The Dr. Brighten Show

Latest Episodes:

ADHD Medication and Your Period: What Women Need to Know About Treatment, PMDD, and Changing Symptoms Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

ADHD medication can feel different across your menstrual cycle, and a difficult month doesn’t automatically mean your treatment has failed. View the show notes and episode resources at https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-medication-and-your-period/ .

📚 ADHD and Women — If this conversation has you rethinking what ADHD can look like through a woman’s life and cycle, my book ADHD and Women goes deeper. It explores the connection between ADHD, hormones, and the symptoms women are too often told to push through. Learn more: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

🎧 Podcast: https://drbrighten.com/podcast

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

📝 Show notes: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-medication-and-your-period/

In this conversation, Dr. Jolene Brighten, board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, nutrition scientist, and author of ADHD and Women, talks with board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Agnes Kwan Simone, board-certified pediatric psychologist Dr. Anne-Louise Lockhart, and Annika Joya, MS, author of The Eat to Focus Cookbook, about ADHD medication, nutrition, menstrual-cycle changes, and PMDD.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

🎓 Annika Joya, MS, is the author of The Eat to Focus Cookbook and shares science communication about ADHD nutrition. Website: https://nutrimindlab.com/ | Links: https://linktr.ee/nutrimindcoach
🧠 Dr. Agnes Kwan Simone is a board-certified psychiatrist with practices in general psychiatry and women’s midlife mental health. Website: https://www.simonepsych.com/
🌱 Dr. Anne-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric psychologist, board-certified in clinical child and adolescent psychology, and author of Love the Teen You Have. Website: https://drannlouiselockhart.com/ | Links: https://linktr.ee/dr.annlouise.lockhart

🔗 RESOURCES & FOLLOW

🌿 Radiant Mind: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/radiant-mind
🌐 Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenebrighten

📣 If this conversation helped, please like, share it with someone who may need it, and subscribe for more episodes. Leave a comment with what you’d like us to cover next.

This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental health care. Discuss diagnosis, medication, and treatment decisions with a qualified clinician.

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Psychiatrists Warning: ADHD Relationships, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and Building a Life That Works Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

ADHD rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), women’s mental load, and the relationship fights that never seem to end—this episode explores how ADHD can affect communication, friendship, intimacy, and the stories we tell ourselves about being “too much.” View the full show notes and resources at DrBrighten.com: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-and-relationships/

Before we get into today’s episode: ADHD and Women is officially out https://amzn.to/4mPBO2x, and I am so deeply grateful for every person who has bought the book, shared it, posted about it, recommended it to a friend, or simply sent me a note of support. You are helping change the conversation around women, hormones, and ADHD—and I do not take that lightly.

And if you are a midlife woman whose brain suddenly feels like it is struggling—more forgetful, scattered, emotionally reactive, exhausted, or unable to focus—this book is for you, too. Perimenopause can look and feel a whole lot like ADHD, and you deserve answers that go deeper than “you’re just stressed.”

In episode three of our ADHD in Women series, Dr. Jolene Brighten is joined by, Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone, board-certified psychiatrist, Annika Angelo, MS, and Leann Borneman, LCSW for an honest, practical conversation about building relationships and systems that work with your brain—not against it.

You’ll learn why “just tell me what to do” can create more mental load, how to distinguish an ADHD explanation from an excuse, what rejection sensitivity can look like in real life, why friendships can feel so hard to maintain, and how executive function can affect sexual desire and connection.

💛 If this episode helps you feel seen, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps more women find evidence-informed conversations about ADHD, hormones, and mental health.

🎧 In this episode

🧠 Mental load is not just doing the task. It is noticing, remembering, planning, delegating, following up, and ensuring the task is actually complete.

💬 Shared language changes relationships. When both people can name the barrier, they can stop treating each other like the problem and start designing a better system.

💛 You are not a bad friend because you struggle with follow-through. But communication, repair, and choosing friendships that make room for your actual brain matter.

❤️ Desire is not always spontaneous. For many people, stress, task-switching, emotional safety, and executive-function demands can affect their ability to access desire and intimacy.

