The editors of ADDitude magazine want to hear from you!

The following survey is intended for women with diagnosed or undiagnosed ADHD who used to or continue to menstruate. All ADDitude readers are welcome to answer this survey, however, if you do not fit this description, some questions may not be applicable to you; please skip any questions that do not pertain to you.

This survey is designed to help ADDitude editors better understand the unique challenges associated with managing ADHD symptoms during the various stages of a woman’s life; it represents editorial research, not rigorous scientific study. We will share your aggregated responses with the ADDitude community and may quote comments in the magazine and online, but we will not use full-name attributions without explicit permission.

Please note that no personal or individual data from this survey will ever be reported. ADDitude never shares any information about its subscribers, e-newsletter recipients, or survey respondents. (Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.)

Question Title

* 1. What is your gender?

Question Title

* 2. What is your age?

Question Title

* 3. At what age were you diagnosed with ADHD?

Question Title

* 4. Which of the following best describes your presentation of ADHD?

Question Title

* 5. Please share your other mental and physical health diagnoses (select all that apply):

Question Title

* 6. On a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (life-altering), please rate the overall impact of your ADHD symptoms during each major stage of life:

  1 - Minor impact 2 3 4 5 - Life-altering impact N/A
Age 0 to 9
Age 10 to 19
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s +

Question Title

* 7. Tell us how your ADHD symptoms manifested in puberty: (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 8. On a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (life-altering), please rate the impact of your menstrual cycle on your symptoms of ADHD:

Question Title

* 9. Do you or have you ever suffered from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and/or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)?

Question Title

* 10. If Yes, at what age did the symptoms of PMS and/or PMDD begin?

Question Title

* 11. If Yes, for how many years did you experience symptoms of PMS and/or PMDD?

Question Title

* 12. What symptoms of PMS and/or PMDD do or did you experience? (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 13. If you have been pregnant, did the severity of ADHD symptoms change during your pregnancy?

Question Title

* 14. If you have been pregnant, did you take ADHD medication during your pregnancy?

Question Title

* 15. If you have nursed a baby, did you take ADHD medication while breastfeeding?

Question Title

* 16. If you have given birth, did you experience symptoms of postpartum depression?

Question Title

* 17. If Yes, about how long did symptoms of postpartum depression last?

Question Title

* 18. If Yes, please tell us about the symptoms of postpartum depression you experienced. (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 19. If Yes, what treatment did you receive (or was recommended) for postpartum depression, if any?

Question Title

* 20. On a scale of 1 (minimal) to 5 (extremely severe), please rate the severity of your ADHD symptoms during perimenopause (starts when estrogen levels begin to decline and periods start to become irregular), if applicable:

Question Title

* 21. Tell us how your ADHD symptoms manifested during perimenopause: (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 22. On a scale of 1 (minimal) to 5 (extremely severe), please rate the severity of your ADHD symptoms after reaching menopause (when an individual has gone for 12 consecutive months without a period), if applicable:

Question Title

* 23. Tell us how your ADHD symptoms manifested after reaching menopause: (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 24. Have you experienced a midlife crisis — a period of emotional turmoil in middle age frequently characterized by a strong desire for change?

Question Title

* 25. If Yes, what did your midlife crisis look like? For example, did you quit a job or end a long-term relationship? Please explain:

Question Title

* 26. If Yes, do you feel that your ADHD symptoms contributed to your midlife crisis?

Question Title

* 27. Please rate on a scale of 1 (Not at all effective) to 5 (Very effective), each of the following common ADHD treatments that you’ve tried during these 5 major stages of life (puberty, young adulthood, perimenopause, menopause and after):

  Puberty Young Adulthood & Adulthood Perimenopause Menopause and After
Mindfulness
Therapy
Supplements and vitamins
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Stimulant medication for ADHD
Exercise
ADHD coaching and/or life coaching
Brain training
Non-stimulant medication for ADHD
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Nutrition

Question Title

* 28. If you have taken medication for ADHD, please tell us the age at which you started taking medication for the first time:

Question Title

* 29. Please identify yourself so that we can attribute your comment(s) correctly if printed in a future issue of ADDitude. You may provide your first and last name, city, and state; first name and state only; or leave the fields blank if you prefer to remain anonymous. We will only use first names and state in online content.

Question Title

* 30. Would you like to share more of your story about ADHD during different life stages? If so, please complete the following fields so that the ADDitude editorial team may contact you.

NOTE: We will NOT publish your contact information or make it public in any way. (See ADDitude's full privacy policy.)

By submitting a response, you give ADDitude the right to modify, publish, and reproduce your submission in the magazine, on its website, in e-newsletters, or in any ADDitude syndication, anthology, or electronic database. There is no payment. You certify that these are your own words and that you have not violated any copyright laws. If you'd prefer to respond anonymously, please leave the name and location fields above blank. If you provide any information, we'll assume that it's OK to include that when quoting you.

Question Title

* 31. Would you like to receive ADDitude's newsletter? If so, select the newsletter(s) you'd like to receive and submit your email address below:

Please note, we do not share or sell our subscriber or e-mail lists to any individual or organization. If at any time you no longer wish to receive ADDitude newsletters, click the "Unsubscribe"  link at the bottom of any Newsletter you receive from, or the "Manage Your Subscriptions" link us to change your preferences. (Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.)
Thank you for taking ADDitude's "Life Transitions for Women with ADHD" Survey! Your answers will help us as we work on an article on this topic. Please watch for it in a coming issue.

Visit us online at additudemag.com and feel free to contact us at any time with questions or comments at letters@additudemag.com.

T