Signs of ADHD in Women
Women face lots of pressure to take care of and stay on top of their children, maintain a healthy relationship and perform well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem unattainable.
If you suspect that you be suffering from ADHD it is important to get it diagnosed and treated. It can help you cope with these symptoms and improve the quality of your life overall.
1. You're Always Late
Being always late is among the most prevalent signs that you may have ADHD. This is because those with ADHD often have trouble managing their time, and are easily distracted by other tasks. This can lead to problems at school or work, such as forgetting homework or avoiding important meetings. This can be stressful for both you and those who depend on your presence. To help you stop being late, try setting an alarm on your phone or calendar and ensure that you prepare for the night before. Also, try to leave a few extra minutes for yourself to get to where you're going.
Women who suffer from ADHD also have trouble making friends as they're constantly missing social occasions. They may also find it difficult to recognize social cues and comprehend body language. They may also have trouble staying focused on conversations and becoming 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. Teachers and parents are more likely to refer a boy or man to an ADHD assessment than to do the same with a girl.
2. You Have Trouble Focusing
People with ADHD are easily distracted and lose focus of their work. If they are engaged in a conversation with others they are likely to go off in a different direction or talk about things that do not relate to the issue in question. They might also have a difficult time staying still and may be more impulsive.
These issues can cause tension between family members as well as friends and coworkers. For instance, it is common for people with ADHD to be late for appointments or forget deadlines. They may also be disorganized or spend too much time on things that aren't important. They may be unable to concentrate at work or keep up with their finances.
In children, boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. As adults the prevalence of ADHD evens out. It is thought that this is due to the fact that women are more likely to experience a greater incidence of symptoms and are more likely to seek treatment when one of their children is diagnosed with the disorder. Changing hormone levels, especially during menopausal transition, can affect the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You have poor memory
Women suffering from ADHD frequently have trouble remembering important occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or meetings. adhd women uk may also have difficulty recalling names, which can make it difficult to keep track of in conversations and social settings.
It's also normal for people with ADHD to have a poor filter that means they say things without thinking them through. This can result in many "foot in mouth" instances that can be stressful for family members and coworkers.
A woman's difficulty in maintaining and forming friendships is another sign of adhd. Many girls with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions. This could lead to challenging relationships with their romantic partners. This increases their chances of being pressured to engage in sexual activity or become victims of intimate partner abuse.
Many women suffering from ADHD struggle to meet social expectations in the areas of parenting and homemaking, relationships and career. This can lead to more stress in their lives, which makes it difficult to recognize and treat ADHD symptoms. Women develop coping mechanisms like alcohol or drugs, to mask their symptoms. This can impede treatment. Diagnoses are a crucial first step to identify and manage the challenges. The good news is that you can find assistance.
4. You're having trouble making decisions
Women who are struggling to make decisions may procrastinate or fail to complete tasks, since they are unsure of which tasks to prioritize. They also have difficulty remembering and keeping track of the decisions they've made. This kind of ADHD can affect work performance, relationships and self-esteem.
The symptoms of ADHD in women may be more difficult to identify as they are for children because teachers and parents don't make girls the focus of evaluation as often as they do for boys. Moreover, women are better in hiding their symptoms. They may develop strategies for coping that enable them to appear "normal" and meet societal expectations, such as by relying on apps to manage their day-to-day activities.
Women can be given an official diagnosis by their primary physician, who might refer them to a physician of specialization. Based on the results, the doctor might suggest therapy or medication. In therapy, the therapist will teach you more effective ways to cope and help you switch negative thoughts with positive ones. They can also help you and your family improve communication, which can be difficult when one or more members of the relationship suffer from ADHD. The use of medication can help manage the symptoms and improve productivity at school or at work.
5. You struggle with multitasking
Women with ADHD often feel overwhelmed when they attempt to complete deadlines or perform several tasks at once. They may also find it difficult to manage their emotions and have a difficult time trying to make and keep friends. This is especially true when they are unable to recognize social cues.
Women who have difficulty multitasking are also more likely to be adhd. They also may lose or misplace items and are easily distracted. This is especially challenging for women working in a workplace where constant interruptions make it difficult to remain focused and 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. This type of ADHD is more likely to be misdiagnosed by women as the symptoms are less obvious than those that are associated with the inattention-deficit type.
Women with undiagnosed ADHD adulthood may also develop coping strategies to disguise their struggles. For instance they may use self-medicating methods like alcohol or drugs to blend in. This can further aggravate their symptoms as they struggle to cope with chronic feelings of inadequacy, leading to uneasy relationships and a general feeling of self-worth being shattered.
6. You're having difficulty managing your time
In the workplace, ADHD time management problems can be a major issue. When you don't follow a system to complete tasks, answer phone calls or document paperwork, it's difficult to complete tasks. Even even if your work is flawless your supervisors might be concerned about your professionalism if you repeatedly 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 with untreated ADHD may also be more likely to develop anxiety or depression that co-occurs, and have difficulty maintaining relationships. The society expects women to be caregivers which can increase the symptoms of ADHD in many women, particularly when they don't receive the right treatment and assistance they require. This can also lead to tensions between friends, family and romantic partners. The strain on relationships can lead to the frustration and cause misunderstandings which makes it harder for women to seek help.
7. You have trouble making friends
Women with ADHD can find it frustrating to be unable to make friends. Because of this, social expectations demand women to be able in various roles, such as caring for children, maintaining relationships, and performing well at work. As they attempt to meet these demands, their symptoms may exacerbate. They also may be at an increased chance of having a negative relationship with their peers, or co-existing anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Additionally, women are more likely to develop coping strategies that mask their ADHD symptoms. This could lead to excessive exercise, staying up later than is necessary and relying on telephone reminders or daily schedules to help manage their lives.
Forgetfulness and impulsiveness are also problematic behaviors that can cause issues at work and in personal relationships. For example, forgetting an event with a friend can cause them to feel depressed. They might also believe that you don't have any interest in them. Disrupting conversations or getting angry at the slightest hint can lead to conflicts and miscommunications. Being aware of the expectations you place on your relationships can avoid negative emotions, misinterpretations and resentment. You can do this by keeping a calendar that tracks your friend's important dates, using a notepad to jot down information you learn about new acquaintances and keeping your promises.