ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD have reported emotional instability and sensitivity to rejection. They can also experience insomnia or poor quality sleep, which may cause symptoms to get worse.
Girls and women are typically more adept at hiding their ADHD symptoms and coping mechanisms to conform to social expectations and norms. This could lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
1. Trouble focusing
For many women with ADHD concentration is the biggest challenge. Symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder could make it difficult to remain focused at school, during meetings at work, or even when listening to other people's conversations. It can also be challenging to complete everyday tasks like keeping track of appointments or remembering to take your 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 form of the condition can have difficulty organizing their home and their desks. They might be unable to prioritize their tasks. These difficulties can lead to them missing appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place, or failing to complete their tasks. They may make them feel bad about themselves and blame themselves for their troubles believing they are lazy or forgetful.
Inattentive ADHD can lead to poor performance at school or at work and can lead to debt accumulation. They can be triggered by stress or other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, which often co-occur with ADHD in women, as per CHADD.
Certain women and girls who suffer from inattentive ADHD aren't diagnosed or treated due to the prejudices that parents and teachers may be prone to towards males and females. 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. They can be more evident during menstrual cycles or perimenopausal periods, the run-up to a woman's menopause, when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems such as mood swings and irritation.
The use of stimulants can help improve concentration for adults with ADHD, but it won't treat the condition. Other strategies, including lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with focus and organization. Some schools and workplaces offer accommodations to help with these issues, as well.
2. Forgetting Things
Inattention can make juggling daily tasks and responsibilities challenging. You may find it difficult to remember important information, especially if they occur in a noisy area. You may also find that you often forget appointments or are late to work or school. Women who suffer from ADHD tend to forget to pay bills or reply to emails, which could result in financial stress and a feeling of urgency. You may have difficulty working in a busy or noisy office, and you might zone out during conversations. This can make the other person feel unimportant or misunderstood.
Many women and girls with ADHD also have difficulty maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into sexual activities that are not desired 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 may view their difficulties as a "personal flaw" instead of recognizing that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Females and females with ADHD are also not diagnosed because of gender bias as their symptoms are less noticeable than those of boys and men. They may be more likely to disguise their symptoms by claiming mood or anxiety issues, which can result in being misdiagnosed or incorrectly treated.
Symptoms of ADHD differ with the fluctuation of hormones, especially during puberty when estrogen drops and progesterone rises. This can lead to a greater variation in symptoms from day to day, which makes it difficult to identify and treat ADHD correctly.
Finding a doctor and getting treatment can help you gain how to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet and limiting sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to get worse. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can calm your mind and reduce restlessness and impulsiveness. They can also help improve emotional regulation. A mental health professional might be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that can assist you in managing ADHD symptoms at work or at school.
3. Disruptive Behavior
Women with ADHD tend to be less attentive than those with hyperactive or hyperactive symptoms. adhd symptoms in women adults could be because the brains of women and girls differ from the brains of males and females or it could have to do with how much activity is occurring in the areas of the brain that manage disruptive and impulsive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to mask their symptoms. Some are healthy, but others are not sustainable and could cause other health problems. For instance, some women turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to deal with their symptoms. They might also develop depression or other mental health conditions such as anxiety. These unhealthy ways of coping can make it difficult for people to recognize mental health issues and delay an accurate diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common symptom of adhd in women. It can impact their school or work performance, as well as their relationships. They typically involve not being focused on a task, forgetting important events or tasks and becoming easily distracted by other things in their environment or in their minds. They may fidget, shake their feet or hands, or shake their hands. They may also talk loudly or yell, and they can be interruptive.
Women who have the most inattentional subtype of adhd can struggle with concentrating on lectures or conversations; keeping up with writing, reading, or schoolwork; following instructions at work or in class; and managing daily tasks. They may be disorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It can be difficult to keep up with commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace 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 work, at home or at school. It can also trigger feelings of boredom, restlessness, and frustration. They are unable to wait for their turn in school, at work, or at home. They also interrupt others frequently. They aren't able to manage their behavior and tend to be reckless.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may find it harder to manage their symptoms. This is due to the social expectations that demand women and mothers to be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman is struggling to manage her responsibilities and obligations, it can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. adhd symptoms in women adults makes it harder to seek treatment.
Additionally, women who suffer from ADHD frequently have a difficult time 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, like excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness which can be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The signs of ADHD for women can change at different times in the woman's life. For instance, during times of hormonal changes, such as menstrual or pregnancy, a woman could discover her ADHD symptoms to be exacerbated. This could result in being viewed as a woman who is emotionally overly sensitive, which adds to her feeling of anger.
The information in this article is based on research regarding how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex is a reference to biology, including hormonal makeup, chromosomal makeup and anatomy; while gender is a subjective sense of being a woman, man or a nonbinary. This distinction is important as it helps us comprehend the reasons behind why ADHD can manifest differently in men and women. For this reason, throughout this article, we refer to both men and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) as men and boys, and to women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) as girls and women. This is consistent with how many research studies employ this terminology. For more information, read the guide on sex and gender by Verywell Health.