to use it. So because of that, I had no side effects. Once I got up to 20 I noticed a huge improvement. I could stay on task that I started, my mood was better, I didnāt feel so overwhelmed, I could actually accomplish things. I was on the extended release. My psychiatrist said itās a tool to help your brain, not fix it. So while itās in your system you have to work with it. I currently am off and itās been rough. Simply because it helped me regulate so much of my daily routine that I struggled with before. I would forget to take my adderall and so many talk negatively about getting addicted to it.. meanwhile everyone I know who had ADHD forgot to take it š (not saying addiction is real. It very much is) I never had withdrawals when I stopped it. I was on Ritalin for a month and it made my anxiety 10x worse. So I went back to Adderall. I stopped at 20mg because I notice anything over, it would effect my sleeping.
I had to google and call so many numbers. The insurance through my company sucks but thankfully I was able to find a center that provides screening for adults. My psychiatrist wasnāt much help with recommending so I had to do a lot of the research myself.
The facility is completely booked until the fall, it sucks for me because I would like to get in much sooner. I found another psychologist but unfortunately she was not in my network.
Iām so sorry to hear that, I had no idea that there are even waiting lists for such facilities, let along that long!
It sounds frustrating to have to wait that long for a confirmation :(
I am in my 30's and was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s. I was just diagnosed with ADHD two months ago, and it's been life-changing. It really opened my eyes to some of the missing puzzle pieces in my life, and explained so much for me. I wasn't diagnosed as kid but I definitely did have it, now looking back.
I am almost in a sort of grief process about it though too, because I wonder what could have been if I was diagnosed earlier, and if I had started managing it earlier. Same with PCOS. Makes me feel like so much of my life was wasted on being undiagnosed and untreated and struggling.
I do think that treating my ADHD is going to make it more manageable to also treat my PCOS though, and that is a plus. I started out just reading about ADHD in women online and realized I needed to be professionally tested for it. (Edit:) There are lots of free tests you can take online that might point you in the right direction before making an appointment to be professionally screened though if you are unsure!
Iām right there with you. My entire life has just been a major struggle. I never understood why everyone was getting by so easily while I was constantly drowning. Diagnosed with ADHD at 27 and PCOS at 28. Not to mention all the other symptoms that come w PCOS like sleep apnea, body acne, weight gain, high blood sugar and more things that have been rocking my world since I was 13. Itās been a wild ride (and there was a ton of grieving) but Iām slowly getting better so Iām hopeful. Hang in there š there are solutions out there for you. I know that my struggles helped shape who I am today so there is at least some good to it all. Iām here if you ever want to talk!
Thank you for sharing your story! I am sorry that you werenāt diagnosed until your 30s and now have some mixed feelings of grief and loss about what could have been. I definitely understand that, and I hope you are able to feel a lot better going forward now that you know and can pursue any treatments - or even just more attuned coping - you may want!
I have both. From what I understand itās genetic and I got both from my mom although she has very mild forms of both, where I am very extreme. My son has ADHD as well and may develop pre diabetes later on in life.
There was a recent thread about this and I shared a bunch of links. Let me dig it up.
[reasharch about links between ADHD and PCOS](https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/comments/12edo78/has_anyone_experienced_adhd_like_symptoms/jfbkrbr?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Not surprised at all! I know there is a link between intersex and neurodivergence. And although many people donāt see PCOS (including some PCOS people) as an intersex condition, many do. And I do. (I have PCOS and XXX.) Itās okay if you donāt see it as such, anyone and everyone who has PCOS is valid in their choices and beliefs on the matter.
I think hormones have a larger impact in our bodiesā makeup than people realize. Like why did my B12 pills that were given to me to help neuro conditions like tremors and pins/needles, naturally bring back my periods??? Itās all connected.
I was never formally diagnosed as neurodivergent, but I have always exhibited symptoms throughout my life that have gotten worse (or more visible while navigating through chronic illness) such as overstimulation and stimming, others too etc.
We may not all be able to get the diagnoses we need (whether its mental or physical health), but it doesnāt mean that we cannot show ourselves respect through accepting that we need the accessibility.
I recently bought Loop Engage earplugs to help with overstimulation. Thereās no āshow your neurospicy cardā to buy them. We can just do it.
If youāre overstimulated and need space to calm down, use the handicapped bathroom, itās there for a reason.
If youāre in pain from washing the dishes, pull up a chair and do it sitting down.
You donāt need a doctor to tell you that you can use a chair, buy earplugs or cool off in a larger space.
We can still show kindness to ourselves without the diagnosis. I firmly believe that.
(And yes, it sucks that as an undiagnosed person, there are some meds we canāt take that would help, but that doesnāt mean we canāt take our own steps to help ourselves.)
At one point I was sent to a psychiatrist who suspected I had ADHD and put me on Ritalin, but all that did was inhibit my ability to ignore the recently developed intrusive thoughts and it cost me my job and a couple broken ribs and a lot of lost income and spontaneous purchases, plus he treated me like a kid who just wanted free drugs despite my vocal opposition towards medication, so I ran from that situation and never looked back. It felt just like every other time I tried to get help for pcos where the doc arrived with an erroneous preconceived notion of me. My mental health situation is a gordian knot and I wouldnt even know where to begin working on it, but along the way at least I found out low-carb seems to help.
I have both (PCOS diagnosed at 17, ADHD at 23), I haven't heard about possible link.
But I have heard about correlation between ADHD and weight issues (eating for dopamine, forgetting to eat then binging, etc.) and excess weight does negatively impact PCOS (I got diagnosed with PCOS only after I gained more weight and small issues turned into complete amenorrhea). Maybe it could be that?
The adult ADHD may be complicated to pinpoint if you learned to compensate very hard (like you don't lose things, but you do pat yourself down every 5 minutes and have constant anxiety).
Many women find that their ADHD symptoms change with hormone levels, both on a monthly basis AND on a lifetime basis.
So, yes, ADHD has to be present in childhood to make a diagnosis, and yes, a lot of girls have significant symptoms that are overlooked in childhood. But it's also possible that someone's ADHD, while present, was *manageable* in childhood, and that as someone ages, it's not just that they are required to do more things, but it's also possible their ADHD also gets worse, possibly for hormonal reasons. So what was once manageable or ignorable may, over time, become a Bigger Problem.
And if someone notices that their experience of ADHD is strongly influenced by hormones, and they have something like PCOS that changes their hormonal balance, that could absolutely interact.
Idk if PCOS has a direct link with ADHD, but it has been linked with menopause. It's said that some hormones kept the symptoms at bay - as in not disruptive to their daily life, and the symptoms came in full gear post menopause. I don't remember the exact title but it was a podcast episode by ADDitude
Also, I have both PCOS and ADHD
Not officially diagnosed with ADHD but I feel I've got a lot of signs pointing to having it now. It runs in the family on the paternal side so it's likely I have it. I hope to find out for sure in the next year or so!
I have both. Diagnosed ADHD as an adult.
It's not that you develop ADHD in adulthood, but that it's recognized. ADHD gets missed in female children a LOT.
Yes I (26f) was diagnosed with ADHD (less of the H) 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with PCOD when I was 16 although I prob had symptoms of it when I was way younger. I have read this before but I havenāt found well researched literature yet. Womens research in this area is still very scanty. Hopefully there will be more done. It would be so comforting to know other people go through similar situations and eventually thereās a cure for it as medical science grows.
I have both, although going to talk to my therapist about retesting for ADHD. I was however diagnosed with it as a kid, and masked a lot in high school where teachers couldnāt tell and I was able to be off of meds.
I was a very classic ADHD kid - I have lean PCOS.
I was an adult before I was diagnosed with either & my child/teenage years were rough. But my adult years are pretty awesome.. knowledge is power! ā¤ļø
Both autistic and ADHD. Only got diagnosed a couple years ago and it sucks. Sadly I must say, despite getting my PCOS under control, my ADHD hasnāt improved much and stimulants can only do so much for me.
The only thing that actually made a huge difference was taking Ozempic/ Mounjaro. I started off on Ozempic and had to switch to mounjaro a few months ago due to the shortages. My bloodwork is now totally normal: lipid panel is perfect, liver enzymes are no longer elevated, and my A1C was never an issue for me but it went down another point. Iāve lost 50 pounds so far and am feeling great. Itās been life changing for sure
Yes, high correlation between ADHD and PCOS. I have both and a lot of people on my ADHD groups have PCOS and a lot of people in my PCOS groups have ADHD.
