ADHD Aha! | ADHD and hormones (Catie’s story)

Catie Osborn’s ADHD flew under the radar until she had to get an ovary removed in her late 20s. Left with one ovary ( “Han Solo-vary”), she experienced a hormone shift that made her ADHD symptoms much more noticeable.

Catie is a former “gifted kid” who excelled in school. Growing up, she didn’t fit ADHD stereotypes, aside from being a bit messy. Once she was diagnosed, she started seeing ADHD flags everywhere. Hear what she’s learned from her experience and her work, like how hormones — especially in people who get periods — can impact ADHD symptoms.

Catie, aka catieosaurus on TikTok, is a certified sex educator, neurodivergency specialist, and co-host of the podcast “Catie and Erik’s Infinite Quest: An ADHD Adventure.”

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.

[elizabethjackson]

Time blindness is huge… I managed to forget to sign up for college classes for a full year and lost the chance to go to college again… so happy to be able to finally understand my brain!

[kirstiecortines]

I am in tears. This is so my story as well. Great student, procrastinator, PCOS, binge eating, thinking I had early onset dementia. But I was just diagnosed a couple months ago at 43 and am still a huge mess, lol.

[kojayeoja]

Through my research and as I get tested for ADHD and autism, I keep having these AHA moments. This is another one. Started suffering from PCOS basically the second I hit puberty but wasn't diagnosed until around 25. Now I'm 32, and after my life falling apart multiple times I've finally gotten to this point of having to figure out what's truly "wrong" with me. I will still have some doubt in the back of my mind until I actually hear my psychiatrist say the words, but I can't believe how many answers I've been getting, for questions I didn't even realize I had.

My mom suffered with IBS her whole life but it almost disappeared after menopause. She had thyroid cancer and had her thyroid removed, and you know what, it might've been since then that her attention has gotten a lot worse. Everything is so genetic, and everything is so hormonal. As someone who suffers with PCOS, I definitely know how hormones control every single thing, and any doctor who thinks PCOS is just a fertility problem and writes it off, or doesn't even know it exists, makes me want to scream. We need more education and awareness. I'm tired of us women suffering in the dark because no one cares about our pain. How many of us have lost so many years of our lives because no one had the answers, and didn't care to ask. My whole life I thought I was failing everyone else...turns out, it was the world failing me. The sexist medical community, and society's suffocating confines and punishments.

[GoodBoyShep]

I have sever ADHD and just hearing her be like "omg im sorry im talking so long" makes me feel like... GIRL I FEEL YOU. PREACH

[pyrokamileon]

"is there a name for what's wrong with you?" lol this used to be a joke when I was younger, little did I know it would end up being the name of my biography! 😆😞

[SavvyGirl]

I have so many of these.. I was crying this whole video. Struggled with this since I was single digits. I've been crying this whole time. Ty for sharing. Ty so much😭

[chrisshelton]

As an adult of 25 starting to date my now fiance, soon to be wife( 22 days). She pretty quickly had an idea that I had ADHD. She is a registered phycologist so she apparently knows what she's talking about. My younger brother has what I'd consider severe adhd with autism so growing up my mom refused to believe I had adhd because my brother was her baseline for what adhd is. But talking with her and going through the habits and signs of adhd has allowed me to own my diagnosis, and do alot of self reflection and really accept and be comfortable with who I am and things in the past that left hurt in my heart from past relationships and friendships and family relationships. And it's crazy to just check boxes off of things I thought were just struggles everyone had, but was better at managing than me.

[TamarKnochel]

I feel so SEEN right now!!!❤ Thank you so much for sharing your story! When you were talking about time blindness & not realizing you hadn't called your mom in ages, it just made me feel so SEEN and not alone! ❤

[julialaynemcclain]

Thank you!! I’m autistic just in process of formal diagnoses at 65 - I had a brain bleed that affected exec function in my 30’s (which I had extra of as a kid) and when menopause happened around 50 my exec function got so much worse that I relate to the adhd predicament though the diagnostics do not place me on that end of the spectrum otherwise. I couldn’t understand why it was hard for others (who we now know or have reason to infer are adhd) in my family to just make a list, calendar it in, and then accomplish the whole thing as I did by dint of bloody minded focus and ramping my system up like I was on speed to get it done. I can’t take hormones or many meds due to brain bleed condition so now just coping with it taking all day to get one thing done at times or overworking once I get started or needing my husband to be happily elsewhere so I can get things done at all. I am a little feeling like a jerk in retrospect for not understanding why others were struggling and not in fact uncaring about how their actions or lack thereof impacted others, I feel regret for judging or being frustrated with them for being incompetent or willfully irresponsible which was unfair and not true.

