Notes from a webinar

🌿 Hypermobility, ADHD, Anxiety, and Chronic Conditions: What We Know

Hypermobility is more than just flexible joints. It is a connective tissue difference that can affect nearly every system in the body. Dr. Jessica Eccles’ research helps explain how hypermobility links with ADHD, anxiety, chronic pain, and other health challenges.

This summary organizes the key points from her webinar into clear sections.

1. Introduction

• Who: Dr. Jessica Eccles, psychiatrist and researcher, co-founder of the UK’s Neurodivergent Brain-Body Clinic.
• Message: The divide between “mental” and “physical” health is misleading. ADHD, autism, and related conditions are connected to the body, not just the brain.
• Focus: Hypermobility shows one of the clearest brain–body links.

2. What Hypermobility Means

• Joints move further than average due to differences in connective tissue (the body’s support network).
• Because connective tissue is everywhere, effects go beyond joints — including gut, skin, heart, blood vessels, and nervous system.
• Common (about 20% of people). Can be a strength in sports or dance, but may also cause problems like:
• Poor wound healing
• Dentist anesthesia not working
• Gut distress
• Dizziness and easy bruising

3. Anxiety and the Brain

• Early research noticed a strong link between hypermobility and panic disorder.
• Brain imaging shows differences:
• Less activity in the frontal lobes (regulation, control).
• More activity in the amygdala and insula (fear and body awareness).
• This brain pattern looks similar to ADHD and autism.

4. Neurodivergence Connection

• Neurodivergent people are four times more likely to be hypermobile.
• Up to 80% of women with ADHD/autism meet criteria for generalized joint hypermobility.
• Hypermobility may explain links between neurodivergence and common symptoms: dizziness, fatigue, pain, and brain fog.
• Co-occurrence is the rule: ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, and health issues often overlap.

5. Pain, Fatigue, and Immune Function

• Strong associations with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) — about 80% of patients are hypermobile.
• Immune markers (like CRP and ESR) often show low-level inflammation.
• Gene studies suggest hypermobility may resemble an autoimmune-type condition.
• Immune changes overlap with those seen in ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder.

6. ADHD, Emotion, and Body Awareness

• ADHD already involves clumsiness and emotional intensity. Hypermobility doubles the link between ADHD and dyspraxia.
• Underlying issue: reduced accuracy in proprioception (knowing where your body is in space) and interoception (awareness of internal states).
• Practical support: compression garments and sensory tools can improve grounding and emotion regulation.

7. Daily Life: Sleep, Migraines, Gut

• Sleep apnea and migraines are more common in hypermobility.
• Gut differences may come from collagen being distributed differently, affecting movement and digestion.
• These add to fatigue and health difficulties that many ADHD women already experience.

8. Trauma and Medical Dismissal

• Many people experience medical gaslighting — being told their symptoms are exaggerated or not real.
• Neurodivergent people face “double jeopardy”: more bullying/exclusion socially and stronger fight-or-flight responses in the body.
• This can increase trauma and make recovery harder.
• Learning the links often feels like a “lightbulb moment” of validation.

9. Strengths and Creativity

• Hypermobility is linked to creativity and flexible thinking.
• Neurodivergent, hypermobile people often excel in arts, innovation, and problem-solving.
• These traits are part of the full picture — not only challenges but also strengths.

10. Resources

Helpful tools include:

• EDS UK GP Toolkit → for doctors on hypermobility, PoTS, mast cell issues.
• EDS UK School Toolkit → for educators.
• Claire Smith’s book Understanding Hypermobility.
• Dr. Eccles (Bendy Brain) on Instagram, YouTube, and Linktree.

🌟 Key Points to Remember

• Hypermobility is common (1 in 5) but much higher in neurodivergent women (up to 80%).
• It’s a whole-body connective tissue difference, not just flexibility.
• Linked to anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, self-harm, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, and long COVID.
• Brain and immune studies confirm a body–brain connection.
• Symptoms are real, interconnected, and often misunderstood.
• Supports include compression wear, tailored exercise, and awareness of interoception.
• Strengths matter: creativity, adaptability, and resilience are part of this profile.