ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD experience emotional instability and sensitivity to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality of sleep which can make symptoms worse.
Women and girls are often more adept at hiding their ADHD symptoms by using coping strategies to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
For a lot of women suffering from ADHD concentration is the biggest challenge. Symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can make it hard to remain focused at school, during meetings at work, or even when listening to others talk. It can also be difficult to manage everyday tasks, such as keeping track of appointments or making sure to take medications.
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 women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder may have difficulty organizing their home and their desk. They may be unable to prioritize tasks. These problems can cause them to miss appointments, arrive in the wrong place at the right time, or fail to keep up on their work duties. They may cause them to feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their troubles and think they are incompetent or forgetful.
Inattentive ADHD can also lead to poor performance at school or at work and can lead to debt accumulation. According to CHADD they can be triggered by stress or other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Certain women and girls who suffer from inattentional ADHD aren't diagnosed or treated because of the biases teachers and parents might have toward boys and men. 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.
Hormonal changes can also increase symptoms for women who suffer from ADHD. For instance, they could be more evident during the menstrual cycle or during perimenopause, which is the time before menopausal changes. This is when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems such as mood swings and anger.
The use of stimulants can help increase the concentration of adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies, such as lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in organizing and focus. Certain schools and workplaces have facilities that can help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
Inattention can make managing daily tasks and responsibilities challenging. It may be difficult to keep track of important details, especially if they occur in a noisy setting. You might also notice that you are often late for appointments or get late to work or school. Not being able to pay your bills or reply to emails is common among women with ADHD that can lead to financial stress and make you feel overwhelmed. You may have difficulty working in a noisy or crowded office, and you may be unable to concentrate during conversations. This could make someone else feel unimportant or confused.
Many girls and women with ADHD also have trouble maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pressured into unintentional sexual activity or becoming victims of intimate partner violence. They are more likely than others to feel overwhelmed because they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They could also be struggling with their self-esteem and they might view their difficulties as a "personal fault" instead of recognizing that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Because of gender bias, women and girls with ADHD are not diagnosed because their symptoms are less obvious than those of men and boys. They can disguise symptoms as anxiety and mood disorders, which could result in a misdiagnosis or improper treatment.
ADHD symptoms can differ based on fluctuations in hormones. This is especially the case during puberty when estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels rise. add and adhd in women can result in greater variance in symptoms from day to day which can make it harder to identify and manage ADHD properly.
If you are diagnosed and treated, you can learn how to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also change your lifestyle, such as eating a balanced diet and limiting stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, and sugary drinks that can worsen symptoms. add and adhd in women and mindfulness techniques can help calm your mind and reduce the impulsiveness and restlessness. They also aid in improving the regulation of emotions. A mental health professional may be able to assist you by discussing possible accommodations that may help you manage ADHD symptoms at work or at school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be because women and girls have different brains than boys and men. Or it could be due to the amount of activity in the brain areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
This means it is often difficult for a doctor to recognize and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop strategies for coping to disguise their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, while others aren't sustainable and may cause health issues of other kinds. For instance, some women turn to drinking or using drugs to deal with their symptoms. They could also develop depression or other mental health issues such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies may make it difficult for people to notice that they are suffering from a disorder and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a common adhd symptoms for women. It can affect their school or work performance, or even their relationships. They can be a problem when they are unable to stay focused on a particular task, ignoring important tasks or events, and easily getting distracted by the environment or their thoughts. They might fumble or tap their hands or feet or squirm in their seats. They may also shout or talk loudly, and can interrupt.
Women with the predominantly inattentive subtype of adhd can have trouble concentrating on conversations or lectures as well as keeping up with reading, writing or schoolwork; adhering to instructions at work or in class; and juggling their daily chores. They may be unorganized and messy and find it difficult to adhere to commitments or tasks. They are more susceptible to misplacing or losing things like keys, wallets, and eyeglasses.
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 problems at home, at work and at schools, and can trigger feelings of anxiety, boredom, and frustration. They have a tough waiting for their turn at home, school or at work and are often disruptive to others. They have a tendency to act recklessly and are not able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder time coping with their symptoms than men and boys. This is due to societal expectations that demand women and mothers to be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman with ADHD is unable to fulfill her responsibilities, she can experience heightened feelings of anxiety that can cause low self-esteem. This, in turn, makes it more difficult to seek out 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. In addition, they are more likely to develop strategies for coping that mask their ADHD symptoms, including frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD may also change over the life of a woman. Women may experience ADHD symptoms during hormonal changes such as menstrual cycles and pregnancy. This can cause her to be misunderstood or considered a woman who is overly emotional.
The information in this article is based on research into how ADHD affects people based on their sexual. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomical structure. gender is a subjective sense of who you are as a male, a woman, or, if non-binary, an individual. This distinction is crucial because it allows us to better comprehend the ways and reasons ADHD manifests differently in men and women. For this reason, throughout this article we refer to males and those assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as males and boys as well as women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This terminology is utilized in many research studies. For more information, check out the guide to sex and gender by Verywell Health.