Symptoms of ADHD in Adults Females
The symptoms of ADHD in adults females are often misdiagnosed or missed. However, a correct diagnosis can help improve your quality of life including your personal and professional relationships.
The symptoms include forgetfulness and inability to keep track of time and impulsiveness, poor emotional regulation, and trouble reading social cues. Treatment could include medication or therapy.
Insufficient Focus
One of the most prominent symptoms of ADHD is a lack of sustained focus. People with ADHD often find it hard to focus on task for more than a few minutes, regardless of whether or not the subject interests them. When they become interested in an activity, they could become a bit obsessed and forget other tasks or responsibilities. This condition can lead to procrastination, missed appointments and incomplete work assignments.
Additionally, people who suffer from ADHD may have difficulty following instructions and remembering details. This can make it difficult to perform tasks in the workplace or at school and can cause miscommunication and frustration between individuals. It can also be a major factor in time management issues, such as not paying bills or not showing up for meetings on time, or failing to show up altogether.
Women suffering from ADHD might develop coping strategies to hide their symptoms. This can cause them to be perceived as a bit scattered or disorganized by other people. This could cause them to feel embarrassed and guilt. This can also impact their self-esteem.
Use an organizer to help manage this issue. You can also use post-it notes or a planner to appointments and deadlines. Use a noise-canceling headset to block out any distractions, as well as listen to music to improve concentration (be sure that the music doesn't contain lyrics that interfere with your concentration). Avoid drinking caffeine prior to bedtime since it can disrupt sleep patterns. Maintain a healthy sleep routine including establishing a regular bedtime routine and turning off your devices an hour before you go to sleep. You can also make use of a weighted quilt or a warm bath, or soothing music to soothe your mind before you sleep.
Inattention
Women who suffer from the inattentive subtype of ADHD often find it difficult to complete tasks, keep track of important dates and deadlines, remember appointments or complete daily chores. They may also miss out on important details in conversations or become distracted by other activities around them. Often, they make careless mistakes at school or work and don't check their work prior to making sure they submit it. Additionally, they face difficulty planning and setting priorities.
Forgetfulness and impulsivity can heighten tension and confusion with romantic partners or family members, friends as well as teachers and coworkers and make it more difficult for them to seek out treatment for their issues. For example, if you are frequently late for meetings or are having trouble keeping your schedule it could lead others to assume that you don't care for them or aren't committed to the relationship. Your forgetfulness or inability of concentration can lead to miscommunications with people who live with you.
Women with ADHD have symptoms of high functioning which don't impact their daily lives. For instance, they could not remember appointments, fail to meet deadlines, or delay tasks. They also experience other signs like restlessness and poor ability to organize.
Symptoms of adult ADHD can become more severe during the menopausal perimenopausal period (perimenopause is the period leading up to menopause). A good night's sleep and exercise can help to manage these symptoms.
Inattentive ADHD is one of the most common forms of ADHD is a disorder that manifests when a person isn't paying attention. To diagnose ADHD, a medical professional must conduct a thorough assessment. This can include a cognitive, behavioral or physical test, as well as an interview with your physician. *Note: Sex refers to biology - the chromosomal makeup, hormones and anatomy that determine whether you are male, female, non-binary or another gender and gender identity - an internal feeling of being a woman, man or of a different gender, and the associated cultural and social beliefs about roles, behaviours expressions, and traits.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD frequently struggle with impulse control that is the ability to delay action or stop from taking action based on thoughts. They may have trouble self-restraining or interrupting other people without thinking about it, and having difficult time understanding social boundaries. They also have a difficult time waiting for their turn and tend to be irritable in general. These issues can lead to problems at home, at the workplace, at school and with social relationships.
ADHD symptoms in adults females suffering from ADHD may find it difficult to manage many tasks. This includes emails, phone conversations and meetings. They may also have difficulty remembering names and their handwriting may be messy. They might also have an inability to organize their lives and tend to put off projects, which could affect their job performance and cause stress. In some instances an impulsive behaviour can lead to unhealthy coping strategies such as alcohol or using drugs.
Since many women suffering from ADHD are unaware that they suffer from the condition and therefore, they are often not diagnosed. Their symptoms can be difficult to identify since they can be obscured by hormonal changes caused by puberty, pregnancy and menopausal changes.
At Salience Health, we help people with ADHD manage their symptoms using a combination of medication and therapy. Medications can be especially helpful for treating issues with impulse control. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to talk with us about the treatment options available to adults suffering from ADHD.
Hyperactivity
Women with ADHD might have difficulty sitting still and being quiet for long periods of time. Their restlessness and fidgeting often interferes with their ability focus during tasks at school or at work. They have a difficult time playing or engaging in leisure activities while in silence. They can appear easily distracted and do not seem to care about what others think. They might also have trouble remembering the details of conversations or events they attended.
In addition, they can have difficulty following through on plans and commitments. As they age, many women with ADHD come up with strategies to hide their symptoms to keep up with expectations and keep relationships. This can lead to feeling like they are overwhelmed and out of control. It is especially difficult for women who have the hyperactive/impulsive type of ADHD, which can cause mood swings. These mood fluctuations could be confused by male partners and coworkers, which can cause feelings of isolation and loneliness.
The symptoms of ADHD are different for women and men, but a thorough evaluation by an experienced health professional is vital. Salience Health providers can use tools like Creyos Cognitive Testing or Brainview Advanced Testing to determine the cause and recommend treatment options.
Adult women with ADHD are usually treated with a combination of therapy and medication. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as well as interpersonal skills training, and other therapies can aid in changing negative thinking patterns and behavior. Drugs, such as stimulant and non-stimulant drugs can be beneficial in the treatment of symptoms of ADHD in women who are adults. A health professional can recommend the appropriate medication for you, based on symptoms of age, stage of life, primary responsibilities and any other conditions or illnesses you suffer from.
Social Skills
Many people with ADHD are lonely, despite having many family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. They are unable to make new acquaintances and maintaining relationships because of their forgetfulness and impulsivity, as well as focus issues. This can lead to lengthy periods of time without engaging in meaningful conversation or being late to appointments and being absent from social gatherings.
These social problems can cause difficulties at school, work and in relationships. Failure to fulfill promises and commitments can result in feelings of being disregarded and not appreciated. This can lead to depression, anxiety, low-self-esteem, and a feeling of failure or feeling of insecurity. In some cases it may cause divorce or breakups in relationships because the inappropriate social behavior can be too much for the partner or spouse who does not have ADHD.
Women with ADHD may mask their symptoms by changing their behavior in order to comply with social norms and expectations. This can make it difficult for them to receive diagnosed because they may not be as forthcoming about their struggles. They may also have built up an arsenal of coping strategies that mask the impact of their symptoms.
They could, for instance utilize a calendar application to keep their schedules in order or set up phone reminders so they can pay bills or attend important occasions. They may also be able to deal with their inability to multitask by doing more than one thing at a time However, they might struggle with executive and memory deficits that limit their ability to plan and manage their time.
In addition, they can have problems with reading between the lines and interpreting subtext when listening to other people, which can also contribute to social problems. Making sure you have a clear diagnosis is the first step to finding solutions and establishing more connections with others. There are many resources and solutions available to help, including medication and therapy.