Challenges of ADHD in Women and Girls
Women and girls often face many challenges when untreated ADHD symptoms affect their lives. They may feel unprepared at work, have difficulty with peer relationships, or suffer from depression and anxiety.
They are also better at creating coping mechanisms to hide their ADHD symptoms. This makes it more difficult to diagnose and treat them.
Symptoms
Although research shows that ADHD affects men and boys at a higher rate than women and girls however, the gap between the genders shrinks as people get older. This is why it's critical that those suffering from ADHD issues don't feel abandoned or abandoned when they reach the age of adulthood.
As women and girls develop into adults, they typically continue to have trouble with their ADHD symptoms. They may have difficulty managing their finances or keeping the house clean or maintaining healthy relationships. Untreated ADHD can affect their mental health and self-esteem over time, as they may blame themselves for their issues.
Contrary to other psychiatric disorders ADHD is a condition that lasts for a lifetime. Girls and women are more likely to mask symptoms with strategies to cope, but they often result in a negative effect. In addition, hormonal changes during menstrual periods, pregnancy, and menopause can make it more difficult to manage ADHD symptoms.
Attention-deficit ADHD symptoms usually include being forgetful or absentminded and losing track of time, difficulty 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 crucial for healthcare professionals to be aware of the many ways women and girls present with ADHD and to think about whether comorbid depression or anxiety is the cause of their struggles.
It's also crucial that people with ADHD be assessed by a doctor or another qualified healthcare provider who can evaluate their symptoms and medical history to rule out other issues. For instance, some individuals with ADHD are also suffering from mental health issues like depression or anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulties with social relationships and relationships. It's 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 who have ADHD aren't diagnosed because their parents, teachers or friends don't consider them serious. They may not think their symptoms are serious enough to warrant seeking help. Or they may think that their ADHD symptoms are the result of poor parenting or a lack of self-esteem. Women and girls are diagnosed with ADHD only after their children receive treatment for ADHD. Others aren't diagnosed until they are in their 40s or 50s, and are experiencing difficulty with daily living activities.
Diagnosis
Women often do not get diagnosed with ADHD until adulthood, and they can face challenges when it does happen. 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 also have strategies to cope with their symptoms and lead to them not being noticed as much. It is possible that girls' issues with organization, concentration, and impulsivity might be overlooked over a number of years.
Women are more likely to be affected by high-functioning ADHD. This makes it difficult to identify the symptoms. They may also suffer from co-occurring disorders that affect their ability to manage their lives, like depression and anxiety. For instance, they may find it hard to control their moods, which can be worsened by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause.
Many of these conditions can contribute to a lack of self-esteem and issues with relationships. It is often difficult for those with these conditions to discuss their problems and seek assistance. This could delay the diagnosis and treatment.
In addition, it's common for people with ADHD to have trouble making friends and interacting with other people. They might not attend social events and fail to show on time for appointments, and fail to read body language or pick up on other people's nonverbal signals. They might even be inclined to go off on tangents while talking, making it difficult for others to keep up with them.
It's crucial to receive a thorough diagnosis and get it as soon as you can. For women, this may be an "lightbulb moment" that gives them an external explanation for their struggles and help them accept their own uniqueness. It can also help women to recognize their strength and make changes to improve their life management abilities. This can have a positive impact on their work, family and personal lives. Huma Sheikh MD has reviewed the article.
Treatment
Untreated ADHD can affect the professional and personal life of girls and women as they reach adulthood. The symptoms can impact relationships and work performance. They can lead to anxiety and a lack of confidence. They can make it difficult to cope with 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 can result in gender stereotypes about the disorder. Females and females might also try to hide or suppress their symptoms in order to avoid being branded as a victim by the society.
There are, thankfully, effective treatment options available for ADHD in women and girls. Medicines regulate brain activity and help control symptoms, and can be prescribed by a licensed health professional. Stimulant medications are the first choice, but non-stimulants can also be effective for certain people. In addition, a mix of treatments may be recommended by your healthcare professional to address related conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Lifestyle changes, in addition to medication management, can aid in managing ADHD symptoms. Regular exercise releases neurotransmitters that increase concentration and focus, as well as reduce anxiety, stress and other mood disorders that are that are common among people with ADHD. Group activities, like group fitness or team sports classes, can be particularly beneficial.
Therapy is also an important part of treatment. Cognitive therapy for behavior can help patients recognize and alter negative thinking patterns that cause their ADHD symptoms. Couples counseling is also beneficial in improving communication and resolving conflicts in relationships.
At Verywell Health, we use the words "girls" and "women" to refer to gender assigned at birth (AFAB) instead of an individual's affirmation of gender identity. To make our content more consistent and clear and to avoid confusion among our readers we employ this term. This article applies to males assigned at birth (AMAB), and to transgender people and nonbinary individuals. We acknowledge that gender and sex are not mutually exclusive and welcome all our readers.
Support
Women and those who were assigned female at birth (AFAB) who suffer from ADHD are more likely than men to be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed. It's because women and girls tend to hide symptoms which makes it more difficult for doctors to determine. They also might have symptoms that aren't obvious to others, such as inattention or disorganization, rather than hyperactivity or impulsivity.
This masking is important for women who often develop coping strategies to be normal and meet social expectations. These coping mechanisms may include healthy actions like setting reminders for phone calls or keeping a schedule for the day. However, they could also be harmful, such as excessive eating or abuse of substances. Women with untreated ADHD may feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed, and may suffer from relationship problems and chronic stress.
The challenges that girls and women who suffer from ADHD have to face can lead to feelings of self-esteem loss and depression, anxiety or even somatic complaints such as headaches or abdominal pain. These issues can cause avoidance of school, work, or social activities. adhd in women adults may also be more reliant on their parents to help with daily tasks. That can create an environment of dependency and reliance on others that's difficult to break.
As they grow older, girls and women who suffer from ADHD may be at greater risk of having sexual relations with non-consensual partners. This could be due to the impulsiveness of their lives, insufficient planning, or an inability to utilize contraception. They are also more likely to be pushed into unintentional sexual activity and they are at a higher risk of domestic violence and exploitation.
As adults, women with ADHD are often able to benefit from coping strategies and medications to manage their symptoms. They can also get therapy, individually or in a partnership. They can gain a better understanding of themselves and develop a more positive internal dialogue. It will aid them in improving their relationships.
Support services could also include special programs for mothers and pregnant women with ADHD, as well as coaching to teach them parenting skills. These programs can help women with ADHD maintain their jobs, manage their responsibilities at home and take care of their children.