ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD have reported emotional instability and sensitivity towards rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep which can cause more symptoms.
Women and girls are often better at concealing their ADHD symptoms, using coping mechanisms to meet societal expectations and norms. This could lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
1. Trouble focusing
Concentration is the biggest issue for many women with ADHD. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can make it hard to remain focused at school, during meetings at work, or when reading and listening to other people's conversations. It can also be difficult to manage daily tasks, like keeping track of appointments or remembering to take your 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. Women with the inattentive form of the disorder might struggle to organize their homes or at their work desk and have difficulty focusing on tasks, according to CHADD. These issues could cause them to skip appointments, show up in the wrong place at the correct time, or fail to follow through on their tasks. These issues can cause them to feel uneasy about themselves, and they might blame themselves for their problems.
Inattentional ADHD can also result in 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.
Teachers and parents may be biased towards males and girls, leading to some women and girls to be overlooked. 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 adult women with ADHD symptoms, they may be worsened due to hormonal changes. For instance, they may be more apparent during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopause, which is the time before menopausal, when estrogen levels decrease and can cause emotional issues such as mood swings and irritation.
Adults with ADHD can benefit from stimulant medications to improve their focus but it won't cure the condition. Other strategies like mindfulness training, lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can help with organization and focus. Some schools and workplaces have facilities that can assist with these issues, as well.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make it difficult to keep track of your daily activities or take care of responsibilities. adhd in adult women treatment may struggle to remember important details about people or events particularly when they take place in a noisy or busy environment. You might also find that you frequently forget appointments or get late to work or school. Forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails is common among women with ADHD, which can create financial stress and leave you feeling stressed. You may have difficulty working in a crowded or loud office and often get lost in conversations, causing the other person to feel unimportant or misunderstood.
Many women and girls suffering from ADHD are also having a difficult time maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pressured into sexual activities that are not desired or being victims of violence from intimate partners. This is because they have a more difficult managing their emotions and are more likely to feel overwhelmed. They may also have issues with self-esteem and could be more inclined to see their issues as "personal flaws" instead of recognizing that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Females and females who suffer from ADHD are also not diagnosed due to gender bias because their symptoms are less evident than the symptoms of men and boys. They can disguise symptoms as anxiety and mood disorders, which could lead to a misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
ADHD symptoms can differ based on hormone fluctuations. This is particularly the case during puberty when estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels rise. This can lead to a greater variance in symptoms throughout the day, which makes it difficult to diagnose and manage ADHD properly.
When diagnosed and treated, you will learn to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes such as eating healthy and balanced meals and avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, and sugary drinks which can aggravate symptoms. You can also try mindfulness techniques and meditation to relax your mind, reduce restlessness and impulsiveness and improve your emotional control. A mental health professional may be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that may aid you in managing ADHD symptoms at work or at school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women with ADHD tend to be less attentive than those with hyperactive or hyperactive symptoms. That may be because the female and female brains differ from the brains of males and females or it could have to do with the amount of activity is happening in the areas of the brain responsible for managing impulsive and disruptive behavior.
In the end, it can be difficult for a doctor to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop strategies for coping to hide their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, while others are unsustainable and can result in other health issues. Women, for instance use excessive alcohol or drugs to manage. They may also become depressed or suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping methods can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have mental health issues and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common adhd symptoms for women. It can affect their school or work performance, or even their relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a particular task, not remembering important events or tasks, and being easily distracted by other things in their environment or in their thoughts. They might fidget, tap their hands or feet, or make a squirming sound. They can also talk out loudly or yell, and they could be disruptive.
Women who are inattentive can have difficulty in concentrating during lectures or discussions or completing schoolwork, reading, or writing assignments, following instructions in the classroom or at work, and juggling daily tasks. They may be unorganized, messy, and forgetful and have a difficult time follow through on commitments or tasks. They are more susceptible to misplacing or losing items such as 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 subtype can lead to issues at work, at home, and at school, and it can trigger feelings of anxiety or boredom. They have a difficult time waiting for their turn at school, home or in the workplace and are often disruptive to other people. They have a tendency to act recklessly and are not able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls with ADHD can have a harder time coping with their symptoms than men and boys. This is due to societal expectations that demand women and mothers be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman is struggling to meet her responsibilities this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This can make it harder to seek out treatment for her ADHD.
Women with ADHD are not often diagnosed as easily as boys or men because their symptoms do not appear as prominent. 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. Additionally, they are more likely to develop coping strategies that mask their ADHD symptoms, like excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness, that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The signs of ADHD in women can also differ at different times during the woman's life. For example, during periods of hormonal changes, like menstruation or pregnancy, women may discover her ADHD symptoms to become more intense. This can result in her being misunderstood or dismissed as a terribly emotional woman, which adds to her sense of frustration.
The information in this article is based on research about how ADHD affects people based on their sexual. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, hormonal makeup, chromosomal makeup and anatomy. whereas gender is a subjective sense of being a man, woman, or nonbinary person. This distinction is important because it allows us to better understand how and why ADHD can manifest differently in women and men. In this article, we refer to males and people who were assigned males at birth as boys and men. We also refer to females as well as people who were assigned female at conception as women and girls. This terminology is utilized in many research studies. For more information, read the guide to sex & gender by Verywell Health.