Let's Talk About...ADHD, Perimenopause and the Female Brain

How You Find Your Voice Presents

Let's Talk About Salon with Dr Helen Wall

What if it's not just stress, burnout or getting older? The conversation every midlife woman should hear: ADHD, hormones and the brain.

Why does everything suddenly feel harder?

Things that you used to manage without thinking suddenly demand more of you.

Remembering appointments.

Keeping on top of work.

Holding everything together at home.

Managing your emotions.

Finding the energy to do the things you love.

For many women, perimenopause can feel as though the wheels have suddenly come off.

You might find yourself struggling with brain fog, overwhelm, anxiety, forgetfulness, exhaustion, or a sense that you're somehow no longer coping as well as you used to.

But what if there is more going on than stress, burnout or simply getting older?

Join NHS GP, menopause specialist and author Dr Helen Wall for an illuminating evening exploring the relationship between hormones, ADHD and the female brain.

Drawing on her groundbreaking work with thousands of women, Helen will explain why fluctuating hormones can have such a profound impact on attention, memory, focus and emotional regulation and why many women first discover they have ADHD during perimenopause.

Women are contacting Helen in huge numbers saying they finally understand themselves for the first time. This conversation is about understanding why.

Why this conversation?

We are finally starting to talk openly about menopause.

We're also beginning to recognise that ADHD in girls and women has been missed, misunderstood and misdiagnosed for decades.

But far fewer people are talking about what happens when these two things collide.

Many women spend years building coping strategies that allow them to appear highly capable and high functioning. Then perimenopause arrives and suddenly the systems they've relied upon stop working.

The result can feel frightening and bewildering.

For some women, this is the moment they discover they have ADHD. For others, it's the first time they understand just how profoundly hormones influence the female brain.

This evening is about making sense of those experiences and leaving with a greater understanding of what is happening and what can help.

What we'll explore

Drawing from Dr Helen Wall's extensive research and her new book, we shall look at:

• How hormones affect the female brain throughout our lives
• Why ADHD is so often missed in girls and women
• The hidden cost of being "high functioning"
• Why coping strategies can suddenly stop working during perimenopause
• The links between oestrogen, dopamine, focus and emotional regulation
• Why symptoms are so often mistaken for anxiety, stress or burnout
• How to advocate for yourself within the healthcare system
• Practical strategies and support that can help
• You don't need an ADHD diagnosis to come.

Whether you're navigating perimenopause, suspect you might be neurodivergent, love someone who is, or simply want to better understand how hormones affect the female brain, you'll be very welcome.

About Dr Helen Wall

Dr Helen Wall is an NHS GP, menopause specialist and public health leader with more than 25 years' experience in medicine.

You may have heard her discussing women's health on Woman's Hour, seen her on BBC Breakfast, or read her weekly column for Woman magazine.

Through her clinical work and writing, Dr Helen Wall has become one of the leading voices exploring the intersection between menopause, hormone change and neurodivergence.

Her book, Menopause and ADHD: How to Navigate Hormone Flux and Neurodivergence, has resonated with thousands of women who finally feel seen, understood and able to make sense of symptoms that have too often been dismissed or overlooked.

What is a HYFYV Salon?

Part expert talk, part audience discussion, part social gathering.

Expect thoughtful conversation, practical insights and plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Afterwards, stay for a drink, meet other curious women and continue the conversation.

Come alone or bring a friend. Either way, you'll meet lots of interesting people.

About Let's Talk About...

Let's Talk About... is HYFYV's recurring salon series exploring the ideas, experiences and questions shaping women's lives today.

Part live conversation, part audience discussion and part social gathering, these evenings bring together authors, experts and curious minds to explore the subjects that matter.