You've spent your life being told you're too forgetful, too emotional, too much. Then you hit your forties, the symptoms pile up, and somewhere along the way you became someone who quietly believes something is wrong with her.

In this episode, Dr. Amelia Kelley sits down with therapist and menopause expert Mandi Dixon to talk about what happens when ADHD and perimenopause collide in midlife. They get into the estrogen and dopamine link that can make your ADHD meds feel like they stop working before your period, the misdiagnosis pipeline that hands women the wrong labels for decades, and why unmasking might be the most healing thing you do in your forties and beyond.

If you've ever wondered why everyone else seemed to get an instruction manual you never received, or why midlife feels familiar in a way you can't explain, this episode is for you.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why ADHD and perimenopause are so often missed in women, and who gets left behind

• The estrogen and dopamine connection, and why your ADHD meds can feel weaker right before your period

• The most common ADHD misdiagnoses for women, from anxiety and depression to bipolar disorder

• How to tell ADHD burnout apart from the menopause transition, and why the symptoms feel familiar to women with ADHD and brand new to everyone else

• What masking quietly costs you, and the permission so many women have never been given to simply be themselves

About the guest:Mandi Dixon is a licensed therapist and ADHD coach who works with clients across Texas from her practice in the North Dallas area. A member of the Menopause Society, she focuses on the place where ADHD and the menopause transition meet in women, a gap she found under researched and rarely discussed. She blends clinical training with lived experience to help women release the shame they have carried for years and understand what is actually happening in their bodies and brains. She is currently working on her first book about what she calls "ugly perimenopause," the harder, less talked about side of the experience.

Connect with Mandi:

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/adhdmenopausetherapist/⁠

• TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@Adhdmenopausetherapist⁠

Connect with Dr. Amelia Kelley:

🌍 Website: https://www.ameliakelley.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drameliakelley/

👩🏼‍💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drameliakelley/