ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women suffering from ADHD experience emotional instability and sensitivity to rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep which can cause more symptoms.
Girls and women often hide their ADHD symptoms more effectively than men by employing strategies to cope with social expectations and norms. This can lead both to a misdiagnosis or delays in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
Concentration is the biggest issue for many women with ADHD. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder could make it hard to stay on task at school, during meetings at work, or when reading or listening to others ' conversations. It can also be challenging to get through everyday tasks like keeping track of appointments or making sure to take 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 type of the disorder might struggle to organize their home and their desk. They may also find it hard to prioritize their tasks. These difficulties can lead to being late for appointments, turning up at the wrong time or location or not completing their tasks. These problems can make them feel bad about themselves, and they might blame themselves for their own problems.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can also make it difficult to keep track of responsibilities, leading to poor school or work performance and an accumulation of debt. According to CHADD, they can be triggered either by stress or other mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
Teachers and parents could be biased towards males and girls, leading to some girls and women to be misdiagnosed. 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. For instance, they may be more apparent during the menstrual cycle or during perimenopause--the run-up to menopausal, when estrogen levels decrease and can cause emotional issues, including mood swings and irritation.
The use of stimulants can help improve concentration for adults with ADHD, but it won't cure the condition. Other strategies such as mindfulness training, lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also assist with focus and organization. Some workplaces and schools have facilities that can assist with these issues as well.
2. Forgetting Things
Inattention can make managing your daily tasks and responsibilities difficult. It can be difficult to remember important details about events or people, especially when they happen in a crowded or noisy environment. You might also notice that you frequently forget appointments or are late to work or school. Women who suffer from ADHD are prone to forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails, which could lead to financial stress and a feeling of urgency. You might have trouble working in a busy or noisy office. You may also zone out during conversations, causing the other person feeling disregarded or untruthful.
Many girls and women with ADHD also have trouble maintaining friendships and are at risk of being forced into unintentional sexual activity or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. This is due to the fact that they have a difficult to manage their emotions and are more likely to feel overwhelmed. They may also have issues with self-esteem, and may be more likely to view their problems as "personal flaws" instead of recognizing that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Females and females with ADHD are also often overlooked due to gender bias as their symptoms are less evident than those of males and females. They may camouflage symptoms with anxiety and mood disorders, which can result in a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment.
ADHD symptoms can differ based on fluctuations in hormones. This is especially evident during puberty, as hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels rise. This can lead to a wider variety of symptoms, making it harder to identify and manage ADHD.
Getting diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you develop how to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet and limiting stimulants like sugar, caffeine and drinks with sugar that can worsen symptoms. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can help to calm your mind and decrease restlessness and impulsiveness. They can also help improve the regulation of emotions. Talking with a mental health professional can be beneficial, as they can talk about possible accommodations at school or at work to help you manage your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, females with ADHD have more irritable symptoms than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that girls and women have different brains than males and females. Or it could be due to the level of activity in the brain areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
It can be challenging for doctors to identify ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others are not sustainable and can lead to other health issues. Some women, for example use excessive alcohol and other drugs to deal with their problems. They may also be depressed or have other mental health problems such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for people to recognize that they have a problem and delay a proper diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is a typical adhd symptom that affects women and can affect school or work performance and relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a task, ignoring important events or tasks and being easily distracted by other things in the surroundings or in their thoughts. They might fidget, tap their feet or hands, or squirm. They can also talk out loud or yell, and they may be disruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional type of adhd might have trouble concentrating on conversations or lectures as well as keeping up with reading, writing or schoolwork; following instructions at school or at work; and juggling daily tasks. adhd in older women may be disorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It can be difficult for them to stick with tasks or commitments. They are more prone to losing or misplacing 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 subtype can lead to problems at work, at home, and in schools, and 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 are not able to control their behavior and tend to be reckless.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder time to manage their issues. This is due to the social expectations that demand women and mothers be the primary caregivers for their children and household. When a woman struggles to fulfill her obligations this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This in turn could make it difficult to seek treatment for her ADHD.
In addition, women who suffer from ADHD are often unable to be diagnosed because their symptoms are not 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. In addition, they are more likely to develop coping strategies that mask their ADHD symptoms, including frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of ADHD in women can also differ at different times during the woman's life. For instance, during times of hormonal changes, such as menstrual cycles or pregnancy, a woman may discover her ADHD symptoms to become more severe. This can result in being dismissed or misinterpreted as an overly emotional woman, which adds to her sense of frustration.
The information in this article is based on research about how ADHD affects people based on their sexual. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones, and anatomical structure. gender is an internal sense of what you're like as a male, a woman, or if you're nonbinary, or a person. This distinction is important as it helps us 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 men. We also refer to females and those who were assigned female at conception as females and girls. This terminology is used in a variety of research studies. For more information, read Verywell Health's guide on sex and gender.