⚠️ A note on RSD: Rejection sensitive dysphoria is a widely used term to describe intense reactions to perceived rejection or criticism, but it is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis. If mood symptoms, anxiety, trauma responses, or relationship distress are affecting your life, individualized support from a qualified clinician can help.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode

📚 ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

📝 The Dr. Brighten Show + episode show notes: https://drbrighten.com/podcast

🌐 Dr. Brighten’s website: https://drbrighten.com

👋 Connect with our guests

🩺 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone | Website: https://www.simonepsych.com📲 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.agnesksimone

🍓 Annika Angelo, MS | Nutrimind Lab: https://nutrimindlab.com📲 Annika Angelo | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrimindcoach🎙️ Annika Angelo | Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nutrimindcoach

🧠 Dr. Leann Borneman | Website: https://www.bornemancoaching.com📲 Dr. Leann Borneman | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornemancoaching

💛 Connect with Dr. Jolene Brighten

🌐 Website: https://drbrighten.com

📚 Books: https://drbrighten.com/books

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenebrighten

This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental-health care.

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ADHD and Hormones in Women: Why Symptoms Change Across Your Cycle and in Perimenopause | Agnes K. Simone & Annika Joya Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

ADHD and hormones are deeply connected, and shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone may help explain why focus, mood, executive function, and even the experience of ADHD medication can change across the menstrual cycle and during perimenopause. View the full show notes and additional resources at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/adhd-hormones-in-women/.

In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, I’m joined by board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Agnes K. Simone, MD and ADHD nutrition researcher Annika Joya, MS, for a conversation about what happens when ADHD meets the menstrual cycle, PMDD, and perimenopause. We talk about why some women feel like they have a completely different brain depending on the week of their cycle, why ADHD medication may feel less effective before a period, how estrogen interacts with dopamine, and why women can reach their 40s and suddenly feel like the systems that worked for decades no longer work.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why the follicular phase may feel easier for some women with ADHD
How estrogen and dopamine interact in the ADHD brain
Why ADHD medication may feel different during the luteal phase—and why you should not change your dose without speaking with your prescriber
What to track for two cycles if your ADHD symptoms or medication response change before your period
How sleep, nutrition, stress, and eating consistency can influence how your brain feels
What premenstrual exacerbation (PME) is and how it differs from simply having “bad PMS”
Why some women describe PMDD as feeling like they become a completely different person before their period
Why PMDD isn’t simply a matter of being “low in progesterone”
How masking can allow ADHD in women to remain undiagnosed for decades
Why ADHD does not suddenly begin at age 45
How perimenopause can affect focus, memory, mood, sleep, and executive function even without classic hot flashes
Why a single estrogen or progesterone blood test cannot diagnose perimenopause
Why women deserve individualized conversations about hormone therapy, birth control, ADHD medication, and their own symptoms
Simple strategies for feeding yourself when executive function is low
Practical things you can start doing now when ADHD feels harder during certain parts of your cycle

Dr. Simone also explains why an ADHD diagnosis requires looking for symptoms that were present in childhood or adolescence—not simply symptoms that suddenly appeared in midlife. Later, we discuss how masking, life demands, and hormonal changes can collide during perimenopause and make previously effective coping systems stop working.

The episode specifically moves from menstrual-cycle changes and medication response into estrogen, dopamine, progesterone sensitivity, PMDD, masking, perimenopause, hormone therapy, and finally a practical “Protocol Playground” for what listeners can start doing now.

🩺 Dr. Jolene BrightenDr. Jolene Brighten is a women’s hormone expert, naturopathic physician, Certified Menopause Society Practitioner, nutrition scientist, certified sex counselor, host of The Dr. Brighten Show, and author of ADHD and Women.

🌐 Dr. Brighten Website: https://drbrighten.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

👩‍⚕️ MEET THE EXPERTS

🧠 Dr. Agnes K. Simone, DO

Dr. Simone is a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Olea Women’s Health, where her work focuses on the intersection of psychiatry, hormones, perimenopause, menopause, cognition, and women’s mental health.

Olea Women's Health https://www.oleawomenshealth.com/about-dr-agnes-simone

🌐 Dr. Agnes Simone: https://www.simonepsych.com/

🌿 Olea Women’s Health: https://www.oleawomenshealth.com/

🍓 Annika Joya, MS — Nutrimind Lab

Annika holds a master’s degree in health psychology and specializes in translating ADHD nutrition research into practical strategies for neurodivergent people. Nutrimind Lab https://nutrimindlab.com/about-annika

🌐 Nutrimind Lab: https://nutrimindlab.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutrimindlab/

🔗 Annika’s Links: https://linktr.ee/nutrimindlab

📕 ADHD AND WOMEN

🧠 Get ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

The book dives much deeper into how hormones, the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, nutrition, sleep, stress, and other factors can influence the way ADHD presents in women.

