Signs of ADHD in Women
Women are subject to the pressure to take care of and keep track of children, maintain a healthy relationship, and do well at work. ADHD symptoms can make all of these tasks feel impossible.
If you suspect you have ADHD, it's important to be diagnosed and treated. It can help you deal with these symptoms and enhance your overall quality of life.
1. You Are Always Late
Being constantly late is one of the most frequent signs that you may be suffering from ADHD. People with ADHD may have trouble managing their time and are easily distracted by other activities. This can cause issues at school or work for example, like not remembering homework or avoiding important meetings. It can also create a lot of stress for you and those who depend on you. To stop being late, try setting a reminder on your phone or calendar and ensure that you get ready the night before. adhd symptoms in women iampsychiatry is also recommended to take an extra few minutes to travel to your destination.
Some women with ADHD are also having trouble making friends as they are constantly missing social gatherings. They might also have difficulty understanding social cues and understanding body language. They might also have difficulty staying focused on conversations and becoming lost in their thoughts.
Lastly, some girls with ADHD go undiagnosed because their symptoms are more difficult to notice than the hyperactive/impulsive ones seen in boys and men. Teachers and parents are more likely to recommend a man or a boy for an ADHD evaluation than they are to do the same with a girl.
2. You have trouble in focusing.
It is not difficult for people with ADHD to get lost in what they are doing. When they are in a conversation with others they can often go off in a different direction or talk about things that don't relate to the issue that is being discussed. They may also have difficulty sitting still and are more likely to be impulsive and take risky decisions.
These problems can strain relationships with friends, family members and co-workers. For instance, it's common for people with ADHD to be late for appointments or forget deadlines. They can also be disorganized, spend too much time on tasks that are not important or have a hard time relaxing at home. They may also have problems working effectively or find it difficult to manage their financial obligations.
Boys are more likely than girls to be identified as having ADHD in children. However, as adults the prevalence of ADHD evens out. It is thought that this is because women tend to experience a greater recurrence of symptoms, and are more likely to seek treatment when one of their children is diagnosed with the condition. The fluctuation in hormone levels, particularly during menopausal changes, may impact the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You Have Poor Memory
Women suffering from ADHD are often unable to remember important events, such as birthdays, anniversaries and gatherings. They may also have difficulty remembering names, which could make it difficult to keep pace in conversations and social settings.
People suffering from ADHD typically have poor filtering. They say things without really considering them. This can lead to numerous "foot in mouth" situations that can be stressful for family members and coworkers.
Another indication of adhd in women is having trouble making and maintaining friendships. Many girls with ADHD have difficulty managing their emotions and this can lead to difficulties in romantic relationships. This can put them at a higher risk of being pressured into unwanted sexual activity or being victims of violence from intimate partners.
Many women suffering from ADHD struggle to meet social expectations in areas such as parenting and homemaking, relationships and even their careers. This can lead to more stress in their lives, which makes it harder to identify and treat ADHD symptoms. Some women have coping strategies to hide their symptoms, such as using alcohol or other drugs, which can interfere with treatment. It is crucial to be diagnosed as a first step for identifying and managing these challenges. The good news is that you can find assistance.
4. You are having trouble making decisions
Women who are struggling to make decisions may procrastinate or fail to complete tasks, since they aren't sure which tasks to prioritize. They also have difficulty remembering and keeping track of the decisions they've made. This type of ADHD can affect work performance, relationships, and self-esteem.
The signs of ADHD in women can be harder to diagnose as they are for children, as parents and teachers don't refer girls for evaluation as often as they would for boys. Furthermore, women are better in masked symptoms. They can develop strategies to cope that allow them to appear "normal" and conform to social expectations, such as using apps to manage their day-to-day activities.
Women can get an official diagnosis from their primary care physician who may refer them to a specialist. Depending on the results, the doctor could recommend medication or talk therapy. During therapy, the therapist will teach you healthier coping skills and help you switch negative thoughts with positive ones. They can also help you and your family improve communication which can be a challenge when one or more of the members of the relationship suffer from ADHD. The medication can help manage the symptoms and boost productivity at work or at school.
5. You are having trouble multitasking
Women who suffer from ADHD are often overwhelmed when they have to meet deadlines and work on many tasks. They may also struggle to manage their emotions and may find it difficult to keep and make friends. This is particularly true when they are unable to discern social signals.
Trouble with multitasking is another indication of adhd in women, as is their tendency to get distracted easily and misplace or lose things. This is particularly problematic for women at work where constant interruptions make it hard to stay on task or focus.
In addition, if you have the hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd, having trouble staying quiet and being able to control your emotions can lead to frequent outbursts that are not only disruptive to others but can be damaging to your career. Women are more likely to go undiagnosed with this type of ADHD because their symptoms aren't as evident as those of the more typical inattentive type.
Women with undiagnosed adult ADHD might also develop strategies to cover up their issues like using drugs or alcohol to take care of themselves, in order to blend in with other people. This can further exacerbate their symptoms as they struggle to cope with chronic feelings of inadequacy, leading to uneasy relationships and a general sense of low self-esteem.
6. You are having trouble managing your Time
ADHD problems with time management can be a major concern in the workplace. It's difficult to get work completed when you don't have a system of filing paperwork, returning phone calls, or finishing projects in time. Even if your work is excellent, supervisors may wonder about your professionalism if you repeatedly miss deadlines.
Women with ADHD are more likely to have the inattentive subtype of symptoms, which can make it harder for them to be diagnosed and treated than men or boys with the hyperactive/impulsive type of symptoms. This is because doctors and teachers are more likely to recognize the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms in boys and men, and may be less familiar with the inattentive-type symptoms of women with ADHD.
Women who aren't treated for ADHD are also more likely than other people to experience co-occurring anxiety or depression, and have difficulty maintaining relationships. Women are expected to be caregivers, and this can worsen the symptoms of ADHD, especially when they don't have access to the appropriate treatment or support. This can also lead broken relationships between family members, friends and romantic partners. These relationships that are strained can increase frustration and misunderstandings and make it harder for women to reach out for assistance.
7. You Have Trouble Making Friends
Women with ADHD can find it frustrating to have trouble making friends. For one thing, societal expectations place high emphasis on women to be able in multiple roles, including raising children, sustaining relationships, and performing well at work. They might suffer from symptoms that get worse as they try to meet the demands. They could also be at a higher chance of developing poor peer relationships or coexisting mood disorders and anxiety. Women are more likely than men to develop coping mechanisms that mask ADHD symptoms. This could lead to excessive exercise, staying up later than necessary and relying on telephone reminders or daily schedules to help them manage their lives.
Other issues include impulsiveness and forgetfulness which can cause issues in both work and personal relationships. For instance, not remembering a friend's party can make them feel jilted. They may also think you don't really care about them. Likewise interrupting conversations with irrelevant thoughts or getting angry at the drop of a hat can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. Manage your expectations about your friendships to avoid damaging feelings, misinterpretations, and anger. You can do this by keeping a calendar that tracks your friend's important dates and using a notepad to write down any information you discover about new friends and keeping your promises.