ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women suffering from ADHD often report symptoms of emotional volatility and sensitivity to rejection. They can also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep, which may cause symptoms to get worse.
Girls and women are typically better at masking their ADHD symptoms and coping mechanisms to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis or delays in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
For many women with ADHD focus is the most difficult thing to do. Symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder may make it difficult to stay on task at school, during meetings at work, or when listening to other people's conversations. It can be difficult to accomplish everyday 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 the women who suffer from the inattentive version of the condition can struggle with organizing their homes and their desks. They may also find it hard to prioritize their tasks. These difficulties can cause them to miss appointments, show up in the wrong place at the correct time or not follow through on their job responsibilities. These problems can make them feel uneasy about themselves, and they could blame themselves for their own problems.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can also make it hard to keep track of obligations, resulting in poor school or work performance as well as the accumulation of debt. They are often caused by stress or other mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety that often co-occur with ADHD in women, according to CHADD.
Some girls and women with inattentional ADHD are underdiagnosed or overlooked due to the prejudices that teachers and parents may have towards men and boys. 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 can be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. They can be more noticeable during menstrual cycles or perimenopausal periods that is the time leading up to a woman's menopause as estrogen levels drop and can cause emotional issues like mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD can benefit from stimulant medication to boost their concentration however, it cannot treat the condition. Other strategies such as mindfulness training, lifestyle changes, and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also help with focus and organization. Some schools and workplaces have accommodations that can help with these issues as well.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make it difficult to keep track of daily tasks or manage obligations. You may find it difficult to remember important information, especially if they occur in a noisy area. You may also find that you frequently forget appointments or get late to work or school. Inability to pay bills or reply to emails is common among women with ADHD that can lead to financial stress and leave you feeling overwhelmed. You may experience difficulties working in a noisy or crowded office, and you may get lost in conversations. This can make someone else feel unimportant or misunderstood.
Many women and girls who have ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They also run the risk of being forced into unwanted sexual behavior or becoming victims of intimate partner violence. This is due to the fact that they have a difficult to manage their emotions and are more likely to feel overwhelmed. They might also have trouble with self-esteem, and may be more inclined to see their issues as "personal flaws" rather than recognizing the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.
Due to gender biases, women and girls with ADHD are not diagnosed because their symptoms are less obvious than those of males and boys. They might be more likely to camouflage their symptoms as mood disorders or anxiety which could lead to being misdiagnosed and improperly treated.
ADHD symptoms can differ based on hormone fluctuations. This is particularly true during puberty, when estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels increase. This can result in greater variation in symptoms from day to day, which makes it difficult to identify and treat ADHD correctly.
Being diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you learn life skills to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also consider lifestyle changes, such as eating a well-balanced diet and limiting caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that might cause symptoms to get worse. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can to calm your mind and decrease the impulsiveness and restlessness. They also aid in improving emotional regulation. A mental health professional could be able to help you by discussing possible accommodations that may help you manage ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In the majority of cases, women who suffer from ADHD have more irritable symptoms than hyperactive or impulsive ones. adhd in young women may be because the female and female brains differ from the brains of men and boys or it could have to do with how much activity is taking place in the areas of the brain that manage disruptive and impulsive behavior.
In the end, it can be harder for a physician to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to disguise their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, however others are not sustainable and could result in other health issues. Some women, for example, turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to manage. They might also develop depression or have other mental health problems such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have mental health issues and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behaviors are a common adhd symptom in women that can affect school or work performance and relationships. These include being unable to stay focused on a specific task, forgetting important tasks or events, and easily getting distracted by the surroundings or their thoughts. They may fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm in their seat. They may also talk loudly or yell, and they may be disruptive.
Women who suffer from the primarily inattentive subtype of adhd can struggle with concentrating on conversations or lectures as well as keeping up with reading, writing or schoolwork; following instructions at school or at work; and managing daily tasks. They are often disorganized, messy, and forgetful and have a difficult time adhere to 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 type of adhd can cause issues at home, at work and at school, and can cause feelings of restlessness, boredom, and frustration. They have a difficult time waiting for their turn at school, at home or at work and often interrupt other people. They aren't able to manage their behavior and tend to be reckless.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to have a difficult time coping with their symptoms than males and females. This is due in part 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 fulfill her responsibilities, she could feel anxious and stressed which can lead to low self-esteem. This can make it more difficult for her to seek help.
In addition, women with ADHD frequently have a difficult time getting diagnosed since their symptoms aren't as pronounced as the men and boys. 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 to disguise their ADHD symptoms, like excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness, which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can change throughout a woman's lifetime. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, like menstrual or pregnancy, women may notice her ADHD symptoms to become more severe. This can lead to her being misunderstood or dismissed as an overly emotional woman, which adds to her sense of frustration.
This article is based upon research on how ADHD affects different people depending on their gender. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a matter of biology: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structure. gender is a subjective sense of what you're like as a man, woman, or if non-binary, you're a person. This distinction is crucial because it allows for better understanding of the ways and the ways ADHD manifests can vary between genders. In this article we will refer to men and people assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as males and boys as well as women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This terminology is used in a variety of research studies. To find out more, check out the Verywell Health guide to sex and gender.