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/ .
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👍 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/
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