Melanie Lawson, founder of Bare Biology, said the ADHD diagnosis she got during perimenopause was “a shock, and then it was a relief”.

Explaining that she’d “coped” with what she now understands are ADHD symptoms all her adult life, during perimenopause, “The wheels came off in a way I couldn’t explain or manage. The brain fog was crushing. I’d forget things I’d never forgotten before… I assumed it was hormones (sometimes I thought it was dementia or a brain tumour – no joke), because what else would it be at 52?

“Perimenopause had finally stripped away every last coping mechanism I’d spent a lifetime building – and underneath was a brain that had always worked differently,” Lawson added.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Eve Lepage, reproductive health specialist at Clue, said she’s noticed a “rise in ADHD diagnoses around perimenopause and menopause”. BBC Science Focus has also written about this “increase”.

Here, she shared her thoughts on the link.

It’s not necessarily that ADHD suddenly “appears” during the life stage, Lepage said, but that changes in hormones might exacerbate existing symptoms.

“Oestrogen plays an important role in brain function, particularly in regulating dopamine, which is key for attention, motivation, and executive function. During perimenopause, oestrogen levels fluctuate and eventually decline, which can disrupt these systems and amplify ADHD-related challenges,” she said.

A 2025 systematic review of 11 studies found that hormone changes in women, e.g., during their menstrual cycle, may be linked to changes in ADHD symptoms. Clue has paired up with Queen Mary University of London to investigate how the menstrual cycle affects those with the condition.

“Perimenopause can bring underlying ADHD traits to the surface. Many people have spent years compensating through coping strategies or symptom masking, but hormonal changes can intensify symptoms and make those strategies less effective,” Lepage added.

“As a result, challenges that have been present for a long time may become more noticeable and harder to manage. This can prompt people to seek answers, and in some cases, a diagnosis for the first time.”

There’s even evidence that perimenopause may begin earlier in people with ADHD, she continued.

“Perimenopause can cause brain fog, forgetfulness, low motivation, and mood changes, all of which can also present in ADHD. For some people, this leads to a new diagnosis, and for others, it highlights how hormonal changes can exacerbate underlying neurodivergent traits.

“The link is likely multifactorial: hormonal fluctuations can intensify ADHD symptoms, while underlying ADHD can shape how someone experiences and copes with perimenopause. At the same time, a cultural shift towards greater openness around menopause and neurodiversity is making it easier for people to connect with experiences and talk about them.”

The NHS says that you should see your GP if you notice signs of menopause or perimenopause, and the same goes for signs of ADHD that are disrupting your day-to-day life.

“If possible, speak to a healthcare provider who can look at the full picture. For some people, adjusting ADHD treatment is helpful; for others, it may be more about addressing menopausal symptoms. Often, it’s about finding the right balance between the two,” Lepage said.

“In everyday life, small practical adjustments can help. Externalising tasks by writing things down, setting reminders, and breaking tasks into smaller steps can help reduce the pressure on working memory and make things feel more manageable.”

She recommends trying your best to fall asleep and wake up at roughly the same time every day, following a wind-down sleep routine, eating balanced meals with enough protein and fibre, and avoiding skipping meals.

“Chronic stress can worsen both ADHD and perimenopause symptoms. Moving your body, spending time outside, or even a few minutes of structured downtime can help regulate stress without adding extra pressure,” she said.

“Other techniques, like practising mindfulness or breathing exercises, can help regulate your nervous system.”

Labour risks losing “a generation of young voters” to the Greens and Reform, according to one of its own MPs.

Luke Charters told HuffPost UK that Labour has always been the “party young people backed when it mattered”.

But he warned: “If we don’t show we’re serious about delivering, we risk losing a generation to populists peddling false hope.”

His remarks come less than two weeks before voters head to the polls for local elections in England, and elections in the Welsh Senedd and Holyrood.

Polls suggest Labour are on course to potentially lose up to 2,000 English councillors, be defeated in Wales for the first time and see the SNP triumph in Scotland once again.

YouGov’s latest polls show the Greens are the most popular party among 18-24 year-olds on 36%, while Labour behind on 24% and Reform UK sit at 7%.

All three parties are much closer when it comes to 25-49-year-olds, though Greens still have a lead on 25%, Reform on 23% and Labour at 20%.

