Challenges of ADHD in Women and Girls
Girls and women often face a variety of issues when untreated ADHD symptoms impact their lives. They may feel unsatisfied at work, struggle with peer relationships and suffer from depression or anxiety.
They also do better at developing strategies to manage their ADHD symptoms. This makes it more difficult to identify and treat them.
Signs and symptoms
Although research shows that ADHD affects boys and men more often than girls and women however, the gap between the genders shrinks as people age. This is why it's vital that people with ADHD sufferers don't feel neglected or ostracized when they reach the age of adulthood.
As women and girls develop into adults, they frequently remain troubled by their ADHD symptoms. They may have difficulty managing their finances and keeping their home clean or maintaining healthy relationships. Years of untreated ADHD can also take a toll on their confidence in themselves and mental health, since they blame themselves for their problems.
ADHD is a chronic condition unlike other psychiatric disorders. Women and girls tend to cover up their symptoms using strategies to cope, but they often fail to work. In addition, hormonal changes during the menstrual period as well as pregnancy and menopausal symptoms may make it more difficult to manage ADHD symptoms.
Attention-deficit ADHD can manifest as the inability to remember things or being oblivious, having trouble paying attention in classes, and having trouble with daily routines like scheduling meals, meal planning or washing. Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms can include rushing through tasks, jumping from one task to another or making rash decisions. It's important for healthcare providers to be aware of the different ways that girls and women present with ADHD and to consider whether the presence of anxiety or depression is contributing to their difficulties.
It is also essential that those with ADHD be evaluated by a doctor or another qualified healthcare provider who will examine their symptoms and medical history to rule out other medical conditions. Certain people with ADHD also have mental health issues such as depression or anxiety or low self-esteem, as well as problems with social interactions and relationships. It's also common for adults with ADHD to suffer from co-occurring physical health issues such as tics, chronic stress and fibromyalgia.
Many women and girls who suffer from ADHD are not diagnosed because their teachers, families or friends don't treat them as seriously. They might not think their issues are serious enough issue to seek help or they might believe that their ADHD symptoms are a result of a poor parenting style or low self-esteem, or any other external factors. In some instances, girls and women with ADHD are only diagnosed when their children are treated for ADHD or they are not diagnosed until they're in their 40s or 50s and are experiencing significant difficulty with day-to-day living activities.
Diagnosis
Women are often not diagnosed with ADHD until they reach adulthood. They can also have issues if recognized. 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 can also develop strategies to manage their symptoms, which can result in them not being noticed as frequently. This means that their issues with organisation, concentration and impulsivity could go unnoticed for years.
Women are also more likely to have high-functioning ADHD which makes their symptoms more difficult to pick up on. They may also suffer from co-occurring disorders that impact their ability to manage their lives, including depression and anxiety. For example, they can struggle to manage their emotions, and this can be exacerbated by hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
A lot of these issues could result in low self-esteem and relationship issues. adhd symptoms for women is often difficult for people with these conditions to openly discuss their issues 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 communicating with other people. They may miss social events and fail to show on time for appointments, and fail to read body language or read other people's nonverbal signals. They might even go off on tangents during conversations which makes it difficult for others to follow their lead.
It's important that you get an accurate diagnosis and take action as quickly as possible. For women, this may be a "lightbulb moment" that can give them an external explanation for their difficulties and allow them to accept themselves more fully. It can also aid women to recognize their strengths and to make changes to improve their life management abilities. This could positively impact their personal, professional and family lives. The article is reviewed medically by Huma Sheikh, MD.
Treatment
Untreated ADHD can affect the professional and personal lives of girls and women as they grow into adulthood. The symptoms can impact relationships and work performance. They can result in frustration and low confidence. They may also make it difficult to manage the demands of adult life like managing finances, keeping the home organized and 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 stereotypes of gender about the disorder. Females and females might then conceal or minimize their symptoms in order to avoid being branded as a victim by society.
There are effective treatments for ADHD for both genders. A licensed healthcare professional is able to prescribe medications that regulate brain activity and manage symptoms. The first option is stimulant medication, but non-stimulants can also be beneficial for some people. Your doctor may recommend a combination treatment to treat related disorders such as anxiety or depressive disorders.
In addition to medications lifestyle changes can also help manage ADHD symptoms. Regular exercise releases neurotransmitters that increase concentration and focus, and reduce anxiety, stress and other issues with mood that are which are common in people suffering from ADHD. Group activities, like group fitness or team sports classes, are particularly beneficial.
Therapy is also an important part of treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help patients identify and change negative thinking patterns that cause their ADHD symptoms. Couples counseling can be beneficial to improve communication and resolve conflict in relationships.
At Verywell Health, we use the words "girls" and "women" to refer to gender determined at birth (AFAB) rather than a person's affirmed gender identity. To make our content more clear and consistent and to avoid confusion among readers, we use this terminology. This article applies to males assigned at birth (AMAB) and also to transgender people and nonbinary people. We recognize that gender and sex are not mutually-exclusive, and welcome all readers to our site.
Support
Females and those who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) with ADHD are more likely to be undiagnosed or get a misdiagnosis than men. It's because girls and women tend to hide their symptoms, making it harder 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 is particularly crucial for women, who often develop coping strategies that allow them to feel normal and conform to social norms. These coping strategies may include healthy activities such as maintaining a daily schedule or setting phone reminders. They can also be harmful such as binge-eating or substance abuse. Women with untreated ADHD may feel anxious or depressed, and overwhelmed and suffer from relationship issues and chronic stress.
Girls and women with ADHD can experience low self-esteem or other symptoms, such as anxiety, depression or abdominal pain. These feelings can result in avoidance of school, work or social activities. They may also become more dependent on their parents for helping them with daily tasks. This could lead to a cycle of dependence and reliance that is hard to break.
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to engage in sexual activities with non-consensual companions during the adolescent period. This could be due the impulsiveness of their lives, insufficient planning, or a lack of ability to make use of contraception. They are also more susceptible to being pushed into sexual activities that are not desired, and they can be at a higher risk of domestic violence and exploitation.
As adults, women with ADHD are often able to benefit from coping strategies and medication to manage their symptoms. They can also seek therapy on their own or in a partnership. This can help them learn to recognize their issues and develop more positive internal conversations. It can aid them in improving their relationships.
Support services may include programs specifically designed for pregnant and parenting women with ADHD, as well as coaching to help them develop parenting skills. These programs can help women with ADHD maintain their jobs, handle their responsibilities at home and look after their children.