What Freud Can Teach Us About Adult Female ADHD Symptoms
ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
The condition is often misdiagnosed by women, even though it affects both men and woman equally as adults. This is likely due to gender stereotypes and the ability of women to conceal their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals aren't equipped and experience to detect ADHD in women. Many females are misdiagnosed and fail to receive the treatment they need.
1. Disorganization
Women and girls with ADHD are often plagued by disorganization. This disorder is challenging to manage. For instance your desk could be a mess of tangled papers, 17 different chapsticks, and a ticket to the Kings of Leon concert you attended in 2008. While you purchase products that promise to keep you organized your office and home may still be chaotic and messy.
Inability to keep on top of your work can cause you to miss deadlines and appointments. In addition, you could be struggling with a concept known as "time blindness," which means you aren't able to remember or comprehend the time required to complete a task. This could leave you feeling in a state of discontent and feeling as if you're not doing a good job in your professional or in your personal life, particularly when you feel like other people don't value your efforts.
You may also have difficulty regulating your emotions. This can lead you to react too quickly when faced with stressful situations. Your high-speed verbal communication can create misunderstandings and miscommunications with your family as well as your coworkers. You might say things that hurt others' feelings without meaning to. In addition, since impulsivity is common for those with ADHD and ADD, you may find it difficult to resist making statements without taking a second to think them through.
If you have ADHD It's likely some of your symptoms stem from gender stereotypes and cultural ideas about how men, boys and women should behave. This can make it difficult to diagnose and treat ADHD.
In addition to being diagnosed, you might require a behavioral therapy program to deal with the root cause of your condition. Although it might take a while to discover the appropriate strategies for coping, implementing these strategies can help you feel more in control of your life and improve relationships with your family, friends, and coworkers.
2. Impulsivity
People who suffer from ADHD are prone to intense emotions. However, their brains are not capable of separating them from or assess them. This means that they could be overwhelmed by a single incident or struggle to assess the mood of other people. It can also make it easier for them to get distracted by small issues like books that are out of stock or a friend who's late to spin class.
Many women suffering from ADHD conceal their symptoms and devise strategies to deal with their attention problems. They could be highly organized or a perfectionist at work or school and have difficulty keeping the track of appointments and bills or important dates. They may struggle with self-talk control and may talk too much or interrupt others often.
The hyperactive/impulsive subtype of ADHD tends to be more common in boys and men, but it's not unusual for women to have these symptoms too. These symptoms include the sudden urge to begin or stop activities. They can also be characterized by not being able to wait for your turn in a conversation or experiencing difficulty in interpreting social cues.
While gender stereotypes can have an impact on the development of ADHD in women, it's not always easy to identify these issues. The scales of rating used to determine ADHD symptoms are still geared towards male behavior. Some healthcare professionals might miss the mark on the woman's ADHD symptoms.
Many women suffering from ADHD have reported that their symptoms worsen during times of hormonal change like menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and perimenopause. This can intensify emotional symptoms and lead to frequent feelings of frustration, irritability, or depression. They might also experience a persistent feeling of dissatisfaction in their relationships or their lives. This may lead to substance abuse, low self-esteem and unhealthy coping strategies. It is crucial for women to understand that these symptoms do not show their worth or value as a human being. With a well-planned treatment program, you can reduce or even eliminate these symptoms.
3. Inattention
Everyone has difficulty paying attention and focusing, with ADHD the symptoms are experienced in such a way that they can interfere with your daily routine. You might make mistakes at work or in school, miss appointments, or spend a great amount of time putting off tasks. You are unable to be patient and not interrupt other people in conversations.
Adults who are inattention may also include a tendency to jump into projects without thoroughly planning and researching them, which leads to incomplete or subpar results. You may also get distracted quickly and tend to leave projects unfinished -- from the vegetable garden that was planted, but never watered, to the new organizational system that was put together and left to rot on your nightstand.
People who have inattention ADHD have trouble focusing at home and in the workplace. You may have difficulty finding important documents keys, bills or even keys and misplace things on a regular basis. You may also forget to keep the track of time and end up late for work, school or for meetings.
Women with hyperactive/impulsive ADHD are less likely to experience these inattentive symptoms, but they can still have problems with organization, time management and self-control. People who suffer from these conditions might make decisions or conduct actions without considering the impact. For instance they might speak over others or make a lot of nonsensical noises in solitude. They may have trouble sitting still and might be prone to fumbling around or pacing in their seats. They can have trouble keeping their job and could have frequent disagreements with coworkers and managers.
In certain cases mood swings and emotional distress caused by ADHD can lead to frustration and miscommunication in relationships. This is especially true in romantic relationships as well as at work. People who suffer from ADHD also have a higher likelihood of having comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
Women and girls who suffer from ADHD are often faced with a range of difficulties in seeking treatment and diagnosis which include gender discrimination and a tendency to conceal their symptoms or underestimate the severity of their symptoms. Women with a high profile, such as Em Rusciano and Mia Freedman who have openly discussed their struggles with ADHD have helped raise awareness. However, a lot of young women and girls aren't aware of it.
4. Anxiety
An anxiety disorder is characterized by constant anxiety. While everyone feels anxious or nervous occasionally anxiety disorders are defined by constant high levels of anxiety. You might feel a constant feeling of unease or anxiety, a fast heartbeat, trouble staying calm and difficulty thinking clearly. You may also feel a sense of danger in situations you know aren't risky. The most common kinds of anxiety include general anxiety disorder, phobias and agoraphobia and separation anxiety, panic disorders and selective mutism.
Anxiety is more common among women with ADHD than men, and tends to get worse at certain times in a woman's life, such as around the time of her menstrual cycle and pregnancy or perimenopausal. This can make it difficult to manage daily tasks and social interactions and may lead to feelings such as low self-esteem or unsatisfaction.
You're highly sensitive to rejection and have a tough to accept criticism. You're prone to misinterpret feedback, or even anticipate rejection. read this article might be annoyed by small things that other people don't find an issue with.
Mood swings may also be a symptom of adult adhd in women. It is possible that you experience erratic emotions or are unable to control these. You might also be prone to self-injury that is not suicidal like hitting, burning or scratching yourself.
It's important to seek a diagnosis when you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above. It can help you know your issues and offer you strategies for improving your living quality. You can take an ADHD test online or consult your physician for a professional assessment. In certain instances your doctor may prescribe medication to help alleviate your symptoms. In other cases, they might recommend a combination of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioral therapy. In any situation, it's crucial to make positive changes to your life as soon as you can. This will allow you to get back in control of your life and make you feel more productive, confident and capable.