ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD have reported emotional instability and sensitivity to rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor sleep quality, which can exacerbate symptoms.
Women and girls tend to hide their ADHD symptoms better than males by employing strategies to manage their stress and meet the social expectations and norms. This can lead both to a misdiagnosis or delays in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
For many women suffering from ADHD, focusing is the most challenging thing. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to focus at school or during work meetings, or when reading and listening to others' conversations. It can also be challenging to complete everyday tasks, such as 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, women with the inattentive type of the disorder may struggle with organizing their homes and their desk. They may also have difficulty deciding how to prioritize tasks. These issues can result in them missing appointments, showing up at the wrong time or location or not completing their work duties. They may make them feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their troubles and think they are lazy or forgetful.
Inattentional ADHD can also result in poor performance at work or in school and can lead to debt accumulation. According to CHADD the symptoms can be triggered by stress or other mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Teachers and parents may be biased against males and females, which can cause women and girls to be overlooked. 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.
For women of adult age with ADHD symptoms, they may be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. For example, they can be more evident during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopausal transition, the period leading up to menopausal changes. This is when estrogen levels drop and can cause emotional issues, including mood swings and irritability.
Stimulant medications can help increase the concentration of adults suffering from ADHD however it doesn't cure the condition. Other strategies like mindfulness training, lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also assist with focus and organization. Certain schools and workplaces have facilities that can assist with these issues as well.
2. Forgetting Things
The habit of forgetting can make juggling daily chores and responsibilities difficult. It can be difficult to remember important information, especially if they occur in a noisy setting. You may also find that you are often late for appointments or are late for school or work. Forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails is common in women suffering from ADHD that can lead to financial stress and make you feel stressed. You may have difficulty working in a crowded or loud office and often zone out during conversations, leaving the other person feeling unimportant or misunderstood.
Many women and girls who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They are also at risk of being pushed into sexually inappropriate behavior or becoming victims of intimate partner violence. They are more likely than other people to be overwhelmed because they are unable to manage their emotions. They could also have a problem with their self-esteem and they might view their difficulties as a "personal flaw" instead of realizing that their behavior may be linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Due to gender biases, women and girls with ADHD are underdiagnosed as their symptoms are more subtle than those of men and boys. They are more likely to disguise their symptoms by claiming mood disorders or anxiety, which can result in being misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated.
Symptoms of ADHD vary with hormone fluctuations and, particularly during puberty when estrogen drops and progesterone rises. This can cause a greater range of symptoms, making it harder to diagnose and treat ADHD.
When diagnosed and treated, you will learn to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also change your lifestyle, such as eating healthy and balanced meals and avoiding stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and sugary drinks that could worsen symptoms. It is also possible to practice mindfulness techniques and meditation to help calm your mind, reduce restlessness and impulsiveness, and improve emotional regulation. Talking with a mental health professional could be beneficial, since they can suggest possible adjustments at work or school to aid in managing your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women who suffer from ADHD tend to be more inattentive than 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 volume of activity in the brain areas that regulate impulsive behavior.
This means it can be difficult for a physician to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping mechanisms to disguise their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others are not long-lasting and could lead to other health issues. For instance, some women turn to drinking or using drugs to deal with their symptoms. They may also become depressed or have other mental health issues like anxiety. These unhealthy ways of coping can make it difficult for people to recognize a mental health problem and delay the diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common symptom of adhd for women. It can impact their academic or work performance, or even their relationships. adhd in women adult include being incapable of staying focused on a particular task, or forgetting important events or tasks and easily getting distracted by the environment or their thoughts. They might fidget, tap their hands or feet or make a squirming sound. They may also speak out loudly or yell, and they can be interruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional subtype of adhd can struggle to concentrate on lectures or conversations as well as keeping up with writing, reading or schoolwork; following instructions at school or at work; and managing daily tasks. They may be unorganized, messy, and forgetful and find it difficult to follow through on commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or lose items like 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 type of disorder can cause problems at home, work or at school. It can also lead to feelings of restlessness, boredom and frustration. They have a difficult time waiting for their turn at school, at home, or in the workplace and they frequently interrupt other people. They aren't able to control their behavior and are likely to behave in a reckless manner.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may find it harder to manage their symptoms. This is due to societal expectations that demand women and mothers to be the primary caregivers for their children and household. When a woman struggles to fulfill her obligations and obligations, it can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. More methods makes it harder for her to seek help.
Additionally, women who suffer from ADHD often have difficulty getting diagnosed since their symptoms aren't as pronounced 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 strategies for coping to disguise their ADHD symptoms, including excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness which can be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change throughout the life of a woman. Women may be afflicted with ADHD symptoms when hormonal changes occur, such as menstruation and pregnancy. This can cause her to be viewed as a victim of prejudice or dismissed as 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 matter of biology: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones and anatomical structure. gender is a subjective sense of what you're like as a man, a woman, or if you're non-binary, you're or a person. This distinction is important as it helps us comprehend the ways and reasons ADHD can manifest differently in women and men. For this reason, throughout this article we refer to men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) as men and boys and women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) as girls and women. This is in line with how many research studies employ this term. To learn more, read Verywell Health's guide on sex and gender.