ADHD Symptoms in Adult WomenWomen who have undiagnosed ADHD may face challenges at workplace or in relationships. It's important to recognize the signs and find a treatment that is effective 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 managing your symptoms and focusing on what is important most.
1. Trouble paying attention
Women may be struggling with their inability to pay attention to the smallest details, remember appointments and deadlines or underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete tasks. They might also find it difficult to keep track of their obligations in relationships or work, get easily distracted, and aren't able to keep commitments. They may also have issues with the urge to be impulsive, difficulty managing their emotions and a tendency to blurt out things without thinking about them first.
The difficulty of paying attention to the needs of ADHD symptoms in women of adulthood can cause problems with relationships and friendships and relationships. That's why it's important to recognize the signs and seek treatment. Women might find it harder to make new friends, or may have difficulty in their current relationships due to recurring fights, missed opportunities for fun activities and being neglected. They may also face difficulties managing the demands of home, work and childcare.
Many people with ADHD do not meet the diagnostic criteria, and it could be difficult for health professionals or therapists to detect the disorder. However, that doesn't mean it's not true or that the person needs to try harder to keep on track. Diagnoses are based on the symptoms and how they impact daily functioning in multiple areas.
Women are more likely to suffer from inattentive symptoms than hyperactive or impulsive ones and this could be the reason why they aren't diagnosed. In addition many women suffering from ADHD feel a sense of guilt about their condition because they don't conform to the stereotypes of people with ADHD. This can make it even more difficult to seek help or access treatment.
In a few cases women with ADHD remain undiagnosed for a long period of time because they're trying to cope and conceal their symptoms. Additionally, they are more likely to suffer from comorbidities that can mask their ADHD symptoms, like anxiety, depression and gastrointestinal issues. They are also more likely to experience hormonal fluctuations that can cause their symptoms to flare up or fade away, for instance during menstrual cycles or pregnancy, as well as perimenopausal.
2. Organizational Issues
Women who suffer from ADHD frequently experience a lack of memory and disorganization, as well as emotional dysregulation. These symptoms can make them incapable of completing everyday tasks, fulfill their obligations, or maintain relationships. They might also suffer from low self-esteem and experience anxiety. Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD often feel as if they're not achieving social expectations and have a harder than their peers in terms of academic performance, job performance, and social connections.
In addition to disorganization and forgetfulness, adhd symptoms in adults females in adult women can manifest as hyperfocus or procrastination. These issues can lead to women not attending appointments, not paying bills on time and feeling overwhelmed. Hyperfocus can cause a lack of focus on other things that are important and a shaky sense of time, which can make it difficult to switch from one activity to another. Procrastination can also lead to an increase in anxiety, stress, and a constant feeling of being left behind.
Communication problems that are nonverbal as well as verbal are a common symptom of ADHD. This could mean excessive talk or interrupting others or using inappropriate words. This could be due to an inability for her to be patient or having difficulty understanding social boundaries. It is important to remember that these signs don't necessarily mean a lack of intelligence or ability.
Many women with ADHD develop strategies to mask their symptoms. This can have both positive as well as negative consequences. Some of these strategies for coping may be healthy, for instance, using a daily schedule or establishing reminders for events. Others may be unhealthy like using alcohol and drugs to conceal symptoms or completely ignoring them. Therefore, it is essential that women who suspect that they have ADHD seek help from a professional.
Women suffering from ADHD are able to benefit from medication, lifestyle changes, therapy, and a myriad of other treatment options. These include cognitive behavioral therapy, which addresses underlying negative beliefs and thoughts, mindfulness and relaxation, exercise and a balanced diet and enough rest. A doctor may also recommend adjustments to make work or school easier.
3. Disruptive Behaviors
Women with ADHD might struggle with emotional dysregulation. In the end, they can become unhappy and depressed when their problems aren't resolved. It can be challenging to keep relationships going, whether with romantic partners, co-workers or family members. For instance, forgetfulness and impulsivity can heighten the frustration or confusion in romantic relationships and cause feelings of loneliness, abandonment, or depression. A tendency to seek out thrills on a whim may be misinterpreted by others as an absence of interest or indifference.
For these reasons, ADHD symptoms are often missed or under-diagnosed in women and girls. It is possible that they are unable to recognize their struggles as being related to ADHD due to stereotypes and social norms about gender and sexuality.
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD may camouflage symptoms to avoid embarrassment. This may result in them being referred for diagnosis less frequently than boys and men who have similar symptoms. Additionally there is a gender bias in research that informs diagnostic criteria could be a factor in this discrepancy. Hartung and Widiger discovered in an earlier study that women and girls with ADHD symptoms are more likely to be undiagnosed and not being recognized than boys and adults. This could be because clinicians are conditioned to see hyperactive and aggressive ADHD symptoms as more typical of men and boys, which can make them more easily identified and referred for assessment.
Adult ADHD symptoms can manifest as restlessness and difficulty calming down. These are typical ADHD symptoms however, they can also have a major impact on an adult's life. People suffering from ADHD may feel restless or find it hard to stay still. This is particularly the case when they're anxious or stressed. They also tend to fidget and are overly active. They frequently interrupt or complete other people's sentences and do not realize they're causing offence.
If you think you may be suffering from ADHD and are concerned, you can be referred to an ophthalmologist by your physician or psychologist. Alternatively, you can self-refer. This content was reviewed by Madeline Dykes (clinical psychologist) and members of the Thriving Madly network in Christchurch in October 2024, and updated in November 2022.
4. Social Skills Problems
Women suffering from ADHD may have difficulties managing their emotions or effectively communicating at work. This can cause problems that affect relationships between people and professional goals. For example, they might struggle to understand and respond to feedback, which could cause frustration and even disappointment. They might also have difficulty trying to maintain healthy eating and sleeping habits, which could increase anxiety. Some women with ADHD symptoms adults male utilize unhealthy strategies for coping to cope with their issues. They may resort to eating disorders, substance abuse and non-suicidal harming oneself (NSSI) such as cutting, burning or scratching.
As they age, women with ADHD can find it harder to seek treatment than men because they are more likely to hide their symptoms. They frequently develop coping strategies to try to fit in and conform to societal expectations, which can make their ADHD symptoms difficult to be recognized by others. These strategies for coping could be as simple and straightforward as setting reminders or making lists, or they may be more complex such as finding ways to control their emotions or developing mindful techniques.
However, these strategies could backfire and make symptoms worse. These strategies can make it difficult to get the rest you need, which is crucial for managing ADHD symptoms. In addition, women with ADHD often feel overwhelmed by life's demands, which can add to stress and further exacerbate their ADHD symptoms.
While it's true that more boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls, this gap becomes smaller when they reach the age of adulthood. This is because women often have a range of symptoms throughout the course of their lives. This could lead to different diagnoses.
The fluctuation in hormone levels can influence ADHD symptoms in women. For example, if they have an elevated estrogen level during pregnancy, their symptoms might improve. Higher levels of estrogen help regulate brain chemicals that influence attention. If their estrogen levels decline due to perimenopausal changes or aging, ADHD symptoms may worsen.
It is possible for adults suffering from ADHD to receive a precise diagnosis and access effective treatment. This includes cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and neurocognitive psychotherapy, which can aid people suffering from ADHD build the necessary skills to improve their everyday functioning. They can also attend support group meetings for ADHD to share their experiences with other people on the same journey and gain valuable information from their colleagues.
📌 Guide To ADHD Symptoms In Adult Women: The Intermediate Guide For ADHD Symptoms In Adult Women