EverCalm: Your Menopause, Reclaimed
Season
2
•
59 min
Episode
1
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Perimenopause Meets a Late ADHD Diagnosis: The Perfect Storm | Barbara Scalzi
June 11, 2026
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Barbara Scalzi
,
Entrepreneur & ADHD Advocate
When ADHD Meets Perimenopause
Barbara Scalzi shares her story of navigating perimenopause alongside a late ADHD diagnosis. She describes losing executive function, memory and confidence, being repeatedly dismissed by physicians as "just hormones," and how her son's autism and ADHD diagnosis helped her finally connect the dots. Barbara opens up about masking, the "Coke bottle effect," rebuilding her coping "backpack" with a coach, and why cortisol and inflammation mattered more than her hormone levels alone.
In this episode, we cover
- Why executive function and memory changes signaled more than perimenopause
- How masking hides ADHD symptoms until midlife hormonal shifts
- The "Coke bottle effect" and emotional overwhelm explained
- Why cortisol and inflammation mattered more than hormones alone
- Building a coping "backpack" with coaching and community support
Barbara Scalzi
Entrepreneur & ADHD Advocate
Resources mentioned
ADHD and Perimenopause Symptom Overlap
How declining hormones can intensify undiagnosed ADHD traits like focus, memory and mood.
Masking and the Coke Bottle Effect
Understanding how neurodivergent women mask in public and release emotions at home.
Building Your Coping Backpack
Practical tools like green zones, coaching and community support for neurodivergent women.
Ready to Reclaim Your Health?
If this episode resonated with you, explore EverCalm Menopause for evidence‑based mind–body tools that support heart‑healthy habits, better sleep and calmer days.
