ADHD Traits in Women
Verywell Health acknowledges the fact that gender and sexuality are based on biology, including the body's chromosomal make-up and hormones. Many people don't fit neatly into an unisexual sex. However, sex and gender can influence how symptoms of ADHD are treated and diagnosed.
ADHD is typically diagnosed in the early years of childhood, before the age of 12. Symptoms must be present before age 12 and cause difficulties in multiple settings to be eligible for an assessment.
1. Problems with Focusing
Inattention is at the heart of ADHD and is a problem that affects both women and men. Women may have a difficult to concentrate, particularly because symptoms can appear differently than in men.
Women are more likely to experience indecisiveness and disorganization for instance. They are also more likely to be emotionally triggered and struggle to put things into perspective. These issues can lead to an inability of concentration and can result in an inability to perform at work or home. They're also more likely not attend doctor appointments or forget to take their medications.
In addition to these natural variations, hormones in women can make their ADHD symptoms worse. The hippocampus of females is larger which helps with learning and memory. online , pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause may also influence brain function.
Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD may struggle in their relationships, at school and at work. They may also have a variety of comorbid disorders including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
It is important that health professionals are aware of the numerous signs that females with ADHD exhibit. They must recalibrate their approaches to diagnose and treat females suffering from ADHD in order to recognize emotional dysregulation and hormonal fluctuations. Patients can then receive the treatment they need.
2. Impulsivity
Females who suffer from ADHD are often unable to controlling their emotions, especially when interacting with others. This can cause emotional dysregulation which is a symptom of ADHD symptoms. It can also be associated with negative life outcomes. These include low self-esteem, depression that is co-occurring with anxiety, difficult relationships that can result in intimate partner violence, trouble with friends, a messy house or personal space, and an inability to manage time or money.
Gender stereotypes can also influence how women with ADHD will be treated. Because they are typically considered to be more sensitive or susceptible to mood swings, they can be viewed as emotionally unstable. This can cause them to feel more frustrated at living with untreated ADHD.
The part of the brain that controls impulses the brain, known as the prefrontal cortex is impaired in individuals with ADHD. This means they are more prone to making decisions and sticking with their intentions. This can make it difficult to resist the urge to eat a second piece of cake or make an inappropriate statement in public.
Adults suffering from ADHD are able to benefit from medication that helps them manage their tendency to be impulsive. stimulants such as amphetamine (Adderall) and dextroamphetamine (Ritalin) can aid in reduce impulsive behavior, and non-stimulant drugs like Guanfacine and clonidine can be effective as well. Behavioral therapy may also be advised, which will help people with ADHD change their thinking patterns and learn better ways to cope with stress.
Meditation and eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep can all be helpful in reducing anxiety and impulsiveness among people with ADHD. It's also a good idea to keep track of their symptoms throughout the day and share the information with their doctor to determine if their treatment regimen is working.
3. Disorganization
Disorganization is a frequent issue for people suffering from ADHD and can impact their work and personal lives. They may have difficulty to complete tasks, and their productivity may be diminished. They could also fail to meet deadlines and feel overwhelmed on a daily basis.
A lack of organization can cause problems in maintaining healthy relationships. They may forget important events or lose things like keys or purses. This can cause them to feel lonely and alone. Family and friends may also confuse them. The disorder is more prevalent in menopausal and perimenopausal women when hormones change and symptoms become more severe.
Women often mask their ADHD symptoms to conform to social norms or to avoid being thought of as a problem. This can lead women to blame themselves and feel shame or guilt. This could be a reason for why women and girls are often not diagnosed with ADHD especially in adolescence when symptoms are more obvious.
Women who suffer from untreated ADHD may have poor performance at work or in school. This could affect their job, grades, or overall standing. This could also cause issues for their personal lives. For instance it can cause problems with their relationships with their partners or breakups with family members and friends.
Women who are chronically disorganized can get help one-on-one from a nonjudgmental support person. They can help them learn strategies to get and keep their lives organized, such as making a list of daily tasks and creating reminders for them. In addition, a qualified mental health professional may recommend changes in lifestyle and medications to help minimize ADHD symptoms. This can include eating small, frequent meals to keep energy levels up and avoiding caffeine that can increase side effects of stimulant medication.
4. Indecisiveness
Indecisiveness is a trait that can affect decision-making across a wide range of aspects of life. A variety of instruments have been developed to assess indecisiveness. These include the Decision Behaviors Inventory (Barkley-Levenson and Fox) and the Indecisiveness Scale. Indecisiveness has also been associated with neuroticism and the tendency to imagine worst-case scenarios. This is when people interpret ambiguous circumstances as being dangerous. It has also been proven to be associated with a fear of being wrong, which may help explain why it is common for people suffering from adhd to have difficulty making decisions.
In the qualitative study of adult women with adhd the participants described being incapable of making decisions in their work and personal lives. They struggled to manage their finances and relationships and struggled to find jobs they enjoyed. They often were dependent on others to make decisions or were unable to complete projects themselves, such as arranging childcare. They believed that their ADHD symptoms such as inattention and impulsivity or difficulty getting started on projects was preventing them from completing.
They had a difficult time keeping relationships and had trouble relaxing and recharging their mental health. They reported having high levels of anxiety and stress, an inability to sleep and a poor diet. They also reported feeling stigmatized by the media and adults. They were able to articulate their struggles with ADHD and helped improve their self-esteem because they weren't blaming themselves. It also gave them access to the appropriate treatment strategies.
The interviews revealed that women were extremely positive however, they struggled to overcome the effects of ADHD on different aspects of their lives. The women reported an absence in their careers or romantic opportunities, issues maintaining relationships, and a messy house.
5. Lack of Self-Esteem
Women can hide their hyperactivity and impulsivity because they feel that these behaviors aren't as acceptable for boys and men. They also may take on their ADHD symptoms and develop coping mechanisms such as self-harm (cutting burns, scratching, cutting). This can lead to low self-esteem, which can cause depression, anxiety or eating disorders.
A strong sense of self-esteem and worth is the basis for more positive relationships and an optimistic outlook on life. People who lack a strong self-worth tend to look beyond themselves for validation, like relationships, careers, money, and power. Cheryl Clarke, a licensed therapist, says that this can also result in the lack of communication in the relationship.
In addition to a sense of self-worth, women with ADHD often have feeling like they don't have enough of the good things in their lives. read this article can manifest as a need to please or "keep up" with others. This can result in negative work environments, a negative body image, and an addiction to food or substances.
Despite these significant difficulties the women who participated in this study discovered a number of positive aspects to living with ADHD. They describe ADHD as positive or negative according to how they feel about their ability to control it. Some of them have also identified strengths they believe are due to their ADHD. They have the ability to be creative, energetic and determination, as well as the ability to easily get interested in new subjects. In addition, they describe their individual struggles as part of a bigger picture that encompasses family and cultural issues, as well as biological and gender differences.