ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
The condition is often misdiagnosed among women, despite the fact that it affects both men and woman equally as adults. add adult women is likely due to gender stereotypes and the capacity of women to conceal their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals lack the expertise and experience to detect ADHD in women. As a result, many women are misdiagnosed prior to receiving the treatment they need.
1. Disorganization
Women and girls with ADHD are often plagued by disorganization. This disorder can be difficult to manage. For instance your desk could be a jumble of muddled papers, 17 different chapsticks, and even a ticket stub from the Kings of Leon concert you went to in 2008. And while you buy products that promise to keep you organized, your home and office may still be chaotic and messy.
Inability to keep track of your tasks may lead to missed deadlines and appointments. You may also experience "time blindness," where you don't know or remember how long it takes to complete an assignment. This can make you feel frustrated and like you're not doing a good enough job at your job or in your personal life.
You may also be having trouble managing your emotions, which may cause you to overreact in stressful situations. You might also say things without intention of hurting people's feelings. You may also have trouble stopping yourself from speaking before you think things through, as it is common for those with ADHD.
If you suffer from ADHD it's possible that a portion of your symptoms are rooted in gender stereotypes or cultural ideas about how men, women and boys should behave. This can make it difficult to recognize and treat ADHD.
In addition to having a diagnosis, you might need a treatment for behavioral issues to address the root causes of your disorder. It may take a while to determine the most effective coping strategies, but implementing them will help you feel in control of your life and improve your relationships with family members, coworkers, and friends.
2. Impulsivity
People with ADHD often experience intense emotions, but their brains don't have a way to filter or assess them. This means that they could be overwhelmed by a single setback or find it hard to assess the mood of other people. This makes them more prone to be distracted by small inconveniences like a book out of stock or an unreliable friend.
Many women suffering from ADHD compensate for their attention difficulties by masking symptoms and developing coping strategies. They might be extremely meticulous or a perfectionist at school or at work, and have difficulty keeping on top of appointments, bills, or important dates. They might also struggle with self-control in speech and talk excessively, interrupt others often, or dump information during conversations.
The hyperactive/impulsive subtype of ADHD tends to be more common in boys and men, but it's not unusual for women to have these symptoms too. These symptoms include the sudden urge to begin, stop, or change activities. They can also be characterized by being unable wait for your turn in a conversation or experiencing difficulty in interpreting social cues.
While gender stereotypes can impact on the development of ADHD in women, it is not always easy to identify these issues. Rating scales used to identify ADHD symptoms are still biased toward male behavior, and some healthcare experts may be misinformed or misunderstand the symptoms of women.
Many women with ADHD also note that their symptoms tend to become more severe during times of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or perimenopause (the menopausal transition). This can trigger emotional symptoms like frustration, irritability or depression. They might also experience an unrelenting feeling of discontent in their relationships or lives. This could lead to substance abuse, low self-esteem and unhealthy coping habits. This is why it's important for women to understand that these symptoms aren't an indication of their worth or worth as an individual. If you follow a proper treatment strategy, you can lessen or even eliminate these symptoms.
3. Attention!
ADHD is often characterized by a higher frequency of these symptoms. While everyone struggles to focus and pay attention at times the frequency of these symptoms is so high that they can disrupt your everyday life. You might make mistakes at work or school and forget appointments, or spend long hours delaying. You can't stand in line and interrupt others during conversations.
Adults who are inattention may include the tendency to get involved in projects without properly planning and researching them, which can result in inadequate or poor results. You might also get side-tracked easily and tend to leave projects unfinished -for example, from the vegetable garden that got planted, but never watered, to the new system of organization that got assembled and then put aside to dust on your nightstand.
People with inattentive ADHD suffer from chronic disorganization at home and at work. You might have difficulty finding important documents, keys or bills and also lose items frequently. You could also lose the track of time and end up late for work, school or even meetings.
Women with hyperactive/impulsive ADHD are less likely to experience these inattentive symptoms, but they can still have problems with organization, time management and self-control. Women who suffer from these conditions may say or do things without thinking about the consequences such as yelling at others or making nonsensical sounds when they are alone. They may have trouble sitting still, and fidget in their seat or pace. They might have trouble keeping the job they have, and are in frequent disputes with their coworkers and supervisor.
In certain instances, mood swings or emotional stress caused by ADHD can cause frustration in relationships and misunderstandings. This is especially the case in romantic relationships as well as at work. People with ADHD also are more likely having co-occurring conditions like bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety disorder.
Women and girls with ADHD are often faced with a range of challenges when seeking treatment and diagnosis, including gender bias and a tendency to cover up their symptoms or undervalue the severity of them. Women with a high profile, such as Em Rusciano and Mia Freedman who have spoken out about their struggles with ADHD have helped raise awareness. However, many girls and young woman still aren't aware of it.
4. Anxiety
An anxiety disorder is characterised by a constant, excessive anxiety. Although everyone feels anxious or nervous at times, anxiety disorders are characterized by a constant high level of anxiety. You may feel a constant sense of unease or fear, as well as a rapid pulse, difficulty maintaining calm, and having trouble thinking clearly. You may also feel an underlying sense of danger in situations that you are aware aren't risky. The most commonly encountered kinds of anxiety are general anxiety disorder, phobias, agoraphobia as well as panic disorders, separation anxiety and selective Mutism.
Anxiety is more common among women suffering from ADHD than in men and it is more likely to become worse during certain times of a woman's life like the time of her menstrual cycle or pregnancy, or perimenopausal. This can make it difficult to deal with everyday tasks and social interaction, and can lead to feelings of low self-esteem or unsatisfaction.
You're very sensitive to rejection and have a tough time accepting criticism. You are prone to misinterpret feedback, or even anticipated rejection, and you might be angry about minor things that others do not see as to be a problem.
Mood swings can also be a sign of adult adhd in women. It is possible that you experience erratic moods or find it difficult to manage them. You could also be prone to non-suicidal acts of self-injury such as scrubbing, burning or hitting yourself.
It's important to seek a diagnosis when you're experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above. It will help you comprehend the issues you're facing, and offer you strategies to improve your quality of life. You can take an ADHD test online, or talk to your doctor for a professional assessment. In certain cases a doctor might prescribe medication to help alleviate your symptoms. In some cases your doctor may suggest the combination of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavior therapy. In either case, it's important to start making some positive changes to your lifestyle as soon as you can. This will help you gain control of your life and feel more confident and capable.