All The Details Of ADHD Symptoms For Women Dos And Don'ts
ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD experience emotional instability and sensitivity towards rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality of sleep which can make symptoms worse.
adhd symptoms in women adults and women often hide their ADHD symptoms better than males, using strategies to manage their stress and meet the social expectations and norms. This could lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
For many women suffering from ADHD concentration is the most difficult thing to do. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to stay on task at school, at meetings at work, or even when reading and listening to others talk. It can be difficult to accomplish everyday 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 with the inattentive form of the condition can struggle to organize their home and their desks. They might also find it hard to prioritize their tasks. These issues can lead them to miss appointments, show up at the wrong place at the correct time or fail to follow through on their work duties. They may make them feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their problems, thinking they are incompetent or forgetful.
Inattentive ADHD can also result in poor performance at school or at work, and debt accumulation. According to CHADD, they can be triggered by stress or other mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
Certain women and girls who suffer from inattentive ADHD are not diagnosed or recognized due to the prejudices that teachers and parents may 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 cause symptoms in adult women with ADHD. For instance, they could be more evident during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopausal transition, the period leading up to menopause--when estrogen levels dip and can cause emotional issues which include mood swings as well as irritation.
Stimulant medication can enhance concentration in 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. Some workplaces and school have accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
The habit of forgetting can make managing daily tasks and responsibilities difficult. You may have difficulty remembering important information about people or events particularly when they occur in a crowded or noisy environment. You may also find that you are often late for appointments or are late for school or work. Forgetting to pay bills or reply to emails is common among women suffering from ADHD and can cause financial stress and leave you feeling rushed. You might have trouble working in a noisy or crowded office, and may zone out during conversations. This could make the other person feel unimportant or misunderstood.
Many girls and women with ADHD also have difficulty maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pressured into unintentional sexual activity or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. This is due to the fact that they have a harder managing their emotions and are more likely to be overwhelmed. They might also be struggling with their self-esteem and may see their issues as an "personal fault" instead of recognizing that their behavior may be linked 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 boys and men. They may camouflage symptoms with anxiety and mood disorders, which can result in a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment.
The symptoms of ADHD vary with hormone fluctuations, especially during puberty when progesterone drops and estrogen increases. This can result in a wider variety of symptoms, making it harder to identify and treat ADHD.
When diagnosed and treated, you will learn to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also try lifestyle changes, like eating a balanced diet and avoiding caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that may cause symptoms to become worse. You can also try meditation and mindfulness techniques to calm your mind, decrease restlessness and impulsiveness and improve your emotional regulation. A mental health professional may be able to help you by discussing possible accommodations that can aid you in managing ADHD symptoms at work or at school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than those who are hyperactive or impulsive. This could be due to the fact that the brains of girls and women differ from those of males and females or it could be to do with how much activity is taking place in the areas of the brain that control impulsive and disruptive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to identify ADHD in women. Many women devise strategies to mask their symptoms. Some are healthy, but others are not long-lasting and could lead to other health problems. Women, for instance, turn to excessive alcohol and drugs to cope. They might also develop depression or suffer from mental health conditions such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have mental health issues and delay the diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common adhd symptoms for women. It can impact their academic or work performance, or even their relationships. They can be a problem when they are incapable of staying focused on a particular task, forgetting important events or tasks, and easily getting distracted by the surroundings or their thoughts. They might fidget or tap their feet or hands or squirm their seats. They may also talk loudly or yell, and they can be interruptive.
Women who have the inattentive subtype are prone to having difficulty in concentrating during lectures or discussions and juggling schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following instructions in classes or at work, and juggling daily tasks. They may be disorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It is often difficult to keep up on commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace things 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 adhd can cause trouble at work, at home, and in school, and it can cause feelings of restlessness or boredom. They can't wait for their turn, whether at school, at work, or at home. They also interrupt others frequently. They have a tendency to act recklessly and are unable control their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD can have a harder time coping with their symptoms than men and boys. This is due to the expectations of society that insist that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman is struggling to meet her responsibilities this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This can make it more difficult for her to seek treatment.
Women with ADHD are not often diagnosed as easily as boys or men because their symptoms don't appear as obvious. 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 that cover up their ADHD symptoms, like excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness, that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can change over a woman's lifetime. For instance, during times of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycles or pregnancy, a woman could find her ADHD symptoms to become more intense. This can cause her to be misunderstood or considered being overly emotional.
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: chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomy. While gender refers to the internal feeling of being a male, female or a nonbinary. This distinction is important because it enables a better understanding of how and the ways that ADHD manifests may differ between genders. In this article we will refer to both men and those assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as males and boys as well as women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) as girls and women. This terminology is utilized in many research studies. For more information, read the guide to sex and gender by Verywell Health.