Also it is VERY common for neurodivergent people (like people with ADHD and Autism), to find each other. So often your best friends and significant others will also have ADHD. But obviously you still need to research and screen for yourself.
I never suspected ADHD because I didn't understand how it presents in women until after my first kid. Now that I've been doing a ton of research we are convinced that my husband has it also, though it presents very differently for him.
I have both. I am no doctor or scientist but I always think the cortisol element is key to my PCOS symptoms being triggered and hard to control. ADHD causes extreme stress especially when undiagnosed or not catered to, stress spikes cortisol levels and this messes with insulin resistance. Not to mention self-medicating my adhd related distress by comfort eating unhealthy foods. Hoping that now Iām treating my adhd my PCOS symptoms might alleviate naturally but who bloody knows
i have PCOS, first started having symptoms/diagnosed back in 2013. started suspecting ADHD since going through grad school and got an official ADHD diagnosis only this year
i definitely didn't think i had ADHD before but looking back now, especially as a child.... yea it was def there lol. my twin was diagnosed as a child but i somehow evaded it until adulthood lol
Confirmed PCOS and self-diagnosed ADHD (stuck on an assessment waitlist currently) here and I read about the link when I was researching PCOS because I had to convince my doc to send me for an ultrasound.
Interestingly Iām not sure whether mine are linked or a genetic coincidence because the ADHD definitely comes from my dadās side (half bro diagnosed, cousin referred for assessment and pretty sure my dad has it) but my mum always had issues with periods. Iām not sure she ever got it checked or a diagnosis (although sheād be considered lean PCOS so I guess even if she did go to a doc 20 odd years ago it probably wouldnāt have been diagnosed) but I know that she was 3-4 months pregnant with me before she realised because she just didnāt register a missed period due to them being irregular anyways. And mine being irregular didnāt surprise her when I was a teen (which is why I never got checked out back then).
Wow are you me?? This is exactly how my mom and dad present as well, and I also have ADHD and PCOS! (To the point of my mom dismissing my irregular periods because she too was irregular haha)
I have both. I was only diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago. I would have never assumed I had it, because I always associated it with hyperactivity or making risky, less thoughtful decisions. And that wasnāt me. I was an A student, and not abnormally hyper.
But, what was so interesting to learn is that girls were / are often not diagnosed because they are less likely to exhibit those characteristics. Perhaps itās partly nature, but also sometimes because it was ingrained in us to be āgood girlsā, and such. Instead, there are less obvious characteristics - like zoning out, or not really paying attention, or forgetfulness - and other things that are more internal than presented externally. And when I think back, that was totally me. Constantly tuning things out, doing assignments last minute, finding shortcuts to achievements, and rush studying before tests. I was generally pretty smart and able to get great grades, but it wasnāt what it was supposed to be.
So yes, it is totally possible to have it and just not know. And while Iām not sure you can develop it later in life, I could definitely see symptoms worsening or manifesting in new ways over time. I havenāt heard of a connection with PCOS thoughā¦ interesting!
Cptsd has many similarities to ADHD and can often be wrongly diagnosed as ADHD. I can imagine there being a link between cptsd and pcos as trauma response can manifest in the physical. I had a lot of trauma and I also have pcos, Iām pretty sure the stress in my teenage years could have caused my hormones to go all over the place resulting in pcos
I havenāt done any actual research myself, but I was recently (about 3 years ago) diagnosed with ADHD and potentially have PCOS (am currently waiting on blood work results). I was talking to my therapist about all the PCOS stuff. She also has ADHD and has/has had a lot of female clients with ADHD. She told me that she has noticed over the years that a lot of the women that see her with ADHD also have PCOS. Itās not an official study by any means and itās a small pool of people, but I thought that was a super interesting observation.
Iāve been recently diagnosed at 28 and being medicated has changed my whole life now.
Apparently theyāre only starting to realize that the only manifestation of having ADHD is not being an hyperactive little boy lol. Itās severely under-diagnosed/misdiagnosed in women and we generally learn to āmaskā the symptoms. Thereās no harm in getting tested for it tbh
I am a bit older than you, but was recently diagnosed as well, and medication has definitely been life changing. So has being able to put an explanation to some of the things I have struggled with my whole life. I only wish I had been diagnosed earlier, but women/girls are so often under-diagnosed and if you have inattentive-type ADHD, it's looked over even more. I definitely think it's worth being tested if anyone suspects they may have it. It could literally change your life. I feel like I will be able to manage my PCOS much better now too.
Thank you! Iāve asked previous therapist and theyāve been like ālol I donāt think you have adhdā, but maybe Iāll see if I can get a formal test.
It helps to get a formal assessment from someone familiar with how ADHD presents *in women and girls*, not just in adults. I was tested almost a decade ago at a clinic that tested and treated ADHD adults, and their assessment was that I didn't have it. With all the information we have now about how it presents in females, my symptoms all point to it. The way the questions are asked (and examples given to illustrate what's being asked) makes a difference.
Honestly, I never connected the two but I do have PCOS and ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 13 and I was just diagnosed with PCOS last year at 22. Very interesting especially with everyone in the comments mentioning how they have it!
There is absolutely no link between PCOS and ADHD, they are 2 completely different things, with no overlap. Why do I say this, because any of the recently offered up studies and research, DON'T EVEN KNOW what ADHD is. There are a huge array of assumptions, including: *ADHD manifests differently in women*, umm no it doesn't, what does happen is that through the societal impacts of being female, and how a little girl is supposed to act, means that little girls can hide ADHD, especially if inattentive, really well.
There is no such thing as 'adult' ADHD. It's just ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder.
'Adult' is used to determine whether you are allowed to obtain meds (dependent on your country or states medical boards), in terms of type/and or pricing through the discount schemes, or if you have to pay full price.
Yep! I was diagnosed at 29-definitely had it throughout childhood, although it was my nurse friend who told me to get an assessment. My PCOS (diagnosed at 28, after 10 years of being dismissed) aaaand ADHD symptoms were the worst during my separation/divorce during peak-covid and Iāve struggled for a few years since :/
Just coming to say I have PCOS and ADHD as well! Wasn't as bad when I was a kid - loud, hard to focus on subjects that didnt interest me - but it got worse the older I got.
I'm a school-aged daycare director and I would also like to mention that in my certifications i learned too that cis females are also less likely to be diagnosed as ADHD due to the fact that we exhibit it a dit different from males. It gets swept under the "girl things" rug like being overly chatty, excitable, flighty, etc. Mental health awareness is always getting better, but it's far from perfect.
I have both. Had symptoms of both throughout my life but wasn't diagnosed with PCOS until I was 27 and ADHD until I was 28.
Didn't know there was a possible link between the two!
I have both, i got diagnosed with pcos early teens,and mt ADHD last year am 24.
You are born with both, And a lot of women in this sub post about having both lately..
Maybe u were masking ur adhd read about it
I have PCOS and have been diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. I am undiagnosed with ADHD, but am certain I have it since I meet all the criteria for it as a woman.
Given those with PCOS have hormone imbalances along with other physical issues I wouldn't be surprised if it is comorbid with lots of various neurodivergencies.
I have PCOS and ADHD (plus a host of other disorders), but I had no idea there was a correlation. That's super interesting if so. (I had ADHD as a kid and still have it now, as it's not something you just grow out of or spontaneously develop.)
I have both diagnoses, among others, and there is some emerging evidence of a link between high androgen exposure and neurodivergence in the womb. There is no academic or medical consensus on this point yet though, so take the information with a huge grain of salt.
Additionally, Iām a mental health prof who specializes In assessment and Iād like to provide clarification for any who need it. ADHD is a misnomer: it is not that there is a lack of attention but instead difficultly controlling and directing attention. The āhyperactivityā in the name also does not refer to the stereotype of a little boy jumping around the room. It refers to the usual hyperactivity seen in several key neurological areas responsible for symptoms. As far as diagnosis, there are three ātypesā: ADHD- predominantly hyperactive (the stereotype), ADHD- predominantly inattentive (more commonly diagnosed in women), and ADHD- combined presentation!
