Menopausing: My Neurodivergent Equation

❤️ Menopausing: My Neurodivergent Equation

I’ve been “menopausing” long before I knew the word. Advocating for a Neurodivergent menopause without realising that’s what I was doing.

So I wrote my life as an equation — a formula that finally explains why my treatment plan can’t be “one size fits all.”

THE EQUATION

+ Hypervigilance

Gained in childhood. No real memory before age seven. A nervous system wired to scan, react, survive.

+ Dyslexia (2006)

Misunderstood for years. Later revealed to be APD — auditory processing disorder — completely missed.

= Mask + Smile My lifelong coping mechanism.

Jump forward 40+ years…

+ Heating system failure

Hypothalamus misfiring. Front cortex overloaded. Either burning 🔥 or freezing 🥶 — no regulation.

+ Perimenopause

Everything came undone. Symptoms multiplied. Neurodivergence intensified.

= Neurodivergence (full spectrum)

Not just dyslexia. Not just APD. Not just ADHD. AuDHD — Autism + ADHD — the full picture.

And then the multiplier:

× Loss of oestrogen

A massive hit.

× Reaction to progesterone

Another huge loss.

+ Childhood trauma

The developing brain shaped by stress. The long‑term implications finally understood.

+ Generational trauma

Inherited patterns. Inherited nervous system responses.

+ Burnout

The inevitable crash.

= The Result

A brain that’s been through it. A body that’s carried too much. Cognition that’s worsening. A system that can’t be “fixed” — only supported.

But here’s the part that matters:

My winning score is self‑love.

Kindness to my body. Kindness to my brain. Acceptance of the damage, without giving up on healing.

This is my equation. This is my menopause. This is my neurodivergent journey.

Footnote - my point to this as an equation is that doctors do not see the overall picture, and by having an equation you could see who will get the worst outcome.

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