ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Women with undiagnosed ADHD can face difficulties at work or in relationships. It's crucial to recognize the signs of ADHD and to find a treatment that works for you.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults are more likely to be the inattentive type than hyperactivity/impulsive. A correct diagnosis can improve your life, by addressing your symptoms and focusing your attention on what is important.
1. It is difficult to pay attention
Women may be struggling with their inability to pay attention to the smallest details or remember deadlines and appointments or underestimate the time it will take to complete a task. They may also have difficulty keeping track of their obligations at workplace or in relationships, get distracted easily and fail to follow through on their promises. They may also be impulsive, have trouble controlling their emotions, and blurt out things before taking the time to think them through.
The inability to pay attention that is experienced by ADHD symptoms in adult women can lead to problems with friendships and relationships and relationships. That's why it's important to recognize the symptoms and seek treatment. Women may have difficulty to make new friendships or struggle in their relationships due in part to repeated arguments, missed opportunities for enjoyment, and being ignored. They might also have a harder time balancing the demands of work, home and childcare.
Many people with ADHD don't meet the diagnostic criteria, and it could be hard for health professionals or therapists to identify the condition. This doesn't mean that it's not real or that the person needs to be more focused. The diagnosis is based on the extent to which the symptoms affect everyday functioning across a variety of aspects of life.
It's more common for women to have inattentive symptoms and not hyperactive or impulsive symptoms which could explain why this population often goes undiagnosed. Additionally many women suffering from ADHD are afflicted with a sense of shame about their symptoms because they don't fit into the stereotypes of someone with ADHD. This makes it harder for people who suffer from ADHD to seek assistance or receive treatment.
Some women with ADHD are not diagnosed for a prolonged period of time because they attempt to conceal their symptoms and cope. They are also more likely to be suffering from comorbidities, such as depression or anxiety which may conceal the symptoms of ADHD. They are more likely to have hormonal fluctuations that could cause their symptoms to flare up or disappear. This is especially relevant during menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and perimenopause.
2. Organizational Problems
Women suffering from ADHD often experience forgetfulness and disorganization, as well as emotional dysregulation. These symptoms can make it difficult for women with ADHD to manage everyday tasks, keep up with their commitments, and maintain relationships. They may also have a low self-esteem and suffer from anxiety. Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD often feel that they're not meeting the expectations of society and have a difficult than their peers in terms of academic performance, job performance, and social connections.
In addition to a lack of organization and forgetfulness, ADHD in adult women can manifest as procrastination or hyperfocus. These issues can lead to women not attending appointments, not paying bills on time and feeling overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can result in a loss in focus on other important tasks, as well as a lack of understanding of time. This makes it difficult to shift from one task to another. Procrastination can cause anxiety, stress, and a constant sense of being lagging behind.
Communication issues, both verbal and nonverbal are a typical symptom of ADHD. This could include talking too much, interrupting others or saying inappropriate things. It can also include an inability to wait his or her turn or trouble understanding social boundaries. It is important to keep in mind that these issues don't always indicate a lack in intelligence or ability.
Many women suffering from ADHD develop strategies to mask their symptoms, which can have positive and negative impacts. Some of these coping mechanisms might be healthy. For example, using a daily calendar or setting reminders for important events. Others could be harmful like using alcohol and drugs to conceal symptoms or not paying attention to them at all. It is therefore important that women who suspect that they be suffering from ADHD seek out professional help.
Women with ADHD may benefit from medications treatment, lifestyle changes, therapy and a variety of other treatment options. Some of these include cognitive behavior therapy to deal with negative beliefs and thoughts mindfulness and relaxation techniques, exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep. A health care provider can also suggest accommodations that will make school or work easier to manage.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women suffering from ADHD might struggle with emotional dysregulation. In the end, they often become discontent and frustrated when the challenges of life aren't resolved. This can make it difficult to maintain relationships with romantic partners, friends and colleagues. For example, forgetfulness or impulsivity can heighten frustration or confusion in relationships with loved ones and cause feelings of loneliness, abandonment or depression. A tendency to seek out thrills on the spur of the moment could be taken to mean an absence of interest or indifference.
For these reasons, ADHD symptoms are often missed or under-diagnosed in women and girls. They may be unable to understanding that their issues are caused by the disorder because of stereotypes and social norms regarding gender roles and behavior.
Women and girls who suffer from ADHD tend to conceal their symptoms in order to avoid embarrassment. This may lead to them being referred for diagnosis less frequently than boys and men with the same symptoms. Additionally there is a gender bias in research that determines diagnostic criteria could be a factor in this discrepancy. Hartung and Widiger discovered in a recent study that women and girls with ADHD symptoms are more likely to be undiagnosed and under-identified than boys and adults. This could be because clinicians are taught to see hyperactive and aggressive ADHD symptoms as more typical of males and females, which can make them easier to identify and referred for assessment.
Adults, ADHD symptoms can manifest as restlessness or difficulty relaxing. These are typical ADHD symptoms however they can affect an adult's life. People who suffer from ADHD can feel restless and find it difficult to sit still, especially if they're feeling anxious or stressed. They also tend to fidget and tend to be very talkative, often interrupting or ending sentences of other people without even thinking they're being rude.
If you think you have ADHD, your doctor or registered psychologist can refer you to a psychiatrist to conduct an assessment. You can also self-refer. This content was reviewed in the month of October 2024 and revised in November 2022 by Madeline Dykes, clinical psychologist and a member of the Thriving Madly peer support network in Christchurch.
4. Social Skills Problems
Women who suffer from ADHD might have trouble managing their emotions and communicating effectively at work. This can result in issues with personal relationships and with professional goals. For instance, they may have trouble recognizing and responding to feedback, which can cause frustration and even disappointment. ADHD symptoms in women adults may also struggle to maintain healthy sleeping and eating habits, which can lead to feelings of anxiety. In some instances, women suffering from ADHD develop unhealthy coping strategies in order to deal with these problems. They may resort to eating disorders, substance abuse, and non-suicidal harming of oneself (NSSI) such as cutting, burning, or scratching.
As adults, women who suffer from ADHD may find it more difficult to seek treatment than men because they tend to cover up their symptoms. They frequently come up with strategies to cope in order to fit in and meet the expectations of society, which can make their ADHD symptoms difficult to be recognized by others. These strategies for coping could be as simple as making lists and setting reminders or more complicated methods, like managing their emotions or developing mindfulness techniques.
However, these strategies could backfire and make symptoms worse. They can also make it difficult to get good sleep, which is crucial to manage ADHD symptoms. Women suffering from ADHD are also prone to feeling overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, which can lead to an increase in ADHD symptoms.
It's true that boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. However the gap gets smaller as they get older. This is because women often have a range of symptoms throughout the course of their lives. This can lead to different diagnoses.
The changes in hormone levels can also impact ADHD symptoms among women. For instance, if they have a high estrogen level during pregnancy, symptoms may improve. Higher levels of estrogen help regulate brain chemicals that influence the ability to focus. If they start to have low estrogen levels due to perimenopausal changes or age or perimenopausal symptoms, their ADHD symptoms could become more severe.
It is possible for adults suffering from ADHD to receive an accurate diagnosis and access effective treatment. These include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and neurocognitive psychology, and many other treatments that can help those with ADHD improve their daily functioning. They are also able to attend support group meetings for ADHD in order to share their experiences with other people on the same journey and gain valuable information from their peers.