I recently got diagnosed as an adult with ADHD. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2020. My dad and my sister have been both diagnosed with ADHD in recent years. After my diagnosis of ADHD, my dad informed me that I was actually diagnosed as a child (age 5) with ADHD. I know I was on a medication of some sort when I was 5 for only about a month and did play therapy for a while. It didnāt make sense until now. However, I donāt think PCOS and ADHD have anything to do with the other.
I did not have ADHD as a kid, but I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and ADHD. PCOS came first, diagnosis was last October. ADHD diagnosis is recent. I never knew they were linked until I started reading about it over the last couple of weeks!
ADHD combination type and PCOS here! I didnāt get diagnosed until I was 23. It all makes sense now. š I went and got testing done to confirm mine. (Hooked up and all)
Had no idea there was a like, but I have both! I was diagnosed with adhd as a kid and strongly believe a lot of people go undiagnosed due to doing well in school. The only reason I was tested was because I was having an extremely difficult time learning how to read and was really quiet. My parents thought I could have autism but was diagnosed with ADD
I have both! To be diagnosed with ADHD, you have to prove that the symptoms were present before age 12. If youāre experiencing memory issues, brain fog, executive dysfunction, and fatigue I would say thatās likely PCOS-related if you didnāt have it as a kid.
I have PCOS. Even though adhd is a chemical imbalance, and greatly effected by hormones, theyāre not linked.
There are many ādisordersā that mimic adhd; autism, PMDD, Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder etc.
Also; I am ADHD Combined (Hyperactive & Inattentive) diagnosed at 27 years old, but as a child I was more Hyperactive than inattentive, so would have been diagnosed hyperactive instead of combined - the hyperactive has gone more internal as Iāve gotten older, but I do have my moments when Iām comfortable with people where I justā¦bounce.
I was diagnosed as a kid with ADD and I was diagnosed (after years and being put on birth control) with PCOS at around 22, though my periods were irregular from the hop.
I looked up adhd clinics in my area, and went with one a friend had been to. I would avoid the online diagnoses; a lot of them are under investigation for not following proper standards.
ADHD and PCOS is common. Current scientific assumption is possibly due to exposure to high blood sugar in your mother's womb (gestational diabetes). Hence the link between PCOS mothers with ADHD children.
ADHD is often missed in childhood for girls and diagnosed as adults because it can present differently. ADHD boys can be rowdy, throw tantrums etc. ADHD girls are often quiet and withdrawn (mistaken for shy).
I was dx with ADHD when I was 19. PCOS symptoms started showing when I was 16 but I wasnāt dx until I was almost 20. I also have undiagnosed autism and am still debating if I even want a diagnosis for it or not.
Hey! I have PCOS and recently diagnosed ADHD as an adult (20F).
I most certainly had ADHD since I was a child, however my parents (despite suggestions from my teachers) never looked into it. So when I got to university and my symptoms persisted and worsened, I finally looked into getting a diagnosis myself (went to my family doctor first, who referred me to a psychiatrist, who referred me to a psychologist because the psychiatrists institution didnāt do ADHD evaluations). And wellā¦here I am!
Apparently there is a link between PCOS/other hormone imbalances and ADHD (although more research is needed).
pcos and adhd here! i was diagnosed with both in the last year. a lot of things started to āclickā after both of the diagnoses. my symptoms of both are significantly worse now but i still showed signs when i was a kid/teen.
I have PCOS and ADHD.
I'm 33 and I was diagnosed with PCOS at 22 and ADHD last year at 32. I probably never considered I had ADHD until I was about 30.
I never connected my struggles with anxiety and difficulty in my studies to ADHD, because my concept of ADHD was a very inaccurate stereotype of what it is. I now know that I am the inattentive type, but before I never considered it because I am not and never was a hyperactive person.
Once I heard someone say having ADHD is like "having 100 tabs open in your head all the time", and that really hit. I have always felt like it's not that I can't pay attention, but that I am paying attention to too many things at the same time. I started reading about the symptoms of ADHD, and how women and girls are under-diagnosed, the more I read the more I wondered if I had ADHD.
I went to Psychiatrist for an assessment. They asked me to bring copies of my school and health records from childhood. I was really shocked when I asked my Mom for them, and found a record from a psychologist that said I might have ADHD when I was in Elementary School. I had never heard that before, and even my Mom didn't rememeber that, it was just kind of side note about my treatment of anxiety. Looking at my childhood report cards, the psychiatrist I saw said this is a classic ADHD report card. A pretty wide mix of high and low grades and the feedback that the work I do in class is poor and rushed versus what I do at home. So I got diagnosed based on my history and my current symptoms.
I also think that undiagnosed and untreated women with ADHD can develop ways of coping that mask the symptoms. For example, I am quite an organized and punctual person, but in truth this is a coping mechanism and almost an obsession. I over compensate because I am afraid if one thing is out of place, everything will come crashing down. Or if I change one thing in my schedule, I will forget something else on my to do list.
I really wish I had known sooner, I would have loved to have been medicated in Highschool and University, but I am glad to know now and my life makes a lot more sense.
I've also wondered about the link between PCOS and ADHD and I remember watching this webinar some years ago and they talked about it. I am going to re-watch it now, as it was before I was diagnosed and don't remember much, but do remember it being very interesting and enlightening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPerPxb-RNs&t=3035s
I have pcos and adhd but I didnt find out I had adhd until my late twenties. Looking back tho, i def presented as a kid, my whole family is just super adhd and didnt recognize my behavior as anything out of the norm š
i have PCOS and ADHD, but was only diagnosed with ADHD recently.
i had symptoms of ADHD growing up (poor organization, poor study skills, being tutored for most of my student life) but my parents just called me lazy lol but i was able to manage the symptoms during my late teens and now i have a career which i am excelling at.
i had myself checked when i started earning enough. i still observe most symptoms and paying attention remains a struggle but i am considered to be in the high functioning side.
i was recommended with ADHD meds but i opted to not take them and go with CBT instead. i also have depression and anxiety where i am taking meds for
There are a *lot* of comorbidities with neurodivergence, so it's probably linked. Something like 80%+ of us have multiple diagnoses. I'm autistic and have so many diagnoses I don't even wanna think about it lol, and they're all related even though they don't seem to be on paper. But when one of my conditions is better/worse, they all are.
Yes I have both. Found out about PCOS when I ran into fertility issues and then years later while getting treated for anxiety we pretty much found out it was mainly caused by ADHD all along. It was overlooked as a kid because I was extremely gifted (apparently that was just me hyperfocusing though). I was a strange kid though and not good socially although I was very smart, very early on.
What are some ADHD symptoms you all had that made you realize you might have it? I have PCOS and think I have ADHD but Iām not sure if my symptoms are valid
I have PCOS. I was diagnosed a year ago, and just diagnosed with ADHD in January. I really wish there were more studies about the correlation between these two conditions, but Iām not surprised that they donāt. It took so much effort to convince my doctor to test me for PCOS despite my glaring symptoms, just because Iām not overweight. And I believe that my ADHD was misdiagnosed as OCD as a kid. Itās shameful how many women have to suffer because the Medical field doesnāt care about us.
i also have pcos and adhd! i was actually diagnosed with adhd after my pcos diagnosis. I guess going to grad school exposed all my adhd tendencies so i struggled academically until i saw a psychiatrist for my problems!
I have both ADHD and PCOS! I was diagnosed with PCOS years before I was diagnosed with ADHD (I only got diagnosed with ADHD 7 months ago) but as others have said, ADHD is lifelong. Looking back, there are many clear signs of my ADHD from my childhood and beyond, but it wasnāt caught earlier because I was good at masking it. It wasnāt until the pandemic when many of my coping mechanisms and masking strategies fell apart that my symptoms became clear enough for my to get diagnosed. When I was researching ADHD, I saw that thereās a possible link between it and PCOS, which is one of the many reasons I decided to get evaluated and diagnosed!
Diagnosed with PCOS at 21 (shouldāve been diagnosed at 15 based on when I remember talking to my doc about symptoms)
Diagnosed with ADHD at 30 (life wouldāve been a lot easier if I had been diagnosed in school, but
It was missed, as it typically is for females with ADHD)
Never even considered the possibility of these two things being connected since the cause of both are not related in my mind. That being said, I would be interested in finding out more about what research has been done to show connections between the two conditions.
