ADHD Adult Female Symptoms
ADHD can affect both females and males, but it's more difficult for women to be diagnosed. This is because women don't exhibit the same levels of hyperactivity and the same impulsivity as men, which means they may be missed or incorrectly diagnosed.
Making sure you have a clear diagnosis is the first step to managing your symptoms. Stimulant medications are a popular treatment for adults suffering from ADHD, but there are also other options.
1. Trouble focusing
Although everyone is distracted from time to time, women who suffer from ADHD have difficulty putting their attention on conversations and tasks especially when they're suffering from sensory or emotional overload. These problems can become more difficult during menstrual cycles.
Women with inattentive ADHD have problems with their working memory. This makes it difficult to remember things that are simple like dates or events coming up. ADHD symptoms adults male might forget where they left their keys to their car, the name of the woman who gave them a ride home from spin class, or even important deadlines and dates.
Other signs of ADHD in adult females include procrastination and difficulty in following through on plans. They are more likely to get distracted by shiny objects or social media, making it difficult to finish their assignments and projects. This can cause feeling overwhelmed and underperforming at school or work.
Many women suffering from ADHD aren't diagnosed because of gender stereotypes. ADHD adult female symptoms means that they feel ashamed and are misinformed about their struggles as "bad habits" or "character imperfections." They also often report feeling like an impostor. A diagnosis can be a "lightbulb" moment for them, since it gives them an external explanation for their struggles and helps them accept themselves more fully.
Girls and women with untreated ADHD can experience a wide range of negative outcomes, including academic problems, behavioral issues, poor relationships and family problems, and co-occurring mental health issues. A correct diagnosis and treatment plan will improve the lives of people who suffer from ADHD at any point in their lives. Treatment options include stimulant drugs and therapy. *
2. Difficulty Finishing Projects
Women with ADHD often struggle to complete tasks and duties. They may be unable to remember important details, have trouble switching between tasks or responsibilities, and are unable to meet deadlines. They may also be more susceptible to make mistakes that aren't their fault, have trouble organizing and managing their time well, and overestimate how long it takes to finish their work.
Women with ADHD can find the emotional symptoms of ADHD, such as mood swings or irritability particularly difficult. Symptoms can be exacerbated by hormonal changes, such as those that occur during menstrual cycles as well as during pregnancy and menopausal. Women with undiagnosed ADHD might feel angry and dissatisfied about their performance at work and in their relationships.
Women with ADHD have a hard time with daily routines such as chores and grocery shopping challenging. They may have a hard finding the time to remember to empty the trash or turn off the stove and they can be easily distracted by the smallest things around them. They may also struggle performing routine tasks like folding dishes or washing the laundry. Simple tasks that are boring or repetitive can become unbearable which can lead to impulsive behaviours like excessive talking or oversharing. Women with ADHD might also make unruly decisions and resort to unhealthy coping strategies, like alcohol or other drugs.
If you are having difficulty getting things done, have memory issues, have a tendency to procrastinate for a long time or are experiencing relationship issues It is crucial to seek professional help for ADHD. Finding the right diagnosis can improve your overall quality of life and set you up for success in your personal and professional lives. It can assist you in managing your ADHD symptoms, and develop strategies for dealing with them. You can limit lapses of focus and attention by adhering to a schedule using a planner, or a reminder apps, taking notes during meetings, and ensuring good sleep hygiene. Exercise can also help improve focus as it increases the levels of brain neurotransmitters.
3. Difficulty Remembering Names
It is possible that a difficulty in remembering names could be accompanied by other ADHD symptoms, like difficulty following directions or completing projects. The root cause of the difficulties is a lack of ability to prioritize tasks and organize them, which impacts the efficiency of information retrieval. This problem is more likely to occur when there are periods of fatigue, stress or hormonal changes.
The feeling of forgetting names can be more frustrating when it's followed by a sense of forgetfulness over bigger items like appointments, events, or personal reminders. These lapses could be caused by depression or anxiety which are frequently associated with ADHD in women.
Due to gender stereotypes and internalized symptoms, ADHD is often misdiagnosed among women. Inattentive ADHD symptoms are more subtle than hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, making them harder to detect and identify. As a result, they are not recognized and referred to for diagnosis and treatment.
Additionally, gender-based bias exists because ADHD is typically considered to be a male-specific condition, with hyperactive boys being the ones who are most recommended to clinics for evaluation and treatment. In addition to internalized stigma and the fact that women's symptoms tend to differ from those of men as well, a lot of professionals fail to diagnose or treat ADHD in women.
It's becoming more common for women to receive an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood. A diagnosis can enhance your relationships, assist you to succeed at work and in school, and offer you the help you require. If you are interested in getting an assessment, speak with an experienced Salience Health provider. We can assess your symptoms using tools like Creyos Cognitive Testing and Brainview Advanced and connect you with a therapist who's the right fit for you.
4. Difficulty Appearing in Aloof
Women suffering from ADHD may exhibit subtle signs of inattention. They might forget to complete chores at home, skip appointments or have difficulty taking notes. They may also be struggling with impulsivity, or struggle to understand the boundaries of social interaction. This could cause to confusion and misinterpretation with friends and family and may cause feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Women with untreated ADHD might also have difficulty being able to meet the expectations set by society as women. They might struggle with the responsibility of caring for their children and household chores, and this societal pressure can intensify their ADHD symptoms and feelings of inadequateness. Untreated ADHD can lead to lower self-esteem in women. They may resort to unhealthy ways of coping like binge eating and watching marathons of TV.
The difficulties of ADHD for women can be amplified by gender bias, both in the way women and girls are perceived and assessed by clinicians. Certain studies suggest that girls and women tend to cover up or disguise their ADHD symptoms, and can be less likely to be referred for treatment and diagnosis than boys and men.
Another issue is that women with ADHD might have difficulty recognizing their own symptoms, and they may confuse them with mood disorders or anxiety. This could lead to a false diagnosis and delay or ineffective treatment.
These changes can increase a woman's frustration with her ADHD symptoms. They can also increase the likelihood that she will be misunderstood or dismissed as moody or excessively emotional. These changes can intensify women's anger over their ADHD symptoms, and they can increase the likelihood of being misunderstood or dismissed as moody or overly emotional.
5. Impulsivity
Women also experience the impulsivity that is a symptom of ADHD. They also may have difficulty managing their emotions and can be more prone to "foot-in-mouth" moments. These uncontrollable behaviors can have a major impact on your professional and personal life.
The brain part that controls the ability to make decisions and reason is known as the prefrontal cortex. This area can help people avoid making a mistake by acting as a check on behavior. ADHD sufferers have a weaker prefrontal cortex. This can make it difficult for them to resist urges and avoid doing something reckless. It can also lead to an inability to respect themselves. Women's impulsiveness can be seen as a lack of social boundaries and self-control in conversations (interrupting others, finishing their sentences, and talking too often).
Women also have issues with impulse control when their hormones change. Estrogen fluctuates in different intervals throughout the menstrual cycle as well as during pregnancy, childbirth, and menopausal cycles. Contraceptives and hormone therapy during menopausal perimenopausal cycles can alter estrogen levels and other hormones which can affect women's ADHD.
The manner in which ADHD symptoms manifest for women and girls may differ from that of men and boys, which is one of the reasons why they are often underdiagnosed. This is why many people who suffer from ADHD are unaware that they have it. The good news is that diagnosing and treating ADHD can help improve the quality of life of a person regardless of age. If you're not sure whether or not you have ADHD discuss it with your doctor and see how they can assist. Treatment options include medication as well as cognitive behavioral therapy and couples counseling.