Feeling Like You Have ADHD All of a Sudden? You’re Not Alone.

If your focus, memory, and motivation feel worse than ever, you might be wondering:

• 🧠 Do I have ADHD?
• 🧠 Has my brain changed?
• 🧠 Why do I feel so different than I used to?

You’re not imagining things—but ADHD doesn’t suddenly develop in adulthood. What you’re experiencing is likely executive dysfunction brought on by the pressures of modern life.

Our World is Fraying Executive Function—For Everyone.

In ADHD 2.0, Dr. Edward Hallowell explains how modern life is rewiring our brains, making focus, organization, and emotional regulation harder than ever. Constant digital distractions, relentless work demands, rising anxiety levels, and burnout are pushing executive function to its limit.

What’s Draining Your Focus?

• 🔹 Chronic Stress & Anxiety → Your brain prioritizes survival over focus.
• 🔹 Burnout → Overloaded mental systems mimic ADHD symptoms.
• 🔹 Hormonal Changes → Estrogen shifts (puberty, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause) impact attention, memory, and emotional regulation.
• 🔹 Sleep Deprivation → Poor sleep tanks focus, motivation, and emotional control.
• 🔹 Digital Overload → The constant flood of notifications and multitasking erodes deep thinking.

ADHD vs. Stress-Induced Executive Dysfunction: What’s the Difference?

For some, what feels like "late-onset ADHD" is actually lifelong ADHD that was overlooked until life stressors made it unmanageable. Many people—especially women—are diagnosed during major hormonal shifts, like:

• 🔹 Puberty → ADHD traits intensify as hormones shift.
• 🔹 Pregnancy/Postpartum → Estrogen drop = focus & emotional regulation crash.
• 🔹 Perimenopause/Menopause → Memory, motivation, and mood changes.
• 🔹 Medical conditions requiring estrogen blockers → ADHD symptoms appear or worsen.

These individuals often say, "Now that I understand ADHD, I can see the pattern going back to childhood."

For others, stress, burnout, or life transitions cause executive function to break down for the first time. A key difference? They can clearly say, "I’ve never struggled like this before."

Late-Diagnosed ADHD	Situational Executive Dysfunction
Symptoms existed in childhood but were masked or unnoticed	Executive dysfunction is new and tied to a recent stressor
Struggles with focus, time, and memory across all areas of life	Can focus well when pressure is removed
Strong dopamine-seeking behaviors (hyperfocus, novelty-seeking)	Feels more like brain fog, exhaustion, or feeling "shut down"
Can’t “snap out of it” even when motivated	Once stressors ease, symptoms improve
Often diagnosed during hormonal shifts	No prior history of similar struggles

The Good News? Your Brain Can Recover.

Whether you have lifelong ADHD that’s finally coming to light or your executive function is just overloaded, you don’t have to stay stuck.

At Brilla Counseling, we help you:

• ✅ Understand what’s draining your focus (stress, hormones, burnout, etc.)
• ✅ Develop strategies that actually fit your brain (not just generic productivity hacks)
• ✅ Regain clarity, emotional balance, and confidence in your abilities

If your brain isn’t working the way it used to, it’s not just you—and it’s not your fault.

📅 Book a Consultation