ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD frequently experience symptoms of emotional volatility and sensitive to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality of sleep which can cause more symptoms.
Girls and women are typically more adept at hiding their ADHD symptoms by using coping strategies to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis or an inability to treat.
1. Trouble focusing
For many women with ADHD, focusing is the most difficult thing to do. Symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder may make it difficult to stay on task at school, during work meetings, or even when listening to others 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. Women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder might be struggling to organize their homes or at their desks and may have difficulty focusing on tasks according to CHADD. These difficulties can lead them to miss appointments, arrive at the wrong place at the correct time or not follow through on their job responsibilities. They may make them feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their problems and think they are lazy or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to stay on top of the demands of life, resulting in poor school or work performance and an accumulation of debt. They are often triggered by stress or other mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, which often co-occur with ADHD in women, as per CHADD.
Teachers and parents could be biased against males and girls, leading to 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 exacerbate symptoms in women who suffer from ADHD. For instance, they may become more noticeable during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopause, which is the time before menopausal, when estrogen levels decrease and can cause emotional issues, including mood swings and irritability.
Stimulant medication can enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD However, it can't treat the condition. Other strategies, like lifestyle modifications, mindfulness-based training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can also help with focus and organization. Certain schools and workplaces have facilities that can help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make it difficult to keep track of your daily activities or take care of responsibilities. It may be difficult to remember important details especially when they take place in a noisy environment. You might also notice that you frequently forget appointments or run late for school or work. Women who suffer from ADHD are prone to forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails, which could cause financial stress and a sense of urgency. You may have difficulty working in a busy or noisy office, and may get lost in conversations. This could make someone else feel unimportant or misunderstood.
Many women and girls with ADHD also have trouble maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pressured into sexual activities that are not desired or being victims of violence from intimate partners. This is because they have a harder managing their emotions and are more likely to become overwhelmed. They may also have issues with their self-esteem and may be more likely to view their problems as "personal flaws" rather than recognizing that their behavior is linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Women and girls with ADHD are also not diagnosed because of gender bias as their symptoms are less noticeable than those of males and females. They could disguise symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders, which could result in a misdiagnosis or improper treatment.
ADHD symptoms can be different based on hormone fluctuations. This is especially the case during puberty when hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels rise. This can cause greater variance in symptoms from day to day which can make it more difficult to diagnose and manage ADHD properly.
Finding a doctor and getting treatment can help you learn life skills to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, like eating a well-balanced diet and limiting sugar, caffeine and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to worsen. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can to calm your mind and decrease the impulsiveness and restlessness. They also aid in improving the regulation of emotions. Talking to an expert in mental health can be beneficial, as they can discuss possible accommodations at work or school that might assist you in managing your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Recommended Resource site with ADHD tend to be less attentive than those with hyperactive or the symptoms of impulsivity. This could be due to the fact that the brains of girls and women differ from those of boys and men or it could be to do with how much activity is taking place in the areas of the brain responsible for managing impulsive and disruptive behavior.
This means it can be difficult for a doctor to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping mechanisms to hide their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others are not long-lasting and could lead to other health issues. For instance, some women, turn to excessive alcohol and drugs to cope. They may also become depressed or have other mental health problems such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for people to recognize they have mental health issues and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behaviors are a common adhd symptom for women that can affect school or work performance and relationships. These include being incapable of staying focused on a particular task, ignoring important events or tasks, and being easily distracted by the surroundings or their thoughts. They might fidget or tap their feet or hands or squirm in their seats. They may also speak out loudly or yell, and they could be disruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional subtype of adhd can have trouble concentrating on their lectures or conversations and juggling reading, writing or schoolwork; adhering to instructions at the workplace or in class and managing daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They may also be messy. It can be challenging for them to stick with 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 in school, and it can cause feelings of restlessness, boredom, and frustration. They have a hard time waiting for their turn at school, at home or at work and are often disruptive to other people. They are prone to be reckless and are not able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder to manage their symptoms than men and boys. This is partly due to the expectations of society that demand that women and mothers are the primary caregivers for their children and their household. If a woman with ADHD struggles to keep up with her responsibilities, she can feel anxious and stressed that lead to low self-esteem. This in turn could make it difficult to seek treatment for her ADHD.
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. In addition, 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 also change at different times in the woman's lifetime. For example, during periods of hormonal changes, such as menstruation or pregnancy, women may discover her ADHD symptoms to be exacerbated. This can lead her to be viewed as a victim of prejudice or considered an emotionally overly sensitive.
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 an internal perception of who you are as a male, a woman, or if non-binary, you're a person. This distinction is important because it helps us comprehend the ways and reasons ADHD manifests differently in women and men. In this article we refer to both men and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) as men and boys and women and people assigned to female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This is in line with the way many research studies employ this terminology. For more details, refer to the guide on sex and gender by Verywell Health.