Signs of ADHD in Women
Women face lots of pressure to be the caretaker and stay on top of their kids and maintain a healthy relationship, and do well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem impossible.
It is essential to be diagnosed and treated for ADHD. It can help you deal with these symptoms and enhance your overall quality of life.
1. You are always late
Being always late is a common sign that you might be suffering from ADHD. This is because those with ADHD frequently have difficulty managing their time and are easily distracted by other tasks. This can cause problems at school or work for example, like not remembering homework or avoiding important meetings. It can cause a lot stress for you and the people who depend on you. Set a reminder in your phone or on your calendar to help avoid being late. Also, make sure you're ready the night before. Also, you should take some extra time to reach your destination.
In addition, some women with ADHD struggle to make friends due to constantly missing out on social occasions. They might also have difficulty learning to recognize social cues and understand body language. They might also have trouble concentration and may get 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 also more likely to refer males or boys to an ADHD assessment as opposed to girls.
2. You have trouble focussing
People suffering from ADHD are easily distracted and lose focus of their work. In a conversation, they could often veer off topic or talk about other things. They might also have trouble staying still and may be more than impulsive.
These issues can cause problems with friends, family members and co-workers. For instance, it is common for people with ADHD to be late for appointments or forget deadlines. They may also be unorganized, spend too much time on tasks that are not important or have difficulty sitting at home. They may also have trouble staying focused at work or have trouble keep up with their financial obligations.
In the early years the boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. As adults, the numbers even out. This is believed to be because women are more likely than men to have recurrences in symptoms and to seek treatment when a child has been diagnosed with ADHD. Changes in hormone levels, especially during menopausal changes, may impact the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You have a poor Memory
Women suffering from ADHD frequently have trouble remembering important events, like birthdays, anniversaries, and gatherings. They may also have difficulty remembering names, which makes it difficult to keep up in conversations and social situations.
People suffering from ADHD typically have poor filtering. They speak things without really thinking about them. This can result in a lot "foot in mouth" moments which can be a source of frustration for family members and colleagues.
Another sign of adhd in women is trouble making and maintaining friendships. Many women with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions which can result in difficult romantic relationships. This puts them at chance of being pushed into sexually inappropriate activities or becoming victims of intimate partner violence.
Many women with ADHD struggle to keep up with the social expectations of parenting and homemaking, as well as relationships. This can lead to more stress in their lives, making it more difficult to recognize and treat ADHD symptoms. Some women have coping strategies to disguise their symptoms, for example using alcohol or drugs, which can interfere with treatment. Getting diagnosed is an important first step for identifying and managing these challenges. You can find help.
4. You're having difficulty making decisions
Women who have trouble making decisions may find themselves procrastinating or not able to finish tasks because they have difficulty deciding which tasks should take priority. They also have trouble remembering and executing decisions they have made. This kind of ADHD can affect performance at work, relationships and self-esteem.
The signs of ADHD in women are more difficult to identify than in children, as parents and teachers don't refer girls for evaluation as often as they would for boys. Women are also more adept at hiding their symptoms. They may develop strategies for coping that help them appear "normal" and to meet social expectations, such as relying on apps to manage their daily activities.
Women can be given an official diagnosis by their primary care physician who might refer them to a physician of specialization. Depending on the results, the doctor may recommend therapy or medication. In therapy, your therapist can help you learn healthier coping skills and help you switch negative thoughts with positive ones. They can help you and your family members to improve communication. This can be difficult when one or both partners in a relationship suffer from ADHD. Medications can help reduce the symptoms and increase productivity at school or at work.
5. You have trouble multitasking
Women with ADHD often feel overwhelmed when they attempt to keep deadlines in line or complete several tasks at once. They may also experience difficulty regulating their emotions and finding it difficult to make or keep friends, particularly when they struggle to pick the social signals and can be prone to impulsive behavior.
Women who are unable to multitask are also more likely to develop adhd. They can also lose or misplace items and are easily distracted. 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 may be more likely to not be diagnosed with this kind of ADHD because their symptoms are not as obvious as the more frequent inattention type.
Women with undiagnosed adult ADHD may develop strategies to cover up their issues like drinking alcohol or using drugs to self-medicate, in order to fit in with other people. This can further exacerbate their symptoms as they struggle to cope with chronic feelings of inadequate, which can lead to strained relationships and an overall feeling of low self-esteem.
6. You Have Trouble Managing Your Time
In the workplace, ADHD time management problems can pose a serious problem. If you don't have a system to complete projects, return calls or file paperwork, it's difficult to complete tasks. Even if you are doing excellent work, supervisors will question your competence if you regularly fail to meet 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 don't receive treatment for ADHD are also more likely to suffer from co-occurring depression or anxiety and may have trouble maintaining relationships. The society expects women to take care of their children, which can exacerbate the symptoms of ADHD for many women, especially if they don't have access to the appropriate treatment and assistance they require. adhd symptoms in women can also result in strained relationships with family, friends and romantic partners. These strained relationships can heighten tension and miscommunication, making it more difficult for women to seek assistance.
7. You're having trouble making friends
Having trouble making friends can be particularly frustrating for women with ADHD. Because of this, social expectations demand women to be competent at multiple roles, including parenting children, maintaining a relationship, and performing well at work. They might experience symptoms that worsen as they try to meet the expectations. They could also be at an increased risk of developing poor relationships with their peers or coexisting anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Moreover women are more likely to develop strategies for coping which mask their ADHD symptoms. This can lead them to over-exercise, stay up later than they should and rely on their calendars or phone reminders to manage their lives.
Other undesirable behaviors include impulsiveness and forgetfulness, which can create problems in both work and personal relationships. For instance, forgetting to attend a friend's party can make them feel jilted. They might also think you don't care about them. In the same way, interrupting conversations with unrelated thoughts or getting angry at the drop of a hat could lead to miscommunication and conflicts. Be aware of your expectations regarding your friendships to avoid bad emotions, misinterpretations and resentment. This can be accomplished by using a calendar to keep track of your friend's important dates, a notepad to record details about new acquaintances and keeping commitments.