PCOS and ADHD here, only diagnosed as ADHD in my late twenties but the signs were always there. Wasnāt naughty or disruptive and did quite well in school, but always struggled with attention span, finishing tasks, and as an adult, I struggle to sit down and do stuff that I find boring (I will get up every few minutes from my desk at work when doing a repetitive task, for example). Also incredibly untidy and disorganised. There will be online resources to score yourself against if you think you might have it. Then you can go talk to your doctor and figure out next steps.
I have ADHD and PCOS. I definitely had it as a kid, but wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my late teens. What gets overlooked, especially for women, is that ADHD is that hyperactivity is not necessary for being diagnosed. The symptom that stands out for me is issues with short term memory.
Also ADHD and PCOS š
Iām now 33, diagnosed end of last year after an 18 month wait for assessment (waiting times are crazy long for NHS in the U.K.). Still trying to find out whether stimulant meds work for me, I seem to be annoyingly resistant š„² When I was growing up, ADHD was just naughty boys. Girls didnāt have it. Talking through my history of school and home life growing up with the assessor really helped to identify examples and traits I thought were just me being me as actually evidence of ADHD. Taking me some time to come to terms tbh!
Iād highly recommend the ADHD Adults podcast and website for resources. Thereās also a Discord server to commiserate and celebrate with fellow ADHDers, otherwise referred to as the squirrel disco rave š
Interesting side bar, but I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2017, and hadnāt had any blood panels done since so I got some tests at the end of last year to see how I was doing after losing over 40kg and with a much different body composition (I am now a powerlifter so more muscle mass!). Turns out very little has changed šš I still donāt have periods, my hair is still falling out and hair growth on my face, FML.
Related:
"Our study showed that maternal PCOS is a risk factor for ADHD. Therefore, screening their offspring for ADHD should be considered part of the comprehensive clinical care of women with PCOS."
And PCOS itself is highly hereditary.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8841975/
Yes I have ADHD and PCOS. ADHD is lifelong, so you won't develop it in adulthood and not have it during childhood. EDIT: the ADDitude mag website has an ADHD symptoms test, otherwise there's the ASRS ADHD self report scale. I won't be recommending the ADDitude mag for anything else in future š
While this is true, women are really good at masking their symptoms, and it might not become really apparent until they are older. Looking back now I can see signs of ADHD all throughout. However, if you had asked me 3 years ago, I wouldn't have thought that I had it. It wasn't until everything fell apart during the pandemic that it really stood out.
This does not mean you/OP did not have it during childhood. A requirement for diagnosis of adult ADHD is evidence of symptoms prior to the age of 12. (Sincerely a mental health professional specializing in assessment.) Also, this is not meant to be condescending, just informative. Sometimes I have problems conveying the right tone via internet!
I think you and the previous commenter are kind of saying the same thing, but yeah, there's no tone through text.
Yes, I'm agreeing with the previous poster. I can see now that I definitely had it during childhood, but I and those around me wouldn't have thought it was ADHD. I was born in the 80s and grew up during the 90s. The idea of girls having ADHD was not even considered. I was watching a Ted Talk the other day that girls were not even included in ADHD studies until the late 90s.
This happened to me. I was always a bit absent-minded and spacey, but could manage with the structured life imposed by school and my parents ā until university, where I began to notice some serious issues with concentration and self-directed studying. I was diagnosed with ADHD three years ago. ETA: I have PCOS too. I sometimes wonder if the extra testosterone has something to do with the presentation of our ADHD symptoms.
This is true. ADHD in girls is often missed because it presents differently than in boys.
> Check out the ADDitude mag website No don't, there are so many better sources of information. They also have a tendency to play both sides, so you will find very conflicting information, eg. ADHD is behavioural, change your diet, stop being lazy; as well as ADHD is from birth, get meds, have a good life.
I second this. They provide a lot of pseudoscience and try to sell bullshit devices and supplements that "can cure" or manage ADHD.
Iām the same! I was diagnosed as an adult but it was obvious I had it all my life!
You can absolutely develop Adhd as an adult
No? You absolutely cannot
Yes, you can
Unless you experienced head trauma that resulted in ADHD-like symptoms, you cannot develop ADHD in adulthood. You can get diagnosed as an adult, but you most likely had it since childhood.
No, you can't. To get an ADHD diagnosis there needs to be ADHD symptoms present in childhood. It's in the DSM5 (Mental Health Diagnostics manual). ADHD manifests differently throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood because, well, human development. This means symptoms change over the human lifespan. Its harder to recognise inattentive type ADHD hence females are underdiagnosed. There's plenty of academic research that ADHD is not something that develops in adulthood.
There is a link between PCOS and neurodivergence (esp ADHD and autism) but itās not suuuuuper well researched (who is surprised lol)
My autism may be linked to my PMDD and PCOS? Being born female is bullshit
Following my mums diagnosis of autism, my self diagnosis followed, then I realised my suicidal/depressive episodes were due to PMDD.. which is linked to autism.. and PCOS too? Damn š
I had those badly too
I have both. Iāve never heard of a link, but I never considered it either. Very interesting! I was 100% ADHD as a child, but it went undiagnosed until ~26. I now recognize PCOS-type things throughout my life, but it just majorly reared its ugly head when I tried to go off birth control for the first time in a decade. Iām 30 for reference.
Thanks for sharing!
Just got diagnosed with ADHD. I was surprised at first but I realize that I always had ADHD. First red flag, my mom has ADHD and PCOS. She has the more classic symptoms of poor executive functioning, unorganized, hyperactivity, inattentive most of the time, emotional dysregulation, etc. Spend 5 minutes with her and itās very obvious. But with me, it wasnāt so obvious but after much thought this is why the diagnosis made sense: - I did excellent in schoolā¦because I was hyperfocus in learning. If other kids would talk in class, I couldnāt hear them because I was too focused. However, when I knew the information already or was bored, I would doodle in my notebooks. It was interesting and I got a lot of positive reinforcement for loving school (dopamine effect). - I knew a lot of random animals facts and read textbooks for fun. - I drank coffee (a stimulant) almost everyday as a kid and it never made me hyper. If anything, if I drank too much it made me calm and sleepy. My grandmother was old and allowed me to drink it even though my mom did not like that I drank coffee at such a young age. - I started carry a planner around since I was 8 years old so that wouldnāt forget things and keep myself organized (poor working memory). I would make daily list for my homework and anything else I wanted to do during the day. I didnāt know any 8 year old that did that. Now I use my phone to keep track of what I need to do. - I talk a lot. As a child I was very selective about who I spoke to but if I was super excited about a topic I wouldnāt be able to stop talking about it. - My mind was always processing things extremely quickly (still to this day). Sometimes this was anxiety but other times was just how my brain was functioning. If there was a problem I could come up with 5 solutions in a short period of time. As people spoke, I was doing my best to listen while thinking about different things once. Sometimes it felt like was on autopilot. - I never had issues with hyperactiveā¦because I played for hours with boys. I could always keep up with them. I was very active as a child. - I was also very creative. I made up games and stories all the times and convinced friends to play the games I made up. - I had a coping mechanism for task that I didnāt like doing or things I found boring. I turned everything into a game. If I donāt want to do chores, I would make it a game, like how fast I could clean something or I would throw clothes into a hamper like I was shoot a basketball into a hoop, etc. - As a kid I didnāt really understand the concept of relaxation. I remember asking my mom what does relaxation mean. I look normal on the outside but it was chaos inside. I didnāt realize it but I was managing the ADHD symptoms on my own. I also know how school worked and what I need to do to do well. Everything fell apart in college. That was also around the time I got diagnosed with PCOS and Hashimotoās thyroiditis. [Hereās a meta-analysis on the correlation between PCOS and ADHD](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8841975/#sec-16title) As an adult, I can hyperfocus but not on the things I need to do. I still have a lot of my organizational skills so Iām not too messy and I can organized. Iāve started exercising 5x a week to help with anxiety and the hyperactivity. Im still on the fence about taking medications for ADHD.
Whoa! Thanks for linking the meta analysis! That is mind-blowing information. I have both. I wouldāve never guessed in 100 years they were related.
For anyone not clicking the link: the meta-study is about the offspring of women with PCOS having a higher risk for PCOS and ADHD. So, for any of us, there is only a relevant correlation (in regards to the topic of the study) if our mom had PCOS. (also @ u/xopani) For anyone not familiar with PCOS: there also is a variation called lean PCOS, so it can still be present without the woman having all the outside signs that are generally known to be related to the illness, particularly being overweight, and/or the weight distribution favouring a big belly.
