Symptoms of ADHD in Women
Women with ADHD often complain of frustrations or misunderstandings in their relationships. Others may misinterpret symptoms like forgetting appointments, arriving late to meetings, or zoning out in conversations as boredom or lack of interest.
Due to gender bias, girls and women with ADHD have a hard time being referred to a specialist for evaluation. Clinicians need to recalibrate approaches to identify and treat female patients.
1. Disorganization
If you struggle with disorganization, it might be difficult to keep the track of your daily obligations at school and work. You could also find or lose important items, like your keys or your phone. You might find it hard to follow a schedule, or forget important events or appointments, such as birthdays or anniversaries. It is also possible that you have difficulty remembering names. This can make it difficult to form new friendships or maintain relationships.
You might not realize that your issues with disorganization are ADHD symptoms There are plenty of resources available to help you. You can begin by speaking with your primary care physician. They may recommend you to a mental health professional or a therapist with experience treating ADHD.
Women and girls with ADHD are often not diagnosed. This is due to the coping strategies they employ to hide their symptoms. They may be struggling with self-esteem and tend to blame their problems on things beyond their control, like gender issues or relationships.
Stereotypes regarding gender, sex and behavior can also make obtaining the support women suffering from ADHD need more difficult. Impulsive and hyperactive behavior is often thought of as being more appropriate for males and boys. Some women with ADHD hide or suppress their symptoms in order to blend in to avoid criticism and embarrassment.
While being diagnosed with ADHD will not fix these social and cultural problems however, it can help you understand how to manage your symptoms better. You can improve the quality of your life by seeking treatment and making lifestyle changes for example, adhering to a set schedule and focusing on your health, as well as eating a balanced diet.
You can also boost your focus and ability to complete tasks by taking ADHD medication. It is important to discuss the medication with your doctor and any potential adverse effects. They could make adjustments to your medication, for instance decreasing doses or changing the frequency at which you take them. They can also assist you in finding other strategies to improve daily functioning. For example, they can suggest ways to make accommodations at school or work to alleviate ADHD symptoms.
2. Attention
There is a chance that you are a woman suffering from ADHD who struggles with "time blindness" - meaning you are often late for appointments and can't keep track of deadlines. You might also find it difficult to concentrate or start tasks, especially if they're boring or unchallenging. These signs can be a source of frustration to your colleagues or your friends. But the truth is, you're not deliberately rude or inconsiderate. You're simply dealing with the challenges that are associated with ADHD.
Women and girls are more likely to have inattention ADHD than those with hyperactive or impulse-related symptoms. These characteristics can make it harder for girls and women to receive treatment as they are less obvious. Additionally women and girls frequently develop coping skills that mask the symptoms of ADHD which is why they are often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. For example, symptoms of anxiety or depression could be misinterpreted as a result of the inattention deficit of ADHD and these disorders are treated instead.
It's also possible that girls and women struggle to diagnose ADHD because they blame themselves. They may be ashamed of missing appointments or not meeting deadlines, so they don't inform a doctor of the symptoms. If they do see a healthcare professional, it's quite likely that they'll be told that their behavior is normal and not their fault, which can increase their frustration and shame.
While medication is the most effective treatment for ADHD in adults, it's essential to select the right medication that will work for you and your specific symptoms. If stimulant drugs don't work or you can't take them, your physician may recommend antidepressants or non-stimulant medications. They will also consider whether your symptoms may have been caused due to hormonal changes like those that occur during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopausal. These changes can impact the way your body process medication and their effectiveness. This is a reason to get a diagnosis early on. Medication can help you manage your ADHD symptoms and increase your performance at work and your home.
3. you can look here suffering from ADHD often have trouble regulating their emotions. Symptoms can include feelings of anxiety, frustration or depression, as well as mood swings. These emotions can negatively impact relationships and work performance. Women can also experience difficulty maintaining relationships and could have an unstable love life with more rapid romance and a higher chance of violence from intimate partners.
The impulse-control symptoms of adhd in women can be more difficult to notice and identify than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms seen in boys and men/people AMAB. This is because women and girls are more adept at developing coping mechanisms that mask or cover up their ADHD symptoms in order to conform to the expectations of society based on gender (Quinn & Madhoo, 2014). This can lead to a misdiagnosis or ineffective treatment for women who suffer from adhd as adults.
Many females with ADHD have difficulty attempting to control their spending habits, like as they are unable to resist temptations or control their emotions. This can lead them to financial problems, as they might forget to make payments or pay their bills on time. Impulsive women also tend to be more likely to shop due to boredness or to seek out excitement and stimulation, which could lead to problems with their relationship with food. This can lead to unhealthy and unbalanced eating habits and can cause other health concerns.
Research on adults with adhd in women has been restricted, but we do know that symptoms are more common in females than males. It could be due to the fact that early research on ADHD focused on males and people who AMAB, which made it easier to recognize their symptoms and refer them to diagnosis. It is also possible that the criteria for diagnosing ADHD isn't as reliable to identify females suffering from the disorder.
Receiving a diagnosis of adhd can be a game changer for women, particularly if it comes late in life. It can help them realize the person they are and why they behave in the ways that they do. It could make them feel like a lightbulb, giving them an explanation for their problems.
4. Anxiety
Often, women with ADHD suffer from anxiety and stress. Anxiety can lead to difficulties in relationships, at work and at school. It can manifest physically, such as rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, muscle tension, or headaches. It can also impact sleep. A lack of quality sleep can worsen anxiety symptoms, making them more difficult to manage. Procrastination can become an endless cycle, where anxiety fuels procrastination and fear of not being able to complete tasks in a timely manner.
It's important to be self-aware and recognise if you have an anxiety disorder. If you experience symptoms that interfere with your daily activities, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional to seek help. They will evaluate your condition and utilize established criteria to determine if you have an anxiety disorder. This may include how long you've been suffering from symptoms and how intense they are. They might suggest different tests and tools to rule out other illnesses which could be causing the symptoms.
Women with ADHD can sometimes be more difficult to be diagnosed than men, as they are more adept at masking their symptoms. They may develop coping strategies to help them function however, these strategies may become unsustainable or exhausting over time. For instance, women with ADHD might be able to manage their impulsiveness and distraction by planning their meetings in advance or by using a calendar and reminders on their phones. However, these strategies might not address the root cause of their ADHD and could cause issues in their lives at home and at school or work.
Finding a reliable diagnosis can be challenging because many rating scales for ADHD tend to be biased towards male behavior and symptoms. Women are also more hesitant to seek treatment because they may not think they have ADHD or that the diagnosis will affect their career or personal relationships.
If you find that your ADHD symptoms are affecting your studies or work, it's important to let your voice be heard and seek assistance from co-workers and supervisors. They will likely be willing to provide accommodations to allow you to achieve success in your school or at work.