Challenges of ADHD in Women and Girls
Untreated ADHD symptoms can cause various issues for girls and women. They may feel unable at work, have difficulty with relationships with peers and suffer from anxiety or depression.
They also have a better chance of creating coping mechanisms to hide their ADHD symptoms. This makes it difficult to diagnose and treat them.
Symptoms
Although research has proven that ADHD affects men and boys at a higher rate than girls and women, the gender gap narrows as people age. This is why it's critical that those suffering from ADHD issues don't feel abandoned or ostracized when they reach adulthood.
As women and girls develop into adults, they typically still struggle with their ADHD symptoms. They may have trouble managing their finances and keeping their home clean and maintaining healthy relationships. Years of untreated ADHD can also impact their self-esteem and mental health because they blame themselves for their problems.
Unlike some other psychiatric disorders ADHD is a condition that lasts for a lifetime. Women and girls tend to cover up their symptoms using coping strategies, but these often backfire. Additionally, hormonal changes during the menstrual period or pregnancy, as well as menopausal changes may make it more difficult to manage ADHD symptoms.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms typically are characterized by being forgetful or numb in the sense of losing track of time, difficulties paying attention in classes or at work and difficulty with daily routines such as meal planning, laundry or scheduling. Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms can include rushing through tasks, jumping from one task to another or making rash decisions. It is essential for healthcare providers to be aware of the different ways that girls and women present with ADHD and to think about whether comorbid depression or anxiety is contributing to their problems.
It's also crucial that people with ADHD be assessed by a doctor or another qualified healthcare professional who can examine their symptoms and medical history to rule out other conditions. Certain people with ADHD have mental health issues like anxiety or depression, low self-esteem, and issues in social interactions and relationships. It is also common for adults with ADHD to suffer from co-occurring physical health issues, such as chronic stress, tics and fibromyalgia.
Many girls and women with ADHD do not receive a diagnosis because they're not considered serious by their teachers, families or friends. They may not believe that their symptoms are serious enough to require assistance. Or, they might think that their ADHD symptoms are a result of a poor parenting style or a lack of self-esteem. In some instances women and girls with ADHD are only diagnosed when their children are diagnosed with ADHD or they are not diagnosed until they're in their 40s or 50s and have difficulties with their daily activities.
Diagnosis
Women are often not diagnosed with ADHD until they reach the age of adulthood. They can also face challenges if it is discovered. For one thing, girls may not have the same hyperactive/impulsive symptoms as boys -- and this can make them less likely to be recognised by teachers and parents, who are more accustomed to seeing those signs in male children. Girls can also develop strategies to manage their symptoms, which can result in them not being noticed as frequently. adhd in women signs means that their problems with organization, concentration and impulsivity may go unnoticed for years.
Women are also more likely to have high-functioning ADHD, which makes their symptoms more difficult to recognize. They may also suffer from co-occurring disorders that hinder their ability to manage their lives, such as anxiety and depression. They may be unable to control their emotions. This may be worsened because of hormonal changes during the menstrual period or pregnancy, as well as menopausal.
A variety of these issues can lead to low self-esteem or relationships problems. In the end, it isn't easy to talk about their challenges and seek help. This could delay the diagnosis and treatment.
In addition, it's common for people with ADHD to have difficulty making friends and interacting with others. They might miss social gatherings, fail to show up for appointments, and have difficulty reading body language. They may also be inclined to go off on tangents while talking, making it more difficult for others to keep up with them.
It's important that you get a proper diagnose and take action as quickly as you can. For women, this may be an "lightbulb moment" which can provide them with an external explanation for their struggles and help them accept their own uniqueness. It can also help women to focus on their strength and make changes to improve their life management skills. This could be beneficial to their personal, professional and family lives. Huma Sheikh MD has reviewed the article.
Treatment
As girls and women grow into adults untreated ADHD can take a toll on their personal and professional lives. The symptoms can impact relationships and work performance. They can lead to anxiety and a lack of confidence. They can also make it difficult for people to manage adult demands, like managing finances, keeping your home in order, or maintaining healthy relationships.
Women and girls are less likely to receive a diagnosis of ADHD than boys and men, partly because hyperactive/impulsive symptoms tend to be more commonly associated with males. This, in turn, can lead to gender-based stereotypes regarding the disorder. This can result in girls and women suppressing or hiding their own symptoms in order to avoid being stigmatized by society.
There are effective treatments for ADHD in girls and women. A licensed health professional can prescribe medications to regulate brain activity and reduce symptoms. Stimulant medications are the first option, however non-stimulants may also be effective for certain people. Your doctor might recommend a combination treatment to treat related conditions like anxiety or depressive disorders.
Lifestyle changes, in addition to medication management, can aid in managing ADHD symptoms. Regular exercise can release neurotransmitters that boost concentration and focus, and also reduce stress and anxiety. Group activities, such as group fitness classes or team sports classes, can be especially beneficial.
Therapy is also part of the treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people recognize and alter negative thought patterns that contribute ADHD symptoms. Couples counseling can be beneficial in improving communication and resolving conflicts in relationships.
At Verywell Health, we use the terms "girls" and "women" to refer to gender assigned at birth (AFAB) instead of an individual's affirmation of gender identity. To ensure that our content is more uniform and clear and to avoid confusion among our readers we employ this term. This article is applicable to all those who were assigned males at birth, including transgender and nonbinary individuals. We recognize that sex and gender are not mutually exclusive, and we are happy to welcome all readers to our site.
Support
Females and those who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) with ADHD are more likely to go undiagnosed or have a misdiagnosis than men. It's because women and girls tend to hide their symptoms which makes it more difficult for doctors to identify. They may also have signs that aren't obvious to others, like inattentiveness or disorganization rather than the impulsivity or hyperactivity.
This masking is important for women who typically come up with strategies to help them feel normal and meet social expectations. These strategies of coping can include healthy activities, such as maintaining a daily schedule or setting reminders on phones. They can also be unhealthy like binge-eating or drug abuse. Women who are not treated for ADHD may feel overwhelmed, anxious and depressed. They may also be suffering from relationship issues and chronic stress.
The challenges women and girls who suffer from ADHD confront can result in feelings of self-esteem loss, anxiety, depression, or somatic complaints like headaches or abdominal pain. These issues can cause being unable to attend school, work or social activities. They could also become dependent on their parents for helping them with their daily tasks. This could lead to an addiction and reliance that is difficult to break.
Girls and women with ADHD are more likely to engage in sexual activity with non-consensual companions during the adolescent period. This is due to insanity, poor organization, or a failure to make use of contraception. They are more likely to be forced into sexual activities that are not desired, and are at a greater risk of being victims of domestic violence and abuse.
Women with ADHD who are adults may benefit from medication to help manage symptoms and strategies for coping. They can also seek therapy either on their own or in partnership. They can learn to understand themselves and develop a positive internal dialogue. This can also aid in improving their relationships.
Support services may include programs specifically designed for mothers who are pregnant or with ADHD, as well as coaching to help them develop parenting skills. These programs can help women with ADHD keep their jobs, handle their home responsibilities and look after their children.