ADHD Traits in Women
Verywell Health acknowledges the fact that gender and sexuality are determined by biology, including the body's chromosomal make-up and hormones. A lot of people do not easily fit into an unisexual sexuality. Genre and gender can influence the way ADHD symptoms are treated and diagnosed.
ADHD is a condition that is recognized in the early years of early childhood, typically before age 12. ADHD symptoms must be present before the age of 12 and cause problems in multiple environments to be eligible for a diagnosis.
1. Difficulty Focusing
Inattention is the primary cause of ADHD and is a problem for all genders. But women may find it more challenging to get the attention they require, especially because symptoms often manifest differently for men.
Women are more likely to experience disorganization and indecisiveness, for example. They are also more likely than men to be emotionally afflicted and have difficulty putting things in perspective. These issues can cause an inability to concentrate on tasks, leading to a decrease in productivity at work or at home. They are also more likely to not remember their medication or miss appointments with their doctor.
In addition to these inherent gender differences, hormones of women can make their ADHD symptoms more severe. The female hippocampus is larger which helps with learning and memory. Hormone fluctuations during menstruation as well as pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause may also affect brain function.
Women with undiagnosed ADHD may struggle in their relationships, at school and at work. add women might also suffer from various comorbidities like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
For these reasons, it's critical for health care professionals to be aware of the various clues that females with ADHD frequently exhibit. They need to rethink their approach to diagnosing and treating women with ADHD to take into account hormonal fluctuations, emotional dysregulation and other factors that affect the severity of symptoms. Patients can then receive the treatment they require.
2. Impulsivity
Females suffering from ADHD are more likely to have trouble controlling their emotions, particularly when they interact with other people. This can lead to emotional dysregulation, which is a symptom of ADHD symptoms. It is also linked to negative life outcomes. This includes low self-esteem, co-occurring depression and anxiety, difficult relationships that can result in intimate partner violence, trouble with friendships as well as a messy home or personal space, and a failure to manage time or money.
Gender stereotypes can affect the way women who suffer from ADHD are treated. Because they are frequently viewed as more sensitive or susceptible to mood swings, they can be misinterpreted or dismissed as overly emotional. This can lead to their frustration in being a victim of untreated ADHD.
People with ADHD have impaired impulse control, also known as the prefrontal cortex. This means that they have a difficult time making decisions and following through with their intentions. This could cause you to want to indulge in more cake or make a snide comment.
Adults with ADHD are able to benefit from medications that help to control their tendency to be impulsive. stimulants like amphetamine and dextroamphetamine can reduce impulsive behavior. Non-stimulants such as clonidine or Guanfacine are also effective. Behavioral therapy is also suggested, which can aid people suffering from ADHD change their thinking patterns and develop better ways to cope with stress.
A good night's sleep, eating a healthy diet, and meditating can also help to control the impulsiveness and restlessness of people with ADHD. It is also a good idea to track their symptoms throughout the day and communicate the information with their doctor to assess whether the treatment regimen is working.
3. Disorganization
Disorganization is a frequent issue in people with ADHD and can impact their work and personal lives. They may find it difficult to complete tasks and their efficiency may be reduced. They might also fail to meet deadlines and feel overwhelmed on a daily basis.
An absence of organization could cause problems to maintain healthy relationships. People may forget important events or lose things like keys or purses. They might feel lonely and isolated due to this. They may also feel unloved by family members and friends. Disorganization can be worse in menopausal or perimenopausal women as hormones alter and symptoms intensify.
It is not unusual for women to cover up their ADHD symptoms to fit in with societal norms and avoid being thought of as a problem. This can lead to self-blame and feelings of guilt or shame. It could also be the reason women and girls aren't diagnosed with ADHD. This is especially evident in adolescence when symptoms are more evident.
As a result women suffering from untreated ADHD might experience poor academic or work performance. This could affect their job, grades or even their reputation. It can also create problems for their personal life. For example it could lead to problems with their romantic partners or strain relationships with family members and friends.
Women who are chronically disorganized can benefit from the one-on-one assistance of a non-judgmental individual. They can provide strategies to get and stay organized, such as making lists of daily tasks and setting reminders for them. Additionally, a certified mental health professional can recommend changes in lifestyle and medications to reduce ADHD symptoms. This may include eating smaller meals throughout the day to maintain a steady energy and avoiding caffeine, which can worsen the side effects of stimulant medication.
4. Indecisiveness
Indecisiveness is a trait that influences decision-making across a wide range of aspects of our lives. A variety of instruments have been developed to assess indecisiveness. These include the Decision Behaviors Inventory (Barkley-Levenson and Fox) and the Indecisiveness Scale. Indecisiveness has also been linked to neuroticism, as well as the tendency to imagine worst-case scenarios. This is when people perceive ambiguous situations as being threatening. It was also found to be associated with a fear of making a mistake which could explain why people with adhd have difficulty making decisions.
In the qualitative study of adult women with adhd participants, they reported being incapable of making decisions in their work and personal lives. They struggled to manage their finances and relationships and had trouble finding a job that they liked. They often waited for other people to decide or were unable to finish projects themselves, such as arranging childcare. They believed that their ADHD symptoms like inattention and impulsivity or difficulty starting projects were holding them back.
They had a difficult time in establishing and maintaining friendships which resulted in mental health problems. They reported having high levels of stress and anxiety and an inability to sleep and a poor diet. They also expressed feeling slighted by adults and the media. The diagnosis of ADHD gave them a reason for their struggles which was beneficial to their self-esteem because it meant they were not blamed for their condition. They also had access to the appropriate treatment strategies.
The interviews revealed that the women were very optimistic, but struggled to overcome the effects of ADHD on different aspects of their lives. These included a lack romantic or career opportunities as well as difficulties maintaining relationships. an unclean home.
5. Lack of self-esteem
Some of the signs that comprise ADHD are considered to be less socially acceptable for women and girls than they are for men and boys and so women may hide their hyperactivity, impulsivity and disorder. They also may internalize their ADHD symptoms and develop coping mechanisms such as self-harm (cutting burns, scratching, cutting). This can lead to lower self-esteem and could cause anxiety, depression or eating disorders.
Having high inner worth is a precursor to better relationships and a more positive outlook on life. People who lack self-worth tend to look outside themselves for validation, such as jobs, relationships, money, and power. Cheryl Clarke, a licensed therapist, says that this can also lead to the lack of communication in the relationship.
Alongside a feeling of lack of self-worth, women with ADHD often have the feeling that they don't deserve the good things happening in their lives. These feelings may manifest as a desire to "keep up" or to please. This can result in a toxic work culture and a negative image of the body and an addiction to food or substances.
While these are serious issues however, the women who took part in this study also discovered a number of positive aspects of living with ADHD. They describe ADHD as an advantage or a disadvantage depending on how they feel about their ability to control it. Many of them also recognize their own strengths that they believe are due to their ADHD which include the ability to be creative, high energy, determination, and the ability to get easily interested in new topics. They also talk about their unique struggles in the context of a larger picture that includes gender and biological differences, as well as cultural and family issues.