
ADHD, Hormones & the Sandwich Generation with Lisa Alecci
🧡 This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/rebelmomma. ---- Sarah welcomes ADHD coach Lisa Alecci back to discuss new insights on ADHD and hormones, including research linking estrogen to dopamine regulation and executive function changes during perimenopause and menopause. They explore how women with ADHD experience greater symptom severity (not more symptoms) during hormonal transitions, and how clinicians are increasingly adjusting treatment during pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause. Lisa shares her "sandwich generation" reality—caring for a 92-year-old mother in assisted living while supporting adult children, grandchildren, and running a coaching practice—and explains how constant role-switching, decision fatigue, stress, and depleted emotional reserves can lead to overwhelm. She offers strategies like planning decisions ahead, building transition time, pausing to reflect and choose, recognizing cognitive/emotional/body warning signs, and prioritizing sustainable self-care through saying no, asking for help, simplifying, lowering standards temporarily, consistent medication, and scheduling recovery time. 00:00 Welcome Back Lisa 01:05 Hormones And Dopamine 02:25 Symptoms Get More Severe 03:22 Clinicians Finally Adapt 05:08 Sandwich Generation Life 06:49 Guilt And Overwhelm 09:09 Decide Ahead Of Time 10:56 Context Switching Burnout 13:51 Emotional Regulation Tax 16:10 Stress And Resilience 18:04 Starting Over Again 19:35 Self Compassion Shift 20:05 Decision Fatigue Costs 22:21 Pause Reflect Choose 23:40 Overwhelm Warning Signs 27:06 Irrational Anger Clues 28:47 Real Self Care Tools 33:02 No Done Only Stop 34:46 Acceptance In Phases 35:50 Liminal Space Mindset 36:54 Wrap Up And Connect Connect with Lisa Alecci: adhdfreedom.com | lisa@adhdfreedom.com