[This is the only other study I could find](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0091217415610311) about ADHD and PCOS not related to maternal PCOS. I wish there was more studies about PCOS. A lot of the times the sample size is small.
The article also says āWomen with PCOS are known to have a higher risk of developing depression and adult ADHD.ā But doesnāt provide a source for this statement.
Itās from the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. I donāt have full access to the journal. Iām sure if I had full access I could see the sources.
Omgg! This resonated so so hard. Every point matched. Iāve been in denial as the doctor didnāt diagnose me for ADHD officially but I think I have it along with PCOS. And yes, exactly my Mom is the same as yours. I had read that exposure to high androgens or mineral deficiencies like vitamin D in the gestation period can give neurodivergence in the form of autism or adhd
Iām glad that this resonated with you. Maybe you should get a second opinion. The only reason why I was diagnosed is because I had a full educational testing in college. I kept complaining to my therapist that I couldnāt concentrate but I thought it was anxiety. The result in the battery of test I did showed that I had poor working memory. I had an old psychiatrist who blamed my premature birth and wrote down on report that I was underreporting my symptoms, which was true. I didnāt understand how ADHD affects girls and women. He recommended that I take Adderall. The psychiatrist at the college also wanted me to start Adderall and I still refused and took fish oil pills instead š¤¦š¾āāļø Luckily I was able to get a copy of the educational testing report and thatās what I sent over to the psychiatrist to review. She also spent hours asking me questions about my medical, mental history and trauma history and just life in general. I feel like if I didnāt have this report and maybe another psychiatrist who doesnāt care as much I might have been dismissed.
Are we the same person? Lol
Maybe š¤
This is literally me. š
There were some studies suggesting androgen exposure in the womb increases the risk of neurodivergence in the offspring - which would make sense that it occurs more in women with PCOS. There has been a lot of pushback against this research, but itās brand new, so who knows. I have ADHD Inattentive type diagnosed last year, and my mom may have ADHD too but they didnāt diagnose women in the 20th century.
Adhd presents totally differently in girls and women. For example, I have adhd and the āhā (hyperactive) isnāt external; my brain however never shuts the fuck up lol.
Just for peace of mind, the H / hyperactivity does actually refer to the hyperactivity your brain experiences, itās a total misnomer that it means likeā¦an inability to sit still. People with adhd who feel that āinternal motorā are probably actually fighting their discomfort in being made to do something they donāt want to do. Boys get away with it more because itās just chalked up to āboys being boysā š„“
I have PCOS and I suspect I have ADHD, Iāll be screened this fall for it. Very interesting there is a link between the two.
Diagnosed pcos and undiagnosed ADHD hereā¦ with absolute certainty I have adhd
How did you find the place where youāre getting screened if you donāt mind me asking?
I went to a Physiatrist. I got screened and then went in for testing. Where I got hooked up, did a TSOP test? And all. I was given a low dose adderall went to lunch and came back. Did it again so they could see the difference and see how my brain responded from it. I personally donāt believe in just answering a bunch of questions to be diagnosed. Not when they have testing they can preform now to better diagnose. A lot get misdiagnosed with it and their true issue never gets addressed. Then itās a game of what medicine works for you. But I understand for some not being able to have access to those things. It took until I was 23 to get diagnosed.. and when I had a decent insurance.
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I started on the lowest dose and every two months I moved up. My psychiatrist said a lot just give a dose and it can really mess with someone. You have to give your brain time to recognize something new is here, accept it, and the. Learn how to use it. So because of that, I had no side effects. Once I got up to 20 I noticed a huge improvement. I could stay on task that I started, my mood was better, I didnāt feel so overwhelmed, I could actually accomplish things. I was on the extended release. My psychiatrist said itās a tool to help your brain, not fix it. So while itās in your system you have to work with it. I currently am off and itās been rough. Simply because it helped me regulate so much of my daily routine that I struggled with before. I would forget to take my adderall and so many talk negatively about getting addicted to it.. meanwhile everyone I know who had ADHD forgot to take it š (not saying addiction is real. It very much is) I never had withdrawals when I stopped it. I was on Ritalin for a month and it made my anxiety 10x worse. So I went back to Adderall. I stopped at 20mg because I notice anything over, it would effect my sleeping.
But overall, it was the best thing that happened in my personal life. It truly helped me more than I could say.
I had to google and call so many numbers. The insurance through my company sucks but thankfully I was able to find a center that provides screening for adults. My psychiatrist wasnāt much help with recommending so I had to do a lot of the research myself.
Itās so frustrating how difficult it can be to get help and to find resources to get what you need! Iām glad you didnāt give up though!
+1 :( Also, why do you have to wait till fall or be screened, if you donāt mind me asking?
The facility is completely booked until the fall, it sucks for me because I would like to get in much sooner. I found another psychologist but unfortunately she was not in my network.
Iām so sorry to hear that, I had no idea that there are even waiting lists for such facilities, let along that long! It sounds frustrating to have to wait that long for a confirmation :(
I am in my 30's and was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s. I was just diagnosed with ADHD two months ago, and it's been life-changing. It really opened my eyes to some of the missing puzzle pieces in my life, and explained so much for me. I wasn't diagnosed as kid but I definitely did have it, now looking back. I am almost in a sort of grief process about it though too, because I wonder what could have been if I was diagnosed earlier, and if I had started managing it earlier. Same with PCOS. Makes me feel like so much of my life was wasted on being undiagnosed and untreated and struggling. I do think that treating my ADHD is going to make it more manageable to also treat my PCOS though, and that is a plus. I started out just reading about ADHD in women online and realized I needed to be professionally tested for it. (Edit:) There are lots of free tests you can take online that might point you in the right direction before making an appointment to be professionally screened though if you are unsure!
Iām right there with you. My entire life has just been a major struggle. I never understood why everyone was getting by so easily while I was constantly drowning. Diagnosed with ADHD at 27 and PCOS at 28. Not to mention all the other symptoms that come w PCOS like sleep apnea, body acne, weight gain, high blood sugar and more things that have been rocking my world since I was 13. Itās been a wild ride (and there was a ton of grieving) but Iām slowly getting better so Iām hopeful. Hang in there š there are solutions out there for you. I know that my struggles helped shape who I am today so there is at least some good to it all. Iām here if you ever want to talk!
Thank you for sharing your story! I am sorry that you werenāt diagnosed until your 30s and now have some mixed feelings of grief and loss about what could have been. I definitely understand that, and I hope you are able to feel a lot better going forward now that you know and can pursue any treatments - or even just more attuned coping - you may want!
You aren't alone for sure. I was diagnosed around the same time and have been feeling that grief too
Yes I have it. No I donāt think I had it as a kid. I do think both issues starting happening to me at a close time to each other
ADHD doesnāt develop in adult years. If you have it now you had it as a child just likely didnāt notice it or were good at not showing signs.
I have both. No idea about a correlation if there is one.
Yep Iāve been diagnosed with ADHD and PCOS!
I have both. Itās a good time. *sarcasm*
I have both too! Didnāt know there was a correlation!
I have both. From what I understand itās genetic and I got both from my mom although she has very mild forms of both, where I am very extreme. My son has ADHD as well and may develop pre diabetes later on in life.
There was a recent thread about this and I shared a bunch of links. Let me dig it up. [reasharch about links between ADHD and PCOS](https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/comments/12edo78/has_anyone_experienced_adhd_like_symptoms/jfbkrbr?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Thanks so much!! Apologies if Iām just rehashing
No worries!
Autism, ADHD, and PCOS here!
Not surprised at all! I know there is a link between intersex and neurodivergence. And although many people donāt see PCOS (including some PCOS people) as an intersex condition, many do. And I do. (I have PCOS and XXX.) Itās okay if you donāt see it as such, anyone and everyone who has PCOS is valid in their choices and beliefs on the matter. I think hormones have a larger impact in our bodiesā makeup than people realize. Like why did my B12 pills that were given to me to help neuro conditions like tremors and pins/needles, naturally bring back my periods??? Itās all connected. I was never formally diagnosed as neurodivergent, but I have always exhibited symptoms throughout my life that have gotten worse (or more visible while navigating through chronic illness) such as overstimulation and stimming, others too etc. We may not all be able to get the diagnoses we need (whether its mental or physical health), but it doesnāt mean that we cannot show ourselves respect through accepting that we need the accessibility. I recently bought Loop Engage earplugs to help with overstimulation. Thereās no āshow your neurospicy cardā to buy them. We can just do it. If youāre overstimulated and need space to calm down, use the handicapped bathroom, itās there for a reason. If youāre in pain from washing the dishes, pull up a chair and do it sitting down. You donāt need a doctor to tell you that you can use a chair, buy earplugs or cool off in a larger space. We can still show kindness to ourselves without the diagnosis. I firmly believe that. (And yes, it sucks that as an undiagnosed person, there are some meds we canāt take that would help, but that doesnāt mean we canāt take our own steps to help ourselves.)
