In this episode of Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, Pete and Nikki sit down with Dr. Dara Abraham—board-certified psychiatrist, women’s mental health expert, and founder of Dr. Dara Psychiatry—to explore the complicated and under-discussed relationship between ADHD and hormones.

Dr. Dara walks us through the key hormonal transitions across the lifespan—puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause—and how each stage uniquely disrupts ADHD symptoms and medication effectiveness. She shares why estrogen is your brain’s best friend, how hormonal shifts wreak havoc on dopamine regulation, and why women are so often dismissed when seeking help. From the science of hormone replacement therapy to practical tips for self-advocacy and lifestyle support, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the double whammy of ADHD and hormonal change.

Whether you’re struggling with brain fog, sleep disruptions, or medication that suddenly stopped working—there’s help, there’s hope, and Dr. Dara is here to share it.

Links & Notes

• Adult ADHD Specialist - Dr. Dara's Comprehensive Psychiatry Care | Comprehensive Treatment
• Connect with Dr. Dara on LinkedIn
• Dig into the podcast Shownotes Database
• Join the ADHD Discord Community
• Become a Patron

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (02:35) - Support The Show: Become a Patron!
• (03:35) - Marker 3
• (03:48) - Introducing Dr. Dara Abraham • Hormones & ADHD

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Join the Declutter Challenge!
The Spring 2025 ADHD Declutter Challenge is now open for enrollment! Join a community of people on a 31-day mission to reduce clutter and start the new season with a fresh new view by visiting https://takecontroladhd.com/declutter.

When you live with ADHD, you might be used to the mental whirlwind — the dopamine chases, the deadline surges, the exhaustion that follows. But for many, there’s a deeper and more insidious battle happening in the background: chronic illness. This week, Pete and Nikki welcome clinical naturopath and passionate advocate Jules Galloway to unpack the tangled web between ADHD, adrenal fatigue, autoimmune conditions, and the gut-brain connection.

Drawing from her own experiences with late-diagnosed ADHD and years of working with neurodivergent clients, Jules explains how chronic stress and inflammation can alter the architecture of the brain, and how burnout isn’t just a buzzword — it’s often a physiological crisis. From cortisol testing and histamine intolerance to why so many ADHDers feel like they’re constantly “wired but tired,” this episode brings clarity and compassion to a deeply misunderstood intersection of mental and physical health.

Jules also shares practical, empowering strategies for healing — from stabilizing blood sugar with protein-rich meals to reducing inflammation through gut health and sustainable lifestyle changes. It’s a conversation full of insight, empathy, and real-world tools for anyone struggling to understand the full-body impact of living with ADHD.

Links & Notes

• Jules Galloway’s website: julesgalloway.com
• 🌿 Get 1 month FREE access to ADHD Naturally (no credit card required): julesgalloway.com/adhd-naturally-freebie
• Follow Jules on social: @julesgallowayhealth
• Join the Taking Control ADHD community on Discord: takecontroladhd.com/discord
• Support the Show on Patreon
• Dig into the podcast Shownotes Database

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (01:56) - Learn More! Support the show! Join the Community!
• (02:56) - Introducing Jules Galloway
• (08:07) - ADHD and Chronic Stress
• (10:57) - Inflammation
• (14:49) - Burnout
• (33:53) - Histamine
• (41:29) - Sustainable Wellness wtih ADHD and Chronic Disease
• (52:15) - Learn more and get a gift!

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Join the Declutter Challenge!
The Spring 2025 ADHD Declutter Challenge is now open for enrollment! Join a community of people on a 31-day mission to reduce clutter and start the new season with a fresh new view by visiting https://takecontroladhd.com/declutter.

What happens to ADHD when the scaffolds of career and parenting fade, and we’re left navigating a world that’s quieter, slower… and far less structured?

This week on Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, Pete and Nikki are joined by one of the most influential voices in ADHD research and advocacy: Dr. Kathleen Nadeau. An internationally recognized expert and the author of 14 books on ADHD, Kathleen is the founder and director of the Chesapeake Center—one of the largest private ADHD specialty clinics in the U.S. Her career has been defined by breaking new ground for underserved ADHD populations, and today she turns our attention to one of the most overlooked groups of all: older adults.

Drawing on extensive research—including interviews with more than 150 individuals for her groundbreaking book Still Distracted After All These Years: Help and Support for Older Adults with ADHD—Kathleen guides us through the realities of aging with ADHD. She brings nuance, humor, and urgency to topics like isolation, structure loss, hormonal shifts, executive dysfunction, and the ADHD tax that shows up in the fine print of Social Security forms and medical claims. We discuss how declining circadian rhythms and deep sleep disruption may connect ADHD to increased dementia risk, and why the U.S. is still lagging behind global standards in using hormone replacement therapy to support cognitive health in aging women with ADHD.

But this conversation isn’t about despair—it’s about reinvention, resilience, and the power of community. Kathleen shares powerful stories of support groups that thrive beyond professional guidance and offers practical strategies for maintaining purpose and mental clarity well into our later years.

If you or someone you love is navigating ADHD after 50, this is the episode that finally speaks to that experience—with candor, compassion, and hard-won insight.

Links & Notes

• Still Distracted After All These Years: Help and Support for Older Adults with ADHD by Dr. Kathleen Nadeau
• The End of Alzheimer’s by Dr. Dale Bredesen
• “The How and Why of Sleep” NIH Video Lecture
• The Chesapeake Center
• The Villages
• Support the Show on Patreon
• Dig into the podcast Shownotes Database

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (02:51) - Support the Show at patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
• (03:22) - Introducing Dr. Kathleen Nadeau
• (04:19) - How Does ADHD Evolve as we Age?
• (11:47) - Later Adult Diagnosis
• (21:18) - Hormonal Changes

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Join the Declutter Challenge!
The Spring 2025 ADHD Declutter Challenge is now open for enrollment! Join a community of people on a 31-day mission to reduce clutter and start the new season with a fresh new view by visiting https://takecontroladhd.com/declutter.