Signs of ADHD in Women
Women face lots of pressure to take care of and stay on top of their children and maintain a healthy bond, and do well at work. ADHD symptoms can make all of these tasks feel impossible.
If you suspect you be suffering from ADHD it is important to be treated and diagnosed. It can help you deal with these symptoms and enhance your overall quality of life.
1. You're Always Late
Being always late is among the most common indications that you might have ADHD. This is because people who suffer from ADHD frequently have difficulty managing their time, and can be easily distracted by other tasks. This can lead to problems at school or work for example, like not remembering homework or avoiding important meetings. undiagnosed adhd in women can also create a lot of stress for you and those who depend on you. To help you stop being late, consider setting an alarm on your calendar or phone and be sure to prepare your bedroom the night prior to. Also, try to leave a few extra minutes for yourself to get to wherever you're headed.
Additionally, some women with ADHD are unable to make friends due to constantly missing out on social gatherings. high functioning adhd in women may also have trouble reading social cues and recognizing body language. They may also have difficulty concentrating 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. Also, teachers and parents are more likely to refer a boy or man for an ADHD evaluation than they are to do the same for girls.
2. You are having difficulty in focusing.
People with ADHD are easily distracted and lose track of their work. If they are engaged in a conversation with someone else they can often wander off into a tangent or speak about topics that do not relate to the issue that is being discussed. They might also have difficulty sitting still, and are more likely to be impulsive and make dangerous decisions.
These problems can strain relationships between family members, friends, and co-workers. For example, it is common for people with ADHD to forget appointments or miss deadlines. They can also be disorganized and spend too much time on tasks that are not important or have a hard time sitting at home. They may be unable to concentrate at work or manage their finances.
Boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed as having ADHD in children. As adults the prevalence of ADHD evens out. It is thought that this is because women are more likely to experience a higher incidence of symptoms and they are more likely to seek treatment after one of their children is diagnosed with the condition. The changes in hormone levels, particularly during menopausal change, can influence ADHD symptoms.
3. You Have Poor Memory
Women suffering from ADHD have trouble remembering important dates, such as birthdays and anniversaries. high functioning adhd in women forget the dates of meetings. They may also have difficulty remembering names, which could make it difficult to keep pace with conversations and social settings.
People with ADHD tend to have poor judgment. They say things without really considering them. This can result in numerous "foot in mouth" moments that can be stressful for family members and colleagues.
Another indication of adhd in women is difficulty creating and maintaining friendships. Many women with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions. This could lead to challenging relationships with their romantic partners. This can put them at a greater risk of being pressured into sexually inappropriate activities or being victims of violence from their intimate partners.
Many women suffering from ADHD struggle to meet societal expectations in areas such as parenting family, homemaking, relationships and career. This can add a lot stress to their lives, making it difficult to recognize and deal with ADHD symptoms. Some women have developed coping strategies to disguise their symptoms, for example drinking or using drugs, which can interfere with treatment. Getting diagnosed is an important first step to identify and addressing these issues. The good news is that you can get assistance.
4. You Have Trouble Making Decisions
Women who are struggling to make decisions may find themselves procrastinating or finding it difficult to complete tasks because they have difficulty choosing which tasks should take priority. They also have difficulty remembering and executing the decisions they've made. This kind of ADHD can affect work performance, relationships, and self-esteem.
The symptoms of ADHD in women are harder to recognize because parents and teachers do not refer girls as often as boys for evaluation. In addition, women are more adept in masked symptoms. They may develop coping strategies that allow them to appear "normal" and to meet societal expectations. For instance they might use apps to manage their everyday activities.
Women can receive an official diagnosis from their primary care doctor and they may refer them to an expert. Depending on the results, the doctor may recommend therapy or medication. During therapy, your therapist will help you develop better ways to cope and help you to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. They can help you and your family improve communication. This can be difficult when both or one of the partners in a relationship suffer from ADHD. Medications can help control the symptoms and improve the efficiency at school or at work.
5. You're having difficulty multitasking
Women with ADHD often feel overwhelmed when they attempt to meet deadlines or work on multiple tasks at once. They may also have difficulty trying to manage their emotions and have a difficult time trying to establish and maintain friendships. This is particularly true when they fail to discern social signals.
Women who have difficulty multitasking are more likely to suffer from at risk of developing adhd. They can also lose or misplace items, and are easily distracted. This can be an issue for women working 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. Women may be more likely to be undiagnosed with this kind of ADHD because their symptoms are not as obvious as the more frequent inattention type.
Women who are not diagnosed with adult ADHD may develop strategies to mask their struggles, such as using alcohol or drugs to help themselves, or to fit in with other people. This can further aggravate their symptoms as they struggle to cope with chronic feelings of inadequacy, leading to strained relationships and an overall feeling of low self-esteem.
6. You're having difficulty managing your time
ADHD issues with time management can be a big issue in the workplace. It's hard to get things done when you don't have a system of filing paperwork, returning phone calls, or finishing projects on time. Even if you're doing great work, supervisors will question your competence 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 with co-occurring disorders, and have difficulty maintaining relationships. Women are expected to be caregivers, which can increase the symptoms of ADHD particularly if they do not have access to the right treatment or support. This can lead to strained relationships between family members, friends and romantic partners. These relationships can cause frustration and misunderstandings which can make it difficult for women to seek help.
7. You Have Trouble Making Friends
Women who suffer from ADHD are likely to find it difficult to have trouble making friends. One reason is that women are expected to be capable of fulfilling multiple roles. This includes raising children, maintaining relationships and thriving in the workplace. They might be suffering from symptoms that become worse as they attempt to meet the requirements. They could also be at a higher risk of developing poor relationships with their peers, or co-existing mood disorders and anxiety disorders. Additionally women are more likely to develop coping strategies which mask their ADHD symptoms. This could cause women to exercise excessively, stay up later than they should and rely on calendars or phone reminders to manage their lives.
Forgetfulness and impulsiveness are also undesirable behaviors that can create issues at work and in personal relationships. For example, forgetting about a friend's birthday party can cause them to feel jilted and that you do not value them. Likewise interrupting conversations with irrelevant thoughts or becoming angry at any moment can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. Being aware of the expectations you place on your friends can help avoid bad feelings, misinterpretations, or anger. You can accomplish this by keeping a calendar of the important dates with your friends or using a notepad jot down information you learn about new acquaintances, and following through on promises.