ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD have reported emotional instability and sensitivity to rejection. They may also experience insomnia and low quality sleep, which may cause the symptoms to become worse.
Women and girls tend to hide their ADHD symptoms better than males, using strategies to manage their stress and meet social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis and delays in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
For a lot of women suffering from ADHD concentration is the biggest challenge. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to concentrate at school or during work meetings or while reading or listening to others talk. It can also be challenging to complete daily 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. Women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder might have trouble organizing their house or desks and may find it difficult to prioritize tasks according to CHADD. These difficulties can cause them to miss appointments, show up at the wrong place at the right time, or fail to follow through on their job responsibilities. These difficulties can make them feel uneasy about themselves, and they might blame themselves for their troubles.
Attention-deficit ADHD can also lead to poor performance at work or in school and can lead to the accumulation of debt. They can be triggered by stress or other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression that often co-occur with ADHD in women, according to CHADD.
Some girls and women with inattentional ADHD are underdiagnosed or overlooked because of the biases 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 for women who suffer from ADHD. For instance, they could be more apparent during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopause, which is the time before menopausal changes. This is when estrogen levels drop and can cause emotional issues, including mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD may benefit from stimulant medications to boost their concentration but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies like mindfulness training, lifestyle changes, and cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can also assist with focus and organization. Certain schools and workplaces have accommodations that can help with these issues as well.
2. Forgetting Things
The habit of forgetting can make managing your daily tasks and responsibilities difficult. You may struggle to remember important information about people or events particularly when they take place in a noisy or crowded environment. You might also notice that you are often late for appointments or get 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 overwhelmed. You might have trouble working in a busy or noisy office, and you may get lost in conversations. This can make the other person feel unimportant or confused.
Many women and girls who have ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They are also at risk of being forced into inappropriate sexual behaviour or becoming intimate partner violence victims. This is due to the fact that they have a difficult managing their emotions and are more likely to become overwhelmed. They might also have trouble with their self-esteem and may be more inclined to see their problems as "personal flaws" rather than recognizing the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.
Due to gender bias Due to gender bias, girls and women suffering from ADHD are underdiagnosed as their symptoms are more subtle than those of men and boys. They may camouflage symptoms with anxiety and mood disorders, which can result in a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment.
The symptoms of ADHD are influenced by hormone fluctuations and, particularly during puberty when progesterone levels drop and estrogen increases. This can result in more frequent change in symptoms throughout the day, which can make it more difficult to diagnose and treat ADHD properly.
When diagnosed and treated, you can learn how to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also consider lifestyle changes, for example, eating a well-balanced diet and limiting caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to worsen. It is also possible to practice meditation and mindfulness techniques to relax your mind, decrease restlessness and impulsiveness, and improve emotional regulation. A mental health professional could be able to help you by discussing possible accommodations that can aid you in managing ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women who suffer from ADHD tend to be more inattentive than hyperactive or hyperactive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that the brains of women and girls differ from the brains of males and females or it could be to do with the amount of activity is occurring in the regions of the brain that control impulsive and disruptive behavior.
In the end, it can be harder for a doctor to recognize and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to mask their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others aren't sustainable and could cause other health problems. For instance, some women turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to cope with their symptoms. They could also develop depression or other mental health conditions such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping mechanisms can make it more difficult for someone to recognize they are suffering from a disorder and can delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is one of the most common adhd symptoms for women. It can impact their school or work performance, and even their relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a particular task, not remembering important events or tasks and being easily distracted by other aspects of the environment or in their minds. They may fidget, tap their feet or hands, or squirm. They may also speak out loud or yell, and they may be disruptive.
Women who suffer from the primarily inattentive subtype of adhd can have trouble concentrating on conversations or lectures as well as keeping up with reading, writing, or schoolwork; following instructions at the workplace or in class and juggling daily tasks. They can be disorganized, messy, and forgetful and find it difficult to keep track of commitments or tasks. They are more prone to misplacing or losing things 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 type of disorder can cause issues at work, at home, and at school, and can cause feelings of restlessness, boredom, and frustration. They are not able to wait for their turn, whether at school, work, or home. They often interrupt others. They tend to act recklessly and are not able to control their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to have a difficult time coping with their symptoms than men and boys. This is partly due to the expectations of society, which demand that women and mothers are the primary caregivers of their children and their household. If adhd in women checklist with ADHD is unable to manage her obligations, she may feel anxious and stressed that can cause low self-esteem. This makes it more difficult for her to seek help.
Additionally, women who suffer from ADHD frequently have a difficult time getting diagnosed since their symptoms are not as evident as the men and boys. 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 to disguise their ADHD symptoms, including frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD for women can differ at different times during the woman's life. Women can be afflicted with ADHD symptoms in the course of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycles and pregnancy. This can cause her to be misunderstood, or considered an emotionally overly sensitive.
The information in this article is based on research into how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, hormonal makeup, chromosomal makeup and anatomy. While gender refers to an internal sense of being a male, female, or nonbinary person. This distinction is important as it allows us to better know the ways and reasons ADHD manifests differently in women and men. In this article, we are referring to males and people who were assigned male at birth as males and boys. 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 information, read Verywell Health's guide on gender and sexuality.