ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD report emotional volatility and sensitivity to rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor sleep quality which can make symptoms worse.
Girls and women are typically better at masking their ADHD symptoms by using coping strategies to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis as well as a delay in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
Concentration is the most difficult issue for women suffering from ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to concentrate at school or during work meetings as well as when reading or listening to others' conversations. It can be difficult to accomplish daily 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. Women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder might have trouble organizing their home or their desk and have difficulty focusing on tasks according to CHADD. These problems could cause them to skip appointments, show up in the wrong place at the correct time or fail to follow through on their work duties. These issues can cause them to feel bad about themselves, and they might blame themselves for their troubles.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it hard to stay on top of the demands of life, resulting in poor school or work performance and an accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they can be triggered either by stress or other mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
Teachers and parents may be biased against males and girls, leading to some women and girls 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.
For women who are adults who suffer from ADHD symptoms, they may be caused due to hormonal changes. For instance, they may become more noticeable during menstrual cycles or during perimenopausal transition, the period leading up to menopausal changes. This is when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems which include mood swings as well as irritability.
Stimulant medications can help increase the concentration of adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't cure the condition. Other strategies, including lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in focusing and organization. Some schools and workplaces offer accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
The habit of forgetting can make juggling daily tasks and responsibilities challenging. You may find it difficult to remember important details particularly when they happen in a noisy environment. You may also find that you often forget appointments or are late to work or school. Inability to pay bills or reply to emails is common among women with ADHD, which can create financial stress and make you feel stressed. You may have difficulty working in a noisy or busy office, and may be unable to concentrate during conversations. This could 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 forced into sexually inappropriate behavior or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than others to feel overwhelmed because they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They might also be struggling with self-esteem, and they might view their difficulties as something that is a "personal fault" instead of recognizing that their behavior may be linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women who suffer from ADHD are also often overlooked because of gender bias because their symptoms are less evident than those of boys and men. They can disguise symptoms as anxiety and mood disorders, which can lead to a misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
ADHD symptoms can be different based on hormone fluctuations. This is especially true during puberty, when hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels increase. This can result in a wider range of symptoms, which makes it harder to identify and manage ADHD.
Diagnosed and treated, you can learn to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also consider lifestyle changes, for example, eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to become worse. You can also practice mindfulness and meditation techniques to calm your mind, decrease restlessness and impulsiveness, and improve emotional regulation. A mental health professional may 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 most cases, women with ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than those who are hyperactive or impulsive. This could be because women and girls have different brains than males and females. Or it could be due to the level of brain activity areas that control impulsive behavior.
In the end, it is often difficult for a doctor to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop strategies for coping to hide their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, while others aren't sustainable and may cause health issues of other kinds. For instance, some women are prone to drinking excessively and drugs to cope. They might also develop depression or other mental health problems like anxiety. These unhealthy coping methods can make it difficult for someone to recognize an issue with their mental health and delay the diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common adhd symptoms for women. It can impact their school or work performance, and even their relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a task, ignoring important dates or events, and becoming easily distracted by other aspects of the environment or in their thoughts. They might fumble or tap their hands or feet or squirm their seats. They may also shout or talk loudly, and can interrupt.
Women who are inattentive can have difficulty in concentrating during lectures or discussions or completing schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following instructions in the classroom or at work, and managing daily tasks. They may be disorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It can be challenging to keep up with commitments or tasks. They are more susceptible to losing or misplacing items like 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 trouble at home, at work as well as at school, and it can trigger feelings of anxiety and boredom. It can also cause frustration. They have a difficult waiting to be called upon at school, home or at work and often interrupt others. They are not able to control their behavior and tend to be reckless.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may find it harder to manage their issues. Highly recommended Resource site is largely due to societal expectations that insist that mothers and women be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. When a woman with ADHD is unable to keep up with her responsibilities, she could be afflicted with anxiety and stress that can cause low self-esteem. This, in turn, can make it harder to seek out treatment for her ADHD.
Women who suffer from ADHD are often not recognized as easily as males or females 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 coping strategies that mask their ADHD symptoms, such as excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over the life of a woman. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycles or pregnancy, a woman could find her ADHD symptoms to become more intense. This can result in being dismissed or misinterpreted as an overly emotional woman which can increase her sense 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 biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structures, whereas gender is a subjective sense of the person you are as a male, a woman, or, if non-binary, you're an individual. This distinction is important because it allows us to better know the reasons behind why ADHD manifests differently in men and women. In this article, we are referring to males and those who were assigned males at birth as boys and men. We also refer to females and those who were assigned females at conception 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.