ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
The condition is often misdiagnosed among women, despite the fact that it affects men and women equally as adults. This is likely due to gender stereotypes and the ability of women to conceal their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals lack the experience or knowledge to identify ADHD among women. Many females are misdiagnosed and do not receive the care they require.
1. Disorganization
Girls and women with ADHD can struggle with disorganization. This disorder is challenging to manage. For example your desk might be a jumble of tangled papers, 17 chapsticks, and a ticket stub from the Kings of Leon concert you went to in 2008. And while you spend money on products that claim to aid in your organization your office and home are likely to remain messy and chaotic.
Inability to keep track of your responsibilities can lead to missing deadlines and appointments. Additionally, you may be struggling with a concept known as "time blindness," which means you cannot remember or comprehend the amount of time it takes to finish the task. This can cause you to feel frustrated and feel like you aren't doing a good enough job at your job or in your personal life.
You may also be having trouble controlling your emotions, which could make you overreact in stressful situations. You might also say things that are not intended to hurt the feelings of someone else. You may also be having trouble stopping yourself from speaking before you have thought things through, as the tendency to be impulsive is common among people suffering from ADHD.
If you have ADHD, it's likely that some of your symptoms stem from gender stereotypes and ideas about how boys, men and women should behave. This can make it difficult to recognize and treat ADHD.
In addition to being diagnosed you may also require a behavioral therapy program to tackle the root of your condition. And although it may take a while to discover the appropriate strategies for coping using these strategies, they can make you feel more in control of your life and enhance relationships with family, friends, and coworkers.
2. Impulsivity
People with ADHD are prone to intense emotions. However, their brains are not able to filter them or evaluate them. They may be overwhelmed by a tiny setback, or have difficulty being able to assess the emotional state of others. It also makes it easier for them to get distracted by small issues like the book that's out of stock or an acquaintance who's late for spin class.
Many women with ADHD compensate for their attention problems by hiding symptoms and devising strategies for coping. They might be extremely meticulous or an obsessive at school or work and have difficulty keeping the track of appointments or bills, as well as important dates. They might also struggle with verbal self control and talk excessively or interrupt others often.
The hyperactive/impulsive subtype of ADHD tends to be more common in boys and men, but it's not unusual for women to have these symptoms too. These symptoms include an abrupt desire to stop, start or change activities; being unable to wait your turn in conversation; and difficulty in interpreting social signals (like facial expressions or body language).
While gender stereotypes can have an impact on the development of ADHD for women, it's not always easy to spot these issues. Rating scales that are used to determine ADHD symptoms are still biased toward male behavior and some healthcare professionals may misunderstand or misunderstand the symptoms of women.
Many women with ADHD also report that their symptoms become more severe during periods of hormonal changes, such as during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or perimenopause (the period leading up to menopausal). This can intensify emotional symptoms and cause frequent feelings of frustration, irritability or depression. They may also have a persistent feeling of dissatisfaction in their relationships or lives. This could lead to the use of drugs, low self-esteem and unhealthy coping strategies. It's important that women understand that these symptoms don't reflect their worth or value as a human being. The good news is that, with a solid treatment plan, these symptoms can be reduced or even eliminated.
3. Attention
Although everyone has trouble paying attention and focusing at times with ADHD the symptoms are experienced in such a way that they can interfere with your daily life. You may make careless errors at work or in school, miss appointments or spend a good deal of time procrastinating. You are unable to wait your turn and interrupt other people in conversations.
Adults who are not attentive may be prone to get caught up in projects before having a complete plan and research them. This results in a lack of results or subpar ones. It is also possible to get lost easily and have a tendency to leave projects unfinished -- from the vegetable garden that was planted but never watered to the new organizational system which was erected and left to rot on your nightstand.
People with inattention ADHD are also plagued by an ongoing sense of disorganization, both in their home and workplaces. You may have difficulty finding important documents, keys or bills and also lose items frequently. You could also be unable to keep the track of time and end up running over time for meetings, work or school.
Women with hyperactive/impulsive ADHD are less likely to experience these inattentive symptoms, but they can still have problems with organization, time management and self-control. Women with these symptoms might perform actions or words without thinking about the consequences such as yelling at others or making nonsensical sounds when they are alone. They might be unable to sit still, and may flitter around in their seat or pace. add symptoms in women may have difficulty working and may have frequent disagreements with coworkers and managers.
In some instances, the mood swings and emotional stress caused by ADHD can lead to frustration and miscommunication in relationships. This is especially the case in romantic relationships as well as at work. People with ADHD are also more likely to suffer from co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.
Women and girls who suffer from ADHD are often faced with a range of obstacles when seeking treatment and diagnosis which include gender discrimination and a tendency to cover up their symptoms or minimize the severity of their symptoms. High-profile women such as Em Rusciano and Mia Freedman who have publicly discussed their struggles with ADHD have contributed to raising awareness. However, many young women and girls aren't aware of it.
4. Anxiety
Although many people feel anxious or nervous from time the other, persistently high anxiety is the hallmark of an anxiety disorder. You might experience an uncontrollable feeling of anxiety or anxiety, a fast heartbeat, difficulty staying calm and difficulty thinking clearly. You might also have a heightened sense of danger, even in situations that aren't likely to be risky for you. The most commonly encountered kinds of anxiety include general anxiety disorder, phobias and agoraphobia and panic disorders, separation anxiety and selective Mutism.
Anxiety is more common in women with ADHD than men, and tends to get worse during certain periods of the woman's life like her menstrual cycle, pregnancy or perimenopause. This can make it more difficult to manage everyday tasks and social interactions and can cause feelings of self-doubt and a general feeling of discontent with your life.
You are extremely sensitive to rejection, and you have a hard to accept criticism. You're prone to interpret feedback incorrectly, or anticipate rejection. You might be angry about small things that other people do not see as an issue with.
Mood swings are another of the adult female adhd symptoms and you may be able to notice that your moods are unstable or difficult to control. You could also be susceptible to non-suicidal acts of self-injury such as scrubbing, burning, or hitting yourself.
It's important to seek a diagnosis if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above. It can help you better know your issues and offer you strategies for improving your quality of living. You can take an ADHD test online, or talk to your physician for an expert assessment. In certain instances your doctor may prescribe medication to alleviate your symptoms. In other cases they may recommend an amalgamation of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapy. In any case, it's important to change your lifestyle as quickly as you can. add in adult women will help you gain control of your life and feel more confident and capable.