High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd experience discontent and confusion in their relationships. The symptoms may be more severe in periods of hormonal changes, like the premenstrual or pregnancy periods.
Many girls and women are forced to resort to compensatory strategies, masking their symptoms and impairments that can delay time until referral.
This group of patients has a unique set challenges that must be considered when treating them.
1. Self-Esteem is not a strong point.
The emotional and social challenges that accompany ADHD can leave women in adhd feeling down. Even when they’re doing well it’s easy to feel like a failure due to things they cannot control. This can lead to an endless cycle of feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. This can have a negative effect on their mental health.
Girls with ADHD who aren’t treated are at a greater risk of having low self-esteem and teenage pregnancy. They also have a higher risk of depression, anxiety and addiction to drugs. As adults, they are at greater risk of being single-parents of a child with ADHD and facing financial hardship or underemployment. They’re also more likely than other people to suffer from eating disorders and pass on their bad habits to their children.
It’s essential that women get a diagnosis as it will help them understand their struggles and manage their symptoms. Many women report feeling confident after receiving an diagnosis. They can now stop being a victim of things they can’t control. It can also help them reframe their struggles and refocus on what’s important (Waite 2010).
As women mature and approach menopausal the hormone levels of their bodies change, and ADHD symptoms can get worse. This can make it difficult for them to be diagnosed and treated, as they’re often misdiagnosed as anxiety or mood disorder and their symptoms are dismissed as “hormonal” or “that time of the month.”
Having untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on women’s self-esteem and her relationships with her family and friends. The symptoms can affect women’s daily routines, leaving her irritable and exhausted. It is possible that she cannot say no to anyone which causes her to burden herself and become angry with those close to her. She may find it difficult organizing her work and home life, which can lead to missed appointments and lost documents. Additionally, she could be more easily triggered by rejection, so she may be more likely to be defensive and even lash out at the people she is in love with.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel intensely when you’re rejected, whether real or perceived. You might be triggered by an argument with your partner or a negative comment from a coworker at work. The brain’s natural defense mechanisms are overstimulated which can trigger thoughts, feelings and beliefs that could harm your relationships and self esteem. The sensitivity to rejection can also result in anxiety, depression and mood shifts.
Although it’s often linked to ADHD Rejection sensitiveness is actually a sign signs of adhd in women emotional dysregulation that affects the way your brain manages emotions and how you react to them. Other mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder can also show these symptoms.
RSD patients may perceive events through a filter, making them appear brighter or darker than they are. This can lead them to interpret things as being related to rejection, even though they’re not. RSD can also cause you to have a difficult to control your emotions which is why it’s important to develop healthy strategies for coping to deal with this.
Check out the following articles to find out more about rejection sensitivity.
While there is no cure for RSD it is possible to manage symptoms with the help of a mental healthcare professional. You can employ strategies to cope, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help you modify your negative thought patterns. You can also create an alliance of support and practice mindfulness to lessen your risk of reacting negatively to rejection. This can help you find ways to overcome your RSD and allow you to live a more positive and fulfilled life. Avoid toxic relationships, because they can cause more symptoms. If you’re in a abusive relationship, seek counsel to find out how to get out. This can lower the risk of experiencing feelings of rejection, like anxiety and depression. You can also boost your self-esteem by building healthy relationships. This will help you feel more confident about your abilities, and will give you an unbiased view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship challenging. This can cause sexual dysfunctions or risky sexual behaviors. Research suggests that women with high functioning adhd test adult women are at higher risk of having sexual problems than non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also result in feelings of shame and guilt and can have a negative impact on their relationships and overall well-being.
In one study, people with ADHD were found to be more likely than those with ADHD to have adventurous sexual curiosity. This was the case for both males and females. This could be due to the higher levels of impulsivity that could make them more likely to to act on sexual thoughts and desires. The study found that women with adhd are more likely to engage in paraphilic fantasies and behavior. This included submissive roles, bondage and sexing with strangers. It was also more common for them to go to sex clubs and parties.
Both women and men who suffer from adhd in adult women symptoms were more likely be infidelity than those who didn’t have the disorder. This was due to poor impulse control and alcohol-related disinhibition, as well as their desire for sensation. This is probably due to their higher levels of insecurity and a feeling of being misunderstood or criticized by their partners. The survey asked participants to describe their experiences with extra-partner affairs and sexual relations that were not contraceptive. Table 6 presents the results of this section.
The study also used the Hypersexuality-Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19), which asked participants about their sexual issues. The questionnaire comprises 19 items, which are divided into three subscales. Each item is scored on a five-point scale between 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The higher the score, the more symptomatology it has. The HBI-19 was used to assess the sexual behaviors of adults who have and those without ADHD.
These findings are significant, because the psychosexual outcomes for adults with ADHD have not been studied extensively. They have been linked to sexual dysfunctions, such as STI’s and unwanted pregnancies, relationship problems, infidelity that begins at the onset of adulthood and adolescence and risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD have issues with their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings due to issues like inattention and forgetfulness can result in anger, resentment, and even conflict within the relationship. A strong group of family and friends members who understand can be beneficial in maintaining healthy relationships.
It is important to remember, too, that people who suffer from ADHD have a difficult time listening. They can be interrupted easily by impulsive behavior or their own thoughts, which could cause them to lose the purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle with multitasking, too and can cause them to become disengaged of conversations or do other things while others talk.
These battles can create a vicious cycle in which the person who isn’t ADHD is overwhelmed by stress and resentment and the ADHD partner feels that they are not understood. The issue can get worse from there, as they become more distant.
Women who have high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their daily life. They may experience feelings of low self-esteem and shame because of their impulsive and disorganized behavior, or feel as if they’re not able to handle their chores and bills. They might also feel mood swings, rejection sensitivity and low sexual desire.
Because of this, it is crucial for people who suffer from adhd with Women to find an effective treatment plan and seek assistance. It is also crucial for family members particularly spouses, to learn more about the condition and how it affects their loved one. Together, they can establish clear expectations and establish boundaries. Then, they will come up with an action plan to achieve their goals. The non-ADHD partner could take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD is focused on organizing and completing housework.
Both partners should strive to improve their communication and create an established routine that includes regular eating patterns, sleeping times and time for relaxation and rest. It’s also important to discover ways to make life easier for both of you for example, splitting household chores, or outsourcing some of the tasks that are difficult for a person with ADHD, such as hiring cleaning services or using apps to manage expenses.