🎁 RETREAT GIFT: If you get ADHD and Women and enter by October 9, one person will receive a gifted spot at my May 2027 retreat. Details and entry are here: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

🌿 SPONSOR + RESOURCES

✨ Dr. Brighten Essentials: https://drbrightenessentials.com/

📚 Dr. Brighten Books & Resources: https://drbrighten.com/books

🎧 The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/

📝 More women’s health education: https://drbrighten.com

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

👍 LIKE this episode if it helped you understand your brain differently.

💬 COMMENT with the biggest thing you recognized in yourself—or tell me whether your ADHD feels different depending on where you are in your cycle.

📲 SHARE this with the woman who keeps saying, “I swear my ADHD gets worse before my period.”

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to The Dr. Brighten Show so you don’t miss the rest of the ADHD in Women series.

⚕️ Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not individualized medical advice. Always work with a qualified healthcare professional regarding diagnosis, medication, hormone therapy, supplements, or treatment decisions.

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ADHD in Women Symptoms: Why Success Can Hide the Signs Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

ADHD in women symptoms can hide behind straight As, a successful career, a packed calendar, and the exhausting work of appearing “fine.” In Episode 1 of the ADHD in Women series, Dr. Jolene Brighten joins psychiatrist Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone, pediatric psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, and clinical s/xologist Dr. Leann Borneman to unpack the signs women mask, the assessment gaps that lead to missed diagnoses, and how to advocate for a thorough evaluation. View the full show notes at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/adhd-in-women-symptoms/ .

📘 Preorder ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

👍 Like this video, share it with the woman who has been told she is “too successful” to have ADHD, and subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show so you do not miss the rest of this eight-part series.

Many women with ADHD were never disruptive in class. They may have been the student who got straight As, the employee who pulled off impossible deadlines, or the partner who carried the entire mental load while quietly falling apart. This conversation explains why achievement does not rule out ADHD, why attention can look inconsistent, and why a 15-minute screener cannot replace a complete clinical assessment.

🎓 Meet the expert panel

🩺 Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, nutrition scientist, and author of ADHD and Women.
🧠 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone is a board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and psychiatric evaluation.
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric psychologist and board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist.
💬 Dr. Leann Borneman is a clinical s/xologist (PhD), licensed psychotherapist, and ADHD relationship expert.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn

🧩 Why straight As, organization, hyperfocus, career success, or marriage do not rule out ADHD.
⏰ How time blindness, procrastination, internal restlessness, and emotional dysregulation can show up in adult women.
📝 How to build an ADHD evidence map before you book an evaluation.
🧠 Why you can manage a crisis, run a business, or write a book, yet still struggle to answer an email or make a dentist appointment.
🔥 Why urgency can temporarily help an ADHD brain engage, and why relying on stress eventually stops working.
🤝 How body doubling can support task initiation, persistence, and completion.
🧬 What we know about ADHD’s genetic contribution and why trauma alone does not explain every case.
🎭 How masking can look like perfectionism, over-preparing, people-pleasing, hypervigilance, and exhaustion.
🏫 How parents can advocate for accommodations without reducing ADHD support to medication alone.
🚩 What a thorough ADHD assessment includes, plus the red flags to watch for in an evaluator.
🔎 Why anxiety, depression, OCD, learning differences, iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, and psychosocial stressors deserve consideration in an assessment.
⚖️ How bias affects who gets diagnosed, treated, accommodated, or labeled as “difficult.”

🧠 A practical note before an ADHD evaluation

📱 Open your Notes app and write down what happens, where it happens, how often it happens, what it costs you, how you compensate, and what you remember from childhood.
🗂️ Add examples such as missed deadlines, chronic lateness, unpaid fees, relationship conflict, all-night overwork, or the systems you use to avoid forgetting something important.
🩺 Bring that note to a qualified clinician. A diagnosis requires a full assessment, but your history helps the right provider ask better questions.