It’s a real reversal of the trends seen in 2024, when Labour was the most popular party for voters under-30s – 41% of 18-24-year-olds and 45% of 25-29-year-olds voted for the party.

Charters said: “Young people got a raw deal under the Tories, and some of the alternatives are no better.

“The Greens are offering gimmicks like DJ sets while Reform wants to cut young workers’ wages. You couldn’t make it up.”

He added: “Labour is delivering real change. Wage boosts, the Renters’ Rights Act, a better deal with Europe. But there is more to do on key issues like student loans and getting young people onto the housing ladder.”

The Renters’ Rights Act will ban no-fault evictions and ends fixed-term tenancy contracts from May 1, legislation is likely to appeal to the largest share of private renters – 25-34-year-olds.

Labour has also increased the National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over, and the National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds.

Labour legalised voting for 16 and 17-year-olds, too.

Charters is not the only MP who thinks the government needs to focus on the younger demographic.

One Labour backbencher suggested the government should move its focus away from policies like the pension triple lock, having already put off the elderly generation by scrapping universal winter fuel payments.

Instead, they said the government should look towards what it can offer young people once again.

“That’s where the focus should be. No more of this leadership debate,” the MP said.

A government insider also told HuffPost UK admitted they intend on engaging young people “a lot” in the coming months – though not at the expense of other groups.

An EU official also told HuffPost UK that helping young people will likely be one of the core means for the bloc will try to re-establish ties after Brexit.

The UK joined the Erasmus + scheme last week, allowing people from the EU and the UK to work or study in one another’s countries for a limited time period.

Minister for EU relations Nick Thomas-Symonds told HuffPost UK that “we think 100,000 most likely young people” will be joining that programme overall.

Considering 83% of 16 to 24-year-olds would vote to rejoin the EU, according to a February ITV News poll, it means closer ties with the bloc could be a vote-winner for Labour among young people.

But, as a Labour source warned, winning back the young vote would a “tough sell” in the coming months, considering the Green Party – which wants to rejoin the EU – has capitalised on the disillusioned demographic.

Last week, the progressives declared a Green “Youthquake” as more than 50,000 Brits under 29 became party members.

As Savanta’s political research director Chris Hopkins told HuffPost UK, how young people vote “does have the potential to be important for political parties going forward, but none more so than for Labour.”

Hopkins added that the younger voter has been a “relatively fertile electoral ground for Labour” in the past, and now the government risks losing them altogether.

The polling expert warned: “Their general malaise, and the perception that they are responsible for the country’s issues, may mean that even young people desert them.”

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There’s a certain kind of person many of us have in our lives – the one who constantly sends you alarming articles, along with a comment to the effect of “we’re f**ked”.

They always know the latest awful happenings in the world and seem ready to tell everybody that nothing anyone does matters.

The name for these kinds of people? “Doomers.”

″‘Doomerism’ is a mindset that’s rooted in chronic pessimism and worst-case scenario thinking,” Chloë Bean, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost. “It’s the belief that the future is bleak, things are only going to get worse and individual actions won’t matter. It tends to carry a sense of hopelessness, helplessness and emotional exhaustion.”

For “doomers,” there’s a pervasive sense that everything is bad. Alexandra Cromer, a licensed therapist with Thriveworks, compared doomerism to “existential dread,” highlighting the sense of fear around imminent destruction against which you have no power.

“It posits that the future of global welfare is inherently ‘doomed,’ meaning that there is almost a guarantee that the global population will soon face climate, economic and other grave disasters that ultimately contribute to widespread societal collapse,” she explained.

While there have always been “doomers” in the world to some extent, this mindset seems to have become more prevalent in the age of the internet and social media.

“A lot of people are consuming a steady stream of alarming news headlines, conflict, economic stress, climate anxiety and comparison culture without enough time to process what they’re absorbing,” Bean said. “Our nervous systems were not designed for 24/7 exposure to global distress.”

She noted that social media can amplify doomerism as fear-driven content often gets more engagement.

“The more someone interacts with pessimistic or catastrophic content, the more the algorithm will serve it back to them,” Bean explained. “This creates the false feeling that despair is the only reality.”

