ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD typically experience symptoms of emotional instability and an sensitivity to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality sleep which can make symptoms worse.
Girls and women are generally better at masking their ADHD symptoms and coping mechanisms to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis and a delay in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
Focusing is the biggest challenge for many women suffering from ADHD. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can make it hard to remain focused at school, in work meetings, or even when reading or listening to others talk. It can be challenging to complete daily tasks, such as keeping track of appointments or taking 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 type of the condition can struggle to organize their home and their desks. They might also have difficulty deciding how to prioritize tasks. These problems can lead them to miss appointments, arrive at the wrong place at the correct time or fail to keep up on their tasks. They may also cause them to feel ashamed of themselves and blame themselves for their troubles and think they are incompetent or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD can lead to poor performance at school or at work and can also lead to the accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they can be triggered by stress or other mental conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Teachers and parents may be biased towards boys and men, causing some girls and women to be underdiagnosed. 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 can also be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. For example, they can be more evident during menstrual cycles or during perimenopause--the run-up to menopausal, when estrogen levels decrease and cause emotional problems which include mood swings as well as irritation.
Stimulant medication can enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't cure the condition. Other strategies, including lifestyle modifications, mindfulness-based training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in focusing and organization. Some workplaces and schools have facilities that can assist with these issues, as well.
2. Forgetting Things
Inattention can make it difficult to keep track of daily activities or take care of the responsibilities. adhd in women test may struggle to remember important details about events or people particularly when they take place in a noisy or crowded environment. You might also notice that you are often late for appointments or are late to work or school. Inability to pay bills or respond to emails is a common occurrence for women suffering from ADHD and can cause financial stress and make you feel overwhelmed. You may have difficulty working in a noisy or busy office, and you may be unable to concentrate during conversations. This could make someone else feel ignored or misunderstood.
Many women and girls with ADHD are also having a difficult time maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into unwanted sexual activity or being victims of intimate partner violence. They are more likely than others to be overwhelmed because they struggle to control their emotions. They may also struggle with self-esteem, and may be more likely to view their problems as "personal imperfections" instead of recognizing the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.
Females and females with ADHD are also often overlooked due to gender bias, because their symptoms are less noticeable than those of males and females. They might be more likely to disguise their symptoms with mood disorders or anxiety which could lead to being misdiagnosed and improperly treated.
ADHD symptoms can vary depending on hormone fluctuations. This is particularly true during puberty, when hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels rise. This can lead to a more frequent change in symptoms from day to day, which can make it harder to identify and treat 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 an appropriate diet and avoiding stimulants like sugar, caffeine, and sugary drinks which can aggravate symptoms. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can help to calm your mind and decrease the impulsiveness and restlessness. They can also improve the regulation of emotions. A mental health professional could be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that can aid you in managing ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, females who suffer from ADHD have more irritable symptoms than those who are hyperactive or impulsive. This could be due to the fact that the brains of women and girls differ from the brains of boys and men, or it could have to do with how much activity is happening in the areas of the brain that manage disruptive and impulsive behavior.
This means it can be harder for a doctor to recognize and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, however others are not sustainable and could result in other health issues. For instance, some women turn to drinking or using drugs to manage their symptoms. They might also develop depression or suffer from mental health issues like anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for people to recognize a mental health problem and delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a common adhd symptoms for women. It can impact their work or school performance, as well as their relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a task, forgetting important events or tasks, and being easily distracted by other things in their environment or in their thoughts. previous may fidget, tap their feet or hands, or make a squirming sound. They can also yell or speak loudly and can interrupt.
Women with the inattentive subtype can have difficulty in concentrating during lectures or discussions, keeping up with schoolwork, reading, or writing assignments, following directions in the classroom or at work, and managing daily tasks. They may be disorganized, forgetful, and messy. It can be challenging to keep up on commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or lose items like glasses, wallets, keys and even wallets.
Having the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd can disrupt work or school, cause social problems, and create relationship challenges. This subtype can cause problems at work, at home, or school. It can also lead to feelings of restlessness, boredom and frustration. They have a hard waiting for their turn at home, school or in the workplace and are often disruptive to other people. They are prone to be reckless and are not able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls who have ADHD might find it difficult to manage their symptoms. This is largely due to the expectations of society, which demand that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman is struggling to manage her responsibilities and obligations, it can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This can make it harder to seek treatment for her ADHD.
Women who suffer from ADHD are often not diagnosed as easily as males or females because their symptoms don't appear as obvious. 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 also more likely to develop coping mechanisms that mask their ADHD symptoms. For instance, excessive fidgeting or forgetfulness can be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of ADHD in women can differ at different times during the woman's life. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, such as menstrual cycles or pregnancy, a woman could find her ADHD symptoms to be exacerbated. This can cause her to be viewed as a victim of prejudice or dismissed as a woman who is excessively emotional.
The information in this article is based on research regarding how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structure, while gender is an internal sense of what you're like as a man, a woman, or if you're nonbinary, or a person. This distinction is important because it allows for a better understanding of the ways and the ways in which ADHD manifests can vary between genders. For this reason, throughout this article we will refer to men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) as males and boys, and to women and people assigned to female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This is in line with the way many research studies use this terminology. To find out more, check out Verywell Health's guide on gender and sexuality.