Symptoms of ADHD in Women
Women who suffer from ADHD often have miscommunications or frustrations in their relationships. Signs of ADHD like missing appointments, arriving late for meetings, or being unable to concentrate during conversations could be mistaken by others as lack of interest or boredom.
Girls and women with ADHD have a difficult time being assessed due to gender-based discrimination. Clinicians need to recalibrate approaches to identifying and treating female patients.
1. Disorganization
If you have trouble keeping track of your time, it might be difficult to keep track of your daily responsibilities at school and work. You may also misplace or lose important items like keys or phones. It might be difficult to stick to a schedule or might forget important events or appointments, such as birthdays or anniversaries. You might also have trouble remembering names. This could make it difficult to establish new friends or keep relationships.
You may not realize that your disorganization issues are ADHD symptoms, but there are many resources to assist you. Start by speaking to your primary care provider. They might refer you to a mental health specialist or a therapist who has had experience treating ADHD.
Girls and women with ADHD are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, which could be due to the fact that they develop strategies to mask their symptoms. They may be struggling with self-esteem and a tendency to blame their difficulties on factors beyond their control, like relationship issues or their gender.
Stereotypes regarding gender, sex and behavior can also make it more difficult for women with ADHD to get the support they require. For example, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors are typically seen as more appropriate for males and females. Women who suffer from ADHD hide or suppress their symptoms to be accepted to avoid criticism and embarrassment.
While being diagnosed with ADHD won't fix these social and cultural problems however, it can help you to learn to manage your symptoms more effectively. You can improve your quality of life by getting treatment and making changes to your lifestyle, such as adhering to a schedule, meditating regularly and eating an appropriate diet.
You can also increase your ability to focus and complete tasks by taking ADHD medication. However, it's important to speak to your healthcare professional regarding the medication and any side effects you might experience. They can recommend adjustments to your medication like reducing the dosage or altering the time of day you take them. They can also help you discover ways to improve your everyday functioning, including making accommodations at school or work to accommodate your ADHD symptoms.
2. Inattention
If you're a woman suffering from ADHD and you're struggling, you could be suffering with "time blindness." That means you're often late to appointments or aren't able to keep on top of deadlines. You may also have difficulty concentrating or beginning, especially with boring or unchallenging tasks. These symptoms can be frustrating for friends and coworkers. You're not being rude or inconsiderate intentionally. You're just dealing with the challenges that are associated with ADHD.
Females and females are more likely to have inattention ADHD than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. These characteristics are less easily visible, which can make it more difficult for women and girls to seek treatment. Additionally women and girls often develop coping strategies that cover the symptoms of ADHD which is why they are often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Symptoms of depression or anxiety could, for instance be mistaken for the inattention symptoms of ADHD and are treated for these disorders instead.
In addition, it's possible that girls and women struggle to be diagnosed because they blame themselves for the issues caused by their ADHD. They may be dissatisfied with their absences or failing to meet deadlines, and so don't inform a doctor of the symptoms. If they do go to consult with a healthcare professional, it's likely they'll be told that their behavior is normal and not their fault, which can further exacerbate their frustration and shame.
Although medication is the most effective treatment for ADHD in adults, it's important to select the right medication that work for you and your specific symptoms. If stimulant medications don't work or you're unable to take them, your physician might recommend antidepressants or other non-stimulant drugs. They'll also take into consideration whether your symptoms are exacerbated due to hormonal changes like those that occur during your menstrual period, pregnancy, or menopause. These fluctuations can affect the way your body process medication and how effective they are. It's also essential to get an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible. Medications can help manage your ADHD symptoms and enhance your ability to function in the workplace and at home.
3. Impulsivity
Women who suffer from ADHD often have trouble controlling their emotions. Symptoms can include feelings of anxiety, frustration, depression or mood swings. These feelings can affect relationships and work performance. Women can also experience difficulty maintaining friendships and may have a more erratic love life and more frequent romantic relationships and a greater chance of violence from intimate partners.
The impulse-control symptoms of adhd in women can be more difficult to notice and identify than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms seen in boys and men/people AMAB. This is due to the fact that girls and women are more adept at devising strategies to manage or disguise their ADHD symptoms in order to meet gendered societal expectations (Quinn & Madhoo 2014). This could lead to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment for women who suffer from adhd as adults.
For example females with ADHD struggle to resist temptations or to avoid acting on their emotions and find it hard to control their spending habits. This can cause financial problems, and it also means they may not pay their bills or make payments on time. Impulsive women also tend to be more likely to shop out of boredom or a desire for excitement and stimulation, which could lead to problems with their relationship with food. This could lead to unhealthy and unbalanced eating habits which can lead to health issues.
We know that women are more likely to suffer symptoms of adhd than men However, research on this subject is sporadic. It could be because early research on ADHD focused on males and people who AMAB, so it was easier to notice their symptoms and refer them to diagnosis. Also, it's possible that the criteria for diagnosing ADHD isn't as reliable to identify females suffering from the disorder.
Receiving a diagnosis of adhd can be a game changer for some women, especially if it comes late in life. It can help women discover who they are and why they act the way they do. It can make them feel like a lightbulb went off, giving them a reason to their difficulties.
4. Anxiety
Women suffering from ADHD often struggle with anxiety and stressful situations. Stress can lead to problems with relationships, work and school. It may manifest physically, such as a fast heartbeat, shallow breathing and muscle tension or headaches. It can also affect sleep. Lack of sleep can exacerbate anxiety symptoms, making them more difficult to manage. A vicious cycle could develop in which anxiety causes procrastination out of the fear that things won't get done correctly and this causing more anxiety.
It's essential to be aware of your own feelings and recognise if you have an anxiety disorder. If you notice symptoms that affect your daily life, speak to a doctor or mental health professional for help. They will evaluate your condition and use recognised criteria to determine whether you suffer from an anxiety disorder. This may include how long you've been experiencing symptoms and how severe they are. They may suggest different tests and tools to rule other medical conditions which could be causing the symptoms.
Women with ADHD may find it more difficult to get a diagnosis than men because they tend to be better at masking their symptoms. Women with ADHD may develop strategies for coping to help them function. However, these strategies can become ineffective over time. Some women who suffer from ADHD are able to manage their impulsiveness through planning ahead for meetings or by using a phone reminder. However, these coping strategies might not address the root cause of their ADHD and could lead to problems in their personal lives and at work or school.
add adult women of determining a diagnosis may be difficult because many rating scales for ADHD tend to favor male behaviors and symptoms. Women are less likely to seek treatment if they don't believe they suffer from ADHD, or if they believe it will negatively affect their professional and personal relationships.
If your ADHD symptoms are hindering your studies or work it is essential to voice your concerns and ask for assistance from co-workers and supervisors. They'll likely be willing to provide accommodations to allow you to succeed in school or at work.