7 Secrets About ADHD Traits In Women That Nobody Will Share With You
ADHD Traits in Women
Verywell Health acknowledges the fact that gender and sexuality are dependent on biology, which includes the body's chromosomal make-up and hormones. A lot of people do not easily fit into the binary sex. Gender and sexes can impact 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. Symptoms must be present before age 12 and cause problems in more than one environment to qualify for an assessment.
1. Difficulty Focusing
Inattention is at the heart of ADHD and it's an issue for everyone. But women may have more difficulty to get the attention they require due to the fact that symptoms usually manifest differently in men.
Women are more likely than men to be disorganized and impulsive, as an example. They are also more likely to become emotional and have difficulty putting things into perspective. These problems can create an inability to concentrate on work, resulting in a lack of productivity at work or at home. They are also more likely to forget their medication and miss appointments with their doctor.
In addition to these inherent gender differences, hormones of women can make ADHD symptoms worse. The hippocampus of females is bigger which helps in learning and memory. Hormone fluctuations during menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopausal changes can also affect brain function.
This is why women who do not have a diagnosis of ADHD might have a difficult time in relationships at school, in their relationships and at work. They could also struggle with a variety of comorbid disorders, including anxiety, depression eating disorders, bipolar disorder.
It is crucial that health care professionals recognize the many signs females suffering from ADHD show. They must recalibrate their approaches to diagnose and treat females with ADHD to take into account emotional dysregulation and hormonal fluctuations. The patients will then receive the treatment they need.
2. Impulsivity
Women suffering from ADHD often have trouble controlling their emotions. This is particularly true when they interact with others. This can result in emotional dysregulation, which is a major element of ADHD symptoms and is associated with many negative life results. This can include low self-esteem, coexisting depression and anxiety, problematic romantic relationships that can result in conflicts between partners, problems with friendships, a messy house or personal space, inability to manage time or money and a messy home.
Gender stereotypes can also affect the way women who suffer from ADHD are treated. They might be misunderstood since they are thought to be more sensitive or prone to mood swings. This can exacerbate their frustrations about being a victim of untreated ADHD.
The portion of the brain that controls impulses the brain, known as the prefrontal cortex is impaired in people suffering from ADHD. This means they are more prone to making decisions and following through in their intentions. This can make you want to eat more cake or make a snide comment.
Adults with ADHD may benefit from medications that help them control their tendency to be impulsive. Stimulants such as amphetamine and dextroamphetamine can reduce the impulsive behavior. Non-stimulants such as clonidine or guanfacine are also effective. People with ADHD may also benefit from a behavioral therapy, which helps them alter their thinking patterns and develop better coping techniques.
Sleeping enough, eating a healthy diet, and practicing meditation can also help in reducing the impulsiveness and restlessness of people with ADHD. It is also a great idea to monitor their symptoms throughout the day and share this information with their doctor in order to assess whether or not their treatment is working.
3. Disorganization
Disorganization is a common problem for people suffering from ADHD and can have a negative impact on their work and personal lives. It can take them longer to complete tasks, and reduce their productivity. They might also be late and feel overwhelmed on a daily basis.
Lack of organization can also make it hard to maintain healthy relationships. adhd in women symptoms might not remember important dates or even lose things like keys or purses. This can cause them to feel lonely and alone. They can also feel misunderstood by family members and friends. The disorder can become more severe during menopausal and perimenopausal cycles, when hormones change and symptoms become more severe.
It is not uncommon for women to hide their ADHD symptoms in order to conform with society's norms and avoid being considered a failure. This can lead women to blame themselves and feel guilt or shame. This could be a reason why women and girls are not diagnosed with ADHD. This is especially true in adolescence, when symptoms are more evident.
Women who suffer from untreated ADHD may not perform as well at work or in school. This can affect their job, grades or reputation. It can also create problems in their personal life including issues with their romantic partners or the strain of relationships with family and friends members.
Women who are chronically disorganized will benefit from the one-on-1 assistance of a non-judgmental individual. They can teach them strategies to remain organized, for example, making an agenda of the daily tasks and creating reminders for them. A qualified mental health professional could also suggest medication and lifestyle changes that will help minimize ADHD symptoms. This may include eating small frequent meals to maintain energy levels and avoiding caffeine, which can trigger side effects from stimulant medications.
4. Indecisiveness
Indecisiveness is one of the traits that affects decision making across a wide range of aspects of life. There are a variety of instruments that have been created to assess indecisiveness. These include the Decision Behaviors Inventory (Barkley-Levenson and Fox) and the Indecisiveness Scale. Indecisiveness can also be linked to neuroticism and the tendency to use worst-case scenario thinking, where people interpret ambiguous situations as potentially dangerous. It is also believed to be associated with the fear of being wrong, which may help explain why it's common for people with adhd to struggle with making decisions.
In the study that was qualitative of adult women with adhd, interviewees reported being unable to make decisions in their personal and professional lives. They had difficulty to manage their finances and relationships, and had difficulty finding a job that they liked. They frequently had to wait for others to make decisions or were unable to finish projects on their own, for example, scheduling childcare. They believed that their ADHD symptoms, such as inattention and impulsivity or difficulty beginning projects were preventing them from progressing.
They struggled to maintain relationships and had trouble relaxing which led to issues with their mental health. They described having high levels of anxiety and stress as well as a lack of sleep and a poor diet. They also reported feeling snubbed by adults and the media. They were able to explain their struggles with ADHD which helped them improve their self-esteem because they weren't blaming others. Additionally, it gave them access to appropriate treatments.
adult female adhd symptoms revealed that the women had a lot of positive qualities but struggled to overcome the impact of their ADHD symptoms on various aspects of their life. These included a lack career or romantic opportunities as well as difficulties maintaining relationships. a messy home.
5. Insecurity about oneself
Women might hide their hyperactivity and impulsivity because they believe these symptoms are less acceptable than for boys and men. They also may internalize their ADHD symptoms and develop coping mechanisms such as self-harm (cutting burns, scratching, cutting). This can cause low self-esteem, which could cause anxiety, depression or eating disorders.
Being able to identify your inner worth is a prerequisite for better relationships and a more positive outlook on life. People who do not have a strong self-worth tend to look beyond themselves to find validation, including careers, relationships, money, and power. Cheryl Clarke, a licensed psychotherapist, says this can also result in a lack in communication within relationships.
Alongside a feeling of lack of self-worth, women who have ADHD frequently struggle with a feeling that they don't deserve the good things in their lives. These feelings can manifest as a need to please or "keep up" with other people. This can result in a toxic work culture, a negative body image and an addiction to food or substances.
Although these are significant challenges but the women who participated in this study found many positive aspects of living with ADHD. Most of them identify their ADHD as a gift or a curse, depending on whether they feel they have control over it. Many of them also recognize their own strengths that they believe are a result of to their ADHD such as high energy, creativity, determination and the ability to become easily interested in new subjects. They also describe their unique challenges as part of a larger picture that includes cultural and family issues, as also gender and biological differences.