ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD report emotional volatility and sensitivity to rejection. They may also experience insomnia or poor quality sleep, which can cause symptoms to get worse.
Girls and women are typically better at concealing their ADHD symptoms and coping mechanisms to comply with social expectations and norms. This can lead to misdiagnosis or delay in treatment.
1. Trouble focusing
Concentration is the most difficult issue for many women suffering from ADHD. Symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder may make it difficult to remain focused at school, at meetings at work, or when listening to others talk. It can be difficult to accomplish everyday tasks such as remembering appointments or taking medication.
Difficulty focusing is one of the most common adhd symptoms for girls and women, regardless of their gender identity or whether they have hyperactive/impulsive or inattentive ADHD. According to CHADD the women who suffer from the inattentive form of the disorder may struggle with organizing their homes and desk. They might also find it hard to prioritize their tasks. These issues can result in being late for appointments, turning up at the wrong time or location or not completing their work duties. They can also cause them to feel ashamed of themselves and blame themselves for their problems believing they are lazy or forgetful.
Inattentive ADHD symptoms can also make it difficult to stay on top of responsibilities, leading to poor work or school performance and an accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they can be triggered by stress or other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Women and girls with inattentional ADHD are underdiagnosed or overlooked because of biases that parents and teachers may have towards men and boys. They may not be able to express their ADHD symptoms as well, especially the hyperactive/impulsive ones, and may have difficulty finding treatment that works for them.
For women who are adults who suffer from ADHD symptoms, they may be worsened by hormonal changes. They can be more noticeable during menstrual cycles or perimenopausal periods, the run-up to a woman's menopause which is when estrogen levels decrease and cause emotional problems such as mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD may benefit from stimulant medication to boost their concentration, but it will not solve the problem. Other strategies, such as mindfulness training, lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can help with focus and organization. Some schools and workplaces have accommodations that can help with these issues, too.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make juggling daily chores and responsibilities difficult. You may struggle to remember important information about people or events particularly when they take place in a noisy or busy environment. You might also notice that you often forget appointments or are late for school or work. Forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails is common among women with ADHD and can cause financial stress and make you feel overwhelmed. You may have difficulty working in a busy or noisy office. You may also get lost in conversations, leaving others feeling unimportant or misunderstood.
Many girls and women who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They are also at risk of being forced into inappropriate sexual behaviour or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. This is due to the fact that they have a harder to manage their emotions and are more likely to become overwhelmed. They may also have issues with their self-esteem and may be more likely to interpret their issues as "personal flaws" rather than recognizing the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women who suffer from ADHD are also underdiagnosed because of gender bias because their symptoms are less noticeable than those of boys and men. They could disguise symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders, which can lead to a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
ADHD symptoms can be different based on hormone fluctuations. This is particularly true during puberty, when hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels increase. This can lead to a more frequent change in symptoms from day to day, which makes it difficult to recognize and manage ADHD properly.
Getting diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you develop life skills to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also consider lifestyle changes, such as eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants that may cause symptoms to become worse. It is also possible to practice mindfulness and meditation techniques to help calm your mind, decrease restlessness and impulsiveness, and improve emotional regulation. Talking to a mental health professional could also be helpful, as they can suggest possible adjustments at work or school to help you manage your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In the majority of cases, women who suffer from ADHD have more irritable symptoms than hyperactive or impulsive ones. That may be because the brains of girls and women differ from the brains of males and females, or it could have to do with the amount of activity is occurring in the regions of the brain that control disruptive and impulsive behavior.
It can be a challenge for doctors to diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to disguise their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, but others aren't sustainable and may cause other health problems. For example, some women turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to deal with their symptoms. They may also develop depression or other mental health issues such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies may make it difficult for people to recognize they have a problem and may delay a correct diagnosis.
Disruptive behaviors are a common adhd symptom for women that can affect school or work performance and relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a task, forgetting important events or tasks, and becoming easily distracted by other things in their surroundings or in their thoughts. They may fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm in their seat. They may also shout or speak loudly, and can interrupt.
Women with the inattentive subtype may have trouble staying focused during lectures or conversations, keeping up with schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following instructions in classes or at work, and managing daily tasks. They can be disorganized and messy and find it difficult to keep track of commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace things like eyeglasses, wallets, and keys.
Having the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd can disrupt work or school, cause social problems, and create relationship challenges. This type of adhd can cause trouble at home, at work and at schools, and can trigger feelings of anxiety, boredom, and frustration. They have a difficult waiting to be called upon at school, home, or in the workplace and often interrupt others. They are prone to act recklessly and aren't able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD might find it difficult to manage their issues. This is due in part to societal expectations that demand women and mothers be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman with ADHD is unable to keep up with her responsibilities, she can feel anxious and stressed that lead to low self-esteem. This makes it more difficult to seek treatment for her ADHD.
Women with ADHD are typically not diagnosed as easily as men or boys because their symptoms don't seem to be as apparent. They may present with primarily inattentive symptoms, which do not have the same outward appearance as hyperactive/impulsive ADHD symptoms, making them less likely to receive a referral for treatment from teachers and parents. They are more likely to develop coping mechanisms that mask their ADHD symptoms. For example, excessive fidgeting or forgetfulness can be mistaken as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can change over the course of a woman's lifetime. Women may be afflicted with ADHD symptoms during hormonal changes such as menstrual cycle and pregnancy. adhd in adult women treatment could cause her to be viewed as a victim of prejudice or thought of as an excessively emotional.
The information in this article is based on research into how ADHD affects people based on their sexual. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology: hormones, chromosomal makeup and anatomy. whereas gender refers to the internal feeling of being a woman, man or a nonbinary. This distinction is crucial because it allows for better understanding of how and the ways in which ADHD manifests can differ between genders. In this article, we are referring to males and people who were assigned male at birth as boys and males. We also refer to females as well as people who were assigned female at conception as women and girls. This is in line with how many research studies employ this term. For more information, read the guide on sex and gender by Verywell Health.