Challenges of ADHD in Women and Girls
Women and girls often face a wide range of challenges when untreated ADHD symptoms impact their lives. They may feel unprepared at work, experience difficulties in social relationships or experience anxiety and depression.
They are also better at developing strategies to manage their ADHD symptoms. This makes it harder to identify and treat them.
Signs and symptoms
The gender gap in ADHD is narrowing as people get older. It's crucial that those with ADHD symptoms don't feel abandoned or forgotten.
As girls and women develop into adults, they frequently still struggle with their ADHD symptoms. They may struggle with managing finances, keeping their homes clean or maintaining healthy relationships. Years of untreated ADHD can also impact their confidence in themselves and mental health, since they blame themselves for their problems.
In contrast to other psychiatric disorders ADHD is a chronic condition. Girls and women tend to mask their symptoms with coping strategies, but these often backfire. In addition, hormonal changes during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause may make it more difficult to manage ADHD symptoms.
Inattentive-type ADHD can include forgetfulness or being absentminded or having trouble paying attention at work or in classes, and having trouble in daily routines such as meal planning, scheduling, or laundry. Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms can include rushing through tasks, jumping from one task to another or making rash decisions. It is crucial that healthcare professionals are aware of the many ways girls and women be diagnosed with ADHD, and consider whether depression or anxiety is contributing to these difficulties.
It's important that people with ADHD are evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional. They can evaluate their symptoms, medical history and rule out other illnesses. Some people with ADHD also have mental health issues like depression or anxiety, low self-esteem, and problems with relationships and social interaction. Adults with ADHD are also more likely to experience physical health issues like chronic stress or tics.
Many girls and women with ADHD don't receive a diagnosis because they're not taken seriously by teachers, family or friends. They might not believe that their symptoms are serious enough to warrant seeking help. Or, they might think that their ADHD symptoms are the result of a poor parenting style or low self-esteem. In some instances women and girls with ADHD are only diagnosed when their children are diagnosed with ADHD, or they do not receive a diagnosis until they're in their 40s or 50s and are experiencing significant difficulty with day-to-day living activities.
Diagnosis
Women are typically not diagnosed with ADHD until they reach the age of adulthood. adhd symptoms women can also have issues if discovered. For one thing, girls may not have the same hyperactive/impulsive symptoms as boys -- and this can make them less likely to be recognised by teachers and parents, who are more accustomed to seeing those signs in male children. Girls also have strategies to cope with their symptoms, which can result in them not being noticed as often. This means that their problems with organization, concentration and impulsivity may remain unnoticed for a long time.
Women are more likely to be affected by high-functioning ADHD. This makes it difficult to recognize the symptoms. Additionally, they may have co-occurring illnesses that affect their life management skills, such as depression and anxiety. For instance, they might find it hard to control their moods, which can be caused by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopausal.
Many of these conditions can result in a low self-esteem and problems with relationships. It can be difficult for people with these conditions to openly discuss their issues and ask for assistance. This can delay diagnosis and treatment.
It's also common for people with ADHD to have trouble making friends and engaging with others. They might not attend social events or fail to show to appointments, and are unable to read body language or read other people's nonverbal cues. They may even be prone to going off on tangents while talking, making it difficult for others to keep up.
For these reasons, it's crucial to receive a thorough diagnosis and get it as soon as possible. For women, this may be a "lightbulb moment" that can give them an external explanation for their difficulties and help them accept themselves more fully. It can also help women to focus on their strength and make changes to improve their life management abilities. This could have a positive effect on their personal, professional and family lives. The article has been reviewed medically by Huma Sheikh, MD.
Treatment
Untreated ADHD can affect the personal and professional lives of girls and women as they enter adulthood. The symptoms can impact relationships and work performance. They can lead to feelings of anxiety and frustration. They may also make it difficult to cope with the demands of adult life including managing finances, keeping a home organized and maintaining healthy relationships.
Women and girls are less likely to receive a diagnosis of ADHD than boys and men, partly because hyperactive/impulsive symptoms tend to be more commonly associated with males. This could create gender-based stereotypes regarding the disorder. This can result in women and girls avoiding or denying their own symptoms in order to avoid being stigmatized by society.
There are effective treatments for ADHD in girls and women. Medications control brain activity and manage symptoms. They can be prescribed by a certified healthcare professional. The most effective medications are stimulants. option, however non-stimulants may also be effective for some people. In addition, a mix of treatments might be recommended by your physician to treat related disorders like depression or anxiety.
Lifestyle changes, along with medication management, can aid in managing ADHD symptoms. Regular exercise can release neurotransmitters that improve concentration and focus as well as reduce anxiety and stress. Physical activities that can be enjoyed in groups, such as group fitness classes or team sports, are particularly helpful.
Therapy is also an important element of treatment. inattentive adhd in women helps people recognize and alter negative thinking patterns that cause ADHD symptoms. Couples counseling is also helpful in improving communication and resolving conflicts in relationships.
At Verywell Health, we use the terms "girls" and "women" to refer to gender assigned at birth (AFAB) instead of an individual's affirmation of gender identity. This is to ensure the use of a more consistent and clear language across our content, and to avoid confusion for our readers. This article is applicable to all those who were assigned male at birth, which includes transgender and nonbinary individuals. We acknowledge that gender and sex are not mutually exclusive, and we welcome all of our readers.
Support
Females and those who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) with ADHD are more likely to go undiagnosed or get a misdiagnosis than men. This is because girls and women tend to hide symptoms which makes it difficult for doctors to identify. There are also signs that seem less obvious to others, like inattentiveness or disorganization, rather than hyperactivity or impulsivity.
This is particularly important for women, who typically create coping mechanisms to allow them to feel normal and fulfill the expectations of society. These coping mechanisms can include healthy actions like making phone reminders or keeping a schedule for the day. But they could also be harmful, such as binge eating or a drug abuse. Women with untreated ADHD might feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed, and they could have relationship issues and chronic stress.
Girls and women with ADHD may experience low self-esteem and other symptoms such as anxiety, depression or abdominal pain. These feelings may lead to being unable to attend school or work activities. They could also become dependent on their parents for helping them with daily tasks. This can lead to an unhealthy cycle of dependence and reliance that is hard to break.
As they grow older, girls and women with ADHD might be at a greater risk of having sexual relations with non-consensual partners. This could be due impulsivity, poor planning, or an inability to use contraception. They are more likely to be pushed into unwanted sexual activities, and are at a greater risk of domestic violence and exploitation.
As adults, women with ADHD can often benefit from coping strategies and medication to manage their symptoms. They can also get therapy, individually or in a group. They can begin to understand themselves and develop a more positive internal dialogue. It will aid them in improving their relationships.
Support services can include coaching to teach parenting skills and specialized programs for women with ADHD who are pregnant or have children. These programs can help women with ADHD keep their jobs, handle their responsibilities at home and look after their children.