Adult Female ADHD Symptoms
Women suffering from ADHD are often not diagnosed due to inattention or less obvious symptoms, gender biases by healthcare providers, and the maskedness of symptoms. It is crucial to receive an assessment to improve your relationships, set yourself up for success and better understand your behavior.
To be diagnosed with ADHD, you need to have at least five ongoing symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms that interfere with daily life. Use this checklist to look for these signs:
Hyperfocus
ADHD can cause people to become too focused on one particular activity that they lose track of the world outside. This happens even if the activity isn't productive. This is referred to as hyperfocus. Unrestrained hyperfocus, while useful for some people such as writers, scientists, and artists, can be a liability. It can lead to missed appointments, setbacks in school or at work and even strained relationships with family members and friends.
Hyperfocus can be extremely difficult to stop, particularly if you don't realize that it's happening. Create a schedule for the day and prioritize daily tasks, such as brushing your teeth or taking a bath. If you have a difficult time keeping track of your time you can use a clock or alarm clock to help stay on task or ask a friend to keep track of you at specific intervals. When working on a project, it's beneficial to move around frequently and take frequent breaks.
Hyperfocus in children is sometimes thought of as positive, since it allows them to be highly engaged in a fun activity like skateboarding or creating with Legos. However, uncontrolled hyperfocus could cause problems in school, decreased productivity at work, and even strained relationships with parents or siblings.
Hyperfocus can make it difficult to determine if your child is suffering from a mental disorder, such as anxiety or depression. These are very common among adolescents. This makes it important to seek medical attention if you suspect your child is showing signs of ADHD that impact her daily life.
ADHD symptoms can be more apparent in certain times of pregnancy or menstruation. This can increase the intensity and frequency of emotional symptoms such as anger or mood fluctuations. It also increases the likelihood that a female will be misunderstood by her romantic partner or coworkers.
The male-to-female ADHD ratio is about 2:1 in the early years of childhood. However, the imbalance becomes less pronounced as women receive more ADHD diagnoses after age 14. The good news is that there are a variety of resources to help girls and women manage their ADHD, and improve their lives.
Procrastination
Procrastination is a typical adult female ADHD sign, and it can cause difficulties in your personal and professional life. This condition causes difficulty to begin and complete tasks, especially those that require self-regulation or executive function abilities. Procrastinators are often late in important school or work assignments, which could damage their reputation and relationships.
The inability to remember appointments and the failure to meet deadlines are a few other typical signs of adult ADHD among women. You may also forget important information during conversations or your own personal needs, such as paying bills. It can be difficult to concentrate in noisy or busy places, which could cause you to be distracted at work or school. You may also be easily distracted by your phone or social media and may have difficulty staying focused when reading or listening to others.
People with the hyperactive/impulsive type of ADHD typically have a harder time controlling their emotions than those with the inattentive type. This can result in many emotional problems, from depression and anxiety to shifts in mood that affect your life in a variety of ways. It can also make it difficult to manage frustrations and misunderstandings within personal and professional relationships.
Women are more adept than men in hiding their ADHD symptoms, which can make it more difficult to get diagnosed and receive treatment. This is particularly relevant for women who have high-functioning ADHD as the inattention symptoms are less apparent and are more easily disguised by mood or anxiety symptoms. School reports usually do not contain any mentions about social or relationship difficulties and focus more on academic performance and behavior, which may lead to under-identification and under-diagnosis of women and girls with ADHD.
There are a variety of treatments for adults with ADHD that include medication as well as cognitive behavioral therapy and lifestyle modifications. Speak to your doctor about the best treatment plan that is right for you. Remember that the purpose of the treatment plan is to improve your daily performance and help manage your symptoms. Make sure you discuss the benefits and consequences of any medication you're taking, as with any co-occurring issues you suffer from.
