In this episode, I'm joined by Anna Grunseth to answer questions many of you have been asking about transitioning and ADHD! Transitioning as an adult

Anna started her transition in 2013 when she was 32. She explains she had privately identified as transgender for a number of years before she felt comfortable coming out. 

She came out to a few people at a time as she continued to explore her identity. After connecting with other trans people online, Anna got help from a gender counselor. She went on hormone replacement therapy and started with her social transition. 

Anna knows not everyone has an easy time when they transition. her experience was not without complications. Living in rural Wisconsin at the time, Anna was cautious. 

Finding the right support when you're transitioning 

Living in a small town meant Anna had to travel an hour each way to see a therapist. Although the therapist didn't specialize in gender counseling, she was experienced with LGBTQ+ issues. 

The other hurdle was finding a doctor who was knowledgeable with trans patients and knew how to administer hormone therapy. Anna had to travel out of state to visit a doctor who was able to help her with this part of her transition. 

ADHD and autism diagnosis as an adult 

Anna has struggled with OCD since she was 11. At the time she was also assessed for ADHD but the specialist decided she didn't have it. Anna thinks one of the reasons for this is because of her gender presentation at the time and that she didn't fit into the stereotype of a hyperactive young boy. 

When she was in college she started to think the specialist had got it wrong. She had trouble focusing on her coursework and difficulties with her working memory.

Over the past few years, Anna started to learn more about the spectrum of experiences of people with ADHD and started to explore the possibility they had missed it when she was younger. 

Following a conversation with her doctor, Anna was assessed and diagnosed with both ADHD and autism. 

Check out the full episode to learn more about Anna's story and what she recommends for anyone who might be transitioning. 

About The Adulting With ADHD Podcast

It’s not just you – we aren’t talking enough about ADHD and hormones. There are so many things I wish I had known about hormones and ADHD earlier. They play such a fundamental role in the human body, deeply impacting a person’s life at all of their life stages.

As a former journalist and current ADHD’er, I unpack this topic through patient stories, expert interviews, and personal narrative.

With new episodes biweekly on Wednesdays, The Adulting With ADHD Podcast covers a variety of ADHD hormone topics including puberty, menopause, perimenopause, PMS, PMDD, and more. Why aren’t we talking about this more? What do you do if you find yourself struggling with ADHD and hormones? We discuss this and much more.

Need basic info about ADHD and hormones? Get the free quick guide at https://adultingwithadhd.com/hormones.

Show highlights

1:00 Anna's transition story

2:00 Finding the right doctor and support

06:30 OCD as a child, doctors decided Anna didn't have ADHD 

7:15 Revisiting ADHD as an adult and diagnosis

13:13 Dealing with hormone therapy and emotions 

Show edited by HK Productions