This phenomenon is true for those who don’t engage directly with these kinds of headlines and posts as well.

“Information that’s posted online and via social media can find you even if you’re not seeking it – e.g. your Facebook friend comments on a post or shares the concept of doomerism as a post – thus enhancing the chance that you’re exposed to that concept,” Cromer said.

Very real cultural factors can shape this mindset as well – from recent global affairs and instability to political figures espousing extremist ideologies.

“Many people are navigating systemic issues, inequity, discrimination, financial pressure, loneliness and uncertainty about the future,” Bean said. “For some, pessimism is not irrational – it’s actually a response to repeated stress and feeling unsupported.”

Dr Sue Varma, a psychiatrist and author of Practical Optimism, believes doomerism has become especially widespread among younger people, who feel they must choose between being happy and being informed.

“Younger people have declining trust in institutions, rising economic anxiety and the collapse of shared optimistic narratives – like steady progress or upward mobility – which all feed the mindset,” she said.

“Constant exposure to global crises creates a sense that disasters are everywhere all at once. Historically our 20s were typically the period of time we were happiest and most optimistic in our lives, and I just don’t see that to be the case anymore.”

There are serious downsides to leaning too far into doomerism in your everyday life, however.

“Being concerned about real issues is understandable, while doomerism crosses into the belief like ‘nothing will get better,’ which can create a sense of paralysis and apathy,” Bean said.

She believes the biggest risk to this mindset is that it becomes self-reinforcing.

“When someone believes nothing matters, they stop taking actions that support their wellbeing, like connecting with others, pursuing meaningful goals, learning new things, caring for their body, creating change in their community, or asking for help,” Bean explained.

Doomerism can increase depression, burnout, anxiety and isolation as well.

“It also narrows attention so people stop noticing what is still working or possible in their lives,” Bean said. “Chronic doom-focused thinking can disconnect people from hope, and hope is a top protective factor for mental health.”

It’s a mindset that tends to produce very absolute and passive conclusions: “Nothing will ever get better.” “Everyone is terrible.” “There’s no point.”

“It usually comes with compulsive scrolling, feeling emotionally flooded, irritability, numbness, withdrawal, constriction or losing motivation to participate in life,” Bean noted.

Cromer similarly sees many downsides to the doomerist outlook on life.

“Primarily, it causes you to have an unhealthy and unrealistic viewpoint on global health and humanity’s ability to problem-solve,” she explained. “While, yes, there are certain factors that humanity should be aware of that contribute to poor global health and outlooks, it’s also important to take a more holistic – and realistic – viewpoint of our global forecast.”

In addition to isolation and anxiety, she pointed to negative effects like restlessness, low motivation, low energy, chronic stress, hopelessness and an overall lack of enjoyment and engagement with life.

“Becoming engrossed in this mindset leads to rigid thinking, hyperfixation and can have real impacts on people’s lives,” Cromer said.

“If someone notices they feel worse after consuming news, feel stuck in catastrophic thoughts, or can’t access moments of joy or their sense of agency anymore, it may be time to get some support in making a change,” Bean said.

She recommended setting boundaries around the media you take in every day.

“You don’t need unlimited access to distressing information to stay informed,” Bean said. “Choose a few reliable sources, check them intentionally once per day max and avoid doom-scrolling.”

Restricting your information intake can help foster a healthier mindset. Consider balancing your media diet by seeking out stories of progress alongside articles about problems.

“Limit your interactions with news to maybe 30 minutes a day,” Cromer echoed. “Or, disengage from following news outlets on social media and rely on a once-daily email newsletter that can provide you with a quick, succinct update.”

Another helpful approach is to reconnect with your body and what’s going well in the present.

“When people are trapped in catastrophic thinking, regulation helps them gain a new perspective,” Bean said. “Go outside, move your body, listen to music, talk with someone safe, cook dinner, notice what is steady and real in the present moment.”

Give yourself permission to “step away” from the gloom and doom. Spend time in nature, even if it’s just sitting on a city park bench.

“Engaging with a doomerism mindset places a disproportionate amount of responsibility and perceived control on a person’s shoulders,” Cromer said. “Allow yourself to visualise placing that worry down, like removing a backpack from your back.”

Ultimately, the goal is not to disengage from all negative news but to find balance and personal agency.