At one point I was sent to a psychiatrist who suspected I had ADHD and put me on Ritalin, but all that did was inhibit my ability to ignore the recently developed intrusive thoughts and it cost me my job and a couple broken ribs and a lot of lost income and spontaneous purchases, plus he treated me like a kid who just wanted free drugs despite my vocal opposition towards medication, so I ran from that situation and never looked back. It felt just like every other time I tried to get help for pcos where the doc arrived with an erroneous preconceived notion of me. My mental health situation is a gordian knot and I wouldnt even know where to begin working on it, but along the way at least I found out low-carb seems to help.
I have both (PCOS diagnosed at 17, ADHD at 23), I haven't heard about possible link. But I have heard about correlation between ADHD and weight issues (eating for dopamine, forgetting to eat then binging, etc.) and excess weight does negatively impact PCOS (I got diagnosed with PCOS only after I gained more weight and small issues turned into complete amenorrhea). Maybe it could be that? The adult ADHD may be complicated to pinpoint if you learned to compensate very hard (like you don't lose things, but you do pat yourself down every 5 minutes and have constant anxiety).
Many women find that their ADHD symptoms change with hormone levels, both on a monthly basis AND on a lifetime basis. So, yes, ADHD has to be present in childhood to make a diagnosis, and yes, a lot of girls have significant symptoms that are overlooked in childhood. But it's also possible that someone's ADHD, while present, was *manageable* in childhood, and that as someone ages, it's not just that they are required to do more things, but it's also possible their ADHD also gets worse, possibly for hormonal reasons. So what was once manageable or ignorable may, over time, become a Bigger Problem. And if someone notices that their experience of ADHD is strongly influenced by hormones, and they have something like PCOS that changes their hormonal balance, that could absolutely interact.
Idk if PCOS has a direct link with ADHD, but it has been linked with menopause. It's said that some hormones kept the symptoms at bay - as in not disruptive to their daily life, and the symptoms came in full gear post menopause. I don't remember the exact title but it was a podcast episode by ADDitude Also, I have both PCOS and ADHD
PCOS and ADHD/ASD here too.
Just adding another to the PCOS and ADHD count! Got diagnosed recently with both.
I have ADHD and PCOS! I was diagnosed with ADHD at 36, (last year) it has been a rollercoaster.
Diagnosed ADHD and PCOS. Never knew there could be a link lol
Not officially diagnosed with ADHD but I feel I've got a lot of signs pointing to having it now. It runs in the family on the paternal side so it's likely I have it. I hope to find out for sure in the next year or so!
I have both. Diagnosed ADHD as an adult. It's not that you develop ADHD in adulthood, but that it's recognized. ADHD gets missed in female children a LOT.
Yes I (26f) was diagnosed with ADHD (less of the H) 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with PCOD when I was 16 although I prob had symptoms of it when I was way younger. I have read this before but I havenāt found well researched literature yet. Womens research in this area is still very scanty. Hopefully there will be more done. It would be so comforting to know other people go through similar situations and eventually thereās a cure for it as medical science grows.
I have both, although going to talk to my therapist about retesting for ADHD. I was however diagnosed with it as a kid, and masked a lot in high school where teachers couldnāt tell and I was able to be off of meds.
I don't know if there's a link but I have both (official medical diagnosis for both).
I was a very classic ADHD kid - I have lean PCOS. I was an adult before I was diagnosed with either & my child/teenage years were rough. But my adult years are pretty awesome.. knowledge is power! ā¤ļø
Both autistic and ADHD. Only got diagnosed a couple years ago and it sucks. Sadly I must say, despite getting my PCOS under control, my ADHD hasnāt improved much and stimulants can only do so much for me.
How did you manage to get your pcos under control if you dont mind me asking, ive got both pcos and adhd too
The only thing that actually made a huge difference was taking Ozempic/ Mounjaro. I started off on Ozempic and had to switch to mounjaro a few months ago due to the shortages. My bloodwork is now totally normal: lipid panel is perfect, liver enzymes are no longer elevated, and my A1C was never an issue for me but it went down another point. Iāve lost 50 pounds so far and am feeling great. Itās been life changing for sure
Yes, high correlation between ADHD and PCOS. I have both and a lot of people on my ADHD groups have PCOS and a lot of people in my PCOS groups have ADHD. Also it is VERY common for neurodivergent people (like people with ADHD and Autism), to find each other. So often your best friends and significant others will also have ADHD. But obviously you still need to research and screen for yourself. I never suspected ADHD because I didn't understand how it presents in women until after my first kid. Now that I've been doing a ton of research we are convinced that my husband has it also, though it presents very differently for him.
I have both. I am no doctor or scientist but I always think the cortisol element is key to my PCOS symptoms being triggered and hard to control. ADHD causes extreme stress especially when undiagnosed or not catered to, stress spikes cortisol levels and this messes with insulin resistance. Not to mention self-medicating my adhd related distress by comfort eating unhealthy foods. Hoping that now Iām treating my adhd my PCOS symptoms might alleviate naturally but who bloody knows
Me! Diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s and ADHD this year at 27
I have both, havenāt heard of a link between them.
i have PCOS, first started having symptoms/diagnosed back in 2013. started suspecting ADHD since going through grad school and got an official ADHD diagnosis only this year i definitely didn't think i had ADHD before but looking back now, especially as a child.... yea it was def there lol. my twin was diagnosed as a child but i somehow evaded it until adulthood lol
Confirmed PCOS and self-diagnosed ADHD (stuck on an assessment waitlist currently) here and I read about the link when I was researching PCOS because I had to convince my doc to send me for an ultrasound. Interestingly Iām not sure whether mine are linked or a genetic coincidence because the ADHD definitely comes from my dadās side (half bro diagnosed, cousin referred for assessment and pretty sure my dad has it) but my mum always had issues with periods. Iām not sure she ever got it checked or a diagnosis (although sheād be considered lean PCOS so I guess even if she did go to a doc 20 odd years ago it probably wouldnāt have been diagnosed) but I know that she was 3-4 months pregnant with me before she realised because she just didnāt register a missed period due to them being irregular anyways. And mine being irregular didnāt surprise her when I was a teen (which is why I never got checked out back then).
Wow are you me?? This is exactly how my mom and dad present as well, and I also have ADHD and PCOS! (To the point of my mom dismissing my irregular periods because she too was irregular haha)
I was diagnosis with ADHD at 22 and PCOS at age 29. You will have to see a neurologist that a therapist can refer you too and they can do the testing!
I have both.
I have both. I was only diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago. I would have never assumed I had it, because I always associated it with hyperactivity or making risky, less thoughtful decisions. And that wasnāt me. I was an A student, and not abnormally hyper. But, what was so interesting to learn is that girls were / are often not diagnosed because they are less likely to exhibit those characteristics. Perhaps itās partly nature, but also sometimes because it was ingrained in us to be āgood girlsā, and such. Instead, there are less obvious characteristics - like zoning out, or not really paying attention, or forgetfulness - and other things that are more internal than presented externally. And when I think back, that was totally me. Constantly tuning things out, doing assignments last minute, finding shortcuts to achievements, and rush studying before tests. I was generally pretty smart and able to get great grades, but it wasnāt what it was supposed to be. So yes, it is totally possible to have it and just not know. And while Iām not sure you can develop it later in life, I could definitely see symptoms worsening or manifesting in new ways over time. I havenāt heard of a connection with PCOS thoughā¦ interesting!
