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Challenges of ADHD in Women and Girls

Untreated ADHD symptoms can cause many issues for girls and women. They may feel unsatisfied at work, struggle with relationships with peers and suffer from anxiety or depression.

They are also more adept in establishing coping mechanisms that mask their ADHD symptoms, which makes it more difficult to be diagnosed and treated.

Symptoms

Although research has proven that ADHD affects boys and men more frequently than women and girls but the gap between genders narrows as people age. It is crucial that people who suffer from ADHD symptoms don't feel isolated or forgotten.

As girls and women grow into adulthood, they continue to struggle with ADHD symptoms. They may have difficulty managing their finances, keeping their homes clean or maintaining healthy relationships. Untreated ADHD can impact their mental health and self-esteem over time, as they might blame themselves for their problems.

ADHD is a chronic illness unlike other mental disorders. Girls and women tend to hide their symptoms by using methods of coping, but these often fail to work. Furthermore, hormonal changes that occur during menstrual cycles or pregnancy, as well as menopausal changes can make it more difficult to manage ADHD symptoms.

Attention-deficit ADHD can be characterized by forgetfulness or being absentminded, having trouble paying attention at work or in class, and having difficulty with daily routines like scheduling meals, meal planning or doing laundry. Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms can include rushing through tasks, jumping from one task to another or making rash decisions. It's important for healthcare providers to be aware of the various ways that girls and women present with ADHD and to determine if comorbid depression or anxiety is the cause of their struggles.

It's also critical that people who suffer from ADHD be assessed by a doctor or another qualified healthcare professional who can assess their symptoms and medical history to rule out any other issues. For instance, some individuals with ADHD are also suffering from mental health problems such as depression or anxiety, low self-esteem and difficulty with relationships and social interactions. Adults with ADHD are also more likely to have physical health issues, such as chronic stress or tics.

Many girls and women who suffer from ADHD are not diagnosed because their families, teachers or friends don't consider them serious. They may not think their symptoms are serious enough to warrant seeking help. Or, they might think that their ADHD symptoms are a result of a poor parenting style or a lack of self-esteem. Certain women and girls are diagnosed with ADHD only after their children receive treatment for ADHD. Others are not diagnosed until they reach their 40s or their 50s, and are having problems with daily life.

Diagnosis

Women are not often diagnosed with ADHD until they reach adulthood. They may also be faced with challenges if recognized. For one thing, girls may not have the same hyperactive/impulsive symptoms as boys -- and this can make them less likely to be recognised by teachers and parents, who are more accustomed to seeing those signs in male children. Girls may also develop strategies to manage their symptoms, which can result add in adult women them not being noticed as much. It is possible that girls' problems with concentration, organization and impulsivity could go unnoticed over a period of time.

Women are more likely to suffer from high-functioning ADHD. This makes it harder to detect the signs. Moreover, they can suffer from co-occurring disorders that affect their life management skills, such as depression and anxiety. They may be unable to control their emotions. This may be worsened due to hormonal changes during the menstrual period as well as pregnancy and menopausal.

Many of these conditions may result in low self-esteem and relationship issues. In the end, understanding women with adhd it can be difficult to talk about their challenges and seek help. This can delay diagnosis and treatment.

It's also typical for those with adhd in young women not to be able to establish friendships or interact with other people. They may miss social gatherings, or not attend appointments, and may have difficulty reading body language. They may even be prone to going off on tangents when they're talking, making it difficult for others to keep up.

It is essential to get a proper diagnose and act as fast as possible. For understanding women with adhd, this can be an "lightbulb moment" which can provide them with an external explanation for their struggles and help them accept their own uniqueness. It can also help women focus on their strength and adopt steps to improve their life management abilities. This can have a positive impact on their family, work and personal lives. The article is medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD.

Treatment

As women and girls develop into adults, untreated ADHD can have a devastating effect on their personal and professional lives. Symptoms can interfere with relationships and work performance, leading to frustration and low self-esteem. They may also make it more difficult to handle the demands of adult add in women life, such as managing finances, keeping your home organized and maintaining healthy relationships.

Women and girls are less likely to receive a diagnosis of ADHD than boys and men, partly because hyperactive/impulsive symptoms tend to be more commonly associated with males. This can lead to gender-based stereotypes regarding the disorder, which could lead to women and girls suppressing or denying their own symptoms to avoid being stigmatized by society.

There are effective treatment options for ADHD for both genders. A licensed healthcare professional is able to prescribe medication to regulate brain activity and reduce symptoms. The first option is stimulant medications, however nonstimulants are also effective for certain people. Your healthcare professional may also suggest a combination therapy to treat related conditions, such as anxiety or depressive disorders.

In addition to medication lifestyle changes can aid in the management of ADHD symptoms. Regular exercise can release neurotransmitters that increase concentration and focus, and reduce anxiety, stress and other mood issues common in people with ADHD. Group activities, like group fitness or team sports classes, are particularly beneficial.

Treatment also includes therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help patients identify and modify negative thinking patterns that contribute to their ADHD symptoms. Couples counseling is also beneficial for improving communication and resolving conflicts in relationships.

We employ the words "girls", "women" and "womens" to refer to the gender that was established at birth, rather than to the person's gender identity. This is to provide the use of a more consistent and clear terminology across our content and to make it easier for readers. This article applies to those who are assigned male at birth (AMAB) as well as to transgender and nonbinary individuals. We acknowledge that gender and sex are not mutually exclusive, and we are happy to welcome all readers to our website.

Support

Women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) with ADHD are more likely to go undiagnosed or get a misdiagnosis than men. That's because girls and women tend to conceal their symptoms, so they're more difficult for doctors to spot. They might also exhibit symptoms that are not evident to others. For example, inattentiveness and disorganization instead of excessive impulsivity or hyperactivity.

This masking is essential for women who often develop coping strategies to feel normal and to meet social expectations. These coping strategies may include healthy activities like keeping daily schedules or setting phone reminders. They can also be unhealthy like binge-eating or drug abuse. Women with untreated ADHD might feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed, and may suffer from relationship problems and chronic stress.

The difficulties that women and girls with ADHD confront can result in feelings of low self-esteem depression, anxiety or even somatic complaints such as abdominal pain or headaches. These issues can lead to avoidance of school, work, or social activities. They could also become dependent on their parents to assist them with daily tasks. That can create an unhealthy cycle of dependence and dependence on others that's hard to break.

Girls and women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to engage in sexual interactions with non-consensual partners in the adolescent period. This is due to the impulsiveness, lack of organization, or inability to utilize contraception. They are more likely to be pushed into sexually inappropriate activities and may be at a higher risk of domestic violence and exploitation.

Women suffering from ADHD who are adults may benefit from medication to help manage symptoms and strategies for coping. They can also seek help from a therapist, either individually or with an individual or with a partner. They can begin to understand themselves and develop a positive internal dialogue. This will also help improve their relationships.

Support services could also include coaching for parenting skills and specialized programs for women with ADHD who are pregnant or have children. These programs can help women with ADHD to keep their jobs and manage their home responsibilities and look after children.