ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
The condition is often misdiagnosed among women, even though it affects men and women equally as adults. This could be due to gender stereotyping and the ability of females to conceal their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals lack the expertise or experience needed to detect ADHD among women. Many females are not diagnosed correctly and don't receive the care they require.
1. Disorganization
Girls and women with ADHD often struggle with disordered thinking, which can be very difficult to manage. For instance, your desk may be a jumble of muddled papers, 17 chapsticks, or a ticket to the Kings of Leon concert you went to in 2008. As you purchase products that promise to help you stay organized your office and home are likely to remain messy and chaotic.
Inability to stay on top of your work could result in missed deadlines and missed appointments. In addition, you might struggle with a concept called "time blindness," which means you aren't able to remember or comprehend the time required to complete an assignment. This can leave you frustrated and feeling like you're not doing an adequate job in your professional or in your personal life, particularly if it feels like others don't appreciate your efforts.
You might also have trouble controlling your emotions. This could cause you to react excessively when confronted by stressful situations. You might also say things that are not intended to hurt the feelings of someone else. You might also have difficulty stopping yourself from speaking before you have thought things through, since it is common for those with ADHD.
If you have 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 makes it difficult to identify and treat ADHD.
In addition to being diagnosed it is possible that you will benefit from behavioral therapy to deal with the root cause of your condition. It may take a while to find the best coping strategies, but implementing them can help you feel more in control of your own life and improve your relationships with family, coworkers, and other friends.
2. Impulsivity
People with ADHD have intense emotions. However their brains aren't capable of filtering them or evaluate them. They may be overwhelmed by a tiny incident, or have trouble in assessing the emotional state of other people. It can also make it easier for them to be distracted by minor inconveniences like books that are out of stock or an acquaintance who's late for the spin class.
Many women with ADHD cover up their symptoms and devise strategies to cope with their attention issues. They could be perfectionists, or highly conscientious at school or work but struggle to keep track of important dates, bills and appointments. They may also struggle with verbal self control and speak too much or interrupt others often.
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 begin, stop, or change activities. They also include not being able to 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 spot these issues. The scales used to measure ADHD symptoms are still skewed towards male behavior and some health professionals might misunderstand or underestimate a woman's symptoms.
Many women suffering from ADHD report that their symptoms are more severe when hormonal changes occur like menstrual cycle or pregnancy, and also during perimenopausal symptoms. This can exacerbate emotional symptoms and trigger a lot of feelings of frustration, irritability or depression. They may also have an unrelenting feeling of discontent in their lives or relationships. This may lead to substance abuse, low self-esteem and unhealthy coping habits. This is the reason it's so important for women to recognize that these symptoms are not a reflection of their value or worth as an individual. The good news is that, with a proper treatment strategy, these symptoms can be alleviated or even eliminated.
3. Inattention
ADHD is often characterized by a higher frequency of these symptoms. While everyone struggles to concentrate and pay attention at times the frequency of these symptoms is so high that they can impede your everyday life. I Am Psychiatry could make a few mistakes at work or in school, miss appointments or spend a good amount of time delaying. You are unable to be patient and not interrupt others during conversations.
Adults who are inattention may also include an inclination to dive into projects without fully planning and analyzing the subject, which results in inadequate or poor results. You may also get distracted easily and tend to abandon projects that are not finished -from the garden that got planted but never watered to the new organizational system that got assembled and then put aside to dust on your nightstand.
People with inattention ADHD suffer from chronic disorganization at home and at work. You might have trouble finding important documents keys, bills, or other important documents and lose items on a regular basis. You could also be unable to keep the track of time and end up running over time for meetings, work or school.
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 considering the impact including snoozing over others or making nonsensical sounds when they are on their own. They have difficulty sitting still and can move around or get out of their seats. They might be unable to keep their job and may have frequent disagreements with their colleagues and manager.
In some cases, the mood swings and emotional turmoil caused by ADHD can cause frustration and miscommunication in relationships. This is especially the case in romantic relationships as well as at work. People with ADHD also are more likely to having co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Girls and women with ADHD are often faced with a range of challenges when seeking treatment and diagnosis which include gender discrimination and a tendency to cover up their symptoms or underestimate the severity of them. The rise of well-known women such as Mia Freedman and Em Rusciano who have publicly shared their own struggles with ADHD has helped raise awareness, yet many young women and girls still don't know they have the condition.
4. Anxiety
An anxiety disorder is defined by constant anxiety. Although everyone feels anxious or nervous occasionally anxiety disorders are defined by persistently high levels of anxiety. You might experience an incessant feeling of anxiety or fear as well as a rapid pulse, difficulty maintaining calm, and having trouble thinking clearly. You may also experience a heightened sense of danger even in situations that aren't likely to be risky for you. The most common forms of anxiety include general anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, separation anxiety, as well as panic disorders.
Anxiety is more prevalent in women suffering from ADHD than men, and it is more likely to become worse during certain periods of the woman's life, such as around the time of her menstrual period and pregnancy or perimenopausal. This makes it more difficult to handle everyday tasks and social interactions and can cause feelings of self-doubt and a general feeling of discontent with your life.
You are very sensitive to rejection, and you have a difficult acceptance of criticism. You're prone to misinterpret feedback, or even anticipate rejection. You might get upset over small issues that other people do not see as an issue with.
Mood swings are also a symptom of adult adhd in women. You might notice that you have unpredictable emotions or find it difficult to manage these. You may also be prone self-injury that isn't suicidal such as burning, scrubbing, or hitting yourself.
It's crucial to seek a diagnosis when you're experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above. It can help you identify your issues and give you strategies for improving your quality of living. You can take an ADHD test online, or talk to your physician for a professional assessment. In some cases your doctor may prescribe medication to ease your symptoms. In some instances your doctor might suggest an amalgamation of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavior therapy. In either case, it's important to begin making positive changes to your life as soon as you can. This will allow you to take control of your life and make you feel more confident, productive and capable.