Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women have to struggle for years before getting a diagnosis of ADHD. It can be a real lightbulb moment for them when they are diagnosed.
The symptoms can change due to hormonal changes. For example, women may notice their symptoms get worse during their menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.
Women also can internalize ADHD characteristics that can lead to depression. This makes it more difficult to diagnose and treat ADHD.
Causes
Women with inattentive ADHD tend to not be diagnosed until the age of adulthood, when their issues begin to affect them with school, work, and personal relationships. This is due to gender biases, both in clinical settings and in parents' and teachers' perceptions, who are less likely than men to recognize ADHD symptoms.
Inattentive ADHD can cause women to forget appointments, miss deadlines and lose track of time, which makes it difficult to plan ahead or organize their thoughts. They also struggle to prioritize tasks. They may also have difficulty keeping their attention during conversations and are easily distracted by external stimuli, internal thoughts or daydreaming. These signs can lead to poor performance at work or at school, leading to low self-esteem.
Family members, friends and colleagues often misunderstand women with inattentive ADHD. Their frustration with their symptoms can increase the misperceptions they encounter. This can result in strained relations. They are often dismissed by others as sour or crazy. This can lead to a feeling of being misunderstood.
Women with inattention ADHD can also suffer from anxiety and depression. These issues can be exacerbated by fluctuations in hormone levels like during menstrual cycle and pregnancy or perimenopausal. In this time, estrogen levels decrease and progesterone levels rise, which can cause an increase in ADHD.
External factors can also contribute to inattentive ADHD like the chaos of your home or a work life without a clear structure. Women who suffer from inattentive ADHD can have difficulty keeping on track and may get behind in their work, which can lead to feelings of failure and low confidence. adhd in women symptoms might also have difficulty accepting negative feedback or criticism, which can further erode their confidence and result in them avoiding social interactions.
Lastly, women with inattentive ADHD are more likely to experience difficulties creating and maintaining relationships with their partners. They are more likely to have depression or anxiety and may be particularly sensitive to rejection, which can make them less willing to risk a relationship. This can lead to a feeling of isolation which can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
Symptoms
Women with undiagnosed ADHD frequently suffer from low self-esteem as a result of their struggles to cope. Others may comment that they are reckless or forgetful. They could adopt unhealthy coping strategies like excessive drinking or drugs. They may also resort non-suicidal methods of self-injury like cutting, burning, or scratching. ADHD symptoms can impact relationships, work, and school.
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD are often more likely to be misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression. This is because many of the symptoms of these disorders are similar with the symptoms of ADHD. Women with undiagnosed ADHD might also experience mood swings, making them appear depressed or anxious. These symptoms can be triggered by major changes in life, such as marriage, beginning new jobs, or becoming parents.
Adults who have inattentive ADHD are also often mistakenly diagnosed, and can be mistaken for borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder. These symptoms include trouble staying focused as well as feelings of despair or sadness and difficulties coping with criticism and stress. These symptoms, when combined with poor time management, could result in problems at school or work and with family members and friends.
Attention-deficit ADHD can lead to problems with coping skills in women and girls, including procrastination, or underestimating how long an activity will take (timeblindness). They may have difficulty keeping track of their schedules and appointments, easily lose or misplace their belongings, and are prone to jump between tasks. They may also struggle with impulse control, like interrupting others or making decisions impulsively.
It is important for women suffering from undiagnosed ADHD to be aware of their symptoms and seek help. They can seek treatment from their primary care provider or a mental health specialist. They can also seek to improve their coping abilities by using organizational techniques, such as making lists or planning in advance. They can also engage in exercise, which releases neurotransmitters that improve concentration and attention. It is also recommended to divide up household and caregiving responsibilities with their spouse or another support networks, so that they are not stressed by chores or running errands.
Treatment
Treatments for ADHD symptoms usually include medication and therapy. Drugs that stimulate the brain, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamines can help reduce the inattention symptoms of ADHD. There are also nonstimulant medicines such as atomoxetine. Behavioral therapy can aid in the organizational and emotional aspects of ADHD. Some therapists use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which helps people to change negative thoughts and behaviors as well as offer individual therapy for self-esteem and emotional regulation. Support groups are an excellent way for people with ADHD to connect with others with the same diagnosis and learn about ways to manage symptoms.
A diagnosis of inattention ADHD can be difficult for some women to accept. They may believe that their problems result from an absence of discipline or poor parenting, and this can impact their self-esteem. They might also feel embarrassed and ashamed by their inability maintain their school schedule or work.
ADHD symptoms can be exacerbated by hormonal changes like those that occur during menstruation and pregnancy or menopausal. This can make it more difficult to deal with emotional symptoms like irritability and mood swings. These symptoms can cause problems in relationships because of the way they are perceived by others, especially male colleagues or partners.
Women with inattention ADHD frequently struggle to maintain a stable home life, and this can cause issues at school or at work. For instance, they could miss important appointments or pay bills late. They might have issues organizing their work or school materials, and they may struggle to complete their tasks. They may have difficulty understanding social boundaries or interrupting other people while they talk. These issues can result in conflicts in relationships, and affect a woman’s sense of self-worth.
Many women with inattentive ADHD aren't able to ask for help. They might think that their issues aren't serious enough to require attention or that they should be capable of "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." They may also be scared of the stigma associated with getting a diagnosis of ADHD which could make it harder for them to seek treatment. Untreated ADHD in women can result in depression or suicidal thoughts. They may also engage in unhealthy coping methods such as drinking alcohol or drug abuse, which can cause health problems and other issues, such as self-injury that is not suicidal (NSSI), which includes cutting or burning.
Self-Esteem
Women with ADHD often have to cope with feelings of unworthiness or chronic stress. This can make it harder to identify and explain the symptoms, and seek treatment. It's also common for women to mask their symptoms or devise strategies to disguise them from others, particularly as they get older. Masking can cause problems at work or at school and may affect relationships.
In adhd in women test , research shows that women with ADHD are more likely than men to experience symptoms related to rejection sensitivity, and also to be unable to find jobs. These experiences can cause negative self-talk which leads to an insecurity and difficulties in interpersonal relationships.
In these circumstances, it's important for women with ADHD to be able to access proper diagnosis and treatment. It's important that they are able to access the right therapist or clinician who is familiar with the challenges that women and girls face with ADHD.
As girls and women become teenagers, they might be confronted with cultural and societal expectations that place the majority of household and parenting duties on them, and differ from those imposed on fathers. These pressures can cause anxiety and depression, and result in chaotic, messy living spaces, incomplete projects and a reluctance to ask for assistance or admit that they are struggling.
It is also common for females suffering from ADHD to experience symptoms that are related to puberty and adolescence, and also to experience premenstrual dysphoria. The monthly fluctuations in hormone levels can cause these symptoms to become more severe and could be mistaken for other issues such as anxiety or mood fluctuations.
Women with ADHD are less likely than men to be aware of their condition and to seek treatment. They are more likely to experience negative outcomes as they age, such as relationships, unemployment and addiction issues. They are more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and remain undiagnosed for the duration of their lives. This gap can be closed through increased education and advocacy efforts to assist health professionals and teachers as well as parents recognize the symptoms of ADHD in girls and women.