ADHD in Women and Girls
Girls and women with ADHD are subject to a different set of societal expectations than males, and those expectations can cause shame and self-blame. Treatment should consider gender stereotypes hormone fluctuations, symptom severity.
Lifestyle changes, medication, and therapy can improve your relationships and performance at work and school, as well as self-esteem.
Signs and symptoms
Women suffering from ADHD might suffer from symptoms like difficulty keeping track of their schedule, ignoring details and having trouble working in noisy or crowded areas. They might also experience emotional dysregulation and feel overwhelmed. These feelings can be exacerbated by the expectations women have to meet, such as family and societal roles.
Women who suffer from ADHD may have a harder time getting diagnosed and treated because of these difficulties. Many people suffering from ADHD are misdiagnosed as they do not meet the criteria. The symptoms must be present since childhood and must last for at least six month to qualify as ADHD. It is important to be aware that stress and certain medications may cause symptoms that are similar to ADHD.
One of the primary reasons that women with ADHD are underdiagnosed is that they tend to mask their symptoms. They may use coping strategies to disguise their symptoms, like pretending that they aren't stressed or overcompensating with symptoms that are easy to see in men and boys. In addition they are more likely to suffer from mental health issues that affects their mood and emotions, including depression or anxiety. These can be overlooked as an ADHD sign.
A bias against ADHD in the medical community could be another reason why women with ADHD aren't diagnosed. The diagnosis of ADHD is based on rating scales and interviews and these tools tend to favor male behaviors and symptoms. In addition, many women who suffer from ADHD experience negative self-esteem and internalized stigma and are less likely to seek evaluation or treatment for their symptoms.
Certain women with ADHD have the inattentive subtype, and this type can be harder to recognize because it's more internal -like daydreaming or having trouble staying focused on tasks. With the increasing awareness of ADHD among women, which is fueled by prominent women like Em Rusciano and Mia Freedman More women are seeking help.
Women with ADHD are more likely to develop sensitivity towards rejection - an intense and often uncontrollable response to rejection, whether it is real or perceived - than those who do not suffer from ADHD. This can cause problems with interpersonal relationships and lead to an absence of support networks and an inability to seek help.
Diagnosis
Women are often not diagnosed with ADHD until the age of adulthood. This could be due to their ability to hide their symptoms and gender bias. The concept of gender bias in clinical settings refers an array of practices and beliefs that affect how healthcare professionals diagnose and treat women and girls with ADHD. This can take form in the form of rating scales that are biased towards male behavior or internalized thoughts that lead to confusion in diagnosis. Girls and women who are inattentive ADHD may have trouble focusing during business meetings or college lectures, and may be unable to stay focused in their personal relationships or at home. They might have messy homes, forget appointments and fail to pay their bills on time. They could be easily distracted in social gatherings and have trouble managing their emotions when confronted with rejection or failure.
The symptoms can also change throughout the course of life. For instance, they can worsen during a woman's menstrual cycle or in the run-up to menopausal, when hormone changes can trigger irritability as well as mood fluctuations. Women with ADHD may also experience difficulties in their relationships due to of their impulsivity and insufficient planning, or they could struggle to maintain friendships because of social rejection sensitivity. They could be more prone to be pushed into sexual activities or to have unplanned pregnancy when they are unable to insist that their partners use contraception.
Getting an accurate diagnosis is essential to manage ADHD symptoms. Treatment, such as stimulants like amphetamine or methylphenidate, can reduce symptoms. Nonstimulants like atomoxetine can also be helpful. Your doctor will take into account any other health issues you have and your history of medication when deciding the best treatment plan. You may also be required to make lifestyle changes and seek counseling. You can aid in tracking your symptoms and keeping your physician aware of any changes that you notice in yourself. You can discuss any issues you have with your friends and family members, as they might be able to spot things you may have missed. A diagnosis can be a powerful step in building self-esteem and feeling more in control of your life.
Treatment
Women with untreated ADHD may have trouble performing at work and maintain healthy relationships and handle household chores. attention deficit in women can also trigger feelings of self-esteem issues or a sense of shame, particularly as women are typically expected to be caregivers. Additionally, due to their insanity, women and girls who suffer from untreated ADHD are at greater risk of engaging in sexually risky actions or being victims of violence from intimate partners than those who do not suffer from the disorder.
Adults with ADHD are usually treated by medication. Stimulant medications, like amphetamines and methylphenidate, help to regulate brain activity and reduce symptoms. If these medications aren't suitable, healthcare professionals may prescribe nonstimulant medicines such as atomoxetine and Guanfacine. A healthcare professional will assess a woman's symptoms, needs and past medical history to determine the best treatment plan is.
Women are diagnosed with ADHD in the same proportion as males. However they aren't diagnosed as such due to the fact that they hide their symptoms and conceal them with other disorders such as depression or anxiety. Additionally, rating scales and interview methods for ADHD are skewed toward male behavior patterns, and as a result, women's symptoms can be incorrectly identified or misinterpreted.
Being diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood can be a significant moment of acknowledgment for a lot of women. It can provide an external explanation for the struggles they face and boost their self-esteem. Women's confidence can be improved by knowing that they can reduce symptoms and learn life skills that will help them into old age.
Combining behavioral strategies with mental health therapies is the most effective way for women to overcome their struggles with ADHD. Therapy can assist women in developing strategies for coping and establish achievable goals in all areas of their lives. This can be achieved with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help her learn to identify and change negative behavior and thoughts as well as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to improve awareness and the ability to set and respect personal boundaries. Some women might benefit by joining an ADHD support group in order to network with women who have a similar disorder.
Self-help
Women with ADHD often remain undiagnosed for long periods of time, as their symptoms don't appear like boys. They may conceal their ADHD symptoms by employing coping strategies to appear "normal" or to conform to the norms of society. These coping mechanisms could be healthy or unhealthy, but they can prevent women from seeking the diagnosis.
It's important, in addition to self-help techniques to seek out treatment from a healthcare provider who is specialized in treating ADHD for females. They can help diagnose and treat the condition, and help you understand its effects on women and girls.
Women with ADHD are often unable to maintain close relationships and may develop anxiety or depression. This can be made worse due to the fact that they are more likely to engage in sexual activity at a young age and are at risk of sexually inappropriate encounters and violence from their intimate partners. Women with ADHD are also prone to mood swings, which can make it difficult to make their loved ones accept them or to support them.
The most commonly used treatments for ADHD are antidepressants and psychostimulants. Psychostimulants can improve concentration and focus by speeding up the signals sent to your brain. attention deficit in women change the way the brain uses certain chemicals, such as neurotransmitters, to manage moods and emotions. They can be adjusted by a physician to ensure optimal effectiveness throughout the course of a woman's life.
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD can benefit from a variety of self-help strategies, such as regular exercise and keeping a daily calendar or reminders, and practicing mindfulness. They can also find out about accommodations for school or work that can help them manage their symptoms.
It is important that girls and women with ADHD find a clinician or therapist who has experience with the condition. They can help with other symptoms such as depression, emotional stress as well as low self-esteem and difficulty in maintaining or establishing relationships. They can also teach coping skills, including breathing techniques and relaxation to help ease symptoms and improve their quality of life. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is biology, including hormones and chromosomes. It also recognizes that gender can be determined by behavior and appearance.