ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD experience emotional instability and sensitivity towards rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep, which can cause symptoms to get worse.
Women and girls tend to hide their ADHD symptoms better than men and employ strategies to manage their stress and meet social expectations and norms. This can lead to misdiagnosis or delay in treatment.
1. Trouble focusing
Concentration is the biggest issue for women suffering from ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to focus at school in meetings at work, or when reading and listening to others' conversations. It can be difficult to complete 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. According to CHADD women who suffer from the inattentive form of the disorder might struggle to organize their home and desk. They might also find it hard to prioritize tasks. These problems can result in them not attending appointments, showing up at the wrong time or location or failing to finish their work duties. They can make them feel bad about themselves and blame themselves for their problems believing they are lazy or forgetful.
Attention-deficit ADHD can lead to poor performance at work or in school and can also lead to debt accumulation. They are often triggered by stress or other mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety that often co-occur with ADHD in women, according to CHADD.
Some girls and women with inattentive ADHD are not diagnosed or recognized because of the biases teachers and parents 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.
Hormonal changes can also exacerbate symptoms in adult women with ADHD. They may be more apparent during menstrual cycles or perimenopausal periods, the run-up to menopausal symptoms, when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems like mood swings and irritation.
Adults with ADHD can benefit from stimulant medication to improve their concentration but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies such as mindfulness training, lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also help with organization and focus. Some workplaces and schools have accommodations that can help with these issues, too.
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 details about events or people particularly when they take place in a noisy or busy environment. You might also find that you often forget appointments or are late for work and school. Not being adhd symptoms for women to pay your bills or reply to emails is a common occurrence for women suffering from ADHD and can cause financial stress and leave you feeling stressed. You might have trouble working in a noisy or busy office, and you may be unable to concentrate during conversations. This can make the other person feel ignored or misunderstood.
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 victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than others to feel overwhelmed due to the fact that they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They may also struggle with self-esteem, and may be more inclined to see their difficulties as "personal flaws" instead of acknowledging that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Due to gender bias Due to gender bias, girls and women suffering from ADHD are not diagnosed because their symptoms are more subtle than those of males and boys. They could disguise symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders, which could cause a misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
Symptoms of ADHD vary with hormone fluctuations, especially during puberty when estrogen drops and progesterone increases. This can cause a greater variety of symptoms, making it harder to identify and manage ADHD.
Being diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you gain how to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, like eating a balanced diet and limiting sugar, caffeine and other stimulants that may cause symptoms to become worse. You can also try meditation and mindfulness techniques to help calm your mind, reduce restlessness and impulsiveness, and improve emotional regulation. A mental health professional could be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that could aid you in managing ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than hyperactive or impulsive ones. This could be because women and girls have different brains than men and boys. It could also be due to the volume of brain activity areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
As a result, it is often difficult for a physician to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping mechanisms to hide their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, while others aren't sustainable and may cause other health problems. For example, some women turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to manage their symptoms. They may also develop depression or other mental health problems like anxiety. These unhealthy ways of coping can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have an issue with their mental health and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a typical adhd symptom for women that can impact school or work performance and relationships. They often include not staying focused on a task, forgetting important dates or events, and becoming easily distracted by other things in the surroundings or in their thoughts. They may fidget, tap their feet or hands or make a squirming sound. They may also speak out loudly or yell, and they could be disruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional type of adhd may struggle with concentrating on lectures or conversations as well as keeping up with reading, writing, or schoolwork; following instructions at work or in class; and juggling daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. killer deal may also be messy. It can be difficult for them to stick with tasks or commitments. They are more likely to lose or misplace 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 subtype can lead to issues at home, at work and in school, and can trigger feelings of anxiety and boredom. It can also cause frustration. They are unable to wait for their turn whether at school, at work, or at home. They also interrupt others frequently. They are prone to be reckless and are unable manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may have a harder time to manage their issues. This is partly due to societal expectations that insist that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. If a woman is struggling to meet her responsibilities this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This, in turn, makes it more difficult to seek treatment for her ADHD.
In addition, women who suffer from ADHD often have difficulty getting diagnosed since their symptoms aren't as evident as those of boys and men. 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. They are more likely to develop coping mechanisms that cover up their ADHD symptoms. For instance excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness can be mistaken as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over the woman's life. Women can experience ADHD symptoms when hormonal changes occur, such as menstrual cycles and pregnancy. This can cause her to be misunderstood, or considered a woman who is emotionally overly sensitive.
This article is based upon research on how ADHD affects different people depending on their gender. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structure, while 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 crucial because it allows us to better comprehend how and why ADHD can manifest differently in men and women. In this article, we are referring to males and those who were assigned males at birth as boys and males. We also refer to females and those who were assigned females at conception as girls and women. This terminology is used in a variety of research studies. For more details, refer to the guide to sex & gender by Verywell Health.