ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Women who aren't diagnosed with ADHD may face challenges at workplace or in relationships. It is crucial to identify the signs and seek out treatment that works for you.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults are more likely to be the inattentive type than hyperactivity/impulsive. A proper diagnosis can help to improve your life by managing your symptoms and focus your attention on what's important.
1. Difficulty paying attention
Women might have trouble paying attention to details, remembering deadlines and appointments, or underestimating how long it takes to complete the task. They may also have difficulty managing their time at workplace or in relationships, get distracted easily, and fail to deliver on their promises. They might also be impulsive, struggle with managing their emotions, and may blurt out things before thinking them through.
It is important to recognize and treat the symptoms of ADHD in adult women. Inability to pay attention can cause difficulties with friendships and relationships. Women may have difficulty to make new friends or struggle with their relationships due in part to repeated arguments and missed opportunities for enjoyment, and being ignored. Women also may find it difficult to balance the demands of home, work and childcare.
It's not easy for health professionals and therapists alike, to identify ADHD in a large number of people. This doesn't mean that it's not real or that the person has to work harder to stay focused. Diagnoses are based upon the symptoms and how they affect the daily activities in a variety of areas.
It's more common for women to have inattentive symptoms - as opposed to hyperactive or impulsive symptoms - and this could be the reason why this group of people often go undiagnosed. Additionally, many women with ADHD feel a sense of being embarrassed about their issues because they don't fit into the stereotypes of a person with ADHD. This can make it difficult for people who suffer from ADHD to seek help or receive treatment.
In some cases women suffering from ADHD go undiagnosed for a long time because they are trying to cope and conceal their symptoms. In addition they are more likely to suffer from comorbidities that can conceal their ADHD symptoms, like depression, anxiety, and digestive issues. They are more likely to experience hormonal fluctuations that can cause their symptoms to flare up or disappear. This is especially true during menstruation or pregnancy, as well as perimenopausal.
2. Problems with Organization
Women with ADHD frequently experience a lack of memory as well as emotional dysregulation, disorganization and forgetfulness. These symptoms can make them incapable of completing daily tasks, meet obligations or maintain relationships. They might also suffer from low self-esteem or anxiety. Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD may feel that they are not meeting societal expectations. They may also experience anxiety and low self-esteem.
In addition to disorganization and forgetfulness, ADHD in adult women can manifest as procrastination or hyperfocus. These issues can result in women missing appointments, not paying bills on time, and feeling overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can lead to a loss in focus on other important tasks, as well as a lack of understanding of time. This can make it difficult to switch from one task to another. Procrastination can cause anxiety, stress and a constant feeling of being lagging behind.
Another symptom that is often associated with ADHD is difficulty communicating verbally and nonverbally. This can include talking excessively, interrupting others, or saying inappropriate things. It can also include an inability to wait for her turn or difficulty recognizing social boundaries. ADHD symptoms in adults males is important to remember that these issues don't always suggest a lack of ability or intelligence.
Many women with ADHD develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. This can have positive as well as negative effects. Some of these strategies for coping may be healthy. For example keeping a daily calendar or setting reminders for important events. Others could be harmful like drinking alcohol or using drugs to hide symptoms or not paying attention to them at all. As a result, it is crucial for women who suspect they have ADHD to seek help from a mental health professional.
Women with ADHD may benefit from medication, lifestyle modifications or therapy, as well as other treatment options. Some of these include cognitive therapy to address the root of negative thoughts and beliefs, mindfulness and relaxation techniques, exercise as well as a balanced diet and a sufficient amount of sleep. A doctor may also recommend accommodations to make working or school easier.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women who suffer from ADHD may struggle with emotional dysregulation. In the end, they can become frustrated and discouraged when their problems aren't solved. It can be challenging to keep relationships going, whether with romantic partners, co-workers or even friends. For instance, forgetfulness or impulsivity may cause confusion or frustration in relationships with loved ones and lead to feelings such as loneliness or depression. A tendency to seek out thrills on the spur of the moment could be mistaken by others as a lack of interest or indifference.
These are the reasons why ADHD symptoms in women and girls are often overlooked or not diagnosed. They may also have a hard time recognizing that their struggles are caused by the disorder due to social norms and stereotypes about men's and women's behaviors.
Women and girls with ADHD often camouflage their symptoms to avoid embarrassment. This may result in being referred to less frequently for diagnosis than men and boys with the same symptoms. This discrepancy may also be due to gender bias in the research that informs diagnostic criteria. Hartung and Widiger discovered in a recent study that girls and women who suffer from ADHD symptoms are more likely to go undiagnosed and under-identified than boys and adults. This could be due to the fact that clinicians are trained to view hyperactive and impulsive ADHD as being more common in boys and men. This can make them easier to identify and to refer for assessment.
Adult ADHD symptoms can manifest as anxiety and a struggle to settle down. These are typical symptoms of ADHD, but in adulthood they can have a significant impact on the quality of life and well-being. People with ADHD may feel agitated and find it difficult to sit still, especially when they're feeling anxious or stressed. They also tend to fidget, and are often very active. They often interrupt or finish other people's sentences and do not realize they're causing offence.
If you think you may be suffering from ADHD and are concerned, you can be referred to a psychiatrist by your GP or psychologist. Or, you can self-refer. This content was reviewed in the month of October 2024 and revised in November 2022 by Madeline Dykes, clinical psychologist, and members of the Thriving Madly peer support network in Christchurch.
4. Social Skills Problems
Women who suffer from ADHD might have trouble managing their emotions or effectively communicating at work. This can cause problems that can hinder personal relationships and professional goals. For instance, they could struggle to understand and respond to feedback, which could result in frustration and displeasure. Also, they may have difficulty maintaining healthy sleeping and eating habits, which could cause anxiety. In some instances women with ADHD develop unhealthy coping strategies to try to compensate for these problems. These include eating disorders, substance abuse and non-suicidal harming oneself (NSSI) which includes cutting, burning, or scratching.
Women who suffer from ADHD might have a harder time receive treatment as adults than males, because they tend mask their symptoms. They often create strategies for coping to fit in and meet social expectations, which may make their ADHD symptoms difficult for others to recognize. These coping strategies may be as simple and straightforward as setting reminders or making lists, or they could be more complicated, like finding ways to control their emotions or developing mindful techniques.
However, these coping methods can backfire and cause symptoms to become worse. These strategies for coping can make it hard to get a good night's sleep which is essential for managing ADHD symptoms. In addition, women with ADHD often feel overwhelmed by the demands of life and this can increase stress and further exacerbate their ADHD symptoms.
It's true that boys are more frequently diagnosed with ADHD than girls. However the gap gets smaller as they get older. It's because it's common for women to experience a variety of symptoms throughout their lives, and this can result in the diagnosis at various times.
Changing hormone levels can also influence ADHD symptoms in women. For instance in the event that they have an elevated estrogen level during pregnancy, their symptoms could improve. This is because estrogen levels that are higher aid in regulating brain chemicals that influence attention. However, if they begin 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 get a correct diagnosis and get effective treatment. These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) neurocognitive psychology, and many other treatments that can help those with ADHD improve their daily functioning. They are also able to attend meetings of support groups for ADHD to share their experience with others who are on the same journey, and gain valuable insights from their peers.