ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Women with undiagnosed ADHD may have issues at work or in relationships. It is essential to recognize the symptoms 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. Being diagnosed with the right 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 the details, remembering deadlines and appointments or underestimating the time it takes to complete the task. They might also find it difficult to keep track of their responsibilities in work or relationships They can easily get distracted and fail to keep their promises. They may also have issues with impulsivity, trouble controlling their emotions and a tendency to blurt out things without thinking about them first.
It is important to recognize and treat symptoms of ADHD in women of adulthood. The inability to pay attention can cause problems with relationships and friendships. Women might find it harder to make new friends, or may struggle in their current relationships with constant fights, missing opportunities to have fun and being neglected. Women can also find it difficult to balance the demands of home, work and childcare.
Many people who have ADHD don't meet the diagnostic criteria, and it can be hard for health care providers or therapists to identify the disorder. This doesn't mean that it's not real or that the person needs to work harder to stay focused. The diagnosis is based on the extent to which the symptoms affect the daily activities in a variety of areas of life.
It's more common for females to have inattentive symptoms and not hyperactive or impulsive symptoms - and this could be the reason why this group is often undiagnosed. Additionally, many women with ADHD are afflicted with a sense of shame about their symptoms because they don't conform to the stereotypes of people with ADHD. This can make it more difficult to reach out for assistance or seek treatment.
Some women with ADHD are not diagnosed for a prolonged period of time, because they are unable to hide their symptoms and deal with. They are more likely to be suffering from disorders that are comorbid, like anxiety or depression that can mask the symptoms of ADHD. They are more likely to have hormonal fluctuations that could cause their symptoms flare up or disappear. This is particularly the case during menstrual cycles as well as 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 cause them to be incapable of completing daily tasks, meet obligations, or maintain relationships. They might also suffer from low self-esteem and experience anxiety. Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD often feel like they're not achieving societal expectations and have a difficult than their peers in terms of academic achievement as well as job performance and social relationships.
In addition to forgetfulness and disorganization, ADHD in adult women can be manifested as hyperfocus or procrastination. These issues can result in women not attending appointments, not paying bills on time and feeling overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can lead to a loss in concentration on other important tasks and a poor understanding of time. This makes it difficult to shift from one task to another. Procrastination can lead to a buildup of anxiety, stress and an unending feeling of being behind.
Communication issues, both verbal and nonverbal are a typical symptom of ADHD. This could mean excessive talk, interrupting other people, or using inappropriate words. It can also indicate an inability to wait his or her turn or difficulty recognizing social boundaries. It is important to note that these behavior patterns do not necessarily indicate the absence of intelligence or capabilities.
Many women suffering from ADHD develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. This can have positive and negative effects. Some of these strategies for coping can be healthy, for instance, having a daily schedule or setting reminders for events. Some of these coping strategies could be healthy, like creating reminders for events, or using alcohol and other drugs to mask symptoms. As a result, it is essential for women who suspect they have ADHD to seek help from a mental health professional.
Women suffering from ADHD are able to benefit from medication, lifestyle changes, therapy and a myriad of other treatment options. This includes cognitive behavioral therapy, which addresses negative beliefs and thoughts as well as mindfulness and relaxation exercise as well as a healthy diet and adequate rest. A health care provider may also recommend adjustments to make working or school simpler.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women who suffer from ADHD can struggle with emotional dysregulation. They may become frustrated and discontent when their problems aren't easily solved. It can be difficult to maintain relationships, whether it's with romantic partners, co-workers or even friends. For example, forgetfulness or impulses can cause the frustration or confusion in relationships with loved ones and lead to feelings of loneliness, abandonment, or depression. A tendency to seek thrills on a whim may be mistaken by others as a lack of interest or indifference.
Because of this, ADHD symptoms are often overlooked or misdiagnosed in women and girls. They may also have a hard time realizing that their problems are caused by the disorder because of social norms and stereotypes about gender roles and behavior.
Women and girls with ADHD can disguise their symptoms to avoid embarrassment. This can result in them being referred for diagnosis less often than boys and men with the same symptoms. This discrepancy may also be due to gender bias in the research that informs diagnosis criteria. Hartung and Widiger discovered in a recent study that women and girls who suffer from ADHD symptoms are more likely to go undiagnosed and not being recognized than boys and adults. This could be due to the fact that clinicians are conditioned to see hyperactive and aggressive ADHD symptoms as more common to males and females and can make them easier to identify and referred to assessment.
Adults, ADHD symptoms can manifest as restlessness and difficulty relaxing. These are typical symptoms of ADHD however, in the later years of adulthood, they can have a profound impact on the quality of life and well-being. severe ADHD symptoms adults suffering from ADHD may feel restless or find it difficult to sit still. This is particularly the case when they're anxious or stressed. They also tend to fidget and are often very active. They often interrupt or end sentences of other people and do not realize they're being rude.
If you suspect you may be suffering from ADHD, you can be directed to an ophthalmologist by your physician or psychologist. You can also self-refer. This information was reviewed in October 2024 and updated in November 2022 by Madeline Dykes, clinical psychologist and members 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 result in issues with personal relationships and with professional goals. They may have trouble recognizing and responding properly to feedback. This can result in disappointment or anger. They may also struggle to maintain healthy eating and sleeping habits, which could cause anxiety. Many women who suffer from ADHD employ unhealthy methods of coping to compensate for their problems. They may resort to eating disorders, substance abuse and non-suicidal harming oneself (NSSI), like cutting, burning or scratching.
As they age, women who suffer from ADHD can find it harder to seek treatment than men due to the fact that they tend to mask their symptoms. They frequently create strategies for coping to fit in and conform to the expectations of society, which can make their ADHD symptoms difficult for others to detect. These strategies for coping could be as simple as creating lists and establishing reminders, or more complex methods, like managing their emotions or implementing mindfulness strategies.
However, these coping methods can backfire and make symptoms worse. These strategies can make it difficult to get the rest you need which is essential to managing ADHD symptoms. Women suffering from ADHD are also prone to feeling overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, which can lead to an increase in ADHD symptoms.
It's true that boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. However, the gap narrows as they age. This is because women typically experience a variety of symptoms throughout the course of their lives. This can result in different diagnoses.
Changes in hormone levels can also impact ADHD symptoms in women. If they have higher levels of estrogen during pregnancy, for instance, their symptoms may improve. Higher levels of estrogen help regulate brain chemicals that affect attention. However, if they begin to notice a decrease in estrogen levels due to perimenopausal or age-related decline or perimenopausal symptoms, their ADHD symptoms might get worse.
Fortunately, it's possible for people with ADHD to receive a precise diagnosis and access effective treatment. This includes cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and neurocognitive psychotherapy that can help people with ADHD build the necessary skills to improve their daily functioning. They can also attend meetings of support groups for ADHD to share their experiences with others on the same journey, and gain valuable insights from their colleagues.