ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
Although ADHD affects both genders equally throughout adulthood, it often is not recognized in females. This is likely due to gender stereotyping and the ability females to hide their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals aren't equipped and experience to recognize ADHD in women. This means that many women are misdiagnosed and not receiving the treatment they require.
1. Disorganization
Women and girls who suffer from ADHD frequently struggle with disorganization, which can be very difficult to manage. Your desk, for instance, may be a mess of papers, 17 different chapsticks, and tickets from the Kings of Leon show you attended in 2008. And while you buy products that claim to help you stay organized, your home and office are likely to remain chaotic and messy.
Your inability to stay on top of your responsibilities could result in missing deadlines and appointments. Additionally, you may be struggling with the concept of "time blindness," which means you aren't able to remember or comprehend how much time it takes to complete a task. This can leave you frustrated and feeling like you're not doing a good job in your career or in your personal life, particularly when you feel that other people don't appreciate your efforts.
You may also have difficulty regulating your emotions. This could cause you to overreact when faced with stressful situations. You may also say things without meaning to hurt people's feelings. You might also have difficulty stopping yourself from speaking before you have thought things through, since the tendency to be impulsive is common among those with ADHD.
If you suffer from ADHD it's likely that some of your symptoms are rooted in gender stereotypes and beliefs about the ways boys, men and women should behave. This can make it harder to recognize and treat your ADHD.
In addition to being diagnosed you may also need a treatment for behavioral issues to deal with the root cause of your disorder. It could take some time to find the best strategies for dealing with stress, but implementing them will help you feel in control of your own life and improve your relationships with family, coworkers, and other friends.
2. Impulsivity
People with ADHD are prone to intense emotions. However their brains aren't capable of filtering them or evaluate them. This means they can get overwhelmed by a single setback or struggle to discern the emotional state of others. This also makes them more susceptible to being distracted by minor inconveniences like the availability of a book or a shaky friend.
Many women suffering from ADHD cover up their symptoms and develop coping strategies to compensate for their attention problems. They may be highly conscientious or a perfectionist at school or at work, and have difficulty keeping on top of appointments or bills, as well as important dates. They may also have issues with self-control in speech and speak too much, 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 an abrupt urge to start, stop or change activities and being unable to hold your turn in a conversation; and difficulty in interpreting social cues (like facial expressions or body language).
While gender stereotypes can have an impact on the development of ADHD in women, it is not always easy to spot these issues. The scales for rating used to determine ADHD symptoms are still biased towards male behavior. Some healthcare professionals may miss the mark on a woman's ADHD symptoms.
Many women with ADHD have reported that their symptoms worsen when hormonal changes occur, such as during menstruation or pregnancy, and also during perimenopausal symptoms. This can cause emotions such as anger, irritability or depression. They might also experience a persistent feeling of dissatisfaction in their relationships or lives. This could cause substance abuse, low-self-esteem or unhealthy methods of coping. It is important for women to realize that these signs do not reflect their worth or value as a human being. The good news is that, with a proper treatment program these symptoms can be reduced or even eliminated.
3. Attention
Everyone has difficulty paying attention and focusing, with ADHD the symptoms can occur often enough that they cause disruption with your life. You might make mistakes at work or school or forget appointments or you may spend long hours delaying. You're not able to wait your turn and interrupt others in conversations.
Inattentive symptoms in adults can also include an inclination to dive into projects without properly planning and analyzing them, which leads to poor or insufficient results. You could also become easily distracted and leave projects unfinished. adhd in women adults could include a vegetable garden that was planted but not watered, or an system of organization that you built and then put on your nightstand to accumulate dust.
People who have inattention ADHD suffer from chronic disorganization at home and in the workplace. You may have difficulty finding important documents keys, bills or keys and also lose items frequently. You could also lose track of time and be late for school, work or 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 with these symptoms might make decisions or conduct actions without considering the consequences. For instance they may be rude to others or make a lot of nonsensical noises in solitude. They might have difficulty sitting still, and may flitter around in their seat or pace. They may have difficulty maintaining the job they have, and are in frequent conflicts with their coworkers and their manager.
In certain cases, the mood swings and emotional stress caused by ADHD can lead to frustration and misunderstandings in relationships. This is particularly true in romantic relationships and at work. People with ADHD also are more likely having comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD are likely to face many challenges when seeking treatment. These include gender bias, a tendency to hide symptoms or minimize their severity, as well as gender bias. The rise of well-known women like Mia Freedman and Em Rusciano who have publicly shared their own struggles with ADHD has helped raise awareness, yet many girls and young women do not know they have the disorder.
4. Anxiety
An anxiety disorder is defined by a constant, excessive anxiety. While everyone feels anxious or nervous from time to time, anxiety disorders are characterized by a constant high level of anxiety. You might experience an incessant feeling of anxiety or fear, as well as 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 are not dangerous. The most common types of anxiety are general anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and phobias, separation anxiety and panic disorders.
Anxiety is more prevalent in women suffering from ADHD than in men and it is more likely to become worse at certain times in the woman's life, such as around her menstrual cycle and pregnancy or perimenopausal. This can make it more difficult to manage daily activities and social interactions and lead to feelings of self-doubt and general dissatisfaction with your life.
You are extremely sensitive to rejection and you have a difficult to accept criticism. You easily misinterpret feedback or even anticipating rejection and you might get angry over minor things that others wouldn't see as to be a problem.
Mood swings can also be a sign of adult adhd in women. It is possible that you are prone to having unpredictable emotions or find it difficult to control these. You may also be prone self-injury that is not suicidal, such as scrubbing, burning, or hitting yourself.
It's crucial to seek a diagnosis if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above. It can help you identify your issues and give you strategies to improve your quality of living. You can take an online ADHD test, or visit your doctor for a thorough assessment. In certain instances, your doctor might prescribe medication to ease your symptoms. In certain instances your doctor may suggest an amalgamation of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavior therapy. In any case, it's important to start making some positive changes to your life as soon as you can. This will allow you to regain control of your life and make you feel more confident and capable.