15 Reasons To Not Ignore Adult Female ADHD Symptoms
ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
The condition is often misdiagnosed among women, despite the fact that it affects men and women equally as adults. This is likely due to gender stereotyping and the capacity of females to mask their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals do not have the expertise or experience needed to detect ADHD among women. This means that many women are misdiagnosed and not receiving the treatment they need.
1. Disorganization
Girls and women with ADHD can struggle with disorganization. This condition is difficult to manage. For example, your desk may be a mess of muddled papers, 17 chapsticks, and even a ticket for the Kings of Leon concert you attended in 2008. Even if you've purchased a few items to help you manage your clutter, your home or office is likely still messy and chaotic.
Inability to keep track of your tasks can result in missed deadlines and missed appointments. You might also be struggling with "time blindness," where you don't recall or know how long it takes to finish an assignment. This can leave you unhappy and feeling that you're not doing a good job in your work or personal life, especially when you feel that other people don't appreciate your efforts.
You may also be having trouble managing your emotions, which can make you overreact in stressful situations. You may also say things without intention of hurting people's feelings. And since impulsivity is common for those with ADHD, you might be unable to stop yourself from saying things before considering them.
If you have ADHD it's likely that some of your symptoms are rooted in gender stereotypes and beliefs about how boys, men and women should behave. This makes it more difficult for you to identify and treat your ADHD.
You may also benefit from a behavioral therapy to address the underlying causes of your disorder. It might take time to find the best strategies for dealing with stress, but implementing them will help you feel in control of your life and improve your relationships with family, colleagues, and friends.
2. Impulsivity
People with ADHD have intense emotions. However, their brains are not capable of filtering them or analyze them. This means that they could be overwhelmed by one setback or struggle to discern the mood of their peers. This can also make them more susceptible to being distracted by minor inconveniences, such as the availability of a book or an unreliable friend.
adhd in women uk suffering from ADHD compensate for their attention issues by hiding symptoms and devising strategies for coping. They may be perfectionists or extremely attentive at school or work, but have difficulty keeping the track of important dates, deadlines, and appointments. They may also struggle with verbal self control and talk excessively 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 a sudden desire to begin, stop or alter the course of action; being unable to wait your turn in conversation; and having trouble reading social cues (like facial expressions or body language).
While gender stereotypes can have an influence on the development of ADHD in women, it's not always easy to identify these issues. The scales of rating used to detect ADHD symptoms are still biased towards male behavior. Some healthcare professionals may misunderstand the woman's ADHD symptoms.
Many women with ADHD also report that their symptoms become more severe during periods of hormonal changes, like during menstrual cycles or pregnancy, or perimenopausal (the menopausal transition). This can lead to emotional symptoms such as frustration and irritability, or depression. They may also have an ongoing feeling of dissatisfaction in their relationships or lives. This could cause substance abuse, low-self-esteem or unbalanced coping strategies. It is crucial for women to understand that these signs do not reflect their worth or value as human beings. If you follow a proper treatment plan, you can improve or even eliminate these signs.
3. Inattention
Everyone has difficulty paying attention and focusing at times, with ADHD the symptoms are experienced in such a way that they can interfere with your daily routine. You may make careless mistakes at school or work and forget appointments, or spend many hours putting off work. adhd women uk can't be patient and not interrupt other people in conversations.
Adults who are not attentive may be prone to rush into projects before fully planning them and researching them. This leads to incomplete results or even subpar ones. It is also possible to get lost quickly and tend to abandon projects that are not finished -for example, from the vegetable garden that was planted, but never watered, to the new organizational system that got assembled and then left to rot on your nightstand.
People with inattentive ADHD are also plagued by a chronic feeling of disorganization, both at home and at work. It is possible that you have trouble finding important documents such as keys or bills, and frequently lose things. You could also be unable to keep your track of time and end up late for work, meetings 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. People who suffer from these conditions might make decisions or conduct actions without thinking about the consequences. For example they may talk over other people or make unintentional noises in solitude. They may have trouble sitting still, and may flitter around in their seats or at a fast pace. They might be unable to keep the job they have, and are in frequent conflicts with their coworkers and supervisor.
In some cases, the mood swings and emotional distress caused by ADHD can lead to frustration and misunderstandings in relationships. This is especially true when it comes to romantic relationships and at work. People with ADHD also have a higher likelihood of having comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Women and girls who suffer from ADHD have a myriad of challenges when seeking treatment and diagnosis which include gender discrimination and a tendency to hide their symptoms or minimize the severity of their symptoms. The rise of high-profile women like Mia Freedman and Em Rusciano who have publicly shared their personal struggles with ADHD has increased awareness, however many girls and young women do not know they have the condition.
4. Anxiety
Although most people experience anxiety or nervous from time moment, a constant and overwhelming anxiety is the hallmark of an anxiety disorder. You might feel a constant feeling of unease or anxiety, a fast heartbeat, trouble keeping calm and having trouble thinking clearly. You may also experience an increased sense of danger, even in situations that aren't likely to be risky for you. The most frequent forms of anxiety include general anxiety disorder, phobias and agoraphobia as well as separation anxiety, panic disorders and selective mutism.
Anxiety is more common in women with ADHD than in men and tends to get worse during certain times of women's lives like the time of her menstrual period and pregnancy or perimenopausal. This can make it more difficult to manage everyday activities and social interactions and lead to feelings of self-doubt and general discontent with your life.
You're extremely sensitive to rejection and have a hard time accepting criticism. You can easily misinterpret feedback, or even anticipate rejection. You might get upset over small issues that other people don't find an issue with.
Mood swings are a part of the symptoms of adhd in women who are older and you could be able to notice that your moods are unstable or difficult to control. You may also be susceptible to self-injury that is not suicidal like scratching, burning or hitting yourself.
It's crucial to seek a diagnosis if you're experiencing any of the symptoms listed above. It will help you comprehend some of the challenges you're facing and provide you strategies to improve the quality of your life. You can take an ADHD test online or consult your doctor to get an assessment from a professional. In certain instances doctors may prescribe medication to ease your symptoms. In other cases, they might recommend a combination of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapy. In any case, it's important to change your lifestyle as quickly as you can. This will help you gain control of your life and make you feel more confident and capable.