📚 This episode offers education and does not replace individual medical or mental health care. Work with a qualified clinician for diagnosis, treatment, and medication decisions.

✨ Connect with the panel

🌿 Dr. Jolene Brighten Website: https://drbrighten.com
📸 Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/
▶️ Subscribe to Dr. Jolene Brighten on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten
🩺 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone: https://www.simonepsych.com/
📸 Follow Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone: https://www.instagram.com/dr.agnesksimone/
🧠 Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart: https://drannlouiselockhart.com/
📸 Follow Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.annlouise.lockhart/
💬 Dr. Leann Borneman: https://www.bornemancoaching.com/
📸 Follow Dr. Leann Borneman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drb_unfiltered/

💌 Subscribe, like, and share this episode with someone who has spent years wondering why life feels harder than it looks from the outside.

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Endometriosis and Perimenopause: Can You Use HRT? | Hormone Doctor's Warning Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Did you know women with endometriosis are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD? In my new book, ADHD and Women, I connect the dots between hormones, pain, mood, focus, and the symptoms women are too often told to simply push through—so you can finally understand what is happening in your body and brain. Get your copy: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

Endometriosis in perimenopause can become more painful, more inflammatory, and far more confusing, but it is not “all in your head,” and it is not simply a matter of estrogen being too high. In this AMA, Dr. Jolene Brighten and Angela, who works with her behind the scenes, answer your biggest questions about endometriosis, adenomyosis, progesterone, HRT, surgery, fibroids, and what changes as hormones shift; view the show notes at https://drbrighten.com.

💬 If this conversation helps you feel more informed, please like, share, comment, and subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show so more women can access evidence-informed conversations about their health.

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ADHD Rejection Sensitivity: Why Rejection Can Feel So Personal | Alex Partridge Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

ADHD rejection sensitivity can make one comment, one text, or one change in someone’s tone feel like proof that everything is falling apart. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Alex Partridge joins me to unpack rejection sensitivity, masking, identity, self-trust, and the hidden emotional cost of ADHD; view the full show notes at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/adhd-rejection-sensitivity/

📚 My new book, ADHD and Women, explores the relationship between ADHD, hormones, the nervous system, nutrition, and the experiences women are so often never taught to connect.

🎁 Preorder the book and see the current limited-time bonuses here:https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

In This Episode

Why ADHD can make rejection and criticism feel disproportionately intense

How childhood comments like “you’re too much,” “stop being so emotional,” or “why are you so weird?” can shape the way you see yourself as an adult

How masking can slowly shift the question from “Who am I?” to “Who do I need to be so people will accept me?”

Why Alex believes rejection sensitivity can become one of the most debilitating and overlooked parts of ADHD

How an unanswered text, unusual tone of voice, meeting request, or single negative comment can trigger catastrophic thinking

How people-pleasing and fear of disappointing others can undermine your ability to trust your own instincts

Why an emotional trigger can lead to quitting, relationship conflict, impulsive decisions, or behaviors you regret once you’re regulated again

What it can feel like to receive an ADHD diagnosis and suddenly realize you don’t know who you are underneath years of masking

Why your brain may seek out criticism—even when you’re already feeling terrible—and how to interrupt that pattern

How creating a bank of real evidence can help challenge the story rejection sensitivity is telling you

How to repair after an intense emotional reaction without using ADHD as an excuse for harmful behavior

Why someone who appears “high functioning” at work may actually be high masking and completely depleted by the time they get home

Why “you just need to try harder” may be one of the most damaging messages people with ADHD hear

How curiosity, pattern recognition, creativity, entrepreneurship, and intense interests can become powerful ADHD strengths

About Alex Partridge

🎙️ Alex Partridge is the founder of UNILAD and LADbible, host of the award-winning ADHD Chatter podcast, a Sunday Times bestselling author, and a leading voice in conversations about ADHD and neurodiversity.

In this conversation, Alex shares not only what he has learned through interviewing hundreds of experts, but his own experiences with masking, alcoholism, entrepreneurship, rejection sensitivity, identity, and rebuilding self-trust.

