What's The Fuss About ADHD Symptoms For Women?
ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women suffering from ADHD report emotional volatility and sensitivity to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality sleep which can cause more symptoms.
Women and girls are often better at masking their ADHD symptoms and coping mechanisms to meet societal expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis and delays in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
For many women suffering from ADHD concentration is the biggest challenge. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to focus at school or during work meetings, or when reading and listening to others talk. It can also be challenging to complete everyday 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 form of the condition can struggle to organize their home and their desks. They may also have difficulty deciding how to prioritize their tasks. These problems can result in them missing appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place or not completing their work tasks. These issues can cause them to feel bad about themselves, and they might blame themselves for their problems.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to stay on top of responsibilities, leading to poor work or school performance as well as the accumulation of debt. According to CHADD the symptoms are often triggered by stress or other mental conditions like anxiety and depression.
Some girls and women with inattentional ADHD are not diagnosed or recognized due to the prejudices that teachers and parents might have toward boys and men. 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 adult women with ADHD. For instance, they may be more evident during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopausal transition, the period leading up to menopausal, when estrogen levels decrease and cause emotional problems such as mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD can benefit from stimulant medication to improve their focus, but it will not solve the problem. Other strategies like mindfulness training, lifestyle changes, and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also help with focus and organization. Some workplaces and school have accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
It can be difficult to keep track of daily tasks or to manage your the responsibilities. It can be difficult to remember important information especially when they take place in a noisy setting. You may 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 reply to emails, which could result in financial stress and a feeling of urgency. You might have trouble working in a busy or noisy office, and may be unable to concentrate during conversations. This could cause the other person to feel unimportant or confused.
Many girls and women who have ADHD also struggle to keep friendships. They are also at risk of being pushed into inappropriate sexual behaviour or becoming intimate partner violence victims. They are more likely than other people to feel overwhelmed due to the fact that they struggle to control their emotions. They may also have issues with self-esteem, and may be more likely to interpret their problems as "personal flaws" instead of recognizing that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Because of adhd symptoms for women , women and girls with ADHD are often overlooked because their symptoms are less obvious than those of males and boys. They can disguise symptoms as anxiety and mood disorders, which can cause a misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment.
Symptoms of ADHD differ with the fluctuation of hormones, especially during puberty when progesterone drops and estrogen rises. This can result in greater variation in symptoms from day to day, which can make it harder to identify and manage ADHD correctly.
Finding a doctor and getting treatment can help you learn the life skills needed to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also try lifestyle changes, such as eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding sugar, caffeine and other stimulants that might cause symptoms to worsen. It is also possible to practice mindfulness techniques and meditation to calm your mind, reduce restlessness and impulsiveness and improve your emotional regulation. A mental health professional may be able to assist you by discussing possible accommodations that may help you manage ADHD symptoms at work or in school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In the majority of cases, women with ADHD experience more inattentive symptoms than those who are hyperactive or impulsive. add symptoms in women may be because the brains of girls and women differ from those of men and boys, or it could have to do with the amount of activity is taking place in the areas of the brain that control disruptive and impulsive behavior.
In the end, it is often difficult for a doctor to recognize and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to disguise their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, but others are not sustainable and could result in other health issues. For instance, some women, turn to excessive alcohol and drugs to cope. They might also develop depression or suffer from other mental health issues such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for someone to recognize an issue with their mental health and delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a common adhd symptom in women that can affect school or work performance and relationships. This includes being incapable of staying focused on a specific task, forgetting important events or tasks and easily getting distracted by the surroundings or their thoughts. They may fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm in their seats. They may also talk loud or yell, and they may be disruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional type of adhd may struggle with concentrating on lectures or conversations and juggling reading, writing, or schoolwork; following instructions at work or in class; and managing daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It is often difficult to keep up with commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace items such as eyeglasses, wallets, and keys.
Having the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd can disrupt work or school, cause social problems, and create relationship challenges. This subtype can lead to trouble at home, at work, and in school, and it can trigger feelings of anxiety or boredom. They are not able to wait for their turn whether at school, at work, or home. They often interrupt others. They aren't able to control their behavior and tend to be reckless.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder time coping with their symptoms than males and females. This is due in part to societal expectations that demand women and mothers to be the primary caregivers for their children and household. When add in adult women to fulfill her obligations, it can lead to anxiety and low self-esteem. This, in turn, can make it harder to seek treatment for her ADHD.
Women with ADHD are typically not diagnosed as readily as men or boys because their symptoms do not appear as prominent. 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 that cover up their ADHD symptoms, such as frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can change throughout the life of a woman. Women may be afflicted with ADHD symptoms in the course of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This can lead to being viewed 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 sex. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones, and anatomical structures, whereas gender is an internal perception of the person you are as a man, woman, or if you're 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 differ between genders. In this article, we refer to males and those who were assigned males at birth as males and boys. We also refer to females and people who were assigned females at conception as females and girls. This is in line with how many research studies employ this term. To find out more, check out Verywell Health's guide on sex and gender.