Signs of ADHD in Women
Women are subject to a lot of pressure to take care of and stay on top of their children, maintain a healthy relationship, and do well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem unattainable.
It is crucial to be diagnosed and treated if you suffer from ADHD. It will help you manage these symptoms and improve the quality of your life.
1. You're Always Late
Being late for work is a sign that you could be suffering from ADHD. People with ADHD may have trouble managing their time and are easily distracted by other tasks. This can lead to issues at school or at work, such as being late to important meetings or forgetting to complete homework assignments. It can cause a lot stress for you and those who depend on you. To avoid being late, set an alarm on your calendar or phone and ensure that you prepare for the night prior to. You should also allow yourself an extra few minutes to reach your destination.
In addition to that, some women with ADHD are unable to make friends because they're constantly missing out on social gatherings. They may also have a hard time taking social cues into consideration and picking up on body language. They might also have difficulty in focusing on conversations and get lost in 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 assessment than to refer girls.
2. You have trouble focussing
It is not difficult for people suffering from ADHD to get distracted or lose track of what they are doing. If they are engaged in a conversation with others they can often wander off into a tangent or speak about things that do not relate to the issue that is being discussed. They might also have a difficult time sitting still and be more than impulsive.
These issues can affect relationships with friends, family members and co-workers. For instance, it is common for people suffering from ADHD to be late for appointments or forget deadlines. They may also be disorganized and spend too much time on tasks that are not important or have trouble sitting at home. They may be unable to concentrate at work or keep up with their finances.
Boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed as having ADHD in children. However, as adults the prevalence of ADHD evens out. It is believed that this is due to the fact that women are more likely to experience a higher incidence of symptoms and they are more likely to seek treatment when one of their children is diagnosed with the disorder. The fluctuation in hormone levels, particularly during menopausal transition, can affect the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You may have a poor memory
Women who suffer from ADHD struggle with remembering important dates, such as birthdays and birthdays. They also tend to forget the dates of meetings. They may also have trouble remembering names, which can make it difficult to keep track of with conversations and social settings.
It's also normal for people with ADHD to have poor filters which means they speak their thoughts without thinking about them. This can result in a lot "foot in mouth" situations that can be frustrating for coworkers and family members.
A woman's difficulty in maintaining and making friends is another sign of adhd. Many girls with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions which can result in difficulties in romantic relationships. This can put them at a higher chance of being pushed into sexually inappropriate activities or becoming victims of intimate partner violence.
Many women suffering from ADHD struggle to comply with the expectations of society in parenting and homemaking as well as relationships. This can cause a lot more stress in their lives, making it harder to identify and treat ADHD symptoms. Women also develop coping mechanisms to hide their symptoms, for example drinking or using drugs, which can interfere with treatment. Getting diagnosed is an important first step in identifying and managing these challenges. The good news is that you can seek assistance.
4. You Have Trouble Making Decisions
Women who are struggling to make decisions may find themselves procrastinating or unable to complete tasks because they have difficulty deciding which tasks should take priority. They also have trouble recalling their choices and executing them. This type of ADHD can impact work performance, relationships and self-esteem.
The symptoms of ADHD in women are more difficult to identify because teachers and parents do not recommend girls as frequently as boys for evaluation. In addition, women are more adept at masking their symptoms. They may develop coping strategies that allow them to appear "normal", and meet societal expectations. For example, they might rely on apps to manage their daily 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 medication 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 improve communication. This can be a challenge when one or both of the people in a relationship has ADHD. Medications can help control the symptoms and boost productivity at school or at work.
5. You are having trouble multitasking
Women suffering from ADHD often find themselves feeling overwhelmed when they try to complete deadlines or perform several tasks at once. They may also have difficulty regulating their emotions and finding it difficult to make or keep friends, particularly when they have difficulty picking the social signals and are prone to impulsive behavior.
Women who are unable to multitask are more likely to suffer from at risk of developing adhd. high functioning adhd in women may lose or misplace items and become easily distracted. This is an issue 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 type of ADHD because their symptoms aren't as evident as those of the common inattentive type.
Women with undiagnosed ADHD adulthood may also develop coping mechanisms to disguise their difficulties. For example they may seek out self-medication with alcohol or drugs to fit in. This can further exacerbate symptoms as they struggle with constant feelings inadequacy. This can result in uneasy relationships and a general feeling of low self-esteem.
6. You're having difficulty managing your Time
ADHD problems with time management can be a major issue in the workplace. If you don't have an organized system to finish your tasks, answer phone calls, or file paperwork, it's difficult to get things done. Even you're doing a great job, supervisors may wonder about your professionalism if you fail to 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 with untreated ADHD are also more likely to suffer from co-occurring depression or anxiety and may have a difficult time maintaining relationships. Women are expected to be caretakers which can worsen the symptoms of ADHD for many women, especially when they don't receive the right treatment and support they require. This can also lead broken relationships between family members, friends and romantic partners. These relationships can cause tension and confusion which can make it difficult for women to seek out help.
7. You Have Trouble Making Friends
Finding it difficult to make friends can be particularly frustrating for women with ADHD. One reason is that women are expected to be capable of performing various roles. This includes caring for children, maintaining relationships and performing well at the workplace. They might suffer from symptoms that get worse when they attempt to meet the expectations. They could also be at a higher chance of developing poor relationships with their peers or having coexisting anxiety and mood disorders. Additionally women are more likely to develop coping strategies that cover up their ADHD symptoms. This can lead to over-exercising and staying up later than is necessary and relying on telephone reminders or daily schedules to help manage their lives.
Other problematic behaviors include forgetfulness and impulsiveness, which can lead to issues in both work and personal relationships. For example, forgetting a friend's party can make them feel jilted. They may also think you don't really care about them. Likewise, interrupting conversations with unrelated thoughts or getting angry at a moment's notice can lead to misunderstandings and conflict. Becoming aware of your expectations for your friends can help avoid bad emotions, misinterpretations and frustration. You can do this by keeping a calendar to track the important dates of your friends or using a notepad record information you learn about new friends and keeping your promises.