Signs of ADHD in Women
Women are under a lot of pressure to look after their families and maintain healthy relationships and be productive at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem like a nightmare.
It's important to get diagnosed and treated for ADHD. It will help you manage these symptoms and improve the quality of your life.
1. You Are Always Late
Being late for work is a typical sign that you might have ADHD. People suffering from ADHD can have difficulty managing their time and can be easily distracted by other tasks. This can lead to issues at school or at work, such as missing important meetings or forgetting to complete homework assignments. This can cause stress for both you and those who depend on your presence. To avoid being late, set a reminder on your calendar or phone, and make sure to prepare for the night before. Also, make sure to leave a few extra minutes for yourself to reach where you're going.
Additionally to that, some women with ADHD are unable to make friends due to their constant absence out on social gatherings. They may also have a hard time reading social cues and understanding 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. Teachers and parents are more likely to recommend a man or a boy to an ADHD evaluation than they are to do the same for a girl.
2. You are having difficulty in focusing.
It is easy for people with ADHD to get distracted or lose track of what they are doing. When they are in conversation with others they can often wander off in a different direction or talk about things that do not pertain to the topic in question. They may also have difficulty sitting still, and are more likely to be impulsive and make dangerous decisions.
These problems can strain relationships with friends, family members and co-workers. People who suffer from ADHD tend to forget appointments or ignoring deadlines. They can also be disorganized and can spend a lot of time on tasks that are not important or have a hard time sitting at home. They may also have problems focusing at work or find it difficult to keep up with their financial obligations.
Boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed as having ADHD in children. As adults, the prevalence is identical. It is thought that this is due to the fact that women tend to experience a greater frequency of symptoms, and they are more likely to seek treatment when one of their children is diagnosed with the condition. Changes in hormone levels, particularly during menopausal change, can influence ADHD symptoms.
3. You have a weak memory
Women with ADHD have trouble remembering important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries. They also forget gatherings. They may also have difficulty remembering names, which can make it difficult to keep up in conversations and social settings.
People suffering from ADHD typically have poor filtering. They say things without thinking about them. This can lead to numerous "foot in mouth" situations that can be stressful for family members and coworkers.
A woman's difficulty in maintaining and forming friendships is another sign of adhd. Many women with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions, which can lead to difficulties in romantic relationships. This puts them at a higher risk for being pressured into unwanted sexual activity or being victims of violence from intimate partners.
Many women with ADHD struggle to meet societal expectations in the areas of parenting and homemaking, relationships and work. This can cause a lot more stress in their lives, making it harder to identify and manage ADHD symptoms. Some women also develop coping mechanisms to hide their symptoms, like using alcohol or other drugs, which can interfere with treatment. Diagnoses are the first step in identifying and addressing issues. There is help available.
4. You Have Trouble Making Decisions
Women who struggle to make decisions can delay or fail to complete tasks, since they aren't sure of which tasks to prioritize. They also have difficulty recalling their choices and following through on their decisions. This type of ADHD can affect work performance as well as relationships and self-esteem.
The signs of ADHD in women are harder to diagnose as they are for children, as parents and teachers don't refer girls for evaluation as often as they do for boys. Women are also better at concealing their symptoms. They can develop coping mechanisms that enable them to appear "normal", and meet social expectations. For instance they may rely on apps to manage their everyday activities.
Women can receive an official diagnosis from their primary care physician and they may refer them to a specialist. Based on the results, the doctor might suggest treatment or talk therapy. Therapy sessions with your therapist will teach you better ways to cope and help you to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. They can assist you and your family to improve communication. This can be challenging when one or both partners in a relationship suffer from ADHD. The use of medication can help manage the symptoms and boost efficiency at work or school.
5. You have trouble multitasking
Women who suffer from ADHD can feel overwhelmed when they need to meet deadlines and work on multiple tasks. They may also experience difficulty controlling their emotions and may find it difficult to make or keep friends, especially when they struggle to pick the social cues and can be prone to impulsive behaviors.
Having adhd in women uk with multitasking is another sign of adhd in women, as is their tendency to get distracted easily and to lose or misplace items. This can be an issue for women working in a workplace 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 of the inattention-deficit type.
Women who are not diagnosed with adult ADHD may also develop coping strategies that disguise their struggles by drinking alcohol or using drugs to take care of themselves, in order to blend in with other people. This can further exacerbate symptoms as they struggle with chronic feelings inadequacy. This can result in uneasy relationships and a general sense of low self-esteem.
6. You're having difficulty managing your time
ADHD problems with time management can be a major concern in the workplace. It's difficult to get work accomplished when you do not have a system in place for filing paperwork, returning phone calls, or finishing projects in time. Even if you are doing excellent work, your boss will doubt your competence if you regularly do not meet 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 suffer from co-occurring depression or anxiety and may have trouble maintaining relationships. Women are expected to take care of their children which can increase the symptoms of ADHD for many women, especially when they don't have access to the proper treatment and assistance they require. This can also lead tensions between family members, friends and romantic partners. These strained relations can increase frustration and miscommunication which makes it more difficult for women to seek out help.
7. You have trouble making friends
Having trouble making friends can be particularly frustrating for women suffering from ADHD. One reason is that women are expected to be capable of fulfilling various roles. This includes raising children, maintaining relationships and thriving in the workplace. They might be suffering from symptoms that become worse as they try to meet the demands. They also may be at an increased risk of having a negative relationship with their peers or coexisting mood disorders and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, women are more likely to develop strategies that mask their ADHD symptoms. This could cause them to over-exercise, stay up later than they should and rely on calendars or phone reminders to manage their lives.
Other problematic behaviors include impulsiveness and forgetfulness, which can create issues in both work and personal relationships. For instance, forgetting to attend the date of a party with a friend can cause them to feel depressed. They might also think you don't care about them. Interrupting conversations or becoming angry at the slightest provocation can also lead to confusion and conflict. Set your expectations for your relationships to avoid negative feelings, misinterpretations, and resentment. You can do this by keeping a calendar of the important dates with your friends and using a notepad to write down any information you discover about new friends and keeping your promises.