ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD frequently experience symptoms of emotional volatility and an sensitivity to rejection. They may also experience insomnia and low quality sleep, which can 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 and a delay in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
For many women suffering from ADHD, focusing is the biggest challenge. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to concentrate at school or during work meetings or while reading or listening to other people talk. It can also be challenging 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. According to CHADD the women who suffer from the inattentive type of the disorder may struggle with organizing their homes and their desks. They may also have difficulty deciding how to prioritize tasks. These problems can result in them missing appointments, showing up at the wrong time or location, or failing to complete their work tasks. These difficulties can make them feel embarrassed about themselves and they might blame themselves for their problems.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to stay on top of obligations, resulting in poor school or work performance and an accumulation of debt. They can be caused by stress or other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression that often co-occur with ADHD in women, according to CHADD.
Certain women and girls who suffer from inattentional ADHD aren't diagnosed or treated due to the prejudices that parents and teachers may be prone to towards males and females. 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 who are adults with ADHD, symptoms can also be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. They can be more noticeable during menstruation or perimenopause that is the time leading up to the menopausal phase of a woman, when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems such as mood swings and irritation.
Stimulant medication can increase the concentration of adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't treat the condition. Other strategies, such as lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in focusing and organization. Some workplaces and schools offer accommodations to help with these issues as well.
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 information, especially if they occur in a noisy area. You may also find yourself not remembering appointments or being late to work or school. Going At this website with ADHD are prone to forgetting to pay bills or responding to emails, which could lead to financial stress and a feeling of urgency. You may experience difficulties working in a crowded or noisy office. You may also zone out during conversations, causing the other person feeling unimportant or misunderstood.
Many women and girls who suffer from ADHD also struggle to keep 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 others to feel overwhelmed because they struggle to control their emotions. They may also struggle with self-esteem and could be more likely to view their problems as "personal imperfections" rather than recognizing that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Women and girls with ADHD are also not diagnosed because of gender bias because their symptoms are less evident than those of males and females. They are more likely to disguise their symptoms with mood or anxiety issues which could lead to being misdiagnosed or incorrectly treated.
Symptoms of ADHD differ with the fluctuation of hormones and, particularly during puberty when estrogen drops and progesterone rises. This can lead to a wider range of symptoms, which makes it harder to identify and manage ADHD.
Being diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you learn the life skills needed to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet and limiting stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and sugary drinks that could worsen symptoms. You can also try meditation and mindfulness techniques to help calm your mind, decrease the impulsiveness and anxiety, and improve emotional regulation. A mental health professional might be able to assist you by discussing possible accommodations that can help you manage ADHD symptoms at work or in school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In the majority of cases, women who suffer from ADHD have more irritable symptoms than those who are hyperactive or impulsive. 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 how much activity is happening in the areas of the brain that control disruptive and impulsive behavior.
This means it can be difficult for a doctor to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, while others are unsustainable and can result in other health issues. For instance, some women, turn to excessive alcohol and drugs to cope. They may also develop depression or other mental health issues like anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for people to notice that they are suffering from a disorder and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is one of the most common symptom of adhd for women. It can affect their school or work performance, and even their relationships. They often include not staying focused on a task, ignoring important events or tasks, and becoming easily distracted by other things in the environment or in their thoughts. They might fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm their seats. They may also speak out loudly or yell, and they can be interruptive.
Women with the predominantly inattentive subtype of adhd can struggle with concentrating on lectures or conversations; keeping up with reading, writing or schoolwork; following instructions at the workplace or in class and juggling daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They may also be messy. It can be difficult for them to stick with tasks or commitments. They are more vulnerable to losing or misplacing 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 adhd can cause issues at home, work or in school. It can also cause feelings of boredom, restlessness, and frustration. They have a hard waiting to be called upon at school, home, or in the workplace and often interrupt others. They aren't able to manage their behavior and tend to behave recklessly.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder to manage their symptoms than men and boys. This is largely due to social expectations that insist that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. If a woman with ADHD struggles to keep up with her responsibilities, she could be afflicted with anxiety and stress that lead to low self-esteem. This makes it more difficult for her to seek treatment.
Women with ADHD are not often diagnosed as readily as men or boys because their symptoms don't appear as obvious. 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 strategies for coping that cover up their ADHD symptoms, including excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD may also change over the course of a woman's lifetime. Women may suffer ADHD symptoms in the course of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This can lead to her being misunderstood or dismissed as a woman who is emotionally overly sensitive which can increase her feelings 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 matter of biology: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structure. gender is an internal sense of who you are as a man, a woman, or, if non-binary, or a person. This distinction is important because it helps us know the reasons behind why ADHD can manifest differently in women and men. In this article, we are referring to males and people who were assigned male at birth as boys and males. 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, read the Verywell Health guide to sex and gender.