ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD typically experience symptoms of emotional instability and an sensitivity to rejection. They may also experience insomnia or poor quality sleep, which could cause symptoms to get worse.
Girls and women often hide their ADHD symptoms better than males, using strategies to cope with social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis or a delay in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
For a lot of women suffering from ADHD, focusing is the most difficult thing to do. This neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to concentrate at school or during work meetings or while reading or listening to others talk. It can also be challenging 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. Women with the inattentive form of the condition may have trouble organizing their house or desk and find it difficult to prioritize tasks, according to CHADD. These issues could cause them to skip appointments, show up in the wrong place at the right time, or fail to follow through on their work duties. They can make them feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their troubles, thinking they are lazy or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD can also lead to poor performance at school or at work, and debt accumulation. According to CHADD they can be triggered either by stress or other mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Teachers and parents might be biased against boys and men, causing 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.
For women of adult age with ADHD, symptoms can also be exacerbated by hormonal changes. For instance, they could be more apparent during menstrual cycles or during perimenopause, which is the time before menopausal changes. This is when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems which include mood swings as well as anger.
Stimulant medications can help enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD However, it can't treat the condition. Other strategies, like lifestyle modifications, mindfulness-based training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can also aid in focusing and organization. Some workplaces and school have accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
It can be difficult to keep track of your daily activities or take care of responsibilities. It may be difficult to remember important information especially when they take place in a noisy setting. You may also find yourself not remembering appointments or being late to school or work. Women with ADHD are prone to forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails, which could result in financial stress and a feeling of urgency. You might have trouble working in a noisy or crowded office, and you may zone out during conversations. This can make the other person feel unimportant or confused.
Many girls and women who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They are also at risk of being pushed into inappropriate sexual behaviour or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. This is because they have a difficult to manage their emotions and are more likely to become overwhelmed. They might also have trouble with self-esteem, and may be more inclined to see their issues as "personal imperfections" instead of acknowledging that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women who suffer from ADHD are also underdiagnosed because of gender bias because their symptoms are less obvious than those of males and females. They may be more likely to camouflage their symptoms as mood disorders or anxiety and this can lead to being misdiagnosed and improperly treated.
The symptoms of ADHD are influenced by hormone fluctuations, especially during puberty when progesterone levels drop and estrogen rises. This can cause more frequent change in symptoms throughout the day, which can make it more difficult to diagnose and manage ADHD effectively.
Getting diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you develop life skills to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also try lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet and avoiding caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to worsen. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can to calm your mind and decrease restlessness and impulsiveness. They can also help improve the regulation of emotions. A mental health professional may be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that can help you manage ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, females who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be because women and girls have different brains than males and females. Or it could be due to the volume of activity in the brain areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping mechanisms to disguise their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, but others are unsustainable and can cause other health problems. For example women may turn to alcohol or other drugs to manage their symptoms. They may also be depressed or have other mental health issues such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping mechanisms can make it harder for someone to recognize that they have a problem and may delay a correct diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a common adhd symptoms for women. It can affect their academic or work performance, and even their relationships. These include being unable to stay focused on a particular task, forgetting important events or tasks, and being easily distracted by the surroundings or their thoughts. They may fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm their seats. They may also speak out loud or yell. they may be disruptive.
Women who have the inattentive subtype are prone to having difficulty staying focused during lectures or conversations or completing schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following directions in class or at work, and juggling daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It can be difficult for them to follow through with commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace items such as 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 trigger feelings of irritability, boredom and frustration. They can't wait for their turn whether at school, at work, or at home. They also interrupt others frequently. They are prone to be reckless and are not able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD are more likely to have a difficult time coping with their symptoms than boys and men. This is largely due to societal expectations that demand that mothers and women be the primary caregivers for their children and their household. When a woman with ADHD struggles to fulfill her responsibilities, she can be afflicted with anxiety and stress that lead to low self-esteem. This, in turn, makes it more difficult to seek out treatment for her ADHD.
Women who suffer from ADHD are not often diagnosed as easily as men or boys 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. In addition they are more likely to develop coping strategies to disguise their ADHD symptoms, including frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD may also change over the life of a woman. Women may experience ADHD symptoms in the course of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This can result in being viewed as a terribly emotional woman, which adds to her sense of frustration.
The information in this article is based on research regarding how ADHD affects people based on their sexual. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structures, whereas gender is an internal sense of what you're like as a man, a woman, or if you're non-binary, you're an individual. This distinction is crucial as it allows for a better understanding of the ways and the ways that ADHD manifests can differ between genders. In adult add in women will refer to men and people assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as boys and men as well as women and people assigned to female at birth (AFAB) as girls and women. This is in line with how many research studies employ this terminology. To learn more, read Verywell Health's guide on sex and gender.