ADHD Symptoms For Women: The Good And Bad About ADHD Symptoms For Women

ADHD Symptoms For Women

Women suffering from ADHD report emotional volatility and sensitivity to rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor sleep quality, which can exacerbate symptoms.

Girls and women are typically more adept at hiding their ADHD symptoms by using coping strategies to comply with social expectations and norms. This can lead to a misdiagnosis as well as a delay in treatment.

1. Problems with Focusing

For a lot of women suffering from ADHD concentration is the biggest challenge. This neurodevelopmental disorder makes it difficult to concentrate at school, during meetings at work as well as when reading or listening to others' conversations. It can be difficult to accomplish daily tasks like remembering appointments or taking medication.


Difficulty focusing is one of the most common adhd symptoms for girls and women, regardless of their gender identity or whether they have hyperactive/impulsive or inattentive ADHD. According to CHADD women who suffer from the inattentive form of the disorder might struggle with organizing their homes and desk. They may be unable to prioritize their tasks. These difficulties can cause them to miss appointments, arrive at the wrong place at the correct time, or not follow through on their job responsibilities. They may cause them to feel embarrassed and blame themselves for their shortcomings, thinking they are incompetent or forgetful.

Inattentional ADHD can also lead to poor performance at work or in school and can lead to debt accumulation. They are often triggered by stress or other mental health issues, including depression and anxiety that are often associated with ADHD in women, as per CHADD.

Women and girls with inattentive ADHD are underdiagnosed or overlooked because of the biases teachers and parents might have toward boys and men. They may not be able to express their ADHD symptoms as well, especially the hyperactive/impulsive ones, and may have difficulty finding treatment that works for them.

Hormonal changes can also exacerbate symptoms for women who suffer from ADHD. For example, they can become more noticeable during menstrual cycles, or during perimenopausal transition, the period leading up to menopause--when estrogen levels dip and cause emotional problems which include mood swings as well as anger.

The use of stimulants can help enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies, including lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can aid in focusing and organization. Some workplaces and schools offer accommodations to help with these issues too.

2. Forgetting Things

Forgetfulness can make it difficult to keep track of your daily tasks or to manage your responsibilities. You may struggle to remember important details about people or events particularly when they take place in a crowded or noisy environment. You might also find that you frequently forget appointments or are late to work or school. Forgetting to pay bills or respond to emails is a common occurrence for women with ADHD, which can create financial stress and make you feel rushed. You might have trouble working in a busy or noisy office, and you might be unable to concentrate during conversations. This can cause the other person to feel unimportant or misunderstood.

Many women and girls suffering from ADHD also have difficulty maintaining friendships and are at risk of being pushed into sexual activities that are not desired or being victims of violence from intimate partners. This is because they have a harder to manage their emotions and are more likely to become overwhelmed. They may also struggle with self-esteem, and may be more inclined to see their problems as "personal imperfections" rather than recognizing the fact that their behavior is correlated to their ADHD symptoms.

Women and girls with ADHD are also not diagnosed because of gender bias because their symptoms are less noticeable than those of males and females. They may camouflage symptoms with anxiety and mood disorders, which could lead to a misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment.

ADHD symptoms can be different based on the fluctuation in hormone levels. This is especially evident during puberty, as hormone levels drop and progesterone levels rise. This can lead to a greater variation in symptoms from day to day which can make it more difficult to recognize and treat ADHD properly.

Finding a doctor and getting treatment can help you learn the life skills needed to manage your ADHD symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet and limiting stimulants like sugar, caffeine, and sugary drinks that could worsen symptoms. Meditation and mindfulness techniques can help relax your mind and reduce anxiety and impulsiveness. They also aid in improving emotional regulation. A mental health professional could be able to help you by discussing possible accommodations that may assist you in managing ADHD symptoms at work or in school.

3. Disruptive Behavior

Women who suffer from ADHD are less attentive than those with hyperactive or hyperactive symptoms. That may be because the brains of girls and women differ from those of men and boys or it could have to do with how much activity is occurring in the areas of the brain that manage disruptive and impulsive behavior.

It can be challenging for doctors to diagnose ADHD in women. Many women devise strategies to disguise their symptoms. Some are healthy, while others are not sustainable and can lead to other health issues. For instance, some women turn to drinking or using drugs to deal with their symptoms. They may also become depressed or have other mental health problems such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping strategies can make it difficult for someone to recognize that they have an issue with their mental health and delay the diagnosis.

Disruptive behavior is a typical adhd symptom that affects women and can affect school or work performance and relationships. This includes being unable to stay focused on a particular task, or forgetting important events or tasks, and easily getting distracted by the environment or their thoughts. They might fidget or tap their hands or feet or squirm their seats. They may also speak out loud or yell. they may be disruptive.

inattentive add in women with the predominantly inattentive subtype of adhd can have trouble concentrating on lectures or conversations; keeping up with writing, reading, or schoolwork; following instructions at work or in class; and juggling daily tasks. They might be unorganized, forgetful, and messy. It is often difficult to keep up on commitments or tasks. They are more vulnerable to misplacing or losing things such as keys, wallets, and eyeglasses.

Having the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd can disrupt work or school, cause social problems, and create relationship challenges. This subtype can cause problems at home, work, or school. It can also trigger feelings of irritability, boredom and frustration. They can't wait for their turn whether at school, at work, or at home. They often interrupt others. They are not able to control their behavior and are likely to behave recklessly.

4. Anxiety

Women and girls who have ADHD may have a harder time to manage their symptoms. This is largely due to societal expectations, which demand that mothers and wives be the primary caregivers of their children and their household. If a woman is struggling to manage her responsibilities this can cause anxiety and low self-esteem. This could make it difficult to seek treatment for her ADHD.

In addition, women who suffer from ADHD frequently have a difficult time getting diagnosed since their symptoms are not as pronounced as those of boys and men. They may present with primarily inattentive symptoms, which do not have the same outward appearance as hyperactive/impulsive ADHD symptoms, making them less likely to receive a referral for treatment from teachers and parents. In addition, they are more likely to develop strategies for coping that mask their ADHD symptoms, including excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness that could be mistaken for symptoms of anxiety disorders.

The symptoms of ADHD in women can also vary at different times throughout the woman's life. For instance, during times of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycles or pregnancy, a woman could find her ADHD symptoms to become more severe. This can lead her to be misunderstood, or thought of as being excessively emotional.

The information in this article is based on research into how ADHD affects people based on their sex. Verywell Health acknowledges that sex refers to biology, chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomy; while gender is a subjective sense of being a man, woman, or nonbinary person. This distinction is crucial because it enables a better understanding of how and the ways that ADHD manifests can differ between genders. This is why throughout this article, we refer to both men and those assigned to male at birth (AMAB) as males and boys and women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This is in line with the way numerous research studies employ this terminology. To find out more, check out the Verywell Health guide to gender and sex.

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Pub: 11 Oct 2024 00:38 UTC
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