ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD report emotional volatility and sensitivity towards rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality of sleep, which can exacerbate symptoms.
Girls and women often hide their ADHD symptoms better than males and employ strategies to cope with the social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis as well as an inability to treat.
1. Problems with Focusing
Concentration is the biggest issue for many women with ADHD. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to remain focused at school, in meetings at work, or even when listening to others talk. It can also be difficult to complete daily tasks, like keeping track of appointments or remembering to take 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, women with the inattentive type of the disorder might struggle to organize their home and their desks. They may be unable to prioritize their tasks. These issues can result in them missing appointments, showing up at the wrong time or place or failing to finish their work duties. They may make them feel ashamed of themselves and blame themselves for their shortcomings, thinking they are lazy or forgetful.
Inattentional ADHD can also result in poor performance at school or at work, and the accumulation of debt. According to CHADD the symptoms can be triggered by stress or other mental conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Teachers and parents could be biased towards males and females, which can cause some girls and women 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 women who are adults with ADHD symptoms, they may be caused due to hormonal changes. They may be more apparent during menstruation or perimenopause, the run-up to the menopausal phase of a woman, when estrogen levels drop and can cause emotional issues like mood swings or irritation.
The use of stimulants can help improve concentration for adults with ADHD, but it won't cure the condition. Other strategies, such as mindfulness training, lifestyle changes, and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also assist with focus and organization. Some workplaces and school have accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
It can be difficult to stay on top of daily tasks or manage responsibilities. You may struggle to remember important information about events or people particularly when they occur in a noisy or busy environment. You might also notice that you often forget appointments or run late for school or work. Inability to pay bills or respond to emails is a common occurrence for women with ADHD and can cause financial stress and leave you feeling overwhelmed. You might have trouble working in a crowded or loud office and often lose focus during conversations, leaving the other person feeling ignored or misunderstood.
Many girls and women who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They are also at risk of being forced into sexually inappropriate behavior or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than others to feel overwhelmed due to the fact that they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They might also have a problem with self-esteem, and may see their difficulties as a "personal flaw" instead of recognizing that their behavior is linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women who suffer from ADHD are also not diagnosed due to gender bias, since their symptoms are more noticeable than those of males and females. They could disguise symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders, which can cause a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
ADHD symptoms can differ based on fluctuations in hormones. This is particularly evident during puberty, as estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels rise. This can result in greater variance in symptoms throughout the day, which can make it more difficult to recognize and treat ADHD properly.
Finding a doctor and getting treatment can help you gain life skills to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also try lifestyle changes, for example, eating a well-balanced diet and limiting sugar, caffeine and other stimulants that might cause symptoms to worsen. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can calm your mind and reduce anxiety and impulsiveness. They also aid in improving emotional regulation. A mental health professional may be able to help you by discussing possible accommodations that could aid you in managing ADHD symptoms at work or in school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women who suffer from ADHD are more sluggish than hyperactive or hyperactive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that girls and women have different brains than males and females. It could also be due to the level of activity in the brain areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
This means it can be difficult for a doctor to recognize and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others are not sustainable and could cause other health issues. Women, for instance are prone to drinking excessively and other drugs to deal with their problems. They may also become depressed or suffer from other mental health issues like anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies may make it harder for someone to recognize they have a problem and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is one of the most common adhd symptoms for women. It can affect their work or school performance, or even their relationships. They typically involve not being focused on a task, forgetting important events or tasks, and becoming easily distracted by other aspects of the environment or in their minds. They may fidget, shake their hands or feet or make a squirming sound. They can also yell or speak loudly and may interrupt.
Women who are inattentive may have trouble concentrating during lectures or conversations, keeping up with schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following instructions in the classroom or at work, and managing daily tasks. They might be unorganized, forgetful, and messy. It is often difficult for them to follow through with commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace items 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 disorder can cause problems at work, home or at school. It can also cause feelings of irritability, boredom and frustration. They are unable to wait for their turn, whether at school, at work, or home. They also interrupt others frequently. They are prone to act recklessly and are not able to control their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls who have ADHD might find it difficult to manage their symptoms. This is due to the expectations of society that require women and mothers be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman is struggling to fulfill her obligations this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This makes it harder to seek treatment.
Women with ADHD are typically not recognized as easily as boys or men because their symptoms don't 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. They are more likely to develop coping mechanisms that mask their ADHD symptoms. For example, excessive fidgeting or forgetfulness can be mistaken as signs of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over the course of a woman's lifetime. Women can suffer ADHD symptoms when hormonal changes occur, such as menstrual cycles and pregnancy. This can cause her to be misunderstood, or thought of as a woman who is overly emotional.
The information in this article is based on research into how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomy. While gender refers to an internal sense of being a man, woman, or nonbinary person. adhd in older women is crucial as it enables a 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 males at birth as males and boys. We also refer to females as well as people who were assigned female at conception as females and girls. This terminology is used in a variety of research studies. For more details, refer to the guide on sex and gender by Verywell Health.