Psychiatrists Warning: ADHD Relationships, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and Building a Life That Works

ADHD rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), women’s mental load, and the relationship fights that never seem to end—this episode explores how ADHD can affect communication, friendship, intimacy, and the stories we tell ourselves about being “too much.” View the full show notes and resources at DrBrighten.com: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-and-relationships/ 

Before we get into today’s episode: ADHD and Women is officially out https://amzn.to/4mPBO2x, and I am so deeply grateful for every person who has bought the book, shared it, posted about it, recommended it to a friend, or simply sent me a note of support. You are helping change the conversation around women, hormones, and ADHD—and I do not take that lightly.

And if you are a midlife woman whose brain suddenly feels like it is struggling—more forgetful, scattered, emotionally reactive, exhausted, or unable to focus—this book is for you, too. Perimenopause can look and feel a whole lot like ADHD, and you deserve answers that go deeper than “you’re just stressed.”

In episode three of our ADHD in Women series, Dr. Jolene Brighten is joined by, Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone, board-certified psychiatrist, Annika Angelo, MS, and Leann Borneman, LCSW for an honest, practical conversation about building relationships and systems that work with your brain—not against it.

You’ll learn why “just tell me what to do” can create more mental load, how to distinguish an ADHD explanation from an excuse, what rejection sensitivity can look like in real life, why friendships can feel so hard to maintain, and how executive function can affect sexual desire and connection.

💛 If this episode helps you feel seen, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps more women find evidence-informed conversations about ADHD, hormones, and mental health.

🎧 In this episode

🧠 Mental load is not just doing the task. It is noticing, remembering, planning, delegating, following up, and ensuring the task is actually complete.

💬 Shared language changes relationships. When both people can name the barrier, they can stop treating each other like the problem and start designing a better system.

💛 You are not a bad friend because you struggle with follow-through. But communication, repair, and choosing friendships that make room for your actual brain matter.

❤️ Desire is not always spontaneous. For many people, stress, task-switching, emotional safety, and executive-function demands can affect their ability to access desire and in