ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women suffering from ADHD often report symptoms of emotional volatility and sensitivity to rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep, which could cause the symptoms to become worse.
Women and girls are often better at concealing their ADHD symptoms, using coping mechanisms to comply with social expectations and norms. This could lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
For many women with ADHD, focusing is the biggest challenge. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to focus at school in meetings at work, or when reading and listening to others talk. It can also be difficult to get through 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 who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder might have trouble organizing their home or their work desk and find it difficult to prioritize tasks, according to CHADD. These issues could cause them to skip appointments, arrive at the wrong place at the right time, or not follow through on their job responsibilities. They may also cause them to feel bad about themselves and blame themselves for their shortcomings, thinking they're lazy or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can also make it difficult to manage obligations, resulting in poor work or school performance and an accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they are often triggered by stress or other mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
Some girls and women with inattentive ADHD aren't diagnosed or treated because of the biases teachers and parents might have toward boys and men. 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 adult women with ADHD symptoms, they may be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. They can be more evident during menstrual cycles or perimenopausal periods which is the period leading up to menopausal symptoms as estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems like mood swings and irritation.
The use of stimulants can help improve concentration for adults with ADHD, but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies, including lifestyle changes, mindfulness training and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with focus and organization. Some workplaces and schools offer accommodations to help with these issues, as well.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make it difficult to stay on top of daily tasks or manage obligations. It can be difficult to remember important information about events or people particularly when they take place in a crowded or noisy environment. You may also end up having trouble remembering appointments or getting late to school or work. Women with ADHD tend to forget to pay bills or respond to emails, which can cause financial stress and an impression of urgency. You may experience difficulties working in a noisy or busy office, and you may zone out during conversations. This can make the other person feel ignored or misunderstood.
Many women and girls who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They also run the risk of being pushed into inappropriate sexual behaviour or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than other people to be overwhelmed because they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They may also struggle with their self-esteem and may be more inclined to see their difficulties as "personal flaws" instead of acknowledging the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women who suffer from ADHD are also often overlooked due to gender bias since their symptoms are more obvious than those of boys and men. They can disguise symptoms as anxiety and mood disorders, which could result in a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment.
ADHD symptoms can differ based on the fluctuation in hormone levels. This is especially the case during puberty when hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels increase. This can result in more frequent change in symptoms throughout the day, which makes it difficult to identify and treat ADHD correctly.
If you are diagnosed and treated, you will learn how to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, for example, eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that may cause symptoms to get worse. You can also try mindfulness and meditation techniques to help calm your mind, decrease the impulsiveness and anxiety and improve your emotional control. Talking with a mental health professional could also be helpful, as they can talk about possible accommodations at work or school that might help you manage your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that the female and female brains differ from those of boys and men or it could have to do with the amount of activity is occurring in the parts of the brain that control impulsive and disruptive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to recognize ADHD in women. Many women develop strategies for coping to mask their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, however others are not sustainable and could result in other health issues. For example some women resort to drinking or using drugs to cope with their symptoms. They may also be depressed or suffer from other mental health conditions like anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it more difficult for someone to notice that they are suffering from a disorder and can delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a typical adhd symptom for women that can affect school or work performance and relationships. This includes being in a state of disorientation and not being able to focus on a specific task, or forgetting important tasks or events, and being easily distracted by the surroundings or their thoughts. They might fidget, tap their hands or feet or shake their hands. They may also talk loud or yell. they may be disruptive.
Women who suffer from the primarily inattentive type of adhd may struggle with concentrating on lectures or conversations as well as keeping up with writing, reading, or schoolwork; following instructions at school or at work; and juggling daily tasks. They may be disorganized, forgetful, and messy. It can be difficult for them to follow through on commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace items 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 type of disorder can cause problems at work, home, or school. adult add in women can also cause feelings of restlessness, boredom and anger. They have a hard waiting for their turn at home, school, or in the workplace and are often disruptive to other people. They aren't able to manage their behavior and tend to be reckless.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may have a harder dealing with their issues than boys and men. This is due in part to the social expectations that demand women and mothers be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman with ADHD is unable to manage her responsibilities, she could feel anxious and stressed that lead to low self-esteem. This makes it more difficult for her to seek treatment.
In addition, women who suffer from ADHD are often unable to be diagnosed since 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. Additionally they are more likely to develop strategies for coping that cover up their ADHD symptoms, including excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness, which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over the course of the life of a woman. For instance, during times of hormonal changes, such as menstrual or pregnancy, a woman may find her ADHD symptoms to become more severe. This could cause her to be misunderstood or thought of as an emotionally overly sensitive.
adult adhd in women in this article is based on research regarding how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a matter of biology: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structure. gender is an internal sense of who you are as a male, a woman, or if non-binary, or a person. This distinction is important as it allows us to better know the reasons behind why ADHD manifests differently in women and men. In this article we refer to men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) as boys and men, and to women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) as girls and women. This terminology is utilized in many research studies. To learn more, read Verywell Health's guide on sex and gender.