Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women struggled for years before being diagnosed with ADHD. It can be a real lightbulb moment for them when they receive a diagnosis.
Symptoms often fluctuate with hormonal changes. For instance, women might feel their symptoms worsen during their menstrual cycle, or during pregnancy.
Women also have the ability to be prone to internalizing ADHD traits that lead to depression. This can make it difficult to get diagnosed and treat their ADHD.
Causes
Women who suffer from inattention ADHD often do not get diagnosed until they reach adulthood, at which point their issues begin to affect them with school, work, and personal relationships. This is because of gender bias, both in the clinical setting as well as in parents' and teachers perceptions. Girls are less likely than boys to recognize ADHD symptoms.
Inattentional ADHD causes women to forget appointments, miss deadlines and lose the track of time, making it hard to plan ahead, organize their thoughts or prioritize tasks. They may also have difficulty keeping their attention during conversations and become easily distracted by external stimuli, internal thoughts or daydreaming. These issues can result in poor performance at work or at school, which could lead to low self-esteem.
Friends, family members and coworkers often misunderstand women who have inattention ADHD. Their anger over their symptoms can lead to confusion and mistrust and can result in tensions in relationships. They are often seen as being irrational and moody which can increase the feeling that they are misunderstood.
Women who are not attentive ADHD are also susceptible to depression and anxiety. These issues can be made worse by hormonal fluctuations, such as when menstrual cycle is in full swing, pregnancy, or perimenopause. In this period estrogen levels decrease and progesterone levels rise, which can exacerbate ADHD.
Another reason for inattentive ADHD is environmental factors such as a chaotic home environment or work life which lacks structure. Women who suffer from inattentive ADHD often have trouble staying on track at work and may fall behind quickly, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. They may also have difficulty accepting criticism or negative feedback, which can further erode their confidence and result in them avoiding social interactions.
Women with inattentive ADHD have a greater tendency to struggle with creating and maintaining romantic relationships. They are more likely than others to be suffering from depression or anxiety, and are more sensitive to rejection. This can make them less willing to risk a romantic connection. This can cause them to feel lonely and can lead to anxiety and depression.
Signs and symptoms
Women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD frequently suffer from low self-esteem due to their struggle to cope. Some may say that they are careless or forgetful. They may adopt unhealthy coping strategies that include excessive drinking or use of drugs. They might also turn to self-injury without suicide, like cutting, burning, or scratching. Symptoms of ADHD can affect relationships as well as work and school.
Girls and women with ADHD tend to be mistakenly diagnosed more often as having anxiety or depressive disorders. This is because a lot of symptoms of these disorders overlap with those of ADHD. Additionally, women who have undiagnosed ADHD can experience mood swings that cause them to appear anxious or depressed. These symptoms can also be triggered by major life events, such as getting married, starting an entirely new job, or becoming a parent.
Undiagnosed inattentive ADHD in adults is also frequent, and is often mistaken as bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. These symptoms include difficulty concentrating and a feeling of despair or sadness, and difficulties coping with stress and criticism. These symptoms, when combined with poor time management, could result in difficulties at work or in school as well as with family members and friends.
Attention-deficit ADHD can cause problems with coping abilities in girls and women, such as procrastination, or underestimating the time the task will take (timeblindness). They may have trouble keeping track of appointments and schedules and may lose or misplace their belongings easily, and flit from one task to the next. adhd in women symptoms may also have issues with controlling their impulses. This could mean making impulsive choices or interrupting others.
Women with undiagnosed ADHD must be aware of the signs and symptoms and seek treatment. They can seek help through their primary care physician or mental health specialist. In addition, they can try to improve their coping skills making use of strategies for organizing, such as writing lists or preparing ahead. They can also engage in exercises, which release neurotransmitters that increase concentration and attention. It's also a good idea for them to share household and caregiver duties with their partner or another support group so that they aren't overwhelmed.
Treatment
Treatments for ADHD symptoms usually involve medication and therapy. The stimulant medications like methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamines can help to reduce the symptoms of inattention of ADHD. There are also non-stimulant drugs like atomoxetine. Behavioral therapy is a great way to help with the organizational and emotional aspects of ADHD. Some therapists offer cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that is where they teach people how to modify negative thoughts or behaviors. Other therapists offer one-onone therapy that focuses on self-esteem as well as emotional regulation. Support groups are a great way for people who suffer from ADHD to meet other people who have the same disorder and learn about ways to manage symptoms.
A diagnosis of inattentive ADHD can be difficult for some women to accept. Some women might believe that their problems result from a lack of discipline or a lack of parenting. This can affect their self-esteem. In addition, they could be frustrated at their inability to keep up with work or school, and this can lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment.
ADHD symptoms can be made worse by hormonal changes like those that happen during menstrual cycle or pregnancy, or menopausal. This can make it difficult to deal with emotional manifestations like anger or mood swings. These symptoms can contribute to relationship difficulties because of how they are perceived by others, particularly male colleagues or partners.
Women with inattention ADHD struggle to keep a stable home life. This can lead to problems at school or at work. For instance, they might, forget important appointments or pay their bills late. They might have difficulty organizing their schoolwork or materials, and they might be unable to finish assignments. They might have trouble understanding social boundaries or interrupting others while they talk. These issues can lead to conflicts in relationships and can affect a woman's overall sense of self-worth.
Many women with inattentive ADHD aren't able to ask for assistance. They may believe that their issues aren't serious enough to require attention or that they should be capable of "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." They may also be afraid of the stigma that comes when they are diagnosed with ADHD which could make it more difficult to seek treatment. Women with untreated ADHD can be depressed or suicidal. They may also turn to unhealthy coping strategies, such as alcohol or drug abuse, which can lead to health problems and other issues, like self-injury that is not suicidal (NSSI) which can involve cutting or burning.
Self-Esteem
Women with ADHD frequently have to deal with feelings of inadequateness or constant stress. This makes it harder to recognize and communicate symptoms and seek treatment. It's also normal for women to cover up their symptoms or develop strategies to conceal them from others, particularly as they age. Masking can cause issues at work or at school and can affect relationships.
Research suggests that women suffering from ADHD have a higher risk of experiencing rejection sensitivity and having difficulty finding an employment. These experiences can cause negative self-talk that leads to a lack of confidence and difficulty in social relationships.
It is essential that women with ADHD receive the correct diagnosis and treatment. It's also essential to have a therapist or therapy professional who is knowledgeable of the unique challenges females and girls confront with the disorder.
As women and girls grow older, they could be confronted with cultural and societal expectations that place the majority of the household and parenting responsibilities on them, and differ from those imposed on fathers. These pressures can lead to anxiety and depression and lead to chaotic, messy home environments, unfinished projects and a reluctance to ask for help or admit they are struggling.
It's also normal for females suffering from ADHD to experience symptoms that are related to adolescence and puberty, and also to experience premenstrual dysphoria. The fluctuation in hormone levels can make these symptoms more severe, and they might be misinterpreted as other problems such as anxiety or mood swings.
Women who suffer from ADHD are less likely than men to be aware of their condition and to seek treatment. As a result, they are more likely to experience a variety of negative outcomes as adults which include relationship issues, unemployment, and use of drugs. They are also more likely than males to be misdiagnosed and remain undiagnosed for the remainder of their lives. This gap can be reduced by increasing education and advocating for health professionals as well as parents and teachers to recognize the signs of ADHD in women and girls.