ADHD, Hormones & Bras with Viki Cumberbatch
When you’re neurodivergent, even your underwear can impact your focus—and your mood. We sat down with ADHD coach Viki Cumberbatch to talk boobs, hormones, bras, and why feeling “held in” can make all the difference for women with ADHD.
From Capitol Hill to Coaching Women with ADHD
Q: Share a bit about your early background. What led you to your current work or passion?
Viki studied government and politics and worked in nonprofit and community-based roles for years. But a transformational coaching program—and her own ADHD diagnosis at 34—opened a new path.
“I realized that was my zone of excellence, not my zone of genius... And I started getting all these downloads of just stuff. I got this full download of the zone of genius workshop.”
She discovered a serious gap in ADHD support for women, especially when it comes to how hormones affect symptoms.
“I hyperfocused in ADHD and the female body. Specifically, there’s nearly no science because it’s primarily thought to be a white male disorder.”
My Boobs Hurt—And I Had No Idea Why
Q: What is your boob story? Tell us about your journey and relationship with your boobs.
Viki hit puberty early and remembers the discomfort vividly:
“I distinctly recall going to my neighbor’s house and like touching my chest and being like, oh, this hurts so much. They feel like rocks.”
She was often seen as more physically mature than she felt—and that shaped how others treated her.
“I developed early... boys would just constantly say that, you know, I had a nice smile and I have great tits and like that was that. And I thought of that—oh well, okay, I guess that’s something to be proud of.”
Later in her 20s, after a pregnancy termination she didn’t seek medical care for, things changed.
“I had a termination when I was 28. And I didn’t know that our body continues to produce pregnancy hormones even after a termination… It wasn’t until a few years later that I became aware of how low my estrogen was.”
Viki started taking maca root to help balance her hormones—and unexpectedly, her boobs grew from a C to a DD.
“I was a C for most of my life. And now I’m not. And I just was really surprised.”
Comfort Isn’t Optional
Q: How can the physical discomfort of a tight band affect your mood? And how does the emotional discomfort of bras (aka nipping) impact you?
Bras have always been tricky for Viki.
“I’ve always got a hard time with bras, because my [boobs] are heavy and big, but I’m not wide. And so I just struggled. It was always too tight or too loose in up here in the top. And I wanted to be really held in.”
Like many neurodivergent folks, she finds that light compression helps with focus and regulation. She’s slowly transitioned away from traditional bras entirely.
“I moved from clasp bras to just bralets and then just sports bras or like a lighter sports bra… and now I’m just [into] those ones where it’s in the shirt… like a built-in shelf bra.”
Why Standard Checkups Miss So Much (And What You Should Ask For)
Q: How did you discover your hormonal imbalances and related health conditions?
It wasn’t through her yearly physicals.
“I had never gotten blood work. It’s never been suggested to me and I never thought about it. I was 34 and relatively healthy.”
But with the help of a functional medicine doctor, she got a comprehensive hormone, mineral, and metabolic panel.
“And then she said, do you want to talk about medication or do you want to talk about supplementation? She doesn’t medicate for any reason. And she said, well, we need to see where you're deficient first.”
The results revealed PCOS, prediabetes, and low estrogen—things no provider had caught before.
“For me, I'm like, all right, we got to do a little more for ourselves than the usual yearly because they're just checking us off. We may have latent stuff that isn't getting found.”
Real Talk About Shame and Misconceptions
Q: What are some misconceptions about you that you wish more people understood?
“People assume I have it all together because I coach, but I’m still learning and managing my own health every day.”
Q: What is your #VKTORIsecret—something you were once ashamed of but now celebrate?
“The biggest shift for me has been realizing that no one’s looking out for my health like I am. The system isn’t designed to catch everything. I tell women all the time: We need to do more for ourselves than just the usual checkups. Otherwise, things slip through the cracks.”
Learn from Viki
Q: What’s the best way for people to connect with you and support your work?
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ADHD E Course for Women [people can use this code for 10% off T3NNER]
As we wrapped up our conversation, one thing was clear: understanding your body, your brain, and your needs is an act of empowerment. Whether through better-fitting clothing, hormone management, or self-advocacy, the journey to comfort—both physically and mentally—is always worth it.
Let us know what part of Viki’s story resonated with you most. We’d love to hear from you.