Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women have struggled for a long time before being diagnosed with ADHD. It can be a real lightbulb moment for them when they receive a diagnosis.
The symptoms may change due to hormonal changes. Women may notice that their symptoms get worse when they are experiencing menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.
Women also can be prone to internalizing ADHD traits which leads to depression. This makes it more difficult to identify and treat ADHD.
Causes
Women who suffer from inattention ADHD tend to not be diagnosed until they reach adulthood, at which point their problems begin to impact with school, work, and personal relationships. This is because of gender bias, both in the clinical setting as well as in parents' and teachers perceptions. Teachers and parents are less likely than boys to recognize ADHD symptoms.
Inattentional ADHD can cause women to forget important dates, forget deadlines, and lose track of the time. They also have difficulty managing their thoughts, or making plans for the future. They might also find it difficult to maintain focus on conversations and easily be distracted by external stimuli or internal thoughts and daydreaming. These symptoms can lead to poor work or school performance and can lead to low self-esteem and frustration.
Friends, family members and coworkers often misunderstand women with inattention ADHD. Their anger over their symptoms can increase the misperceptions they experience. This can result in tensions in relationships. They are often dismissed as moody and irrational, which can increase their feelings of being misunderstood.
Women who have inattention ADHD also experience a range of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. These issues can be made worse by hormonal fluctuations that occur during menstrual cycle and pregnancy or perimenopausal. In this time estrogen levels decrease and progesterone levels increase, which can cause an increase in ADHD.
Environmental factors can also cause inattentive ADHD like the chaos of your home or a work life that is not structured. Women with inattentive ADHD can have difficulty staying on track and can become distracted at work, which can lead to a feeling of being unworthy and low confidence. They might also have difficulty accepting criticism or negative feedback which can further degrade their confidence and make them avoid social interactions.
Lastly, women with inattentive ADHD are more likely to have difficulty creating and maintaining romantic relationships. They are more likely than the rest to be suffering from depression or anxiety and they are more sensitive to rejection. This could make them less willing to take on a romantic relationship. This can cause them to feel lonely which can cause anxiety and depression.
Signs and symptoms
Often, women with undiagnosed ADHD have low self-esteem as they struggle to deal with the condition. People may tell them that they're careless or forgetful. They could develop unhealthy coping methods that include excessive drinking or drug use. They might also resort to non-suicidal methods of self-injury like cutting, burning or scratching. ADHD symptoms can impact relationships, work, and school.
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to be misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression. This is because the signs of depression and anxiety are frequently similar to the symptoms of ADHD. Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD can also have mood swings that make them appear anxious or depressed. These symptoms can be caused by major changes in your life, such as getting married, starting new jobs, or becoming parents.
Adults with inattention ADHD are also commonly misdiagnosed and are often mistaken for borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder. These symptoms include difficulty in concentrating or concentrating, as well as feelings like despair or sadness and issues handling stress and criticism. When combined with poor time management, these issues could cause problems at school or at work and can cause issues with family and friends.
Inattentive ADHD in girls and women can lead to problems with managing skills, like procrastination, and a tendency to underestimate how long tasks will take (time blindness). They may have trouble keeping an eye on their schedules and appointments, misplace or lose belongings quickly, and easily jump from one task to the next. They can also have problems with impulse control, such as interrupting others or making decisions impulsively.
It is crucial for women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD to recognize their symptoms and seek help. They can seek treatment from their primary care physician or a mental health professional. In addition, they can try to improve their coping skills using organizational strategies, such as writing lists or planning ahead. Exercise releases neurotransmitters which improve focus and attention. It's also an excellent idea to share household and caregiving tasks with their spouse or another support network to ensure they aren't overwhelmed.
Treatment
Treatments for ADHD symptoms usually involve treatment and medication. Stimulant medications like amphetamines and methylphenidate can aid in reducing ADHD symptoms of inattention. There are also nonstimulant medicines such as atomoxetine. Behavioral therapy can aid in the organizational and emotional aspects of ADHD. Certain therapists employ cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which teaches people to modify negative thoughts and behaviors as well as offer one-on-one therapy to improve self-esteem and emotional regulation. Support groups can help those with ADHD connect with other people with the same condition and share tips for managing symptoms.
A diagnosis of inattention ADHD could be a challenge for some women to accept. They might believe that their problems stem from a lack of discipline or poor parenting, and this can impact their self-esteem. They may be embarrassed and ashamed because they are unable to keep up with school or work.
Symptoms of ADHD are more severe during hormonal changes, such as those caused by menstruation, pregnancy, or menopausal. This can make it harder to manage emotional symptoms, such as irritability and mood swings. These symptoms can cause difficulties in relationships because of the way they are perceived by others.
Women with inattention ADHD struggle to ensure a stable home life. This can cause difficulties at school or at work. For example, they might not remember important appointments or pay bills late. They might have issues organizing their school or work materials and may struggle to complete their tasks. They may have difficulty understanding the boundaries of social interaction and may interrupt others while they talk. These issues can lead to conflict in relationships and affect women's overall sense of self-worth.
Many women who suffer from inattention ADHD have difficulty asking for help. They might think that their issues aren't serious enough to require attention, or that they should be in a position to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." They might also be afraid of the stigma associated from being diagnosed with ADHD and this can make them less likely to seek treatment. Women who are not treated for ADHD can become depressed or suicidal. They may also turn to unhealthy coping strategies such as drinking alcohol or substance abuse, which can lead to health issues and other issues, including self-injury that is non-suicidal (NSSI) that includes burning or cutting.
Self-Esteem
Women with ADHD frequently have to deal with feelings of inadequacy or constant stress. This can make it more difficult to recognize and articulate symptoms and seek treatment. Women often cover up symptoms or resort to strategies to compensate, particularly as they age, to cover them. Masking can lead to problems at work or at school and may affect relationships.
Additionally, research has shown that women with ADHD are more likely than males to experience symptoms relating to rejection sensitivity and to have trouble finding jobs. signs and symptoms of adhd in women can lead to negative self-talk, which can lead to anxiety and difficulty in social relationships.
It is crucial that women with ADHD receive a correct diagnosis and treatment. It's also crucial to have a therapist or therapist who is familiar with the unique challenges females and girls face with the disorder.
As women and girls become teenagers, they might be confronted with cultural and societal expectations that place the bulk of parenting and household duties on them, and which differ from the expectations placed on fathers. These pressures can lead to depression and anxiety. They can also result in a disorganized and chaotic home environment, unfinished projects, and an inability for girls and women to ask for help.
It's also common for females suffering from ADHD to experience symptoms related to adolescence and puberty, and also to experience premenstrual dysphoria. The fluctuations in hormone levels can make these symptoms more severe, and they might be mistaken for other issues like anxiety or mood fluctuations.
Women suffering from ADHD are less likely than males to be aware of their condition and to seek treatment. This means that they're more at risk of negative outcomes as adults which include relationships, unemployment and substance use. They are also more likely than males to be misdiagnosed and remain undiagnosed for the rest of their lives. This gap can be eliminated through increased education and advocacy efforts to help health professionals, teachers and parents recognize the signs of ADHD in women and girls.