ADHD Adult Female Symptoms
ADHD can affect both females and males, but it is more difficult for women to be diagnosed. This is because women rarely exhibit the same levels of hyperactivity or impulsivity that men do, so they are often misdiagnosed or not recognized.
The first step to manage your symptoms is to receive an accurate diagnosis. Adults suffering from ADHD are usually treated with stimulant medication, but there are other alternatives.
1. Trouble focusing
While everyone gets distracted at times, women with ADHD struggle to keep their attention on tasks and conversations especially when they're dealing with emotional or sensory overload. These problems can be made worse when menstrual cycles are in full swing.
Women who are inattentional ADHD have problems with their working memory. This makes it difficult to remember everyday things like the dates of appointments or events that are coming up. They may often forget where they left their keys to their car, the name of the lady who gave them a ride home from spin class or even important dates and deadlines.
Procrastination and the inability to keep up with plans are also symptoms of ADHD in females who are adults. They're more likely to get sidetracked by shiny objects or social media, which makes it difficult to finish their projects and assignments. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed and a lack of performance at school or work.
Due to the societal perceptions of gender, many women with ADHD are not diagnosed. In turn, they feel shame and mistakenly label their problems as "bad behaviors" or "character issues". They are often viewed like they're an imposter. A diagnosis can be a lightbulb moment providing them with a clear external explanation of their struggles and allowing them to accept themselves more fully.
Girls and women with untreated ADHD can suffer from a broad variety of negative effects such as academic issues and behavioral issues, as well as relationships and family problems as well as co-occurring mental health problems. A proper diagnosis and treatment plan will make a difference to the lives of people who suffer from ADHD at any time in their life. Treatment options include stimulant drugs and therapy. *
2. Difficulty Finishing Projects
Women suffering from ADHD often have trouble completing tasks and responsibilities. They may be unable to remember important details, have difficulty switching between tasks or responsibilities and find it difficult to meet deadlines. They might also be more susceptible to make mistakes that aren't their fault or having difficulty managing their time efficiently and underestimate the amount of time it takes to finish their work.
Women with ADHD may find the emotional symptoms of ADHD, such as irritability or mood swings, especially frustrating. Hormonal changes can cause symptoms, such as those that occur in pregnancy, menopause and during menstrual cycles. Women with undiagnosed ADHD may be frustrated and disappointed in their work performance and in their relationships.
Some women with ADHD have trouble managing everyday tasks such as grocery shopping and household chores. They might have a difficult finding the time to remember to empty the garbage or turn off the stove, and they are easily distracted by the smallest objects around them. They may also have difficulty doing routine tasks like folding the laundry or washing dishes. Simple chores or boring ones can become overwhelming, resulting in impulsive behaviors like excessive talk or sharing. The impulsivity that is associated with ADHD can cause women to make unruly decisions and use unhealthy coping methods such as alcohol or drugs.
If you're having trouble finishing tasks, have memory issues or chronic procrastination, as well as problems with relationships, it is time to seek a professional evaluation for ADHD. Finding the right diagnosis can improve your living quality and set you up for success in both your professional and personal lives. It can help you manage your ADHD symptoms and devise strategies to address them effectively. You can minimize lapses of attention and focus by sticking to a plan, using a planner or reminder apps, taking notes during meetings, and ensuring good sleep hygiene. Exercise can also help improve focus because it increases the levels of brain neurotransmitters.
3. It is difficult to remember names.
It is possible that difficulty in remembering names could be coupled with other ADHD symptoms, like difficulty following directions or completing projects. This is due to the difficulty to organize and prioritize tasks, which can hinder information retrieval. This condition can get worse during times of fatigue, stress or hormonal changes, like before, during, and after menopause.
When a person forgets names or names, it can be more difficult if they forget important things like appointments or events, or personal reminders. These lapses can be exacerbated by anxiety and depression, which are both common co-occurring conditions with ADHD for women.
ADHD is often misdiagnosed in women due to gender bias and internalized symptoms. Inattentive ADHD symptoms are more subtle than hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, making them harder to detect and identify. Therefore, they are not diagnosed and are not being referred to a doctor for treatment and diagnosis.
In addition there is discrimination based on gender since the disorder is often be viewed as a condition that affects boys. Hyperactive boys are the ones who are frequently being referred to clinics and analyzed for treatment. Combined with internalized stigma and the fact that women's symptoms tend to differ from those of men and that many professionals are unable to detect or treat ADHD in women.
It's becoming more frequent for women to be diagnosed with ADHD as they reach adulthood. A diagnosis can help improve your relationships, set you up for success at school and at work, and provide the support you need to thrive in your daily life. Speak to a Salience Health provider if you're interested in being diagnosed. We can evaluate your symptoms with tools like Creyos Cognitive Testing and Brainview Advanced and connect you to a therapist who is suitable for you.
4. The difficulty appears in the roof
Women who suffer from ADHD might exhibit subtle signs of inattention. They might forget to complete chores at home, miss appointments, or have trouble taking notes. They might also have problems with impulsivity and have difficulty understanding social boundaries. This could cause to confusion and misinterpretation between family and friends and could cause feelings of isolation and loneliness.
In addition, women with untreated ADHD often have difficulty meeting the expectations of society for them as women. This can cause a feeling of inadequacy and ADHD symptoms as they struggle with the responsibility of taking care of children and household chores. Many women suffering from untreated ADHD have low self-esteem and turn to unhealthy coping strategies like binge eating and marathons on TV.
The difficulties of ADHD in women can be caused by gender bias both in the way that women and girls are perceived and assessed by clinicians. Some research suggests that girls and women are more likely to conceal or minimize their ADHD symptoms, and can be less likely to be referred for treatment and diagnosis than boys and men.
Women suffering from ADHD may also have difficulties in recognizing their symptoms. They may confuse them with mood disorders or anxiety disorders. This could lead to false diagnosis or delayed treatment.
The symptoms of ADHD are influenced by hormone changes, and they can be particularly noticeable during the ovulation cycle or menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause. These changes can heighten the woman's frustration over her ADHD symptoms, and they could increase the chance of being viewed as moody or overly emotional.
5. Impulsivity
While the impulsivity of ADHD affects boys and men differently, women suffer from it similarly. They may also have difficulty managing their emotions, and may be susceptible to "foot in the mouth" moments. These uncontrollable behaviors can have a major impact on your personal and professional life.
Prefrontal cortex is a part of the brain that controls reasoning and decision-making. This brain area can help people avoid making a mistake by acting as a check on their behavior. ADHD sufferers have less functional prefrontal cortex. This makes it more difficult to resist impulses and prevent themselves from doing something reckless. It can also result in an absence of self-esteem. In ADHD symptoms in adults females , impulsiveness often manifests as difficulties with social boundaries and self-control (interrupting the conversation, not finishing other's sentences, and talking excessively).
Women also may have issues controlling their impulses during the various hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives. Estrogen fluctuates in different intervals throughout the menstrual period and pregnancy, as well as childbirth and menopausal cycles. Contraceptives and hormone therapy used during menopausal perimenopausal cycles can alter estrogen levels and other hormones, which can affect women's ADHD.
The way ADHD symptoms are expressed in women and girls can differ from that of males and females, which is one of the reasons they are often underdiagnosed. Many people with ADHD are unaware of their health issues. The good news is, the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD at any age can improve the quality of life for an individual. Speak to your doctor if you're not sure whether you're suffering from ADHD. They can offer you advice. Treatment options include medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and couples counseling.