Signs of ADHD in Women
Women face the pressure to be the caretaker and stay on top of their kids, maintain a healthy relationship and perform well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem overwhelming.
If you think you may have ADHD it is important to get it diagnosed and treated. It can help you deal with these symptoms and improve the quality of your life overall.
1. You're always late
Being constantly late is among the most frequent signs that you could be suffering from ADHD. adhd in adult women treatment suffering from ADHD are often unable to manage their time and can be easily distracted by other activities. This can lead to problems at work or at school for example, like not remembering homework or avoiding important meetings. It can also create a lot of stress for you and those who depend on you. To help you stop being late, consider setting a reminder on your phone or calendar, and make sure to get ready the night before. It is also recommended to give yourself an extra few minutes to reach your destination.
In addition to that, some women with ADHD struggle to make friends because they're constantly missing out on social occasions. They might also have difficulty learning to read social cues or recognize body language. They might also have difficulty staying focused and lose themselves 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 more likely to recommend a man or a boy for an ADHD evaluation than they are to refer a girl.
2. You Have Trouble Focusing
It is common for people with ADHD to become lost in what they are doing. In conversations, they may often veer off topic or discuss other topics. They may also have difficulty staying still and may be more impulsive.
These issues can cause problems with friends, family members and co-workers. People with ADHD are prone to forgetting appointments or missing deadlines. They can also be disorganized and can spend a lot of time on unimportant tasks or have trouble sitting at home. They may be unable to focus at work or keep track of their finances.
Boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed as having ADHD in children. As adults, the numbers are equal. This is believed to be due to the fact that women are more likely than men to have recurrences in symptoms and seek treatment when one of their children has been diagnosed with ADHD. The changes in hormone levels, particularly during menopausal change, can affect ADHD symptoms.
3. You have a poor Memory
Women with ADHD are often unable to remember important events, like birthdays, anniversaries and gatherings. They may also have difficulty remembering names, making it difficult to keep up in conversations and social situations.
It's also common for people with ADHD to have poor filters, meaning they say things without thinking them through. This can result in many "foot-in-mouth" moments which can be very frustrating for loved ones and coworkers.
Another indication of adhd in women is having trouble making and keeping friendships. Many girls suffering from ADHD have trouble managing their emotions, which can lead to difficult relationships with their partners. This puts them at a greater chance of being pushed to engage in sexual activity that is not their own or being victims of violence from their intimate partners.
Many women with ADHD have difficulty meet the societal expectations of parenting, homemaking and relationships. This can create more stress in their lives, making it difficult to recognize and manage ADHD symptoms. Women develop coping mechanisms that include alcohol or drugs, to mask their symptoms. This can interfere with treatment. Diagnostics are an essential first step to identify and manage issues. The good news is that you can seek assistance.
4. You're having trouble making decisions
Women who struggle to make decisions might delay or fail to complete tasks, as they are unsure of what tasks to prioritise. They also have difficulty remembering their decisions and following through on them. This kind of ADHD can impact work performance, relationships and self-esteem.
Symptoms of ADHD in women may be harder to diagnose than in children because teachers and parents don't refer girls for evaluation as often as they would for boys. In addition, women are more adept at masking their symptoms. They may develop coping strategies that enable them to appear "normal" and conform to social expectations. For example they might use apps to manage their everyday activities.
Women can receive an official diagnosis from their primary care physician, who might refer them to an expert. Depending on the results, the doctor might recommend medication or talk therapy. During therapy, your therapist will help you develop better ways to cope and help you to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. They can also assist you and your family members improve communication, which can be difficult when one or more of the members of a couple suffer from ADHD. The medication can help to control the symptoms, and improve productivity at work or in school.
5. You're having difficulty multitasking
Women suffering from ADHD are often overwhelmed when they need to meet deadlines and work on multiple projects. They may also find it difficult to manage their emotions and have a difficult time trying to keep and make friends. This is particularly true if they are unable to recognize social cues.
Women who struggle to multitask are also more likely to be more likely to suffer from adhd. They can also lose or misplace items and are easily distracted. This can be an issue for women who work in an environment where they are constantly interrupted.
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. This type of ADHD is more likely to be misdiagnosed by women because the symptoms are more subtle than those associated with the inattentive form.
Women with undiagnosed ADHD adulthood might also develop coping mechanisms to mask their struggles. For instance they may use self-medicating methods like alcohol or drugs to blend into the mainstream. This can further exacerbate symptoms as they struggle with chronic feelings of being insecure. This can result in tension in relationships and a general sense of self-worth deficiency.
6. You have trouble managing your time
In the workplace, ADHD time management problems can be a serious concern. It's difficult to get things done when you don't have a system for filing documents, returning phone calls, or completing tasks in time. Even if your work is excellent, supervisors may wonder about your professionalism if you consistently miss 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 aren't treated for ADHD might also be more likely than other people to experience co-occurring anxiety and depression, and may have difficulty maintaining relationships. Society expects women to be caretakers which can increase the symptoms of ADHD for many women, particularly when they aren't getting the appropriate treatment and support they need. This can also lead tensions between family members, friends and romantic partners. These strained relations can increase tension and confusion which can make it difficult for women to seek assistance.
7. You Have Trouble Making Friends
Women with ADHD can find it frustrating to be unable to make friends. For one thing, societal expectations demand women to be able to perform many responsibilities, including caring for children, maintaining relationships, and doing well at work. When they attempt to meet these demands their symptoms can become more severe. They also may be at a higher risk of having a negative relationship with their peers or coexisting mood disorders and anxiety disorders. Women are more likely than men to develop coping mechanisms that cover ADHD symptoms. This can lead them to over-exercise, stay up later than they should and rely on phone reminders or schedules to manage their lives.
Other undesirable behaviors include forgetfulness and impulsiveness, which can cause problems at work as well as in personal relationships. For example, forgetting about the birthday celebration of a friend can make them feel depressed and don't appreciate them. Likewise, interrupting conversations with unrelated thoughts or expressing anger at any moment can cause confusion and conflicts. Manage your expectations about your friendships to avoid bad feelings, misinterpretations, and anger. This can be accomplished by using a calendar to keep track of your friends' important dates, and a notebook to record information about new friends and keeping commitments.