ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women suffering from ADHD frequently experience symptoms of emotional instability and an sensitivity to rejection. They may also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep, which can cause symptoms to get worse.
Women and girls often mask their ADHD symptoms better than men and employ strategies to manage their stress and meet the social expectations and norms. This can lead to misdiagnosis or delay in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
Concentration is the most difficult issue for many women with ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to concentrate at school or during work meetings or while reading or listening to other people talk. It can be difficult to accomplish everyday tasks such as remembering appointments or taking 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, women with the inattentive type of the disorder might struggle to organize their home and their desk. They might be unable to prioritize tasks. These problems can result in them not attending appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place or failing to finish their work tasks. These problems can make them feel uneasy about themselves, and they may blame themselves for their troubles.
Inattentive ADHD can lead to poor performance at school or at work and can lead to debt accumulation. According to CHADD the symptoms can be triggered by stress or other mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
Teachers and parents may be biased against males and females, which can cause 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 women who suffer from ADHD. They may be more apparent during perimenopausal or menstrual cycle that is the time leading up to the menopausal phase of a woman which is when estrogen levels decrease and cause emotional problems like mood swings and irritation.
Stimulant medications can help enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD However, it can't treat the condition. Other strategies, such as lifestyle modifications, mindfulness-based training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in organizing and focus. Certain schools and workplaces have facilities that can assist with these issues too.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make managing your daily tasks and responsibilities challenging. You may have difficulty remembering important information about people or events particularly when they take place in a noisy or crowded environment. You might also find yourself not remembering appointments or being late to work or school. Women who suffer from ADHD tend to forget to pay bills or responding to emails, which could lead to financial stress and a sense of urgency. You may have difficulty working in a noisy or crowded office, and you may get lost in conversations. This could make the other person feel ignored or misunderstood.
Many women and girls with ADHD are also having a difficult time maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into unwanted sexual activity or becoming victims of intimate partner violence. They are more likely than other people to be overwhelmed because they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They might also have trouble with self-esteem and could be more likely to view their problems as "personal imperfections" rather than recognizing the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.
Females and females who suffer from ADHD are also underdiagnosed because of gender bias because their symptoms are less noticeable than the symptoms of men and boys. They might be more likely to disguise their symptoms as mood disorders or anxiety, which can result in being misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated.
ADHD symptoms can vary depending on hormone fluctuations. This is particularly true during puberty, when estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels increase. This can result in a wider variety of symptoms, making it harder to identify and treat ADHD.
Being diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you develop the life skills needed to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also alter your lifestyle by eating an appropriate diet and avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and drinks with sugar that could worsen symptoms. You can also practice mindfulness techniques and meditation to calm your mind, reduce impulsiveness and restlessness and improve your emotional regulation. Talking with a mental health professional can be beneficial, as they can suggest possible adjustments at work or school to aid in managing your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women with ADHD tend to experience more sluggish than hyperactive or the symptoms of impulsivity. It could be because the brains of women and girls differ from the brains of men and boys or it could have to do with how much activity is taking place in the regions of the brain that control disruptive and impulsive behavior.
As a result, it can be difficult for a physician to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop strategies for coping to hide their symptoms. adult add in women of these are healthy, while others aren't sustainable and may cause other health problems. For example women may turn to alcohol or other drugs to manage their symptoms. They could also develop depression or other mental health problems such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping methods can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have mental health issues and delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is one of the most common symptom of adhd for women. It can impact their work or school performance, and even their relationships. adhd in women adult include being incapable of staying focused on a specific task, or forgetting important events or tasks and being easily distracted by the environment or their thoughts. They may fidget, tap their hands or feet, or squirm. They may also speak out loud or yell, and they could be disruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional subtype of adhd can struggle with concentrating on lectures or conversations and juggling reading, writing or schoolwork; adhering to instructions at work or in class; and managing daily tasks. They may be unorganized, messy, and forgetful and have a difficult time follow through on commitments or tasks. They are more prone to misplacing or losing items, including 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 problems at work, at home, and at schools, and can lead to feelings of agitation or boredom. They can't wait for their turn, whether at school, work, or home. They often interrupt others. They are prone to be reckless and are unable manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to have a difficult to manage their symptoms than boys and men. This is due to societal expectations that demand women and mothers be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman is struggling to manage her responsibilities this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This makes it harder for her to seek help.
Women with ADHD are typically not recognized as easily as males or females because their symptoms do not seem to be as apparent. 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. Furthermore they are more likely to develop coping strategies to disguise their ADHD symptoms, such as frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The signs of ADHD in women can vary at different times throughout the woman's lifetime. For instance, during times of hormonal changes, such as menstrual or pregnancy, women may find her ADHD symptoms to become more intense. This can lead her to be misunderstood or thought of as being excessively emotional.
This article is based upon research on how ADHD affects different individuals based on their gender. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology: hormones, chromosomal makeup and anatomy. whereas gender is a subjective sense of being a man, woman, or nonbinary person. This distinction is important because it allows for better understanding of the ways and the ways ADHD manifests can vary between genders. In this article we refer to men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) as males and boys, and to women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This terminology is used in many research studies. To find out more, check out Verywell Health's guide to gender and sexuality.