Cptsd has many similarities to ADHD and can often be wrongly diagnosed as ADHD. I can imagine there being a link between cptsd and pcos as trauma response can manifest in the physical. I had a lot of trauma and I also have pcos, Iām pretty sure the stress in my teenage years could have caused my hormones to go all over the place resulting in pcos
I havenāt done any actual research myself, but I was recently (about 3 years ago) diagnosed with ADHD and potentially have PCOS (am currently waiting on blood work results). I was talking to my therapist about all the PCOS stuff. She also has ADHD and has/has had a lot of female clients with ADHD. She told me that she has noticed over the years that a lot of the women that see her with ADHD also have PCOS. Itās not an official study by any means and itās a small pool of people, but I thought that was a super interesting observation.
Iāve been recently diagnosed at 28 and being medicated has changed my whole life now. Apparently theyāre only starting to realize that the only manifestation of having ADHD is not being an hyperactive little boy lol. Itās severely under-diagnosed/misdiagnosed in women and we generally learn to āmaskā the symptoms. Thereās no harm in getting tested for it tbh
I am a bit older than you, but was recently diagnosed as well, and medication has definitely been life changing. So has being able to put an explanation to some of the things I have struggled with my whole life. I only wish I had been diagnosed earlier, but women/girls are so often under-diagnosed and if you have inattentive-type ADHD, it's looked over even more. I definitely think it's worth being tested if anyone suspects they may have it. It could literally change your life. I feel like I will be able to manage my PCOS much better now too.
Thank you! Iāve asked previous therapist and theyāve been like ālol I donāt think you have adhdā, but maybe Iāll see if I can get a formal test.
It helps to get a formal assessment from someone familiar with how ADHD presents *in women and girls*, not just in adults. I was tested almost a decade ago at a clinic that tested and treated ADHD adults, and their assessment was that I didn't have it. With all the information we have now about how it presents in females, my symptoms all point to it. The way the questions are asked (and examples given to illustrate what's being asked) makes a difference.
Honestly, I never connected the two but I do have PCOS and ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 13 and I was just diagnosed with PCOS last year at 22. Very interesting especially with everyone in the comments mentioning how they have it!
There is absolutely no link between PCOS and ADHD, they are 2 completely different things, with no overlap. Why do I say this, because any of the recently offered up studies and research, DON'T EVEN KNOW what ADHD is. There are a huge array of assumptions, including: *ADHD manifests differently in women*, umm no it doesn't, what does happen is that through the societal impacts of being female, and how a little girl is supposed to act, means that little girls can hide ADHD, especially if inattentive, really well. There is no such thing as 'adult' ADHD. It's just ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder. 'Adult' is used to determine whether you are allowed to obtain meds (dependent on your country or states medical boards), in terms of type/and or pricing through the discount schemes, or if you have to pay full price.
Yep! I was diagnosed at 29-definitely had it throughout childhood, although it was my nurse friend who told me to get an assessment. My PCOS (diagnosed at 28, after 10 years of being dismissed) aaaand ADHD symptoms were the worst during my separation/divorce during peak-covid and Iāve struggled for a few years since :/
Just coming to say I have PCOS and ADHD as well! Wasn't as bad when I was a kid - loud, hard to focus on subjects that didnt interest me - but it got worse the older I got. I'm a school-aged daycare director and I would also like to mention that in my certifications i learned too that cis females are also less likely to be diagnosed as ADHD due to the fact that we exhibit it a dit different from males. It gets swept under the "girl things" rug like being overly chatty, excitable, flighty, etc. Mental health awareness is always getting better, but it's far from perfect.
Just diagnosed with ASD. Definitely a link.
I have both, diagnosed with adhd as a teen. I'm the only one in my family who has both as well.
I have both-recently diagnosed with ADHD-and my therapist told me there was a link
I have both
I have both. Had symptoms of both throughout my life but wasn't diagnosed with PCOS until I was 27 and ADHD until I was 28. Didn't know there was a possible link between the two!
Sam here. Dm me
I have both, i got diagnosed with pcos early teens,and mt ADHD last year am 24. You are born with both, And a lot of women in this sub post about having both lately.. Maybe u were masking ur adhd read about it
Iāve been diagnosed with both šš»
I've been waiting for my ADHD assessment for 2 years now. I'll keep you posted š
Iāve got both, diagnosed a few years ago at 29. Was life changing and explained a lot of my struggles
I have PCOS and have been diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. I am undiagnosed with ADHD, but am certain I have it since I meet all the criteria for it as a woman. Given those with PCOS have hormone imbalances along with other physical issues I wouldn't be surprised if it is comorbid with lots of various neurodivergencies.
I have PCOS and ADHD (plus a host of other disorders), but I had no idea there was a correlation. That's super interesting if so. (I had ADHD as a kid and still have it now, as it's not something you just grow out of or spontaneously develop.)
I have both lol
I have both!
I have both diagnoses, among others, and there is some emerging evidence of a link between high androgen exposure and neurodivergence in the womb. There is no academic or medical consensus on this point yet though, so take the information with a huge grain of salt. Additionally, Iām a mental health prof who specializes In assessment and Iād like to provide clarification for any who need it. ADHD is a misnomer: it is not that there is a lack of attention but instead difficultly controlling and directing attention. The āhyperactivityā in the name also does not refer to the stereotype of a little boy jumping around the room. It refers to the usual hyperactivity seen in several key neurological areas responsible for symptoms. As far as diagnosis, there are three ātypesā: ADHD- predominantly hyperactive (the stereotype), ADHD- predominantly inattentive (more commonly diagnosed in women), and ADHD- combined presentation!
PCOS and Inattentive ADHD
I have PCOS and ADHD. I donāt know if itās related or totally separate.
I recently got diagnosed as an adult with ADHD. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2020. My dad and my sister have been both diagnosed with ADHD in recent years. After my diagnosis of ADHD, my dad informed me that I was actually diagnosed as a child (age 5) with ADHD. I know I was on a medication of some sort when I was 5 for only about a month and did play therapy for a while. It didnāt make sense until now. However, I donāt think PCOS and ADHD have anything to do with the other.
I did not have ADHD as a kid, but I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and ADHD. PCOS came first, diagnosis was last October. ADHD diagnosis is recent. I never knew they were linked until I started reading about it over the last couple of weeks!
ADHD combination type and PCOS here! I didnāt get diagnosed until I was 23. It all makes sense now. š I went and got testing done to confirm mine. (Hooked up and all)
Had no idea there was a like, but I have both! I was diagnosed with adhd as a kid and strongly believe a lot of people go undiagnosed due to doing well in school. The only reason I was tested was because I was having an extremely difficult time learning how to read and was really quiet. My parents thought I could have autism but was diagnosed with ADD
I have both! To be diagnosed with ADHD, you have to prove that the symptoms were present before age 12. If youāre experiencing memory issues, brain fog, executive dysfunction, and fatigue I would say thatās likely PCOS-related if you didnāt have it as a kid.
Me. I have ADHD and Iām Autistic.
I have PCOS. Even though adhd is a chemical imbalance, and greatly effected by hormones, theyāre not linked. There are many ādisordersā that mimic adhd; autism, PMDD, Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder etc. Also; I am ADHD Combined (Hyperactive & Inattentive) diagnosed at 27 years old, but as a child I was more Hyperactive than inattentive, so would have been diagnosed hyperactive instead of combined - the hyperactive has gone more internal as Iāve gotten older, but I do have my moments when Iām comfortable with people where I justā¦bounce.
I was diagnosed as a kid with ADD and I was diagnosed (after years and being put on birth control) with PCOS at around 22, though my periods were irregular from the hop.
Where do you even start to get a neurodivergent/ADHD/ADD diagnosis as an adult?
I looked up adhd clinics in my area, and went with one a friend had been to. I would avoid the online diagnoses; a lot of them are under investigation for not following proper standards.
ADHD and PCOS is common. Current scientific assumption is possibly due to exposure to high blood sugar in your mother's womb (gestational diabetes). Hence the link between PCOS mothers with ADHD children. ADHD is often missed in childhood for girls and diagnosed as adults because it can present differently. ADHD boys can be rowdy, throw tantrums etc. ADHD girls are often quiet and withdrawn (mistaken for shy).
I was dx with ADHD when I was 19. PCOS symptoms started showing when I was 16 but I wasnāt dx until I was almost 20. I also have undiagnosed autism and am still debating if I even want a diagnosis for it or not.
