Signs of ADHD in Women
Women are under a lot of pressure to take care of their families, maintain healthy relationships, and perform well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem impossible.
It is essential to be diagnosed and treated if you have ADHD. adhd in adults women can help you cope with these issues and improve the quality of your life overall.
1. You are always late
Always being late is a common sign that you might be suffering from ADHD. This is because those with ADHD frequently have difficulty managing their time, and they tend to be distracted by other activities. This can cause problems at school or work, such as forgetting homework or avoiding important meetings. This can be stressful for you and the people who depend on your presence. To stop being late, set an alarm on your phone or calendar, and make sure to get ready the night before. Also, you should take some extra time to get to your destination.
Women with ADHD also have difficulty making friends, as they're constantly missing social occasions. They might also have a hard time understanding social cues and understanding body language. They might 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. Teachers and parents are more likely to refer males or boys to an ADHD assessment than they do for girls.
2. You have difficulty in focusing.
People suffering from ADHD are easily distracted and lose focus of their work. In conversations, they may frequently drift off-topic or discuss other topics. They can also have trouble being still and are more likely to be impulsive and take risky decisions.
These issues can affect relationships with friends, family members and co-workers. People who suffer from ADHD tend to forget appointments or not meeting deadlines. They could also be unorganized or spend too much time doing non-essential tasks. They might also have difficulty working effectively or find it difficult to keep up with their finances.
Boys are more likely than girls to be identified as having ADHD in children. As adults, the prevalence is identical. This is believed to be due in part to the fact that women are more likely than men to experience recurrences of symptoms and seek treatment when one of their children has been diagnosed with ADHD. The fluctuation in hormone levels, particularly during menopause, can also impact the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You have poor memory
Women suffering from ADHD struggle with remembering important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries. They also forget the dates of meetings. They may also have difficulty recalling names, which can make it difficult to keep up with conversations and social settings.
It's also common for people with ADHD to have poor filters, meaning they say things without thinking them through. This can result in numerous "foot in mouth" instances that can be frustrating for coworkers and family members.
Another indication of adhd in women is having trouble creating and maintaining friendships. Many girls with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions. This can lead them into difficult romantic relationships. This puts them at a greater chance of being pushed into sexually inappropriate activities or becoming victims of violence from intimate partners.
Many women with ADHD find it difficult to keep up with the social expectations of parenting and homemaking, as well as relationships. This can cause a lot more stress in their lives, making it more difficult to recognize and treat ADHD symptoms. Women may develop coping strategies that include drinking or using drugs to hide their symptoms. This can impede treatment. It is crucial to be diagnosed as a first step for identifying and managing these challenges. You can seek help.
4. You're having difficulty making decisions
Women who struggle to make decisions might delay or not be able to finish tasks, as they aren't sure of what tasks to prioritize. They also have trouble recalling their choices and executing their decisions. This kind of ADHD impacts work performance, relationships, and self-esteem.
The symptoms of ADHD in women may be more difficult to identify than in children, as parents and teachers don't refer girls for evaluation as often as they do boys. Furthermore, women are better in masked symptoms. They can develop coping mechanisms that enable them to appear "normal" and to meet social expectations. For example they might use apps to manage their day-to-day activities.
Women can get an official diagnosis from their primary physician who may refer them to an expert. Depending on the results, the doctor may recommend treatment or talk therapy. Therapy sessions with a therapist can teach you more effective ways to cope and help you switch negative thoughts for positive ones. They can also help you and your family improve communication, which can be a problem when one or more members of a couple suffer from ADHD. The medication can help to control the symptoms, and boost productivity at work or at school.
5. You have trouble multitasking
Women suffering from ADHD are often overwhelmed when they need to meet deadlines and work on multiple tasks. They may also struggle to control their emotions and have a difficult time trying to establish and maintain friendships. This is especially the case when they fail to detect social cues.
Trouble with multitasking is another sign of adhd in women, as is their tendency to become distracted easily and misplace or lose things. This is a problem for women who work in environments 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 go undiagnosed with this kind of ADHD because their symptoms aren't as evident as those of the more typical inattentive type.
Women who are not diagnosed with adult ADHD may develop strategies to disguise their struggles like using drugs or alcohol to take care of themselves, in order to be accepted by other people. This can further aggravate symptoms as they struggle with chronic feelings of inadequacy. This can lead to tension in relationships and a general feeling of low self esteem.
6. You are having trouble managing your Time
ADHD time management issues can be a major concern in the workplace. When you don't follow a system to complete tasks, answer phone calls, or keep records, it can be difficult to complete tasks. Even even if your work is flawless, supervisors may wonder 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 than other individuals to suffer from co-occurring anxiety or depression, and have trouble maintaining relationships. Women are expected to be caregivers, and this can exacerbate the symptoms of ADHD, especially in the absence of access to the appropriate treatment or assistance. This can lead to strained relationships with friends, family and romantic partners. These relationships can cause frustration and miscommunication which can make it difficult for women to seek assistance.
7. You're having trouble making friends
Being unable to make friends can be especially frustrating for women with ADHD. For one thing, societal expectations put a lot of emphasis on women to be competent at multiple roles, including parenting children, maintaining relationships, and performing well at work. As they try to meet these demands, their symptoms may exacerbate. They may also be at higher chance of developing poor relationships with their peers or having coexisting mood disorders and anxiety. Women are more likely than men to develop coping mechanisms that conceal ADHD symptoms. This can lead to them over-exercising, staying up later than they should, and rely on calendars or phone reminders to manage their lives.
Impulsivity and forgetfulness are dangerous behaviors that can lead to problems at work as well as in personal relationships. For instance, not remembering an event with a friend could make them feel unloved. They might also think you don't have any interest in them. In the same way, interrupting conversations with unrelated thoughts or becoming angry at the drop of a hat can lead to misunderstandings and conflict. Being aware of the expectations you place on your friends can help avoid bad feelings, misinterpretations, or anger. You can do this by keeping a calendar to track the important dates of your friends, using a notepad to jot down information you learn about new acquaintances and delivering on promises.