ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Women who have undiagnosed ADHD may face challenges at work or in their relationships. It's crucial to recognize the signs of ADHD and seek the right treatment for you.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults are more likely to be the inattentive type than hyperactivity/impulsive. A correct diagnosis can improve your life by addressing your symptoms and focus your attention on what's important.
1. It is difficult to pay attention
Women may struggle to pay attention to details, remembering appointments and deadlines or underestimating the amount of time it takes to complete an assignment. They may also be unable to keep track of their responsibilities in their relationships or at work and are easily distracted and fail to keep their promises. They might also have a tendency to be impulsive, have difficulty managing their emotions, and blurt out things before taking the time to think them through.
It is important to recognize and treat symptoms of ADHD in women who are adults. The inability to pay attention can cause problems with relationships and friendships. Women may find it difficult to make new friends or struggle with their relationships due to recurring arguments and missed opportunities for fun and being ignored. They might also face difficulties managing the demands of home, work and childcare.
Many people who have ADHD do not meet the diagnostic criteria, and it could be hard for health care providers or therapists to identify the condition. But that doesn't mean that it's not real or that the person doesn't need to try harder to keep on track. Diagnoses are based on the symptoms and how they impact the daily activities in a variety of areas.
It's more common for females to have inattentive symptoms rather than hyperactive or impulsive symptoms - and this could be the reason why this group is often undiagnosed. In addition, many women with ADHD suffer from a sense guilt about their condition because they don't fit into the stereotypes of a person with ADHD. This can make it more difficult to seek help or access treatment.
In some instances women suffering from ADHD go undiagnosed for a long time because they're trying to manage and conceal their symptoms. In addition they are more likely to have complications that may cover up their ADHD symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and digestive issues. They are also more likely to suffer from hormonal fluctuations that may cause symptoms to flare up or fade away, for instance during the menstrual cycle as well as during pregnancy and perimenopausal.
2. Problems with Organization
Women suffering from ADHD often experience forgetfulness as well as emotional dysregulation, disorganization and forgetfulness. These symptoms can make them difficult to manage daily tasks, meet their obligations, or maintain relationships. They might also suffer from low self-esteem and suffer from anxiety. Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD may feel that they are not meeting societal expectations. They may also struggle with anxiety and low self-esteem.
ADHD in women can manifest as procrastination, hyperfocus, or forgetfulness. These problems can lead to women missing appointments, not paying bills on time, and feeling overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can lead to a lack of focus on other things that are important and a poor sense of time, which could make it difficult to switch from one activity to another. Procrastination can lead to an increase in stress, anxiety, and the constant feeling of being left behind.
Another symptom that is often associated with ADHD is difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication. This could mean excessive talk and interrupting other people or saying inappropriate words. This could include the inability to be patient or having difficulty understanding social boundaries. It is important to remember that these signs do not necessarily indicate the absence of intelligence or capability.
Many women suffering from ADHD develop strategies to disguise their symptoms. This can have both positive as well as negative effects. Some of these strategies for coping could be healthy, for instance, keeping a schedule for the day or establishing reminders for events. Some of these strategies may be healthy, such as creating reminders for events, or using alcohol and drugs to mask symptoms. It is therefore important that women who suspect they have ADHD seek professional help.
Women with ADHD might benefit from treatment, lifestyle changes or therapy, as well as other treatments. Some of these include cognitive therapy to address underlying negative thoughts and beliefs mindfulness techniques and relaxation as well as exercise, a balanced diet, and a sufficient amount of sleep. A doctor can also recommend accommodations that can help make school or work easier to manage.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women suffering from ADHD may struggle with emotional dysregulation. As a result, they are often unhappy and depressed when the challenges of life aren't resolved. It can be challenging to maintain relationships, whether with romantic partners, coworkers, or friends. For example, forgetfulness and impulsivity can heighten frustration or confusion in romantic relationships and lead to feelings of abandonment, loneliness, or depression. Additionally the desire to find thrills on the spur of the moment can be misinterpreted as lack of interest or indifference by others.
These are the reasons why ADHD symptoms in women and girls are often overlooked or not diagnosed. It is possible that they are unable to recognize their issues in relation to ADHD due to stereotypes and social norms that define gender and sexuality.
Women and girls with ADHD might conceal their symptoms to avoid embarrassment. This could result in being referred to less frequently for diagnosis than males and females with the same symptoms. Furthermore there is a gender bias in research that determines diagnostic criteria may contribute to this discrepancy. Hartung and Widiger discovered in an earlier study that girls and women with ADHD symptoms are more likely to go undiagnosed and under-diagnosed than men and adults. This could be due to the fact that clinicians are trained to think of hyperactive and aggressive ADHD as more prevalent in boys and men. This makes them easier to recognize and recommend for assessment.
Adult ADHD symptoms can manifest themselves as restlessness and difficulty calming down. These are common signs of ADHD however, as we age they can have a profound impact on a person's life and wellbeing. People suffering from ADHD might feel anxious or find it hard to remain still. This is especially true if they're feeling anxious or stressed. They are also susceptible to fidgeting and tend to be very talkative, often interrupting or completing sentences of other people without even thinking that they're causing offence.
If you think you may have ADHD, you can be directed to a psychiatrist by your doctor or psychologist. You can also self-refer. This content was reviewed by Madeline Dykes (clinical psychologist) and members of the Thriving Madly network in Christchurch in October 2024. The content was updated in November 2022.
4. Problems with Social Skills
Women with ADHD might have difficulty communicating effectively or manage their emotions in the workplace. This can result in issues with personal relationships as well as with professional goals. They may be unable to recognize and responding properly to feedback. This can result in frustration or disappointment. They may also struggle to maintain healthy sleeping and eating routines, which can lead to feelings of anxiety. Women who suffer from ADHD utilize unhealthy strategies for coping to compensate for their problems. These include substance abuse, eating disorder, and non-suicidal harming of oneself (NSSI), like cutting, burning or scratching.
As signs and symptoms of add and ADHD in adults , women with ADHD are more likely to seek treatment than men because they are more likely to hide their symptoms. They often develop coping strategies to try to fit in and conform to societal expectations, which can make their ADHD symptoms difficult for others to detect. These coping strategies could be as simple as making lists and setting reminders or more complex strategies, like learning to control their emotions or implementing mindfulness techniques.
However, these strategies can backfire and make symptoms worse. These strategies can make it hard to get a good night's sleep which is essential to managing ADHD symptoms. Women with ADHD are also prone to feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their daily life, which can exacerbate ADHD symptoms.
It's true that boys are diagnosed more often with ADHD than girls. However, the gap narrows as they get older. This is because women often have a range of symptoms throughout the course of their lives. This can lead to different diagnoses.
Changes in hormone levels could also affect ADHD symptoms in women. If they have a higher estrogen level during pregnancy, for example their symptoms could get better. Higher levels of estrogen regulate brain chemicals that affect attention. If their estrogen levels drop due to perimenopausal or aging, ADHD symptoms may worsen.
Fortunately, it's possible for people with ADHD to receive a precise diagnosis and get effective treatment. These include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and neurocognitive psychology, and other therapies that can help people with ADHD improve their daily functioning. They can also attend support group meetings for ADHD in order to share their experiences with others on the same journey and gain valuable insight from their peers.