This diagnostic and educational process has made me realize that people I find difficult might also be on the spectrum too and people who are not are also just relating and living within their own neuro emotional perceptive soup also involuntary on their part. So more tolerance for differences and more compassion for self and others is helpful. These channels like yours where I can hear women who share my experiences are a lifeline- I don’t have any women friends who are conversant in these differences and I have many broken relationships w women friends over misunderstandings including that I’m mostly homebound and so maintaining friendships can be challenging. Thank you so much. It’s like having coffee w some really interesting and accepting friends who can commiserate w my challenges to watch you gals! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[amywalshharris]

Just had my aha moment 5 days ago. I am 47 and have been struggling probably for my whole life but my life has become unmanagable since perimenopause has hit. My son has ADHD and I did figure that I had it as well but it was last week when I took one of his pills just to see and for the first time I was calm!!! About an hour after taking the pill I felt calm and as I realized this I almost started crying. These meds have been in my house for years and it never occurred to me to try one. Now, I do have to get officially diagnosed. However everything makes sense to me now. Thank you for this podcast. I

[amandawhitehead]

I am learning soooo much listening to aha. I have had an eating disorder forever since 11 and I am 62. My therapist and psychiatrist still don't really get the hormone piece, really everything. Catie has hit almost everything I've gone thru. If only I could get the right

[lenetolean]

I am so happy I ran into this video. I feel like I am listening to my own story!!! Looking for more of your content and like minded friends for support ❤

[LedgerAndLace]

That really was an Ah-Ha Moment! What a delight to listen in on your conversation. I just cringed when Catie was talking about that teacher dumping her desk. I'm so sorry that happened to you. Naturally organized people think it's somehow a moral failing or a choice to be lazy or that you're not trying hard enough.

I realize listening to Catie's experience, that it was when I went thru menopause (and the death of my mother) that I really lost control of my house. I, too, have hired professional organizers. Exhausting and demoralizing. I'm FINALLY getting a handle on it because I'm working WITH my brain instead of trying a system that doesn't work and then blaming myself for "failing" yet again. There are 3 ADHD-friendly organizers that have really helped me. All 3 deal with clutter and disorganization, but also have deep compassion and a lack of judgement because they've all struggled with it. All have podcasts and would be great to interview (AND to interview you both):

Dana K. White at A Slob Comes Clean. She's been unofficially "diagnosed" by her ADHD followers who use her strategies. She says she has TPAD: Time Passage Awareness Disorder. "It's a term I made up but it's totally real." In addition to addressing Time Blindness, she also says that she doesn't see mess; there is no in-between mess/no mess.

Cas at Clutterbug, another ADHD-er diagnosed as an adult. In her system of organizing styles, I would guess that Catie is a Butterfly; Visual/has to see it, and Macro/Big Picture. Clear bins with no lids, hooks in every room. "Out of sight, out of mind." I have a white board & a big calendar that I use for tasks, appointments, etc. because I've finally realized that I can't trust myself to open a planner everyday.

K.C. Davis at Struggle Care (AWESOME TED Talk)! Psychologist recently diagnosed with ADHD, she focuses on the mental health aspects of disorganization. "Dishes are morally neutral. Dishes in the sink mean that you fed yourself."

I think for many ADHD-ers, organization is the final frontier!

[Amandagirl]

I turned 50 in March this year.. I was diagnosed 2 months before that. My realisation came after watching catieosaurus on tic tock. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. I was then scratching my head thinking, how did i not know! So many things make sense now, not only for myself, but for many members of my family. Hormone changes magnified everything, & was unquestionably driving me mental. Things i used to be able to do, i couldn't do anymore. I felt like a useless scatterbrain. My only motivation & drive came by putting myself in a state of anxiety. Until i felt that feeling, i wasnt doing anything. Thank you for crossing my path Catie, you quite honestly, saved my life 🫶🏼

[mooriannkeo]

I have been actively educating myself on my adhd for years now and oh my GOSH I learned SO much from this video. TYSM!~🖤

[kendregab]

Thank you for making this video! I was also diagnosed with PCOS August 2022. It was brought to my attention that I have been displaying ADHD symptoms and I was like oh wow have I been masking this whole time? I didn't know. So I started doing research on ADHD and I was relating to a lot of the common symptoms of ADHD and the not so commonly recognized ones( not in the DSM 5) like emotional regulation, imposter syndrome, delayed sleep/ sleep issues, irritability and more. In addition, I noticed my mom displaying symptoms and brought it to her attention. She joked and said she has ADD but is too old to get diagnosed as she's 60 and has lived her whole life undiagnosed so why get diagnosed now. I have an appointment on Friday with a psychiatrist. I'm nervous as I've never seen a psychiatrist before but I'm excited to find out if I truly have ADHD as I believe I do. Thank you for showing me that I'm on the right path to seeking an assessment 🙏 🙂

[NiktheBooksmith]

This. All of it, is profoundly relatable on a cellular level. Thank you Catie, for telling your story and Laura, for asking the questions I would have! I really needed to hear this today.

[The.Sicilian.Realtor]

This was a great video and very relatable. I have the same story where my adhd went very under radar until after I got my thyroid removed and everything was amplified

[adrianopper]

Former burnout gifted kid here. Finally got my diagnosis this week! Right before my 45th birthday. I started the journey when I was finally getting my gifted endorsement this past school year. It has been incredibly eye opening, affirming, and challenging to see the world and myself with this new knowledge.

[Anders]

Hi! I'm 64 and got my diagnosis a couple of years ago. I've been in therapy probable 10 years all together and done all the medication available, but I've had more aha moments listening to you for 10 minutes than all these other things together.
Thanks!