ADHD, the Nervous System & Somatic Healing: A Body-Based Approach for Women in Newcastle

If you’re a woman living with ADHD, you’re likely no stranger to overwhelm, mental fatigue, restlessness, or emotional sensitivity. While ADHD is often talked about in terms of brain chemistry and medication, what’s often missing from the conversation is the body; specifically, the nervous system.

More and more women are beginning to realise that their ADHD symptoms may be tied to something deeper: a chronically dysregulated, overwhelmed nervous system. And that’s where somatic (body-based) healing comes in.

ADHD and the Overwhelmed Nervous System

Many of the classic signs of ADHD — difficulty focusing, emotional reactivity, fidgeting, sensitivity to noise or light, and impulsive decision-making — are also signs of a nervous system that’s stuck in survival mode.

For many women, this chronic dysregulation didn’t start yesterday. It’s often the result of years of accumulated stress, overstimulation, childhood patterns, or unresolved trauma stored in the body. In this sense, ADHD symptoms can be viewed as a nervous system adaptation — not a character flaw or just a chemical imbalance.

That doesn’t mean medication is “bad” — for some people, it’s a helpful tool. But there’s also another path: working directly with the body to release stored tension, support emotional regulation, and help the nervous system find safety again.

What Is Somatic Work?

Somatic work is body-based healing. It’s about helping you reconnect with your body, become more aware of where stress and trauma are being held, and gently support the release of that tension through nervous system practices.

In my work with women in Newcastle, we explore:

• Releasing stored tension through nervous system-based approaches like somatic chiropractic work and Spinal Energetics

• Building capacity to feel emotions without becoming overwhelmed

• Learning your body’s ‘yes’ and ‘no’ signals to create better boundaries and reduce overstimulation

• Supporting the body to down-regulate, so you can move out of fight-or-flight and into calm, focused presence

When your nervous system feels safe, your mind becomes clearer, your focus improves, and daily life feels less chaotic. You’re not just managing symptoms — you’re addressing what’s underneath them.

How Somatic Healing Helps Women with ADHD

Here’s how this approach supports those with ADHD:

• Greater regulation = less impulsivity
  You begin to pause and respond instead of reacting automatically.

• Better sensory processing
  Many women with ADHD are highly sensitive to sound, light, and touch. As the nervous system unwinds, the brain begins to filter and interpret stimulation differently.

• Emotional stability
  Instead of feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster, you start to experience more consistent emotional states.

• Improved focus
  When your body isn’t stuck in fight-or-flight, your brain is free to focus and create.

Somatic work is not a quick fix — but it’s deep, lasting, and rooted in your body’s innate wisdom. Many of the women I work with say they finally feel like they understand why they’ve been feeling the way they have for so long — and for the first time, they feel like they have tools that actually work.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

If you’re a woman in Newcastle navigating life with ADHD, I invite you to explore this body-based way of healing. Whether you’re looking for support alongside medication or seeking an alternative approach, my unique nervous system work can offer something profoundly different.

If you’re curious to learn more or book a session, click here to get in touch or explore my upcoming offerings.

Dr Katelyn Boucher (Chiropractor)