Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women have to struggle for years before being diagnosed with ADHD. When they do, it may be like an epiphany.
The symptoms often change in response to hormonal changes. For example, women may be able to notice that their symptoms become more severe during their menstrual cycle, or during pregnancy.
Women also can take on ADHD characteristics that can lead to depression. This can make it harder to be diagnosed and treated for their ADHD.
Causes
Women who suffer from inattentional ADHD are usually not diagnosed until they reach adulthood, when their issues start to affect work, school, and personal relationships. This is partly due to gender biases in clinical settings and the perceptions of teachers and parents who are less likely to recognize ADHD symptoms in girls than boys even if the symptoms are clear (Ohan and Visser, 2009).
Attention-deficit ADHD can cause women to forget important dates, forget deadlines, and lose track of the time. They also have difficulty managing their thoughts, or planning ahead. They may also have trouble maintaining focus during conversations, and are easily distracted by external stimuli, internal thoughts or daydreaming. These symptoms can result in poor work or school performance and can lead to low self-esteem and frustration.
Many women suffering from inattention ADHD are often misunderstood by family, friends and coworkers. Their frustration with their symptoms can increase the misperceptions they experience. This can lead to strained relations. They are often seen as being irrational and moody which can increase their feeling of being misunderstood.
Women with inattentive ADHD also suffer from various emotional issues such as anxiety and depression. These issues can be made worse by fluctuations in hormone levels, such as during menstrual cycles and pregnancy or perimenopausal. During this time estrogen levels decrease and progesterone levels rise which can cause an increase in ADHD.
Environmental factors can also cause inattentive ADHD, such as the chaos of your home or in a workplace that is not structured. Women with inattentive ADHD frequently have difficulty staying focused at work and be unable to keep up with their work, which results in a feeling of failure and low self-esteem. They may also be unable to accept negative feedback or criticism. This can further undermine confidence and cause people to avoid social interactions.
Women who are inattentive ADHD are more likely to struggle with developing and maintaining romantic relationships. They are more likely than the rest to suffer from depression or anxiety, and they are more sensitive to rejection. This can cause them to be less willing to risk a romantic relationship. This can lead to a feeling of isolation and can contribute to anxiety and depression.
Signs and symptoms
Women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD often have low self-esteem due to their struggle to cope. They might be depressed by comments from other people that they are negligent or forgetful. They might develop unhealthy coping methods, such as excessive drinking or drug use. They might also resort to non-suicidal methods of self-injury like cutting, burning, or scratching. ADHD symptoms can affect relationships, work, and school.
Girls and women with ADHD are often more likely to be misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression. This is because the symptoms of depression and anxiety are often similar to those of ADHD. In adhd in adult women treatment , women who have undiagnosed ADHD may experience mood swings that make them appear depressed or anxious. These symptoms can also be brought on by major life changes like getting married, starting in a new job or becoming a mother.
Adults with inattentive ADHD are also often mistakenly diagnosed, and can be mistaken for bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. These symptoms include difficulty in concentrating or concentrating, as well as feelings like sadness or despair and difficulties dealing with criticism and stress. These symptoms, when coupled with poor time-management, can result in difficulties at work or in school and with family members and friends.
Inattentional ADHD for girls and women can affect managing skills, like procrastination and the tendency to underestimate the time tasks will take (time blindness). They may have trouble keeping an eye on their schedules and appointments and lose or misplace items easily, and flit from one task to the next. They also may have issues with impulse control, such as interrupting others or making impulsive choices.
Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD should be aware of the signs and symptoms and seek treatment. They can seek treatment from their primary care physician or a mental health professional. Additionally they can improve their coping skills employing strategies for organizing, such as writing lists or preparing ahead. Exercise releases neurotransmitters, which enhance concentration and focus. It's also a good idea for them to share household and caregiving duties with their partner or a different support system to ensure they don't feel overwhelmed.
Treatment
A combination of treatments is often needed to manage ADHD symptoms, which includes medication and therapy. Drugs that stimulate the brain, like amphetamines and methylphenidate can aid in reducing ADHD symptoms of inattention. There are also nonstimulant medications like atomoxetine. Behavioral therapy can help with the organizational and emotional aspects of ADHD. Some therapists use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches people to modify negative thoughts and behaviors as well as offer individual therapy for self-esteem and emotional control. Support groups are an excellent way for those with ADHD to connect with other people with the same diagnosis and to learn how to manage symptoms.
A diagnosis of inattentive ADHD can be a challenge for some women to accept. They may think that their issues result from a lack of discipline or bad parenting, and this can impact their self-esteem. In addition, they may be frustrated with their inability to keep up with work or school, and this could lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment.
ADHD symptoms can be exacerbated by hormonal changes like those that occur during menstrual cycles or pregnancy, or menopausal. This can make it more difficult to manage emotional symptoms like mood swings and irritability. These symptoms can also cause problems in relationships due to how they are perceived by other people, especially male colleagues or partners.
Women with inattention ADHD struggle to ensure a stable home life. This can cause difficulties at work or school. For instance, they might, forget important appointments or pay their bills late. They may have trouble organizing their school or work materials, and they may be unable to complete tasks. They may have difficulty understanding the social boundaries and interrupting others while they're talking. These issues can result in conflict in relationships and impact a woman's self-esteem.
Many women with inattentive ADHD have a difficult time deciding whether to seek help. They may believe that their difficulties are not serious enough to require attention, or that they should be in a position to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." They might also be scared of the stigma that comes when they are diagnosed with ADHD and this can make them less likely to seek treatment. Untreated ADHD in women can result in depression or suicidal thoughts. They might also adopt unhealthy strategies for coping, such as drinking or using substances. This could lead to health problems and other issues such as self-harming that is not suicidal (NSSI), including burning or cutting.
Self-Esteem
Women with ADHD frequently have to deal with feelings of inadequateness or constant stress. This can make it more difficult to identify and articulate symptoms and seek treatment. Women often mask symptoms or resort to strategies to compensate, particularly as they get older, to conceal the signs. Masking can cause issues at work or at school and can affect relationships.
Research has shown that women with ADHD have a higher risk of experiencing rejection sensitivity and finding it difficult to get a job. These experiences can trigger negative thoughts that lead to a lack of confidence and problems in interpersonal relationships.
It is essential that women suffering from ADHD receive the correct diagnosis and treatment. It's also vital that they work with a doctor or therapist who understands the unique challenges girls and women face with the disorder.
As girls and women grow older, they could encounter societal and cultural expectations that place the majority of parenting and household duties on them, and that differ from the expectations placed on fathers. These pressures can trigger depression and anxiety. They can also result in a disorganized and chaotic home environment with unfinished projects, as well as an inability for girls and women to ask for help.
It's also normal for females with ADHD to experience symptoms related to puberty and adolescence and also to experience premenstrual dysphoria. The monthly fluctuations in hormone levels can make these symptoms worse and can be mistaken for other issues such as anxiety or mood shifts.
Women with ADHD are less likely than males to be aware of their condition and receive treatment. This means that they have a higher rate of negative consequences as adults, including relationships, unemployment and addiction. They're also more likely to be misdiagnosed than men and remain undiagnosed for the rest of their lives. This gap can be lowered by increasing education and advocating for health professionals, parents and teachers to recognize the symptoms of ADHD in women and girls.