ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Women who aren't diagnosed with ADHD may face challenges at work or in their relationships. It is crucial to recognize the signs of ADHD and to find the right treatment for you.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults are more likely to be the inattentive type than hyperactivity/impulsive. A proper diagnosis can help you improve your life by addressing your symptoms and focusing on the things that matter most.
1. Trouble paying attention
Women may have difficulty paying attention to details, recollecting appointments and deadlines or underestimating the amount of time it takes to complete the task. They may also struggle to keep track of their responsibilities in their relationships or at work, get easily distracted, and aren't able to keep promises. They might also struggle with an impulsive nature, trouble controlling their emotions and an inclination to talk about things without thinking them through first.
The difficulty in paying attention experienced by ADHD symptoms in women of adulthood can lead to problems with friendships and relationships, which is why it's crucial to spot the signs and seek treatment. Women might find it harder to make new friends, or they may struggle in their current relationships with constant fights and missed opportunities for fun activities and being left out. They might also find it difficult managing the demands of home, work and childcare.
It's not easy for health care providers and therapists alike, to identify ADHD in many people. But that doesn't mean it's not real or that the person doesn't need to do more to keep on track. Diagnoses are based upon the symptoms and the way they affect daily functioning in various areas.
Women tend to have more inattentional symptoms than hyperactive or impulsive ones, which could explain why they aren't diagnosed. Many women with ADHD also feel ashamed of their symptoms since they don't conform to the stereotypes associated with ADHD. This makes it harder for women who suffer from ADHD to seek assistance or receive treatment.
In some instances women with ADHD remain undiagnosed for a long period of time because they're trying to cope and hide their symptoms. They are more likely to have disorders that are comorbid, like depression or anxiety that can conceal the symptoms of ADHD. They are also more likely to experience hormonal fluctuations that can cause symptoms to flare up or fade away, for instance during the menstrual cycle as well as during pregnancy and perimenopausal.
2. Organizational Problems
Women suffering from ADHD frequently experience a lack of memory as well as emotional dysregulation, disorganization and forgetfulness. These signs can cause them to be difficult to manage daily tasks, meet their obligations, or maintain relationships. They might also suffer from low self-esteem or be anxious. Women with undiagnosed ADHD may feel that they are not meeting societal expectations. They may also experience anxiety and low self-esteem.
In addition to a lack of organization and forgetfulness, ADHD in adult women can be manifested as hyperfocus or procrastination. These problems can cause women to miss appointments, not pay bills on time, and feel overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can result in a lack of attention to other things that are important and a shaky sense of time, which could make it difficult to shift from one task to another. Procrastination can also cause anxiety, stress, and a constant sense of being lagging behind.
Communication issues, both verbal and nonverbal are a typical sign of ADHD. This can include talking excessively, interrupting others or saying inappropriate things. This can include an inability for her to wait or a difficulty understanding the boundaries of social interaction. It is important to remember that these issues don't always signal a lack of the ability or intelligence.
Many women suffering from ADHD come up with strategies to mask their symptoms. This can have both positive as well as negative consequences. Some of these strategies could be healthy, like keeping a schedule for the day or setting reminders for certain events. Some of these strategies could be healthy, like creating reminders for events, or using alcohol or drugs to disguise symptoms. It is crucial that women who suspect they have ADHD seek out professional help.
Women suffering from ADHD might benefit from medications, lifestyle changes, therapy, or other treatments. They can avail cognitive behavioral therapy, which addresses negative beliefs and thoughts, mindfulness and relaxation, exercising, a healthy diet, and adequate rest. A doctor can also recommend accommodations that will make work or school more manageable.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women suffering from ADHD might experience emotional dysregulation. They can become frustrated and depressed if life's challenges can't be easily overcome. This can make it difficult to keep relationships with loved ones, friends as well as coworkers. For instance, forgetfulness and impulses can cause anxiety or confusion in romantic relationships and lead to feelings of abandonment, loneliness, or depression. A tendency to seek out thrills at the whim of your heart could be taken to mean a lack of interest or apathy.
For these reasons, ADHD symptoms are often overlooked or not recognized for girls and women. It is possible that they are not able to recognize their problems as being related to ADHD because of stereotypes and social norms that define gender and sexuality.
Women and girls with ADHD often conceal their symptoms in order to avoid embarrassment. This may result in them being diagnosed less often than men and boys who have similar symptoms. This could be due to gender bias in the research that informs diagnostic criteria. In a recent study Hartung and Widiger discovered that girls and women are more likely to be under-identified and under-diagnosed than men and boys who have similar ADHD symptoms. adult symptoms of ADHD could be due to the fact that healthcare professionals are conditioned by their education to think of hyperactive and hyperactive and impulsive ADHD as more prevalent in both men and boys. This makes them easier to recognize and to refer for assessment.
Adult ADHD symptoms can manifest themselves as irritability and difficulty in calming down. These are typical ADHD symptoms however, they can also have a major impact on an adult's life. People suffering from ADHD are often anxious and find it difficult to sit still, especially if they're feeling anxious or stressed. They are also prone to fidgeting and tend to be overly talkative, often interrupting or completing sentences of other people without even thinking they're causing offence.
If you suspect you may have ADHD, your GP or a registered psychologist can refer you to psychiatrists for an assessment. Alternatively, you can self-refer. This information was reviewed in the month of October 2024 and updated in November 2022 by Madeline Dykes, clinical psychologist and a member of the Thriving Madly peer support network in Christchurch.
4. Problems with Social Skills
Women suffering from ADHD might have trouble managing their emotions or communicating effectively at work. This can lead to issues that can hinder personal relationships and professional goals. For instance, they could be unable to recognize and respond to feedback, which can result in frustration and displeasure. They may also struggle to maintain healthy eating and sleep habits, which can lead to feelings of anxiety. Some women who suffer from ADHD employ unhealthy methods of coping to deal with their issues. This can include alcohol abuse or eating disorders, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) like cutting, burning, or scratching.
Women with ADHD may be more hesitant to receive treatment as adults than men, because they are more likely to hide their symptoms. They frequently come up with strategies to cope in order to fit in and meet societal expectations, which can make their ADHD symptoms more difficult for others to recognize. These strategies for coping could be as simple as setting reminders and creating lists, or they may be more complicated, like finding ways to control their emotions or developing mindfulness techniques.
These coping strategies can be counterproductive and cause worse symptoms. These coping methods can also make it difficult to get a good night's sleep, which is crucial for managing ADHD symptoms. Women with ADHD can also feel overwhelmed by the demands of everyday life, which can exacerbate ADHD symptoms.
It's true that boys are more frequently diagnosed with ADHD than girls. However the gap gets smaller as they get older. This is because women typically suffer from a variety of symptoms over the course of their lives. This can result in different diagnoses.
The changes in hormone levels can also impact ADHD symptoms in women. For example when they have high levels of estrogen during pregnancy, their symptoms might 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 or age-related decline, their ADHD symptoms could become more severe.
It's now possible for people with ADHD to receive a precise diagnosis and get effective treatment. This includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neurocognitive psychology, and other therapies that can help people with ADHD improve their everyday functioning. They are also able to attend meetings of support groups for ADHD to share their experiences with others who are on the same journey and gain valuable information from their colleagues.