Signs of ADHD in Women
Women are subject to the pressure to be the caretaker and keep track of children and maintain a healthy relationship and perform well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem unattainable.
If you suspect you have ADHD It is crucial to be diagnosed and treated. It can help you cope with these issues and improve the quality of your life overall.
1. You're always late
Always being late is a typical indication that you may be suffering from ADHD. This is because people with ADHD frequently have difficulty managing their time and can be easily distracted by other things. This can lead to problems at work or school for example, like not remembering homework or ignoring important meetings. It can also create a lot of stress for you and those who depend on you. Set a reminder on your phone or on your calendar to help you avoid being late. Also, make sure you're ready the night before. You should also allow yourself some extra time to reach your destination.
Women with ADHD also have trouble making friends, since they are constantly missing social occasions. They may also have difficulty learning to recognize social cues and comprehend body language. They may also have trouble in focusing on conversations and 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. Parents and teachers are more likely to refer boys or men to an ADHD assessment than they are for girls.
2. You Have Trouble Focusing
People suffering from ADHD are easily distracted and lose track of their tasks. If they are engaged in a conversation with others they can often go off in a different direction or talk about things that don't pertain to the topic in question. They might also have trouble being still and become more than impulsive.
These issues can cause problems with friends, family members and colleagues. People who suffer from ADHD are prone to forgetting appointments or missing deadlines. They could also be unorganized or spend too much time doing unimportant tasks. They may also have difficulty being able to concentrate at work or keep track of their finances.
In the early years boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. However, as adults the prevalence of ADHD evens out. This is believed to be because 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 fluctuation in hormone levels, particularly during menopausal changes, may affect the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You Have Poor Memory
Women suffering from ADHD often have difficulty remembering important occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and meetings. They may also have difficulty remembering names, which could make it difficult to keep up in conversations and social settings.
People suffering from ADHD often have poor filters. They speak things without really considering them. This can cause lots of "foot-in-mouth" moments that can be a source of frustration for family members and colleagues.
The difficulty of a woman to maintain and making friends is another sign of adhd. Many girls suffering from ADHD struggle to manage their emotions, which can lead to difficulties in romantic relationships. This can put them at a greater risk for being pressured into unwanted sexual activity or being victims of violence from their intimate partners.
Many women suffering from ADHD struggle to keep up with the social expectations of parenting and homemaking, as well as relationships. This can add a lot stress to their lives, which makes it difficult to recognize and deal with ADHD symptoms. Some women develop coping mechanisms, such as drinking or using drugs to disguise their symptoms. This can interfere with treatment. Getting diagnosed is an important first step in identifying and addressing these issues. The good news is that you can seek help.
4. You have trouble making decisions
Women who struggle to make decisions can delay or fail to complete tasks, since they aren't sure which tasks to prioritize. They also have difficulty remembering their choices and following through on their decisions. This kind of ADHD impacts 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 make girls the focus of evaluation as often as they do for boys. Women are also better at hiding their symptoms. They can develop strategies to cope that enable them to appear "normal" and meet societal expectations, for instance by using apps to manage daily activities.
Women can get an official diagnosis from their primary care doctor and they may refer them to an expert. Depending on the results of the test, the doctor could suggest medication or talk therapy. During therapy, a therapist can teach you more effective ways to cope and assist you in swapping negative thoughts for positive ones. They can assist you and your family improve communication. This can be a challenge when both or one of the partners in a relationship have ADHD. The medication can help manage the symptoms and improve productivity at work or at school.
5. You're having trouble multitasking
Women who suffer from ADHD can feel overwhelmed when they must meet deadlines and work on multiple tasks. They may also have difficulty trying to control their emotions, and find it difficult to establish and maintain friendships. This is particularly true when they are unable to detect social cues.
Having trouble with multitasking is another indication of adhd in women as is their tendency to get distracted easily and lose or misplace things. adhd symptoms women is especially challenging for women working in a workplace as constant interruptions make it hard to stay focused or concentrate.
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 are more likely to not be diagnosed with this type of ADHD because their symptoms aren't as evident as those of the frequent inattention type.
Women with undiagnosed adult ADHD may also develop coping strategies that cover up their issues, such as using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate, in order to fit in with other people. This can further aggravate their symptoms as they struggle to cope with constant feelings of being inadequate, resulting in tension in relationships and a general feeling of low self-esteem.
6. You are having trouble managing your time
ADHD issues with time management can be a major issue in the workplace. If you don't adhere to a system to complete projects, return calls or keep records, it can be difficult to accomplish your tasks. Even you're doing a great job your supervisors might be concerned about your professionalism when 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 don't receive treatment for ADHD are also more likely to develop anxiety or depression with co-occurring disorders, and have difficulty maintaining relationships. Women are expected to be caretakers, which can exacerbate the symptoms of ADHD in many women, especially if they aren't getting the right treatment and assistance they require. This can also cause difficult relationships with friends, family and romantic partners. These strained relations can increase frustration and misunderstandings, making it harder for women to seek assistance.
7. You Have Trouble Making Friends
Finding it difficult to make friends can be particularly frustrating for women with ADHD. For one thing, societal expectations place high emphasis on women to be able to perform many responsibilities, including parenting children, maintaining a relationship, and performing well at work. They might experience symptoms that worsen when they attempt to meet the demands. They could also be at an increased risk of developing a poor relationship with their peers, or co-existing anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Women are more likely than men to develop coping strategies that mask ADHD symptoms. This could lead them to over-exercise, stay up later than they should and rely on schedules or reminders on their phones to manage their lives.
Other issues include impulsiveness and forgetfulness which can lead to problems in both work and personal relationships. For instance, ignoring a friend's birthday party can cause them to feel depressed and don't appreciate them. In the same way interrupting conversations with unrelated thoughts or getting angry at any moment could lead to miscommunication and conflict. Be aware of your expectations regarding your friendships to avoid damaging feelings, misinterpretations, and anger. You can do this by keeping a calendar to track the important dates of your friends, using a notepad to record information you learn about new acquaintances and delivering on promises.