ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD typically experience symptoms of emotional volatility and an sensitivity to rejection. They may also experience insomnia or poor quality sleep, which may make symptoms worse.
Girls and women are generally better at concealing their ADHD symptoms and coping mechanisms to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to misdiagnosis or delay in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
For many women suffering from ADHD, focusing is the biggest challenge. This neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to concentrate at school in meetings at work, or when reading and listening to other people talk. It can also be challenging 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. Women suffering from the inattentive type of the disorder might be struggling to organize their homes or at their desk and find it difficult to prioritize tasks, according to CHADD. These difficulties can lead to them not attending appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place or failing to finish their work duties. They can also cause them to feel bad about themselves and blame themselves for their shortcomings, thinking they are lazy or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it hard to manage the demands of life, resulting in poor school or work performance and an accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they can be triggered by stress or other mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Teachers and parents may be biased against males and girls, leading to women and girls to be misdiagnosed. 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 cause symptoms for women who suffer from ADHD. previous may be more apparent during menstruation or perimenopause, the run-up to menopausal symptoms, when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems like mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD may benefit from stimulant medication to boost their concentration, but it will not cure the condition. Other strategies like mindfulness training, lifestyle changes, and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can help in focusing and organization. Some schools and workplaces offer accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
Inattention can make it difficult to keep track of your daily activities or take care of the responsibilities. It can be difficult to remember important details about people or events, especially when they happen in a crowded or noisy environment. You may also find that you frequently forget appointments or get late for work and school. Inability to pay bills or reply to emails is common among women suffering from ADHD and can cause financial stress and make you feel stressed. You might have trouble working in a busy or noisy office, and you may get lost in conversations. This can make someone else feel ignored or misunderstood.
Many women and girls suffering from ADHD also have trouble maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into unintentional sexual activity or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than other people to feel overwhelmed due to the fact that they struggle to control their emotions. They could also be struggling with self-esteem, and may view their difficulties as something that is a "personal flaw" instead of recognizing that their behavior may be linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women with ADHD are also underdiagnosed due to gender bias as their symptoms are less noticeable than the symptoms of men and boys. They may be more likely to conceal their symptoms with mood disorders or anxiety which could lead to being misdiagnosed and improperly treated.
The symptoms of ADHD vary with hormone fluctuations particularly during puberty, when progesterone levels drop and estrogen rises. This can cause greater variation in symptoms from day to day, which makes it difficult to recognize and treat ADHD effectively.
If you are diagnosed and treated, you can learn to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, such as eating a well-balanced diet and limiting sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants that may cause symptoms to worsen. You can also practice mindfulness and meditation techniques to relax your mind, reduce impulsiveness and restlessness and improve your emotional regulation. Talking to a mental health professional could be beneficial, as they can discuss possible accommodations at school or at work that might help you manage your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In the majority of cases, women who suffer from ADHD experience more inattentive symptoms than hyperactive or impulsive ones. This could be due to the fact that women and girls have different brains than men and boys. Or it could be due to the level of brain activity areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
It can be a challenge for doctors to recognize ADHD in women. Many women devise strategies to mask their symptoms. Some are healthy, but others are not sustainable and can lead to other health problems. For example some women resort to alcohol or other drugs to manage their symptoms. They may also become depressed or have other mental health conditions like anxiety. These unhealthy ways of coping can make it difficult for someone to recognize a mental health problem and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common symptom of adhd for women. It can affect their academic or work performance, or even their relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a particular task, not remembering important events or tasks and becoming easily distracted by other aspects of the environment or in their minds. They might fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm their seats. They can also yell or speak loudly, and they may interrupt.
Women who have the most inattentional type of adhd might struggle to concentrate on lectures or conversations and juggling writing, reading or schoolwork; following instructions at school or at work; and managing daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It is often difficult for them to follow through with tasks or commitments. They are more likely to lose or lose 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 subtype can lead to problems at home, at work, as well as at school, and can cause feelings of restlessness or boredom. They have a hard waiting to be called upon at school, home or at work and often interrupt other people. They aren't able to control their behavior and tend to behave recklessly.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder time to cope with 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 with ADHD is unable to manage her obligations, she may feel anxious and stressed which can lead to low self-esteem. This can make it more difficult to seek treatment.
In addition, women with ADHD frequently have a difficult time getting diagnosed because their symptoms aren't as evident as those of boys and men. 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. Furthermore, they are more likely to develop coping strategies that cover up their ADHD symptoms, like frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness which can be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can change throughout the woman's life. Women may experience ADHD symptoms when hormonal changes occur, such as menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This could cause her to be viewed as a victim of prejudice or thought of as being overly emotional.
This article is based upon research on how ADHD affects different people depending on their gender. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, hormones, chromosomal makeup and anatomy. whereas gender refers to the internal feeling of being a woman, man or a nonbinary. This distinction is crucial because it helps us know the ways and reasons 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 males. We also refer to females and those who were assigned females at conception as women and girls. This terminology is utilized in many research studies. For more information, read Verywell Health's guide on gender and sexuality.