ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Women who aren't diagnosed with ADHD might have difficulties at work or in relationships. It's important to recognize the symptoms and find a treatment that works for you.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults are more likely to be the inattentive type than hyperactivity/impulsive. Having a proper diagnosis can help you improve your life by managing your symptoms and focusing on what matters most.
1. Difficulty paying attention
Women may struggle to pay attention to the details, remembering deadlines and appointments or underestimating the time it takes to complete a task. They might also have difficulties keeping track of their responsibilities at workplace or in relationships, get distracted easily and fail to keep their word on promises. They might also struggle with impulsivity, trouble managing their emotions and a tendency to blurt out things without thinking it through first.
It's important to recognize and treat symptoms of ADHD in adult women. The inability to concentrate can lead to problems with friendships and relationships. Women may find it difficult to establish new friendships or struggle with their relationships due to recurring arguments, missed opportunities for enjoyment, and being ignored. Women can also struggle to manage the demands of home, work and childcare.
Many people with ADHD do not meet the diagnostic criteria, and it may be difficult for health care providers or therapists to recognize the condition. It doesn't mean that it's not real, or that a person has to be more focused. Diagnoses are based on symptoms and how they impact the daily activities in a variety of areas.
Women are more likely to suffer from inattentive symptoms than those who are hyperactive or impulsive which is why they go undiagnosed. Many women who suffer from ADHD are also embarrassed of their symptoms, because they don't fit the stereotypes of ADHD. This can make it even more difficult to seek help or access treatment.
In some instances women with ADHD go undiagnosed for a long period of time because they're trying to manage and hide their symptoms. They are more likely to suffer from comorbidities, such as anxiety or depression that can mask the symptoms of ADHD. They are also more likely to experience hormonal fluctuations that can cause their symptoms to flare or disappear, like during the menstrual cycle as well as during pregnancy and perimenopausal.
2. Organizational Issues
Women with ADHD typically experience forgetfulness and disorganization, as well as emotional dysregulation. These symptoms can make it difficult for them to manage daily tasks, keep up with their responsibilities, and maintain relationships. They may also experience a low self-esteem and struggle with anxiety. Women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD often feel like they're not meeting societal expectations and have a harder to keep up with their peers in terms of academic performance as well as job performance and social interactions.
ADHD in women can manifest as procrastination, hyperfocus or forgetfulness. These problems can lead to women not attending appointments, not paying bills on time, and feeling overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can lead to a loss in concentration on other important tasks, as well as a lack of understanding of time. This makes it difficult to switch from one task to another. Procrastination can lead to a buildup of stress, anxiety, and the constant feeling of being left behind.
Communication issues, both verbal and nonverbal, are another common sign of ADHD. This could mean excessive talk or interrupting others or saying inappropriate words. This could include a lack of ability to be patient or having difficulty understanding social boundaries. It is important to note that these behavior patterns are not necessarily indicative of a lack of intelligence or capabilities.
Many women with ADHD come up with strategies to hide their symptoms. This can have positive as well as negative consequences. Some of these strategies can be healthy, like keeping a schedule for the day or setting reminders for certain events. Some of these coping strategies might be healthy, for instance, setting reminders for events or using alcohol and other drugs to disguise symptoms. This is why it is essential for women who suspect they have ADHD to seek help from an expert in mental health.
Women with ADHD can benefit from medication treatment, lifestyle modifications, therapy and a range of other treatment options. Some of these include cognitive behavioral therapy to deal with negative thoughts and beliefs, mindfulness and relaxation techniques and exercise as well as a balanced diet and a sufficient amount of sleep. A health care provider might also suggest accommodations to make school or work easier.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women with ADHD may struggle with emotional dysregulation. They become frustrated and discouraged when life's difficulties aren't easily overcome. This makes it difficult to maintain relationships with friends, romantic partners and colleagues. For example, forgetfulness or insanity can increase anxiety or confusion in relationships with loved ones and cause feelings of loneliness, loss, or depression. A tendency to look for thrills at the whim of your heart could be mistaken by others as a lack of interest or apathy.
This is one of the reasons ADHD symptoms in women and girls are often missed or underdiagnosed. symptoms for ADHD in adults I Am Psychiatry is possible that they are unable to recognize their issues in relation to ADHD because of stereotypes and social norms that define men and women's behavior.
Women and girls with ADHD may camouflage symptoms to avoid embarrassment. This could result in them being referred less often for diagnosis than men and boys with similar symptoms. In addition there is a gender bias in the research that informs the diagnostic criteria could contribute to this discrepancy. Hartung and Widiger discovered in a recent study that girls and women with ADHD symptoms tend to be more likely to go undiagnosed and under-diagnosed than men and adults. This could be due to the fact that doctors are conditioned by their training to think of hyperactive and impulsive ADHD as more prevalent for both genders. This can make them easier to detect and refer to an assessment.
In adults, ADHD symptoms can manifest as restlessness and difficulty relaxing. These are common symptoms of ADHD however, as we age, they can have a major impact on a person's life and wellbeing. People with ADHD can feel restless and are unable to sit still, particularly if they're anxious or stressed. They also tend to fidget, and are overly talkative. They frequently interrupt or end sentences of other people, without realizing that they're being rude.
If you suspect you may have ADHD Your doctor or registered psychologist may refer you to psychiatrists for an assessment. You can also self-refer. This content was reviewed by Madeline Dykes (clinical psychologist) and other members of the Thriving Madly network in Christchurch in October 2024. The content was updated in November 2022.
4. Social Skills Problems
Women suffering from ADHD may have difficulty managing their emotions or effectively communicating at work. This can cause problems that affect relationships between people and professional goals. They may have difficulty recognizing and responding in a timely manner to feedback. This can result in disappointment or anger. They might also have difficulty trying to keep a healthy diet and sleep habits, which can increase anxiety. In some cases, women suffering from ADHD develop unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to deal with these problems. They may include substances abuse or eating disorders, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), such as cutting or burning.
As adults, women with ADHD are more likely to seek treatment than men because they are more likely to hide their symptoms. They frequently develop coping strategies to try to conform to societal expectations, which can make their ADHD symptoms more difficult to be recognized by others. These strategies for coping could be as simple as making lists and establishing reminders, or more complicated methods, like managing their emotions or developing mindfulness strategies.
These coping mechanisms could but backfire and cause worse symptoms. They can also make it difficult to achieve good sleep, which is essential for managing ADHD symptoms. Women with ADHD may also feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, which can exacerbate ADHD symptoms.
It's true that boys are diagnosed more often with ADHD than girls. However the gap is narrowing as they get older. This is due to the fact that women frequently have a range of symptoms over the course of their lives. This can result in different diagnoses.
The changes in hormone levels can also impact ADHD symptoms among women. For example in the event that they have a high estrogen level during pregnancy, symptoms may improve. This is because estrogen levels can aid in regulating brain chemicals that influence attention. If they start to experience low levels of estrogen due to perimenopausal or age-related decline or perimenopausal symptoms, their ADHD symptoms could become more severe.
Adults suffering from ADHD are able to receive a precise diagnosis, and they can access effective treatment. This includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), neurocognitive psychology, and other treatments that can help people with ADHD improve their daily functioning. Additionally, they can also join support groups for ADHD to share their experiences with others with similar experiences and gain valuable insights from their colleagues.