Undiagnosed ADHD in Women
Women with undiagnosed ADHD frequently have low self-esteem. They struggle to live up to society's expectations, and often feel their frustration with life.
They also may experience emotional stress, which can include the sensitivity to rejection. This can cause them to be more likely to engage in risky behavior.
ADHD symptoms can also vary in response to hormonal changes, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopausal. This makes it harder to identify.
Symptoms
Women may be unable to recognize their ADHD symptoms, as they are often masked. This can lead an incorrect diagnosis, and the wrong treatment may cause even more problems. Many women have difficulty getting diagnosed, especially in their later years. This is due to the diagnostic criteria are based upon research conducted by males. Some experts are working on improving these criteria.
Undiagnosed ADHD symptoms in women are often very similar to the symptoms of males. Many people suffering from ADHD struggle with concentration and listening. They might forget important information or lose items. They could spend hours organising their work or home space, but fail to keep up. They are often distracted by noise or activities in the vicinity. People with ADHD are prone to having trouble sleeping, and they may worry over their health and the safety of others.
When women and girls suffer symptoms of undiagnosed ADHD it can impact every aspect of their lives. They may have difficulty at school or at work and have issues with their relationships with their friends and romantic partners. They can have low self-esteem and anxiety, and they might resort to unhealthy strategies for coping like alcohol or drugs.
Undiagnosed ADHD can heighten frustration and misunderstandings in relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. Teachers and coaches may criticize them or they may be unfairly treated at work. ADHD can make it difficult to concentrate and keep deadlines.
Over the years, many people with undiagnosed ADHD have developed strategies to cope. They might work late into the night to keep up with their work or hide their struggles from loved ones. When they find out that their problems are a result of ADHD, it is like an epiphany. They can then understand how to overcome their difficulties and use their strengths (like creativity and high energy levels) to their advantage.
Undiagnosed ADHD could have a negative impact on the person's professional, social, and personal life. It can lead to financial instability, social exclusion as well as depression. Some people with ADHD, who are not diagnosed have an addiction to stimulants like amphetamines and cocaine. This can cause serious health issues, like heart disease and stroke.
Diagnosis
Women suffering from ADHD are more likely to go undiagnosed than males because the symptoms are harder to recognize. This could be because women are less inclined to tell health care professionals about their struggles and more likely to use strategies to hide their ADHD symptoms. These strategies for coping could include changing behavior for example, like putting in additional hours at work or school to make up for their lack in focus or using productivity tools to help them stay focused and on the right track with projects. These coping strategies may work in the short amount of duration, but they are exhausting and are not sustainable.
Many people are unaware that women they know may be suffering from ADHD due to gender stereotypes. read this article may also be worsened by hormonal changes like those that happen during pregnancy, menstruation or menopausal. This can result in women being viewed as moody and overly emotional. This further exacerbates the frustration of these women.
Undiagnosed ADHD symptoms in women include forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and impulsivity. They are also prone to jumping from one thing to another and have trouble maintaining relationships. Undiagnosed ADHD is more common among women. They are also more likely than others to suffer from coexisting conditions like depression or anxiety. Symptoms of these conditions could be confused with symptoms of ADHD and can lead to an incorrect diagnosis and treatment.
It isn't easy to distinguish between anxiety and ADHD because they share many symptoms. Anxiety symptoms include restlessness difficulty in concentrating, and a constant sense that something is wrong. Anxiety disorders don't have the impulsivity or inattention that are characteristic of ADHD.
For women with undiagnosed ADHD getting an official diagnosis could be a game changer. In several studies, women reported that their symptoms diminished when they received a professional diagnosis. They stopped blaming themselves for their problems and began to look at their challenges as something that they could manage.
The process of determining if you have ADHD is not easy, but the payoff is fantastic. Treatment of ADHD through psychotherapy and medication can improve relationships, aid women achieve at school and work and provide them with a better understanding of themselves.
Treatment
Girls and women often have different symptoms of ADHD than men, which can make it harder to obtain an assessment and treatment. It is also possible that they are more adept at hiding their symptoms, which makes it more difficult to get help or support. This can include: having trouble remembering appointments, failing to finish tasks at school or at work, and experiencing difficulties in relationships. They could also be at a higher chance of being pushed into unwanted sexual activity or being victims of intimate partner violence because they aren't able to recognize and resolving their own emotions.
The good news is that early diagnosis and effective treatments can be beneficial for these women. A study from 2020 found that an undiagnosed or late diagnosis can have lasting negative impacts on the emotional and social health of a woman, as well as her ability to build and maintain healthy relationships. It can also affect her self-worth and sense of control. Many of the women who participated in these studies reported feeling a sense of relief and a sense of self-confidence that increased after receiving an assessment and treatment for their ADHD.
This is particularly important as research has shown that women with undiagnosed ADHD have lower self-esteem levels and are less likely to seek treatment than their male counterparts. They are more likely to blame their attention, impulsivity and problems with organization on social or personal factors than on their ADHD.
Apart from medication, there are many treatment options for adults suffering from ADHD. read this article include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). CBT assists people in identifying and change negative behavior and thoughts, whereas DBT teaches skills to increase mindfulness and self-acceptance. Neurocognitive psychotherapy, which blends elements of these therapies with training in strategies to improve concentration and focus is a different option. This treatment can be delivered in groups or individually and is geared to adults with ADHD. *Note in this article, the term "women", is used to refer to those who were assigned female at birth regardless of their gender identity. It also refers people assigned male at the time of birth as "men", to include all gender identities.
Support
Many people with ADHD are in a state of confusion or fearful of their symptoms. Because social pressures and hormonal changes significantly influence how ADHD is perceived by women, it's common for females to be undiagnosed, misunderstood, or misdiagnosed. This can lead both to a lack of effectiveness or improper treatment, and a higher risk of developing mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
Women are better at hiding their symptoms than men, who tend to be more impulsive or hyperactive. They may become adept at working late into the night and rely on productivity apps to cover up their inattention. The problem is that these coping mechanisms can take a impact on self-esteem, and ultimately affect the quality of life.
Even when women with ADHD seek assistance, the process of diagnosing can be confusing and frustrating. The traditional ADHD criteria were designed for men and may not accurately reflect all the symptoms women experience. Many women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD have been misdiagnosed as having other disorders, such as anxiety or depression.
Clara was not an exception. She was smart, hardworking and dedicated to her career. Yet she struggled to meet deadlines and felt overwhelmed by the demands of her job. She felt that her failures were her fault and that she wasn't good enough. Her confidence in herself was shattered as a result of an undiagnosed ADHD.
When she was diagnosed with adult ADHD, it was a shock. Clara understood that her challenges weren't her own personal failings. She could stop seeing them as a sign of laziness and start to consider her ADHD thread as a thread that could be woven in to a meaningful personal and professional life.
As awareness of the various differences in the way ADHD manifests in women, the need to promote inclusion in research and treatment programs will become more crucial. This is particularly important when it comes to specific treatments for sex, as new research is geared toward understanding the impact of gender on the disorder and identifying medications that are suitable for women. We hope that this leads to a better diagnosis and treatment for women suffering from undiagnosed ADHD.