Autism and the Menopause, Exploring the Overlap

Research into how the menopause affects autistic individuals is scarce, it feels like an overlooked intersection, leaving many women trying to navigate this stage without adequate support or understanding.

Interestingly menopause symptoms can mimic or mask autistic traits, many women receive diagnoses of anxiety or depression instead. For some, menopause is the first time autistic traits become visible enough to seek assessment, leading to later life diagnoses. Sadly, this overlap can create confusion both for individuals and healthcare providers, who may not be trained to recognise neurodiversity and presenting factors.

So how might this look for an autistic, peri or menopausal woman? The unique challenges you might experience?

We all know about the most common symptoms, hot flushes, mood swings, night sweats but common challenges for autistic women are more extreme with sensory overload, brain fog, emotional regulation (hormonal changes can intensify autistic meltdowns or shutdowns) and sleep struggles leading to faster burnout. Navigating relationships and work which were already challenging at times can amp up a thousand times more.

If this resonates with you (or someone you love) you are NOT ALONE. Let’s start talking about autism and menopause – because awareness changes everything. Remember this stage of life doesn’t erase who you are, it can actually shine a light on your resilience, your adaptability, and more importantly, your right to be supported in the ways you need. You can find more detail in the two links below around work and the menopause and the NHS, menopause and autism.

https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/autism-space/health/menopause-and-autism/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512224002020

Remember, supporting your emotional well-being during menopause is speaking with self compassion with yourself, giving yourself permission to slow down and feel what you feel, gentle self-care like mindfulness, journalling, connecting with supportive friends, peer groups or counselling. Above all, kindness towards yourself is key.