This Episode Is Brought to You By

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Use code DRBRIGHTEN for 15% off of their products (both one-time and subscription)

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Follow Alex Partridge

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_partridge_100/?hl=en

🌐 Website: https://www.alex-partridge.com/

🎙️ ADHD Chatter:https://www.instagram.com/adhd_chatter_podcast

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ADHD_Chatter_Podcast

Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten

🌐 Website: https://drbrighten.com

🎙️ The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast

📚 Books: https://drbrighten.com/books

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

Join the Conversation

💬 Have you ever interpreted a tiny change in someone’s tone, a delayed text, or a request to “talk later” as proof you had done something wrong?

👇 Tell me in the comments what rejection sensitivity or masking has looked like for you.

👍 Like this episode if it helped you put words to something you’ve experienced.

📤 Share it with someone who has spent years believing they were “too sensitive” or “too much.”

🔔 Subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show for more evidence-informed conversations about ADHD, hormones, women’s health, relationships, and the brain.

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Cellular Aging: Why Your Body May Be Aging Faster Than You Think | Dr. Will Cole Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Cellular aging may be happening faster than your chronological age suggests—and in this episode, Dr. Will Cole explains what can accelerate it, what mitochondrial dysfunction can actually feel like, and what may help protect your healthspan; view the full show notes at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/cellular-aging/. We break down the science of biological age, organ aging, inflammation, metabolic health, circadian rhythms, nutrition, movement, and practical longevity strategies you can actually use.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s may be experiencing accelerated cellular aging
How your heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs can age at different rates
Why brain fog, fatigue, feeling wired-but-tired, and anxiety with exhaustion may be clues worth paying attention to
How inflammation and “cellular confusion” may affect mitochondrial function and aging
Which metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory markers Dr. Cole considers clinically meaningful
How environmental toxins, microplastics, PFAS, stress, trauma, food, and artificial light may influence cellular health
The surprising conversation around nature, bird song, spirituality, community, and longevity
Why light exposure can disrupt more than sleep—your organs have their own cellular clocks
Why fatigue in women, including women with endometriosis, deserves to be taken seriously
How fasting, green tea, polyphenols, and meal timing fit into the longevity conversation
How to build a longevity-supportive plate without following a rigid wellness diet
Why a 10–15 minute walk after dinner may be one of the simplest metabolic tools available
Zone 2, REHIT, strength training, sauna, cold exposure, and mobility—what may actually be worth your time
And how to support healthier aging without turning wellness into a full-time job

ABOUT DR. WILL COLE

Dr. Will Cole is a functional medicine expert, New York Times bestselling author, and an early pioneer in functional medicine telehealth. In this conversation, he shares concepts from his newest book, Heal Your Cells, and explains the clinical lens he uses to think about inflammation, mitochondrial health, metabolic health, and longevity.

🌐 Dr. Will Cole: https://drwillcole.com

📘 Heal Your Cells: https://healyourcells.com

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drwillcole

CONNECT WITH DR. JOLENE BRIGHTEN💛

🌐 Dr. Brighten: https://drbrighten.com

🎙️ The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrBrighten

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

📌 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drjolenebrighten

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

✨ Dr. Brighten Essentials: https://drbrighten.com

🏷️ Use code POD15 where applicable.

📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

📘 Heal Your Cells by Dr. Will Cole: https://healyourcells.com

🌐 Dr. Will Cole’s website + resources: https://drwillcole.com

🎙️ More episodes of The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts

❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOW

👍 LIKE this episode if it gave you a new way to think about aging and cellular health.

💬 COMMENT below: What is one longevity habit you’re actually willing to start this week?

📤 SHARE this episode with someone who is constantly tired, dealing with brain fog, or wants to protect their health for the long term.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to The Dr. Brighten Show for evidence-informed conversations about women’s health, hormones, brain health, metabolism, longevity, and the science that helps you better understand your body.

⚕️ This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Always discuss changes to your medications, supplements, fasting practices, or treatment plan with your healthcare professional.

