15 Shocking Facts About ADHD Symptoms For Women That You Never Knew
ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD typically experience symptoms of emotional instability and sensitivity to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality of sleep which can cause more symptoms.
Girls and women often hide their ADHD symptoms more effectively than men by employing strategies to manage their stress and meet the social expectations and norms. This can lead both to a misdiagnosis or delays in treatment.
1. Problems with Focusing
Focusing is the biggest challenge for many women suffering from ADHD. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder can make it hard to stay on task at school, at meetings at work, or when reading or listening to others talk. It can be difficult to accomplish daily tasks like remembering appointments or taking 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 who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder might struggle with organizing their homes and their desk. They may also have difficulty deciding how to prioritize tasks. These problems can result in them not attending appointments, showing up at the wrong time or at the wrong place or failing to finish their work duties. These difficulties can make them feel uneasy about themselves, and they could blame themselves for their troubles.
Attention-deficit ADHD can lead to poor performance at work or in school and can also lead to the accumulation of debt. According to CHADD the symptoms are often triggered by stress or other mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.
Teachers and parents could be biased towards boys and men, causing women and girls to be underdiagnosed. 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 adult women who suffer from ADHD symptoms, they can be worsened due to hormonal changes. For instance, they could be more apparent during the menstrual cycle or during perimenopause--the run-up to menopausal, when estrogen levels decrease and cause emotional problems, including mood swings and anger.
Adults suffering from ADHD may benefit from stimulant medications to boost their concentration however, it cannot cure the condition. Other strategies, such as lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in focusing and organization. Some schools and workplaces offer accommodations to help with these issues.
2. Forgetting Things
Forgetfulness can make it difficult to keep track of your daily activities or take care of the responsibilities. It can be difficult to remember important information particularly when they happen in a noisy setting. You may also find that you often forget appointments or are late to work or school. Forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails is common in women suffering from ADHD and can cause financial stress and leave you feeling stressed. You may have difficulty working in a crowded or noisy workplace and frequently get lost in conversations, causing others feeling disregarded or untruthful.
Many women and girls with ADHD are also having a difficult time maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into unintentional sexual activity or being victims of intimate partner violence. They are more likely than others to be overwhelmed because they are unable to manage their emotions. They may also struggle with self-esteem, and may be more inclined to see their issues as "personal flaws" instead of acknowledging that their behavior is linked to their ADHD symptoms.
Women and girls with ADHD are also not diagnosed due to gender bias as their symptoms are less obvious than those of males and females. They may camouflage symptoms with anxiety and mood disorders, which can cause a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
ADHD symptoms can vary depending on the fluctuation in hormone levels. This is particularly evident during puberty, as hormone levels decrease and progesterone levels increase. This can result in a wider variety of symptoms, making it harder to identify and treat ADHD.
Getting diagnosed and receiving treatment can help you gain how to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also consider lifestyle changes, like eating a well-balanced diet and limiting caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that may cause symptoms to become worse. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can relax your mind and reduce restlessness and impulsiveness. They also aid in improving the regulation of emotions. A mental health professional could be able to assist by discussing possible accommodations that may assist you in managing ADHD symptoms at school or at work.
3. conversational tone
In the majority of cases, women with ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than hyperactive or impulsive ones. This could be due to the fact that the brains of women and girls differ from the brains of men and boys or it could have to do with how much activity is occurring in the regions of the brain responsible for managing disruptive and impulsive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to recognize ADHD in women. Many women devise strategies to hide their symptoms. Some are healthy, but others are not sustainable and could cause other health problems. Women, for instance are prone to drinking excessively and drugs to cope. They might also develop depression or other mental health conditions such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping methods can make it difficult for someone to recognize they have a mental health problem and delay the diagnosis.
Disruptive behavior is among the most common adhd symptoms for women. It can affect their work or school performance, as well as their relationships. These include being in a state of disorientation and not being able to focus on a specific task, ignoring important tasks or events, and easily getting distracted by the surrounding environment or their thoughts. They might fidget, tap their hands or feet or make a squirming sound. They may also speak out loud or yell, and they can be interruptive.
Women who are inattentive are prone to having difficulty concentrating during lectures or conversations, keeping up with schoolwork, reading, or writing assignments, following instructions in classes or at work, and juggling daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They can also be messy. It can be challenging for them to follow through with tasks or commitments. They are more likely to lose or misplace things like glasses, wallets, keys and even wallets.
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 issues at work, at home, or school. It can also lead to feelings of restlessness, boredom and frustration. They are not able to wait for their turn, whether at school, work, or home. They also interrupt others frequently. They have a tendency to be reckless and are unable manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Girls and women with ADHD may have a harder time 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 this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This, in turn, makes it more difficult to seek treatment for her ADHD.
Women with ADHD are typically not diagnosed as readily as men or boys because their symptoms don't appear as prominent. 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. Furthermore, they are more likely to develop strategies for coping to disguise their ADHD symptoms, such as excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness, which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The signs of ADHD in women can also change at different times in the woman's life. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, such as menstruation or pregnancy, a woman could discover her ADHD symptoms to become more severe. This could cause her to be misunderstood or considered an overly emotional.
The information in this article is based on research regarding how ADHD affects people based on their sexual. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, hormones, chromosomal makeup and anatomy; while gender refers to the internal feeling of being a man, woman or a nonbinary. This distinction is important because it allows us to better know how and why ADHD can manifest differently in men and women. This is why throughout this article, we refer to men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) as boys and men, and to women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This is in line with the way many research studies use this term. For more information, check out the guide to sex and gender by Verywell Health.