Autistic Menopause
Autistic Menopause explores what can happen when autism, ADHD, and the menopausal transition collide.Hosted by Sam Galloway (she/her), founder of Divergent Menopause, this series follows one neurodivergent woman's attempt to make sense of a life-changing hormonal transition that few people are talking about and even fewer researchers fully understand.Through personal stories, lived experience, community insights, and emerging research, Sam explores the cognitive changes, sensory overwhelm, burnout, physical symptoms, healthcare barriers, functioning regressions, and shifting support needs that can accompany neurodivergent menopause. Each episode offers an honest account of what happens when the strategies that worked for decades...
My Autistic Menopause Story | How Autism Saved My Life
The opening episode of Autistic Menopause introduces the concept of autistic menopause. It explores why so many neurodivergent people may struggle to recognise the transition until they are already in crisis.
In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) shares the profoundly personal story of how perimenopause slowly dismantled the coping strategies she had relied upon her entire life.
From unexplained anxiety, insomnia, rage and cognitive changes to late diagnoses of autism and ADHD, Sam traces the path that eventually led her to understand what was really happening. She reflects on hormonal sensitivity throughout...
The Autistic Brain in Menopause
What happens when the cognitive strengths you've relied upon your entire life suddenly stop working?
In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) explores the neurological impact of menopause on the autistic brain. Through personal examples of memory loss, executive dysfunction, shutdowns, meltdowns, speech difficulties and skill regression, she examines how hormonal changes can amplify existing neurodivergent traits and create challenges that extend far beyond typical descriptions of brain fog.
Sam discusses autistic burnout, involuntary unmasking, sensory overwhelm, loss of independence, and the fear that accompanies sudden changes in cognition and identity. She also...
The Autistic Body in Menopause
Menopause affects far more than mood and cognition.
In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) examines the profound physical impact of menopause on the neurodivergent body. From severe dry eye syndrome, sensory hypersensitivity and chronic pain to sleep disruption, premenstrual dysphoria disorder (PMDD), temperature dysregulation, bladder changes, fatigue and mobility challenges, she explores how hormonal changes can transform everyday life.
Drawing on her own experiences, Sam discusses the complex relationship between menopause symptoms, sensory processing, trauma, chronic stress and autistic wellbeing. She also reflects on how physical changes can contribute to shrinking worlds...
Surviving Autistic Menopause
Autistic people are often told that independence is the goal. But what happens when menopause changes what you can do, what you can tolerate, and how much support you need?
In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) explores the reality of changing support needs during autistic menopause. Drawing on her own experiences of severe perimenopause, cognitive regression, chronic pain, medical gaslighting, suicidal ideation, and surgical menopause, she examines what happens when lifelong coping strategies stop working.
Sam discusses the barriers that prevent autistic adults from seeking support, including masking, internalised ableism, trauma, and...
Trailer: Welcome to Autistic Menopause
What happens when autism, ADHD, and menopause collide?
In this trailer, discover Autistic Menopause a podcast exploring the realities of neurodivergent menopause through lived experience, emerging research, and honest conversation. Hosted by Sam Galloway, the series examines the cognitive changes, sensory overwhelm, burnout, and shifting support needs that can accompany this often-overlooked stage of life, while reminding listeners that they are not alone.
Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.
🎧 Autistic Menopause is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-fre...