“Realistic concern usually leads to taking a grounded action – voting, setting boundaries, volunteering, reducing harm, having conversations, or making values-based choices,” Bean said. “It says, ‘Things are hard, and I can still choose to respond.’”

You might not be able to fix the macro problems of the world, but you can make a difference in your immediate surroundings.

“Take concrete action on something you care about, even small, because agency is the antidote to helplessness,” Varma said. “It could be planting a community garden. It could be mentoring or tutoring somebody. It could literally be cleaning your apartment, rearranging things, donating old clothes. Invest in in-person relationships and local community, which tend to be more hopeful than online life.”

You can have realistic concern about the world without going down an unhealthy doom spiral by ensuring you can look at world issues “from all sides,” Cromer noted.

“Do you have the ability to identify risk factors as well as protective factors regarding global health?” she asked. “Are you easily able to disengage from these thought patterns and ‘take a break’? If your answer is ‘no,’ you are likely engaging in harmful ways of thinking that are not reflective of current reality.”

She also warned against becoming intolerant of differing or conflicting viewpoints ― a potential sign that you’re stuck in rigid, unhelpful patterns.

Doomerism can also go beyond just media diet and into darker mental health territory – particularly with “there’s no point” attitudes.

“Doom thinking feels absolute and drains energy rather than directing it,” Varma said. “Warning signs include consuming bad news compulsively, feeling numb or hopeless most days, believing nothing you do matters, withdrawing from plans or relationships, dismissing any positive information as naive and talking about the future only in terms of collapse.”

Be mindful if you or someone you know starts to cross a line between doomerism and suicidal ideation.

“If you find that the doomerism is impacting daily functioning and enjoyment, seek professional supportive counselling services,” Cromer said.

Mental health professionals say it’s important to pay attention to how pervasive and intense these doom-focused thoughts become. It can be hard to tell when everyday pessimism crosses into something more extreme and serious.

But you might need additional support if “what’s the point?” starts to feel like your default setting and not just a passing thought or if you notice yourself pulling away from things that used to bring you joy.

In addition to seeking therapy support, Bean recommended practicing “both/and” thinking in your everyday life.

“The world has real problems, and there is still goodness, beauty, connection, and action available right now,” Bean said. “If hopelessness feels persistent, therapy can also help unpack whether the doomer mindset is being fuelled by anxiety, trauma, depression, loneliness, or burnout. Sometimes what looks like cynicism is actually an overwhelmed and stressed-out nervous system ready for care.”

Succession star Brian Cox has said Donald Trump is “not popular” after a gunman was apprehended at an event attended by the president on Saturday night.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos by the attack, which saw Trump, who has been the previous target of an assassination attempt, swiftly evacuated by secret service agents.

The president later described the man was “a lone wolf whack job” at a hastily-arranged press conference.

The suspect, said to have been carrying a shotgun and handgun, has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California.

He is understood to have been a guest in the Washington Hilton hotel where the event.

Asked about the incident on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Brian Cox said: “There are a lot of unhappy people in America about what’s happening. The poor in particular are being really treated rather badly.

“Medicaid is under threat, everything is under threat. He’s doing the most extraordinary things to people’s wellbeing.

“People are not happy. People who voted for him are not happy. He is not popular, he really isn’t popular. He would like to pretend he is popular. He would give that impression, but he’s not. His popularity has gone way, way down.”

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer said he was “shocked” by the incident and has sent a message of solidarity to the White House.

In a post on X, the prime minister said: “Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

“It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”

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The NHS says that after you have called 999 to ask for help, taking 300mg of aspirin if you have it may be useful should you notice signs of a heart attack.

Of course, this only applies if you don’t have an aspirin allergy, and if you don’t have any within easy access, don’t worry. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says, “Do not go looking for it if you think you’re having a heart attack because it’s important to rest and stay calm until help arrives”.

The BHF added that sometimes doctors prescribe a daily low dose of aspirin, which can cost 50p a pack, for those who have had heart attacks or are at risk of having one.

Here, we asked private cardiologist and founder of The National Heart Clinic, Dr Francesco Lo Monaco, why it works, and whether we should all consider keeping aspirin in our routines.

