Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women suffer for years prior to receiving a diagnosis of ADHD. It can be a real lightbulb moment for them when they receive a diagnosis.
The symptoms can change due to hormonal changes. Women might notice that their symptoms get worse when they are experiencing menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.
Women can also be prone to internalizing ADHD characteristics that can lead 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 adulthood, when their problems start to interfere with school, work, and personal relationships. This is due in part to gender biases in both clinical settings and the perceptions of teachers and parents who are less likely to recognize ADHD symptoms for girls than boys, even when those symptoms are clear (Ohan and Visser 2009).
Inattentive ADHD can cause women to forget appointments, miss deadlines and lose the track of time, making it hard for them to plan ahead, organize their thoughts or prioritize tasks. They may also have difficulty staying focused during conversations, and be easily distracted by external stimuli, inner thoughts or daydreaming. These issues can lead to poor performance at school or at work and can lead to low self-esteem and frustration.
Many women with inattentive ADHD are often misunderstood and mistreated by their family, friends and colleagues. Their discontent with their condition can increase the misunderstandings that they encounter. This can lead to tensions in relationships. They are often seen as irrational and moody, which can further increase their feelings of being misunderstood.
Women who have inattention ADHD also suffer from a range of emotional problems that include anxiety and depression. These issues can be made worse by hormonal fluctuations, like during menstruation or pregnancy, or perimenopausal. During this time estrogen levels decrease, and progesterone levels increase, which can worsen ADHD.
Another cause of inattention ADHD is environmental factors, such as a chaotic home environment or a work schedule that does not provide enough structure. Women who suffer from inattentive ADHD often have trouble staying focused at work and may get behind in their work. This can lead to feelings of failure and low self-esteem. They may also have difficulty accepting criticism or negative feedback which can further degrade their confidence and cause them to avoid social interactions.
Women with inattentive ADHD are more likely to struggle with developing and maintaining romantic relationships. They are more likely than other women to be suffering from depression or anxiety and they are more vulnerable to rejection. This could make them reluctant to risk a romantic connection. This can cause isolation, which can also contribute to anxiety and depression.
Signs and symptoms
Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD frequently suffer from low self-esteem due to their struggles to cope. Some may say that they are reckless or forgetful. They might adopt unhealthy coping strategies like excessive drinking or drug use. They might also turn to non-suicidal self-injury, including cutting or burning. ADHD symptoms can impact relationships, work, and school.
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to be misdiagnosed as having depression or anxiety. This is because the symptoms of anxiety and depression are often similar to the symptoms of ADHD. Women with undiagnosed ADHD can also suffer from mood swings, which can make them appear anxious or depressed. These symptoms can also be brought on by major life events like getting married, beginning an entirely new job or becoming a parent.
Undiagnosed inattentive ADHD in adults is frequent, and is often mistaken for bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. These symptoms include difficulty concentrating, feelings such as sadness or despair and issues managing stress and criticism. Combined with poor time management, these signs can cause problems at school or at work and cause problems with family and friends.
Inattentive ADHD can cause issues with coping skills for women and girls, including procrastination or a tendency of underestimating the time the task will take (timeblindness). They may have trouble keeping the track of their schedules and appointments, misplace or lose belongings quickly, and easily jump from one task to the next. They may also have issues with controlling their impulses. This can include making decisions impulsively or interrupting others.
It is crucial for women suffering from undiagnosed ADHD to recognize the signs and symptoms and seek treatment. They can seek help from their primary care physician or a mental health specialist. add and adhd in women can also seek to improve their coping skills through organizing techniques like creating lists or preparing in advance. They can also engage in exercise, which releases neurotransmitters that boost concentration and attention. It's also a good idea for them to share household and caregiver tasks with their spouse or another support group so that they aren't overwhelmed.
Treatment
A combination of treatments is typically required to control ADHD symptoms, which includes medication and therapy. Drugs that stimulate the brain, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamines could help to reduce the symptoms of inattention of ADHD. There are also non-stimulant drugs such as atomoxetine. Behavioral therapy can aid in the organizational and emotional aspects of ADHD. Some therapists offer cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) that is where they help people change negative thoughts or behavior. Others provide one-on-one therapy that focuses on self-esteem and emotional regulation. Support groups are an excellent way for people with ADHD to connect with other people who share the same condition and to learn how to manage their symptoms.
A diagnosis of inattentive ADHD could be difficult for some women to accept. They may think that their problems are due to an absence of discipline or poor parenting, and this may impact their self-esteem. In addition, they may be frustrated with their inability to keep up with their work or school, which can lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment.
The symptoms of ADHD can be heightened during hormonal changes, such as those caused by menstrual cycles, pregnancy or menopausal. This makes it more difficult to cope with emotional symptoms like mood swings and irritability. These symptoms can also cause relationship problems because of how they are perceived by others.
Women with inattentive ADHD frequently struggle to maintain a stable home life, which can cause difficulties at school or at work. They might, for example, forget important appointments or pay their bills late. They may have trouble organizing their work or school materials, and may struggle to complete assignments. They might have trouble understanding the social boundaries and interrupting people when they talk. These issues can create conflicts in relationships and can impact a woman's overall perception of self-worth.
Many women who suffer from inattention ADHD have a difficult time deciding whether to seek assistance. They may believe 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 may also be scared of the stigma that comes with getting a diagnosis of ADHD which can make it difficult for them to seek treatment. Untreated ADHD in women can result in depression or suicidal thoughts. They can also resort to unhealthy coping strategies such as drinking alcohol or substance abuse which can cause health problems and other issues, such as self-injury that is not suicidal (NSSI), which includes burning or cutting.
Self-Esteem
Women suffering from ADHD are often affected by feelings of inadequateness and chronic stress. This can make it harder to identify and articulate symptoms, and seek treatment. Women often cover up symptoms or use strategies to compensate, particularly as they get older, to conceal the signs. Masking can cause difficulties at school or at work, and can cause relationships to suffer.
Additionally, research has shown that women suffering from ADHD are more likely than males to experience symptoms relating to rejection sensitivity, and have difficulty finding jobs. These experiences can reinforce negative thoughts that lead to a lack in confidence and issues in interpersonal relationships.
In these circumstances, it is crucial for women suffering from ADHD to have access to proper diagnosis and treatment. It's also essential that they work with a doctor or therapist who understands the unique challenges females and girls face with the disorder.
As girls and women become teenagers, they might encounter societal and cultural expectations that place the bulk of household and parenting duties on them, and which differ from the expectations placed on fathers. These pressures can trigger anxiety and depression and result in a messy and chaotic home with unfinished projects, as well as an inability for girls and women to reach out for assistance.
The symptoms of premenstrual dysphoria as well as the adolescent years are also common among females suffering from ADHD. The fluctuation in hormone levels can cause these symptoms to become more severe, and they might be misinterpreted as a sign of other issues such as anxiety or mood swings.
Women who suffer from ADHD typically experience insufficient awareness of their condition, and are less likely to seek treatment than males. This means that they have a higher rate of negative outcomes as adults such as unemployment, relationship problems and addiction. They are more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and remain undiagnosed for the duration of their lives. This gap could be eliminated by increasing education and arguing for health professionals, teachers and parents to recognize the symptoms of ADHD in women and girls.