Danielle Elliott

I thought, for a moment, about what it would be like to live in a world more friendly to ADHD. It was only later, months later, that I realized one more thing I learned at the camp. Every woman I spoke to was diagnosed in her 40s or 50s I attributed this to deficiencies in care and a long history of gatekeepers rejecting the differences between the ways women and men experience ADHD.

Then, as I started to listen to the recordings from camp, I came across a story Sue Hollowell told on the first day, and something clicked. Sue shared it as the parents were gathering in a big conference room for the first time. Here's the story.

Then, as I started to listen to the recordings from camp, I came across a story Sue Hollowell told on the first day, and something clicked. Sue shared it as the parents were gathering in a big conference room for the first time. Here's the story.

She told the parents how she arrived at her late diagnosis of ADHD.

She told the parents how she arrived at her late diagnosis of ADHD.

Sure enough, she has ADHD. And she never knew it, despite being married to one of the world's leading experts on ADHD, raising children who have it, and counseling couples who are dealing with it. Of the recently diagnosed women I talked to at the camp, most didn't have access to information about ADHD or awareness of it. Some were misdiagnosed.

Sure enough, she has ADHD. And she never knew it, despite being married to one of the world's leading experts on ADHD, raising children who have it, and counseling couples who are dealing with it. Of the recently diagnosed women I talked to at the camp, most didn't have access to information about ADHD or awareness of it. Some were misdiagnosed.

I thought these were the reasons why they weren't diagnosed with ADHD until their 40s or 50s. Sue had access all along. Her symptoms were there, all along. But they didn't impair her. So she didn't consider it. Then she hit perimenopause, and her symptoms became impairing.

I thought these were the reasons why they weren't diagnosed with ADHD until their 40s or 50s. Sue had access all along. Her symptoms were there, all along. But they didn't impair her. So she didn't consider it. Then she hit perimenopause, and her symptoms became impairing.

Like Sue, thousands of women report developing, or at least noticing, symptoms of ADHD when they hit perimenopause and menopause. Did they have ADHD all along? Or is it possible that perimenopause and menopause can tip women from the ADHD trait end of the spectrum to the disordered end of the spectrum?

Like Sue, thousands of women report developing, or at least noticing, symptoms of ADHD when they hit perimenopause and menopause. Did they have ADHD all along? Or is it possible that perimenopause and menopause can tip women from the ADHD trait end of the spectrum to the disordered end of the spectrum?

If so, is it possible that this, along with increased acceptance and awareness of how ADHD presents in women, could account for some of the rapid rise in diagnosis we've seen over the last few years? That's next time on Climbing the Walls. Climbing the Walls was written and reported by me, Danielle Elliott. It was edited by Neil Drumming. Sound design by Cody Nelson.

If so, is it possible that this, along with increased acceptance and awareness of how ADHD presents in women, could account for some of the rapid rise in diagnosis we've seen over the last few years? That's next time on Climbing the Walls. Climbing the Walls was written and reported by me, Danielle Elliott. It was edited by Neil Drumming. Sound design by Cody Nelson.

Brianna Berry was our production director. Ash Beecher was our supervising producer. And Diana White was our associate producer. Fact-checking by Mary Mathis. Research by Karen Watanabe. Our music was composed by Kwame Brant Pierce, with additional music provided by Blue Dot Sessions, and our mixing was done by Justin D. Wright.

Brianna Berry was our production director. Ash Beecher was our supervising producer. And Diana White was our associate producer. Fact-checking by Mary Mathis. Research by Karen Watanabe. Our music was composed by Kwame Brant Pierce, with additional music provided by Blue Dot Sessions, and our mixing was done by Justin D. Wright.

This series was brought to you by Understood.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. From understood.org, our executive directors are Laura Key, Scott Cochier, and Seth Melnick. A very special thanks to Ray Jacobson, Julie Zietz, Jordan Davidson, Sarah Greenberg, and Kathleen Nadeau.

This series was brought to you by Understood.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. From understood.org, our executive directors are Laura Key, Scott Cochier, and Seth Melnick. A very special thanks to Ray Jacobson, Julie Zietz, Jordan Davidson, Sarah Greenberg, and Kathleen Nadeau.

If you want to help Understood continue this work, consider making a donation at understood.org.

If you want to help Understood continue this work, consider making a donation at understood.org.

That's me, giving the maid of honor toast at my sister's wedding. And my mom, laughing as she records on her phone. It's May 2022, about four months after I was diagnosed with ADHD. I'd love to say the diagnosis helped me get my life in order, but that would be a lie. Instead, it sent me down the rabbit hole of ADHD social media, learning all the ways the disorder has likely impacted my life.