ADHD Symptoms For Women
Women with ADHD frequently experience symptoms of emotional volatility and sensitive to rejection. They might also experience insomnia and poor quality of sleep which can make symptoms worse.
Women and girls tend to hide their ADHD symptoms more effectively than men by employing strategies to manage their stress and meet social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis as well as a delay in treatment.
1. Trouble focusing
For many women with ADHD concentration is the biggest challenge. The symptoms of this neurodevelopmental disorder could make it hard to stay on task at school, during meetings at work, or even when reading or listening to other people's conversations. It can also be difficult to manage everyday tasks, such as 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. Women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder may have trouble organizing their house or desk and struggle to prioritize tasks, according to CHADD. These difficulties can lead them to miss appointments, show up at the wrong place at the correct time or fail to follow through on their tasks. These problems can make them feel bad about themselves, and they might blame themselves for their own problems.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to keep track of responsibilities, leading to poor work or school performance and an accumulation of debt. According to CHADD they are often triggered by stress or other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Teachers and parents may be biased against boys and men, causing women and girls to be overlooked. 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 of adult age who suffer from ADHD, symptoms can also be exacerbated due to hormonal changes. They can be more noticeable during menstruation or perimenopause which is the period leading up to a woman's menopause, when estrogen levels drop and cause emotional problems like mood swings and irritation.
Adults suffering from ADHD can benefit from stimulant medication to boost their concentration however, it cannot treat the condition. Other strategies such as 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
Inattention can make managing daily tasks and responsibilities challenging. You may struggle to remember important information about people or events particularly when they occur in a noisy or busy environment. You might also find that you often forget appointments or get late to work or school. 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 may experience difficulties working in a busy or noisy office, and you might get lost in conversations. This can make someone else feel ignored or misunderstood.
Many women and girls with ADHD also have trouble maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into unintentional sexual activity or being victims of intimate partner violence. adhd in adults women are more likely than other people to be overwhelmed because they have difficulty regulating their emotions. They may also have issues with self-esteem, and may be more inclined to see their difficulties as "personal imperfections" instead of acknowledging that their behavior is related to their ADHD symptoms.
Girl and women with ADHD are also not diagnosed due to gender bias, since their symptoms are more evident than those of boys and men. They are more likely to disguise their symptoms with mood or anxiety issues and this can lead to being misdiagnosed or incorrectly treated.
ADHD symptoms can vary depending on fluctuations in hormones. This is especially evident during puberty, as estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels increase. This can result in greater variation in symptoms from day to day, which makes it difficult to identify and manage ADHD correctly.
Diagnosed and treated, you can learn how to manage ADHD symptoms. You can also consider lifestyle changes, such as eating a well-balanced diet and limiting caffeine, sugar and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to worsen. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can to calm your mind and decrease the impulsiveness and restlessness. They can also help improve emotional regulation. Talking with an expert in mental health can be beneficial, since they can discuss possible accommodations at work or at school that can assist you in managing your ADHD symptoms better.
3. Disruptive Behavior
In most cases, women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to experience inattention than hyperactive or impulsive ones. It could be because the brains of girls and women differ from those of men and boys or it could have to do with how much activity is happening in the areas of the brain responsible for managing impulsive and disruptive behavior.
It can be difficult for doctors to identify ADHD in women. Many women devise strategies to mask their symptoms. Some of these are healthy, but others are not sustainable and could cause other health problems. For example some women resort to excessive alcohol or drugs to manage their symptoms. They may also be depressed or have other mental health issues like anxiety. These unhealthy coping methods can make it difficult for people to recognize that they have a mental health problem and delay the diagnosis.
Disruptive behaviors are a common adhd symptom in women that can affect school or work performance and relationships. They typically involve not being focused on a particular task, not remembering important dates or events, and being easily distracted by other things in the surroundings or in their thoughts. They may fidget, shake their feet or hands or make a squirming sound. They can also yell or speak loudly, and they may interrupt.
Women with the inattentive subtype may have trouble concentrating during lectures or conversations or completing schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following instructions in classes or at work, and managing daily tasks. They can be disorganized, messy, and forgetful and find it difficult to adhere to commitments or tasks. They are more likely to lose or misplace items such as 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 disorder can cause problems at work, at home or in school. It can also cause feelings of boredom, restlessness and frustration. They can't wait for their turn, whether at school, at work, or home. They also interrupt others frequently. They have a tendency to be reckless and are not able to manage their behavior.
4. Anxiety
Women and girls who have ADHD may have a harder time to manage their symptoms. This is partly due to societal expectations that demand that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. If a woman with ADHD struggles to fulfill her obligations, she may be afflicted with anxiety and stress that lead to low self-esteem. This can make it more difficult for her to seek treatment.
Women with ADHD are not often diagnosed as readily as men or boys because their symptoms do not seem to be as apparent. 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. They are also more likely to develop coping strategies that cover up their ADHD symptoms. For instance excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness can be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of ADHD can also change over a woman's lifetime. For instance, during periods of hormonal changes, like menstruation or pregnancy, a woman may discover her ADHD symptoms to become more intense. This can result in being dismissed or misinterpreted as a terribly emotional woman, which adds to her feelings of frustration.
The information in this article is based on research about how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a matter of biology: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones, and anatomical structures, whereas gender is a subjective sense of what you're like as a male, a woman, or if you're nonbinary, a person. This distinction is crucial because it allows for better understanding of how and the ways ADHD manifests can vary between genders. For this reason, throughout this article we will refer to both men and those assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as boys and men and women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This terminology is used in many research studies. For more details, refer to the guide to sex and gender by Verywell Health.