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Perimenopause Hormone Therapy: What Women Need to Know About HRT, Progesterone & Estrogen Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Perimenopause hormones can make you feel like your body changed overnight—even when your labs look “normal,” and in this AMA Dr. Jolene Brighten answers your biggest questions about estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, HRT, birth control, Mirena, ovulation, POI, and postmenopause. View the complete show notes, references, and resources at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/perimenopause-hormones/

📖 PREORDER ADHD AND WOMEN: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🧪 Why “normal” hormone labs don’t necessarily explain how you feel during perimenopause

😤 What symptoms like rage, anxiety, poor sleep, and irritability may tell you about progesterone

🥚 How to tell whether you’re still ovulating in perimenopause using cycle patterns, cervical mucus, temperature, LH, and progesterone

🩸 Why a shortening luteal phase may be an early clue that progesterone production is changing

🔬 Which hormone tests Dr. Brighten finds useful—and why testosterone, thyroid, insulin, and other markers deserve attention too

🧠 What we know—and still don’t know—about progestins, progesterone, GABA, BDNF, and women’s brain health

🌀 Where the Mirena IUD may fit during perimenopause, heavy bleeding, adenomyosis, and hormone therapy

🌙 When cyclic versus continuous progesterone may make sense

🧴 Dr. Brighten’s approach to estradiol, estriol, Biest, testosterone, and compounded hormone therapy

🏋️ How declining estrogen can affect muscle, connective tissue, mitochondria, exercise tolerance, and recovery

❤️ Why menopause doesn’t have to be a story of decline—including the part nobody talks about enough: sex can get better

🩺 When symptoms like varicose veins deserve further evaluation rather than being dismissed as “just hormones” Resources

📖 ADHD and Women — Preorder + Bonuses: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

🌐 Dr. Brighten Website: https://drbrighten.com

🎙️ The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/

🌟 Free Hormone-Friendly Recipes: https://drbrighten.com/hormonekit/ Sponsorship & Resources

🧠 Dr. Brighten Essentials — Radiant Mind: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/radiant-mind Podcast listeners can use POD15 for 15% off.

👩🏻‍⚕️ About Dr. Jolene Brighten

Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, nutrition scientist, women’s health educator, and author of ADHD and Women. Her work focuses on translating complex hormone science into practical information women can use to better understand their bodies and have more informed conversations with their healthcare providers.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten

💻 Website: https://drbrighten.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

🧵 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@drjolenebrighten

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

👍 If this episode helped you, like the video, subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show, and share it with a woman who has been told her labs are “normal” even though she knows something has changed. And tell me in the comments: what perimenopause or hormone question should we answer in the next AMA?

⚠️ Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical care. Always discuss symptoms, medications, supplements, testing, and hormone therapy with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

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Women’s Health Questions Answered: AMA 1 Lightening Round Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

Endometriosis pain can rewire the brain and nervous system, yet women are still told to tolerate severe pelvic pain, traumatic IUD insertions, and years of medical dismissal; explore the research and resources in the show notes at http://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen. In this AMA, Dr. Jolene Brighten explains central sensitization, vagus nerve dysfunction, cycle-related inflammation, copper IUD pain, omega-3s, food sensitivities, and what it can take to recover after chronic pain.

🧠 In this episode, you’ll learn:

How unmanaged endometriosis and adenomyosis pain can change pain processing in the brainWhy pain may persist after excision surgery or a hysterectomy
What central sensitization means and why recovery can take time
How endometriosis may disrupt vagal tone and autonomic nervous-system function
Why a hysterectomy can treat adenomyosis but does not treat endometriosis outside the uterus
How copper IUDs create localized inflammation
Why severe IUD pain, bleeding, fainting, or loss of function deserves investigation
How estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, and melatonin interact with inflammation
Why histamine symptoms may intensify around ovulation
How prostaglandins influence menstrual cramps, inflammation, and “period poops”
What to look for when choosing an omega-3 supplement
How Dr. Brighten’s approach to elimination diets and nutritional restriction has evolved
Why food variety and oral tolerance matter for women with chronic inflammatory conditions
How patients and clinicians can help change the standard of care for women

💬 Have you experienced severe IUD pain, medical gaslighting, or persistent pain after endometriosis treatment? Share your experience in the comments, including where you live and whether you were offered meaningful pain relief.

👍 If this episode helped you, please like the video, subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show, and share it with someone who has been told her pain is normal.

⚕️ This content is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical care. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about persistent or severe pain, heavy bleeding, fainting, anemia, or symptoms that interfere with daily life.

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Late Diagnosed ADHD and Autism | Rich & Rox Pink Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Late diagnosed ADHD & autism can change the story you’ve been telling yourself (and your relationship) for decades. In this episode, Dr. Brighten joins Rich and Rox Pink of ADHD Love and the Late Bloomers podcast to talk diagnosis, masking, relationships, perimenopause, HRT, and what finally made their lives make sense; view the full show notes and resources at https://drbrighten.com/podcasts/late-diagnosed-adhd-and-autism/ .

