ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women suffering from ADHD often report symptoms of emotional instability and sensitive to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor sleep quality which can cause more symptoms.
Women and girls tend to hide their ADHD symptoms more effectively than men, using strategies to cope with social expectations and norms. This could lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
Concentration is the most difficult issue for many women with ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to concentrate at school or during work meetings or while reading or listening to others' conversations. It can also be difficult 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. According to CHADD, women with the inattentive type of the disorder may have difficulty organizing their home and desk. They may also have difficulty deciding how to prioritize tasks. These problems can cause them to miss appointments, arrive in the wrong place at the correct time or fail to keep up on their job responsibilities. These difficulties can make them feel bad about themselves, and they could blame themselves for their troubles.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to stay on top of responsibilities, leading to poor work or school performance and an accumulation of debt. They are often triggered by stress or other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression that are often associated with ADHD in women, according to CHADD.
Some girls and women with inattentional ADHD are not diagnosed or recognized because of biases that 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.
For women who are adults who suffer from ADHD symptoms, they can be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. They can be more noticeable during menstruation or perimenopause, the run-up to menopausal symptoms as estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems like mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD can benefit from stimulant medications to boost their concentration but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies, like lifestyle modifications, mindfulness-based training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can also aid in organizing and focus. Some workplaces and school have facilities that can help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
It can be difficult to keep track of your daily activities or take care of obligations. It can be difficult to remember important details about events or people particularly when they occur in a noisy or busy environment. You may also end up having trouble remembering appointments or getting late to school or work. Women who suffer from ADHD are prone to forgetting to pay bills or responding to emails, which could cause financial stress and a feeling of urgency. You might have trouble working in a busy or noisy office. You may also lose focus during conversations, causing the other person feeling disregarded or untruthful.
Many girls and women who suffer from ADHD also struggle to maintain friendships. They are also at risk of being forced into sexually inappropriate behavior or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners. They are more likely than others to feel overwhelmed due to the fact that they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They could also have a problem with their self-esteem and they might view their problems as something that is a "personal fault" instead of realizing that their behavior is linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Because of 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 could disguise symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders, which can result in a misdiagnosis or improper treatment.
Symptoms of ADHD are influenced by hormone fluctuations particularly during puberty, when progesterone levels drop and estrogen increases. This can result in a wider range of symptoms, which makes it harder to identify and treat ADHD.
If you are diagnosed and treated, you will learn how to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes such as eating an appropriate diet and avoiding stimulants like sugar, caffeine and sugary drinks that could worsen symptoms. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can calm your mind and reduce restlessness and impulsiveness. They can also improve emotional regulation. Talking with an expert in mental health can also be helpful, as they can talk about possible accommodations at work or school that can help you manage your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women with ADHD are more sluggish than hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that the female and female brains differ from those of men and boys 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.
This means it can be harder for a doctor to identify and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to disguise their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others are not sustainable and can lead to other health issues. Some women, for example are prone to drinking excessively and other drugs to deal with their problems. They might also develop depression or other mental health issues such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have an issue with their mental health and delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common symptom of adhd for women. It can affect their school or work performance, as well as their relationships. They usually involve not staying focused on a task, forgetting important dates or events, and becoming easily distracted by other things in their surroundings or in their thoughts. They may fidget, shake their feet or hands, or squirm. They may also shout or speak loudly and may interrupt.
Women who suffer from the primarily inattentive type of adhd might struggle to concentrate on conversations or lectures and juggling writing, reading or schoolwork; adhering to instructions at the workplace or in class and managing daily tasks. They are often disorganized and messy and find it difficult to keep track of commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace items such as eyeglasses, wallets, and keys.
Having the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd can disrupt work or school, cause social problems, and create relationship challenges. signs and symptoms of adhd in women I Am Psychiatry can lead to issues at work, at home, as well as at school, and it can cause feelings of restlessness and boredom. It can also cause frustration. They have a difficult waiting to be called upon at school, home or at work and often interrupt other people. They are prone to be reckless and aren't able to control their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls with ADHD can have a harder time coping with their symptoms than men and boys. This is largely due to social expectations, which demand that mothers and women be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. When a woman struggles to fulfill her obligations this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This makes it harder for her to seek help.
Additionally, women who suffer from ADHD frequently have a difficult time getting diagnosed as their symptoms aren't as prominent 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 that cover up their ADHD symptoms, including frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over a woman's lifetime. Women can be afflicted with ADHD symptoms when hormonal changes occur, such as menstruation and pregnancy. This can lead her to be misunderstood, or dismissed as a woman who is 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: chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomy; while gender refers to the internal feeling of being a man, woman, or nonbinary person. This distinction is important because it helps us comprehend the reasons behind why ADHD can manifest differently in women and men. For this reason, throughout this article we refer to males and those assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as boys and men, and to women and those assigned to female at birth (AFAB) as girls and women. This is in line with how many research studies use this term. To find out more, check out the Verywell Health guide to sex and gender.