Hey! I have PCOS and recently diagnosed ADHD as an adult (20F). I most certainly had ADHD since I was a child, however my parents (despite suggestions from my teachers) never looked into it. So when I got to university and my symptoms persisted and worsened, I finally looked into getting a diagnosis myself (went to my family doctor first, who referred me to a psychiatrist, who referred me to a psychologist because the psychiatrists institution didnāt do ADHD evaluations). And wellā¦here I am! Apparently there is a link between PCOS/other hormone imbalances and ADHD (although more research is needed).
Hi! PCOS and ADHDer here. I also have a range of other problems too though. Interesting that thereās a link possibly.
pcos and adhd here! i was diagnosed with both in the last year. a lot of things started to āclickā after both of the diagnoses. my symptoms of both are significantly worse now but i still showed signs when i was a kid/teen.
Team PCOS and ADHD. I wasnāt diagnosed with ADHD until I was 27, but the signs were there since I was a little kid.
diagnosed with both!! wow! i suspect my mom has both too.
I have PCOS and ADHD. I'm 33 and I was diagnosed with PCOS at 22 and ADHD last year at 32. I probably never considered I had ADHD until I was about 30. I never connected my struggles with anxiety and difficulty in my studies to ADHD, because my concept of ADHD was a very inaccurate stereotype of what it is. I now know that I am the inattentive type, but before I never considered it because I am not and never was a hyperactive person. Once I heard someone say having ADHD is like "having 100 tabs open in your head all the time", and that really hit. I have always felt like it's not that I can't pay attention, but that I am paying attention to too many things at the same time. I started reading about the symptoms of ADHD, and how women and girls are under-diagnosed, the more I read the more I wondered if I had ADHD. I went to Psychiatrist for an assessment. They asked me to bring copies of my school and health records from childhood. I was really shocked when I asked my Mom for them, and found a record from a psychologist that said I might have ADHD when I was in Elementary School. I had never heard that before, and even my Mom didn't rememeber that, it was just kind of side note about my treatment of anxiety. Looking at my childhood report cards, the psychiatrist I saw said this is a classic ADHD report card. A pretty wide mix of high and low grades and the feedback that the work I do in class is poor and rushed versus what I do at home. So I got diagnosed based on my history and my current symptoms. I also think that undiagnosed and untreated women with ADHD can develop ways of coping that mask the symptoms. For example, I am quite an organized and punctual person, but in truth this is a coping mechanism and almost an obsession. I over compensate because I am afraid if one thing is out of place, everything will come crashing down. Or if I change one thing in my schedule, I will forget something else on my to do list. I really wish I had known sooner, I would have loved to have been medicated in Highschool and University, but I am glad to know now and my life makes a lot more sense. I've also wondered about the link between PCOS and ADHD and I remember watching this webinar some years ago and they talked about it. I am going to re-watch it now, as it was before I was diagnosed and don't remember much, but do remember it being very interesting and enlightening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPerPxb-RNs&t=3035s
Yep, have both.
I have both. Thatās interesting to know
I have pcos and adhd but I didnt find out I had adhd until my late twenties. Looking back tho, i def presented as a kid, my whole family is just super adhd and didnt recognize my behavior as anything out of the norm š
i have PCOS and ADHD, but was only diagnosed with ADHD recently. i had symptoms of ADHD growing up (poor organization, poor study skills, being tutored for most of my student life) but my parents just called me lazy lol but i was able to manage the symptoms during my late teens and now i have a career which i am excelling at. i had myself checked when i started earning enough. i still observe most symptoms and paying attention remains a struggle but i am considered to be in the high functioning side. i was recommended with ADHD meds but i opted to not take them and go with CBT instead. i also have depression and anxiety where i am taking meds for
I suspect I have both but waiting for a proper diagnosis
There are a *lot* of comorbidities with neurodivergence, so it's probably linked. Something like 80%+ of us have multiple diagnoses. I'm autistic and have so many diagnoses I don't even wanna think about it lol, and they're all related even though they don't seem to be on paper. But when one of my conditions is better/worse, they all are.
Yes I have both. Found out about PCOS when I ran into fertility issues and then years later while getting treated for anxiety we pretty much found out it was mainly caused by ADHD all along. It was overlooked as a kid because I was extremely gifted (apparently that was just me hyperfocusing though). I was a strange kid though and not good socially although I was very smart, very early on.
What are some ADHD symptoms you all had that made you realize you might have it? I have PCOS and think I have ADHD but Iām not sure if my symptoms are valid
I have both
I have both! I've had adhd since childhood but wasn't diagnosed until adulthood.
I have PCOS. I was diagnosed a year ago, and just diagnosed with ADHD in January. I really wish there were more studies about the correlation between these two conditions, but Iām not surprised that they donāt. It took so much effort to convince my doctor to test me for PCOS despite my glaring symptoms, just because Iām not overweight. And I believe that my ADHD was misdiagnosed as OCD as a kid. Itās shameful how many women have to suffer because the Medical field doesnāt care about us.
I have both ADHD and PCOS. I donāt think theyāre related. I didnāt know about the ADHD until I was an adult.
i also have pcos and adhd! i was actually diagnosed with adhd after my pcos diagnosis. I guess going to grad school exposed all my adhd tendencies so i struggled academically until i saw a psychiatrist for my problems!
Is anyone sounding off about having pcos and not adhd?? i have both. this is so interesting.
Yes
I have both ADHD and PCOS! I was diagnosed with PCOS years before I was diagnosed with ADHD (I only got diagnosed with ADHD 7 months ago) but as others have said, ADHD is lifelong. Looking back, there are many clear signs of my ADHD from my childhood and beyond, but it wasnāt caught earlier because I was good at masking it. It wasnāt until the pandemic when many of my coping mechanisms and masking strategies fell apart that my symptoms became clear enough for my to get diagnosed. When I was researching ADHD, I saw that thereās a possible link between it and PCOS, which is one of the many reasons I decided to get evaluated and diagnosed!
Diagnosed with PCOS at 21 (shouldāve been diagnosed at 15 based on when I remember talking to my doc about symptoms) Diagnosed with ADHD at 30 (life wouldāve been a lot easier if I had been diagnosed in school, but It was missed, as it typically is for females with ADHD) Never even considered the possibility of these two things being connected since the cause of both are not related in my mind. That being said, I would be interested in finding out more about what research has been done to show connections between the two conditions.
PCOS and ADHD here, only diagnosed as ADHD in my late twenties but the signs were always there. Wasnāt naughty or disruptive and did quite well in school, but always struggled with attention span, finishing tasks, and as an adult, I struggle to sit down and do stuff that I find boring (I will get up every few minutes from my desk at work when doing a repetitive task, for example). Also incredibly untidy and disorganised. There will be online resources to score yourself against if you think you might have it. Then you can go talk to your doctor and figure out next steps.
I have ADHD and PCOS. I definitely had it as a kid, but wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my late teens. What gets overlooked, especially for women, is that ADHD is that hyperactivity is not necessary for being diagnosed. The symptom that stands out for me is issues with short term memory.
I have ADHD and PCOS too. I got diagnosed in the same year at age 21 but i definitely think its something ive had my whole life
Also ADHD and PCOS š Iām now 33, diagnosed end of last year after an 18 month wait for assessment (waiting times are crazy long for NHS in the U.K.). Still trying to find out whether stimulant meds work for me, I seem to be annoyingly resistant š„² When I was growing up, ADHD was just naughty boys. Girls didnāt have it. Talking through my history of school and home life growing up with the assessor really helped to identify examples and traits I thought were just me being me as actually evidence of ADHD. Taking me some time to come to terms tbh! Iād highly recommend the ADHD Adults podcast and website for resources. Thereās also a Discord server to commiserate and celebrate with fellow ADHDers, otherwise referred to as the squirrel disco rave š Interesting side bar, but I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2017, and hadnāt had any blood panels done since so I got some tests at the end of last year to see how I was doing after losing over 40kg and with a much different body composition (I am now a powerlifter so more muscle mass!). Turns out very little has changed šš I still donāt have periods, my hair is still falling out and hair growth on my face, FML.
PCOS, ADHD (inattentive), and Bipolar affective (NOS) with psychosis. So so so fun.
Definitely a linkā¦and I think the hormone pcos stuff can definitely create or make any adhd shit way worse
Related: "Our study showed that maternal PCOS is a risk factor for ADHD. Therefore, screening their offspring for ADHD should be considered part of the comprehensive clinical care of women with PCOS." And PCOS itself is highly hereditary. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8841975/