Rich and Rox Pink have built a community of more than 5 million followers by showing the messy, funny, painful, and deeply human reality of neurodivergent life. In this candid conversation, Rox opens up about receiving her ADHD diagnosis after years of believing she was lazy, broken, and incapable of maintaining relationships, while Rich shares what it has been like to realize in his 40s that the “neurotypical husband” was actually autistic.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN

Why late diagnosed ADHD and autism can completely rewrite decades of shame and self-blame
Why traits like lateness, forgetfulness, social awkwardness, sensory sensitivity, and executive dysfunction are so easily interpreted as personal failures
How masking can become so automatic that you may even mask in therapy
Why trauma and neurodivergence can overlap—and why treating every neurodivergent trait as “just trauma” can miss the bigger picture
Why women with ADHD are so often diagnosed later in life
How puberty and hormonal changes may alter the way ADHD presents in women
Why needing accommodations can bring up unexpected guilt and shame
What Dr. Brighten discovered when she finally began using disability accommodations while traveling
Why accessing an ADHD or autism diagnosis can still be incredibly difficult
How undiagnosed ADHD can contribute to attempts to self-medicate
How perimenopause can intensify ADHD symptoms, brain fog, anxiety, sleep disruption, and executive dysfunction
Why Rox reached the point where she thought she might have to walk away from her music career
What changed for Rox after starting estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy
Why testosterone matters in women—and its relationship with energy, motivation, muscle, and follow-through
How ADHD can influence novelty, intense relationships, impulsivity, and the experience of falling in love
Why Rich and Rox credit learning how to actually communicate as one of the biggest shifts in their relationship
Why traditional therapy doesn't always feel accessible or effective for neurodivergent people
Why socializing, public speaking, travel, touch, noise, and other seemingly ordinary experiences can require enormous amounts of energy
Why someone can love being around people while still desperately needing silence afterward
How Rich and Rox stopped interpreting neurodivergent behaviors as rejection or bad intentions
The relationship philosophy they now use: “us versus the ADHD” and “us versus the autism”
Why curiosity and giving your partner the benefit of the doubt can change a neurodivergent relationship

ABOUT RICH & ROX PINK

Rich and Rox Pink are the couple behind ADHD Love, known for their candid and often hilarious conversations about ADHD, autism, shame, relationships, addiction, recovery, and learning to work with a neurodivergent brain instead of constantly fighting it.

Together, they are bestselling authors and hosts of the Late Bloomers podcast, where they share the lessons they learned after years of believing they had simply failed at being adults.

🌐 ADHD Love: https://www.adhd-love.co.uk/

📸 Rich & Rox / ADHD Love Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhd_love_/

📚 Rich & Rox books + resources: https://linktr.ee/ADHD_Love

🎧 Late Bloomers Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/late-bloomers/id1788035047

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

📖 Dirty Laundry by Richard Pink & Roxanne Emery: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743719/dirty-laundry-by-richard-pink-and-roxanne-emery/
💗 ADHD Love: https://www.adhd-love.co.uk/
🎧 Late Bloomers: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/late-bloomers/id1788035047
🌻 Hidden Disabilities Sunflower: https://hdsunflower.com/
🧠 More episodes from The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/
📚 ADHD and Women by Dr. Brighten: http://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Dr. Brighten Essentials Radiant Mind

Exclusive for podcast listeners: use the code POD15 for 15% off your order

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FOLLOW DR. BRIGHTEN

💻 Website: https://drbrighten.com
🎙️ The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten
🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten

Dr. Brighten is a naturopathic physician, Certified Menopause Specialist through The Menopause Society, Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE), author, researcher, and women’s health expert focused on translating complex hormone and health science into information women can actually use.

❤️ LIKE this episode if something in Rich and Rox’s story made your own experience make more sense.
📤 SHARE it with someone who may have spent years believing their ADHD, autism, or neurodivergent traits were character flaws.
🔔 SUBSCRIBE to The Dr. Brighten Show for evidence-based conversations about ADHD, hormones, women’s health, menopause, relationships, and the topics women deserve better answers about.
💬 COMMENT BELOW: What is something you understand differently about yourself since learning more about neurodivergence?

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