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ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women who suffer from ADHD experience emotional instability and sensitivity towards rejection. They may also experience insomnia and poor quality sleep, which could cause symptoms to get worse.
Girls and women are typically better at masking their ADHD add symptoms in adult women by using coping strategies to conform to social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis or a delay in treatment.
1. Trouble focusing
For a lot of women suffering from ADHD concentration 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 other people talk. It can also be difficult to manage everyday tasks, such as 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 in women over 50. Women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder may be struggling to organize their home or their work desk and find it difficult to prioritize tasks according to CHADD. These issues can result in them not attending appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place or failing to finish their work tasks. These problems can make them feel embarrassed about themselves and they might blame themselves for their problems.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can also make it difficult to keep track of obligations, resulting in poor school or work performance as well as the accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they can be triggered either by stress or other mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
Teachers and parents may be biased towards boys and men, causing women and girls to be misdiagnosed. 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 in women who suffer from ADHD. For instance, they could be more apparent during menstrual cycles or during perimenopausal transition, the period leading up to menopause--when estrogen levels dip and can cause emotional issues such as mood swings and irritability.
Stimulant medication can enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't treat the condition. Other strategies, like lifestyle changes, mindfulness training and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can also help with focus and organization. Some workplaces and schools have accommodations that can help with these issues, too.
2. Forgetting Things
Inattention can make it difficult to keep track of your daily tasks or to manage your obligations. You may struggle to remember important details about people or events, especially when they happen in a noisy or busy environment. You might also find that you are often late for appointments or run late for work and school. Forgetting to pay bills or reply to emails is a common occurrence for women with ADHD that can lead to financial stress and leave you feeling overwhelmed. You may experience difficulties working in a noisy or loud office and often lose focus during conversations, causing the other person feeling ignored or misunderstood.
Many girls and women with ADHD also have difficulty maintaining friendships and are at risk of being forced into unwanted 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 become overwhelmed. They might also have trouble with their self-esteem and may be more likely to interpret their problems as "personal flaws" instead of acknowledging that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Women and girls with ADHD are also not diagnosed due to gender bias, because their symptoms are less obvious than the symptoms of men and boys. They could disguise symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders, which could result in a misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment.
ADHD symptoms can vary depending on the fluctuation in hormone levels. This is particularly the case during puberty when hormone levels drop and progesterone levels rise. This can lead to a wider range of symptoms, making it harder to identify and treat adhd traits in women.
If you are diagnosed and treated, you will learn to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also try lifestyle changes, like eating a well-balanced diet and limiting sugar, caffeine and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to get worse. You can also practice mindfulness techniques and meditation to relax your mind, reduce the impulsiveness and anxiety and improve your emotional regulation. A mental health professional could be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that can help you manage ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than those with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that girls and women have different brains than men and boys. Or it could be due to the level of activity in the brain areas that control impulsive behavior.
It can be a challenge for doctors to diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. Some are healthy, but others are not long-lasting and could lead to other health issues. For instance, some women turn to excessive alcohol or drugs to cope with their symptoms. They may also be depressed or suffer from other mental health conditions like anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies may make it more difficult for someone to recognize that they are suffering from a condition and may delay a correct diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is one of the most common symptom of adhd in women. It can impact their school or work performance, and even their relationships. They can be a problem when they are in a state of disorientation and not being able to focus on a specific task, forgetting important events or tasks and easily getting distracted by the surrounding environment or their thoughts. They may fidget, shake their feet or hands or make a squirming sound. They may also shout or speak loudly, and may interrupt.
Women with the predominantly inattentive subtype of adhd can have trouble concentrating on conversations or lectures and juggling writing, reading, or schoolwork; following instructions at work or in class; and juggling daily tasks. They may be unorganized, messy, and forgetful and have a difficult time keep track of commitments or tasks. They are more vulnerable to misplacing or losing 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 adhd can cause trouble at work, at home, and at school, and it can lead to feelings of agitation or boredom. They are unable to wait for their turn whether at school, work, or home. They often interrupt others. They tend to be reckless and aren't able to control their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may find it harder to manage their issues. This is partly due to societal expectations that demand that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers for their children and household. If a woman with ADHD struggles to fulfill her responsibilities, she can experience heightened feelings of anxiety that can cause low self-esteem. This, in turn, makes it more difficult to seek out treatment for her ADHD.
In addition, women who suffer from ADHD frequently have a difficult time getting diagnosed since their symptoms aren't as evident 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 frequent fidgeting and forgetfulness which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD for women can change at different times in the woman's lifetime. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, like menstrual or pregnancy, women may find her ADHD symptoms to become more intense. This can lead to being viewed as an overly emotional woman and can cause a sense of frustration.
The information in this article is based on research into how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a matter of biology: chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomical structures, whereas gender is an internal perception of the person you are as a man, a woman, or if you're non-binary, you're an individual. This distinction is crucial as it enables a better understanding of how and why the ways that ADHD manifests can vary between genders. In this article, we will refer to males as well as people who were assigned male at birth as boys and men. We also refer to females and people who were assigned female at conception as women and girls. This terminology is utilized in many research studies. For more information, read Verywell Health's guide to sex and gender.