ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD frequently experience symptoms of emotional volatility and sensitive to rejection. They may also experience insomnia and low quality sleep, which could cause symptoms to get worse.
Women and girls often mask their ADHD symptoms better than males by employing strategies to cope with the social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis and a delay in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
Concentration is the biggest issue for many women suffering from ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to focus at school in meetings at work or while reading or listening to others talk. It can be difficult to complete daily tasks like 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 with the inattentive form of the condition can have difficulty organizing their home and desk. They may also find it hard to prioritize their tasks. These problems can result in them missing appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place or not completing their tasks. They may make them feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their problems believing they are incompetent or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to stay on top of obligations, resulting in poor school or work performance and the accumulation of debt. According to CHADD the symptoms are often triggered by stress or other mental conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Teachers and parents might 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.
Hormonal changes can also increase symptoms in adult women with ADHD. They can be more noticeable during menstruation or perimenopause which is the period leading up to menopausal symptoms as estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems like mood swings or irritation.
Stimulant medication can improve concentration for adults with ADHD, but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies like mindfulness training, lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also assist with organization and focus. Certain schools and workplaces have facilities that can assist with these issues too.
2. Forgetting Things
It can be difficult to keep track of daily tasks or to manage your obligations. It may be difficult to keep track of important details, especially if they occur in a noisy environment. You may also find yourself not remembering appointments or being late to work or school. Women with ADHD tend to forget to pay bills or respond to emails, which could lead to financial stress and a sense of urgency. You may experience difficulties working in a busy or noisy office, and you might be unable to concentrate during conversations. This can make someone else feel unimportant or confused.
Many girls and women who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They also run the risk of being pushed into unwanted sexual behavior or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than other people to feel overwhelmed because they are unable to manage their emotions. They could also be struggling with their self-esteem, and may see their difficulties as an "personal flaw" rather than realizing that their behavior is linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Because of gender bias Due to gender bias, girls and women suffering from ADHD are often overlooked because their symptoms are less obvious than those of males and boys. They can disguise symptoms as anxiety and mood disorders, which could lead to a misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment.
The symptoms of ADHD are influenced by hormone fluctuations, especially during puberty when progesterone drops and estrogen increases. This can lead to a greater variance in symptoms from day to day, which can make it harder to diagnose and treat ADHD effectively.
Finding a doctor and getting treatment can help you learn the life skills needed to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also try lifestyle changes, like eating a balanced diet and avoiding sugar, caffeine and other stimulants that might cause symptoms to become worse. You can also practice mindfulness techniques and meditation to calm your mind, decrease restlessness and impulsiveness, and improve emotional regulation. A mental health professional could be able to help you by discussing possible accommodations that could assist you in managing ADHD symptoms at work or in school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women who suffer from ADHD tend to be less attentive than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be because women and girls have different brains than boys and men. It could also be due to the amount of brain activity areas that control impulsive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to disguise their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, but others are unsustainable and can result in other health issues. For signs of adhd in women may turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to cope with their symptoms. They might also develop depression or suffer from mental health conditions like anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies may make it difficult for people to recognize that they are suffering from a condition and can delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a common symptom of adhd for women. It can affect their school or work performance, as well as their relationships. They typically involve not being focused on a task, ignoring important events or tasks, and being easily distracted by other aspects of the environment or in their minds. They might fidget, tap their hands or feet or shake their hands. They may 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 class or at work, and juggling daily tasks. They are often disorganized, messy, and forgetful and find it difficult to keep track of commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace things such as 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 trouble at work, at home, and in school, and it can lead to feelings of agitation and boredom. It can also cause frustration. They have a hard waiting for their turn at home, school or in the workplace and are often disruptive to others. They are not able to control their behavior and are likely to behave in a reckless manner.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD might find it difficult to manage their symptoms. This is largely due to the expectations of society, which demand that mothers and women be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. If a woman with ADHD is unable to manage her responsibilities, she can feel anxious and stressed that lead to low self-esteem. This makes it harder for her to seek help.
In addition, women who suffer from ADHD are often unable to be diagnosed because their symptoms aren't as pronounced 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. They are also more likely to develop coping strategies that mask their ADHD symptoms. For example excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness can be misinterpreted as signs of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over a woman's lifetime. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, such as menstrual or pregnancy, women may notice her ADHD symptoms to be exacerbated. This can lead to being dismissed or misinterpreted as a woman who is emotionally overly sensitive which can increase her feeling of anger.
This article is based upon research into how ADHD affects different people based on their gender. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, hormonal makeup, chromosomal makeup and anatomy. While gender is a subjective sense of being a man, woman or a nonbinary. This distinction is crucial because it enables a better understanding of the ways and the ways ADHD manifests can vary between genders. In adhd test for women , we refer to males as well as people who were assigned male at birth as boys and men. We also refer to females and those who were assigned females at conception as females and girls. This terminology is used in a variety of research studies. For more information, check out the guide to sex and gender by Verywell Health.