Impulsivity
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to have inattentive symptoms than men and boys, but they're less likely to have the hyperactive/impulsive or mixed subtypes of ADHD. However, the inattention symptoms are very common and can affect school, work, and relationships.
It is a characteristic of the inattentive subtype of ADD/ADHD and can be a cause of concern when it causes reckless choices or risky behavior. Symptoms of impulsivity can include uttering answers before questions are asked, interrupting others in conversations, and buying items on impulse without thinking through the consequences. These behaviors that are impulsive can lead to embarrassing situations in social settings, relationship issues, and financial problems.
Emotional impulsivity is an underlying symptom of adult female ADHD. It can result in acting out in the face of anger or frustration which may be difficult to manage. This impulsivity may also cause mood changes which make it difficult to maintain healthy and supportive relationships.
Women who suffer from ADHD may find it difficult to manage their emotions, leading to anxiety and low self-esteem. These negative emotions can affect the performance of a person at work and cause missed appointments and health issues. Women who suffer from impulsive ADHD have a hard time making decisions or planning ahead. They might become too dependent on others, or have difficulty keeping their commitments.
Through adolescence and through adulthood, girls and women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than their peers without the disorder. This is usually due a recognition of the value of sexual activities for social acceptance. Sexually risky behavior of young adults and teens with ADHD are a contributing factor to the higher rate of early, teenage or unplanned pregnancies among these populations.
There are many ways you can reduce the risk of impulsive behavior. Learning to pause before acting and to write down thoughts that could be impulsive can assist. Meditation or mindfulness exercises can also be helpful in relaxing the body and mind by blocking out distractions and controlling the impulsiveness. Diet can also play a role in managing the impulsiveness. A balanced diet, which includes vegetables, fruits whole grains, whole grains and high-quality protein, can improve concentration and reduce the risk of impulsive behavior. Sleep is also crucial to reducing the risk of impulsiveness. To ensure an improved night's sleep, try establishing a consistent bedtime routine, including an oversized blanket to relax the body and mind before sleeping, and limit screen time in the hours before bed.
Emotional Dysregulation
Emotional dysregulation is a frequent issue that typically affects people with ADHD. If you're not able to control your emotions it can be difficult to navigate daily challenges and relationships. It could also lead to self-destructive behaviors such as eating disorders and addictions. This can make it difficult to keep an occupation, school or even a home life.
You may find it difficult to recognize your feelings or comprehend what they mean. This can be especially challenging for those suffering from a mood disorder like anxiety or depression. ADHD symptoms adults male of emotional dysregulation can include difficulty getting calm after a fight or having frequent outbursts. You may also find yourself becoming easily annoyed by minor problems and irritations. You may also have trouble let go of past experiences or holding grudges.
Females suffering from ADHD are more susceptible to emotional dysregulation. The reason for this is because their symptoms are internalized and they are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than males or females. Symptoms may also be harder to notice because many teachers miss subtle hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in girls, and rating scales for ADHD are still skewed toward male behavior symptoms.
Additionally girls who suffer from ADHD are typically under greater pressure than men and boys to live up to the expectations of society. This can be especially difficult for teenagers with ADHD as they experience the hormonal changes that come with puberty and adolescence. In addition, their increased susceptibility to academic and social pressures, they can create the cause of emotional dysregulation.
If your ADHD symptoms cause you to experience emotional dysregulation, treatment options include medication or therapy. Medication can aid in regulating your hormones and improve your mood while therapy can provide a safe space to process feelings of anger, sadness and anxiety, as well as rejection.
If you decide to take medication or therapy, the best way to treat emotion dysregulation is to take steps to improve your sleep. This can be achieved by following a routine for bedtime such as practicing meditation or listening to calming music before you go to sleep. Practicing good sleep hygiene will also help you to have more energy throughout the day.
Although everyone's experience with ADHD is different It's important to keep in mind that there are ways to manage symptoms and live a fulfilling life. It's normal for people to test a combination or therapies or medications or lifestyle changes to find the best solution.