ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
Although ADHD affects men and women equally in adulthood, the condition typically goes undiagnosed in females. This is probably due to gender stereotypes and the capability females to hide their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals aren’t equipped and experience to recognize ADHD in women. In the end, many females are misdiagnosed before receiving the treatment they need.
1. Disorganization
Girls and women with ADHD frequently struggle with disordered thinking, which can be very difficult to manage. For example, your desk may be a mess of tangled papers, 17 chapsticks, or a ticket stub from the Kings of Leon concert you attended in 2008. Even if you’ve purchased a few items to help you manage your clutter, your office or home is likely to remain messy and messy.
Your inability to keep track of your work could result in missed appointments and forgotten deadlines. You might also be struggling with “time blindness,” where you don’t know or remember the time it takes to finish a task. This could leave you feeling unhappy and feeling that you’re not doing a great job in your career or personal life, particularly if it feels like other people don’t value your efforts.
You might also have trouble controlling your emotions, which may cause you to react too quickly in stressful situations. Your fast-paced verbal communication could create misunderstandings and miscommunications with family members and colleagues, and you could make statements that hurt the feelings of others without meaning to. Since impulsivity is a common trait for people with adhd symptoms women it is possible that you will be unable to stop yourself from making statements without taking a second to think them through.
If you have ADHD, it’s likely that some of your symptoms are rooted in gender stereotypes and ideas about how men, boys and women should behave. This makes it more difficult for you to identify and treat your ADHD.
In addition to being diagnosed it is possible that you will benefit from behavioral therapy to tackle the root of your condition. While it could take some time to find the right coping mechanisms, implementing these strategies can make you feel more in control of your life as well as improve relationships with family and friends as well as coworkers.
2. Impulsivity
People who suffer from ADHD frequently experience intense emotions, but their brains don’t have a good way to evaluate or filter them. This means they can get overwhelmed by a single incident or have difficulty being able to accurately assess the emotional state of their peers. This can also make them more susceptible to being distracted by small inconveniences like a book out of stock or a shaky friend.
Many women suffering from ADHD mask their symptoms and come up with strategies to cope with their attention issues. They could be perfectionists, or extremely meticulous at work or in school but struggle to keep the track of important dates, bills, and appointments. They may also have issues with self-control in speech and frequently interrupt others, talk too much, frequently, or info dump during conversations.
The hyperactive/impulsive subtype of ADHD tends to be more common in boys and men, but it’s not unusual for successful women with adhd to have these symptoms too. These symptoms include an abrupt urge to begin or stop activities. They also include being unable wait for your turn in a conversation and having difficulty reading social signals.
While gender stereotypes can influence on the development of ADHD for women, it is difficult to recognize these issues. Rating scales used to identify adhd in adults women symptoms are still skewed toward male behavior, and some healthcare professionals might misunderstand or misunderstand the symptoms of women.
Many women suffering from ADHD also note that their symptoms tend to become more severe during periods of hormonal changes, for example during the menstrual cycle or pregnancy, or during perimenopausal (the period leading up to menopausal). This can lead to emotional symptoms like frustration, irritability or depression. They may also experience an unending feeling of discontent with their relationships or lives. This can contribute to the use of drugs, low self-esteem and unhealthy coping habits. It is important for women to realize that these symptoms do not show their worth or value as a human being. If you follow a proper treatment program, you can reduce or even eliminate these signs.
3. Inattention
While everyone struggles with paying attention and focusing at times, with ADHD, these symptoms occur so frequently that they interfere with your daily routine. You may make careless mistakes at school or work, forget appointments or spend many hours putting off work. You can’t stand in line and interrupt other people in conversations.
Attention deficit symptoms in adults could be accompanied by a tendency to jump into projects without properly planning and researching them, which can result in incomplete or subpar results. You could also become easily distracted and abandon projects that are not completed. This could be a vegetable garden that was planted but never watered, or a brand new organizational system that you assembled and then put away on your nightstand to accumulate dust.
People who have inattention ADHD also have a constant sense of disorganization at home and at work. It is possible that you have trouble finding important documents keys, bills or keys and frequently lose things. You could be unable to keep your track of time and become late for school, work or even meetings.
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 with these symptoms can perform actions or words without considering the impact. For example they may be rude to other people or make unintentional noises in solitude. They have difficulty sitting still and might fidget or pace in their seats. They may have difficulty maintaining a job, and have frequent disagreements with their colleagues and their manager.
In certain cases, the mood swings and emotional distress caused by ADHD can lead to frustration and miscommunication in relationships. This is especially true in romantic relationships as well as at work. People with adhd symptoms in adult women are also more likely to suffer from other comorbidities, like depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Women and girls who suffer from ADHD can face a variety of challenges when seeking treatment and diagnosis, including gender bias and a tendency to hide their symptoms or underestimate the severity of their symptoms. The rise of high-profile women such as Mia Freedman and Em Rusciano who have shared their own struggles with ADHD has helped raise awareness, however many young women and girls still don’t know they have the disorder.
4. Anxiety
While most people feel anxious or nervous from time to moment, a constant and overwhelming anxiety is a sign of an anxiety disorder. You may experience a constant sense of unease, fear, or anxiety, as well as rapid pulse, difficulty staying calm, and difficulty thinking clearly. There is also an underlying sense of danger in situations that you know are not dangerous. The most commonly encountered forms of anxiety are general anxiety disorder, phobias and agoraphobia and separation anxiety, panic disorders and selective Mutism.
Anxiety is more prevalent among women with ADHD than men. It is more likely to be exacerbated during certain life events, like menstrual cycles or pregnancy, or perimenopausal. This can make it difficult for women to handle everyday tasks and social interaction and can trigger feelings of self-esteem loss or dissatisfaction.
You are very sensitive to rejection, and you have a hard to accept criticism. You easily misinterpret feedback or even anticipated rejection, and you may be angry about minor things that others do not see as to be a problem.
Mood swings are a part of the adult female adhd symptoms and you may be able to notice that your moods are unstable or difficult to control. You could also be susceptible to non-suicidal acts of self-injury such as burning, scrubbing or hitting yourself.
It’s important to seek out a diagnosis if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above. It can help you understand your challenges and give you strategies for improving your quality of living. You can take an online ADHD test, or go to your doctor for a professional assessment. In certain instances, a doctor may prescribe medication to ease your symptoms. In other cases, they might recommend an amalgamation of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapy. In either case it’s crucial to make positive changes as soon as you can. This will help you gain control of your life, and feel more confident and competent.