“Aspirin is an antiplatelet medicine and works by making the blood less sticky. In normal health, it’s important that cells can stick together to block cuts and breaks in blood vessels, but in people who are at risk of heart attacks and strokes, aspirin can stop blood cells from sticking together and forming a clot,” Dr Lo Monaco said.

For that reason, “People who have had a heart attack or stroke are often advised to take a low daily dose of aspirin to reduce the chances of it happening again, [and] people who have a cardiovascular disease may also be advised to take a low dose of daily aspirin”.

But all medications have side effects, he added.

That includes aspirin, the long-term use of which includes indigestion, bleeding more than usual, and even stomach ulcers. Some research shows taking aspirin daily can almost double your risk of experiencing major bleeding episodes.

“The current advice is that aspirin is not suitable to be taken daily by everyone… it’s important to understand what is right for you. Only take daily low-dose aspirin if it has been recommended for your doctor.”

“If someone has symptoms suggestive of a heart attack (central crushing chest pain), aspirin reduces clot formation and improves outcomes,” Dr Lo Monaco ended.

“However, it is not recommended for routine prophylactic use in the general population, as the bleeding risk outweighs the benefit in those without established cardiovascular disease.

“Worth noting: always call emergency services first – aspirin is an adjunct, not a substitute.”

Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

• Crushing or squeezing chest pain that might spread to your arm, neck, or jaw,
• Feeling short of breath,
• Feeling nauseous or vomiting,
• Feeling like you have indigestion, including a burning feeling in your chest,
• Sweating,
• Pale, blue, or grey skin: “on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands,” the NHS said.

Call 999 immediately if you experience these.

President Donald Trump shared on Truth Social a photo and video footage of a shooter’s attempt to barrel past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The video, shared shortly before a hastily convened press conference at the White House on Saturday night, shows a blur of a man running past law enforcement officers standing near magnetometers at the Washington Hilton.

Trump also posted photos of the suspect seen shirtless on the ground with his hands restrained behind his back.

“The man has been captured. They’ve gone to his apartment,” Trump said. He added that the suspect is in his 30s and from California.

“He’s a sick person, a very sick person, and we don’t want things like this to happen,” Trump added.

One law enforcement officer was shot during the incident but was wearing a bulletproof vest.

“The vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer and he’s doing great, great shape,” Trump said at the press conference.

Trump also used the shooting to promote his plans for a new White House ballroom, saying it will be “drone proof” with “bulletproof glass.”

“That’s why the military are demanding it,” Trump said.

“They’ve wanted the ballroom for 150 years, for a lot of different reasons, but today is a little bit different, because we need levels of security that no one has probably ever seen before,” Trump added.

Asked by a reporter how he’s coping following multiple assassination attempts, Trump said at least it hasn’t made him a “basket case.”

Keir Starmer has been mocked over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to America in a brutal Saturday Night Live UK sketch.

The prime minister was portrayed as a confused and indecisive ‘Who Wants To Remain A Millionaire’ contestant on the Sky TV show.

Asked “is it ever a good idea to give Peter Mandelson a job”, the fake PM is presented with four possible answers.

They are no, of course not, not in a million years, and yes.

Actor George Fouracres, who plays Starmer on the show, says “it’s a tricky one” before saying he wants to ask the audience for their view.

After none of them choose yes, the PM says that has “put a seed of doubt ion my mind” and then asks for two wrong answers to be taken away.

With only “not in a million years” and “yes” left, Starmer says: “Oh gosh, this looks so much easier at home.”

He then adds: “I’m afraid I’m just not being presented with the facts.”

Starmer then asks to phone a friend, who turns out to be Mandelson himself.

After asking to go 50-50 again, and despite being left with only “not in a million years” as a possible answer, the prime minister says: “I have my answer. I know it’s not conventional, but I’d like to actually bring back one of the previous options, because I’m going to go with [yes], final answer.”

Asked if he is totally sure, the PM says: “Oh never.”

When told the correct answer was “not in a million years”, he replies: “It’s clear to me now that was the wrong decision. Would I make the same decision again, knowing what I know now? Quite possibly.”

It is not the first time that SNL has mocked the PM.

Last month, Donald Trump shared a clip from the show in which Starmer was presented as a weak and ineffectual prime minister who is scared of the US president.

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