15 Things You're Not Sure Of About Inattentive ADHD In Women
Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women struggled for years before they were diagnosed with ADHD. It can be a real moment of lightbulb when they receive a diagnosis.
Symptoms often fluctuate with hormonal changes. Women might notice that their symptoms worsen when they are experiencing menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.
Women also have the ability to take on their ADHD traits, which leads to depression. This can make it difficult to be diagnosed and treated for their ADHD.
Causes
Women who have inattentive ADHD tend to not be diagnosed until the age of adulthood, when their issues begin to affect them with school, work, and personal relationships. This is partly due to gender bias in both clinical settings and in the perceptions of teachers and parents who are less likely to recognize ADHD symptoms in girls than boys, even when those symptoms are obvious (Ohan and Visser 2009).
Inattentional ADHD can cause women to forget appointments, forget deadlines and lose the track of time, making it hard for them to plan ahead or organize their thoughts. They also struggle to prioritize tasks. They may also have trouble keeping their attention during conversations and become easily distracted by external stimuli, internal thoughts or daydreaming. These issues can result in poor performance at work or at school, leading to low self-esteem.
Friends, family members and colleagues often misunderstand women with inattentive ADHD. Their frustration with their symptoms increases the mistrust they face which can result in tensions in relationships. They are often dismissed by others as sour or crazy. This can increase their feeling of being misunderstood.
Women with inattention ADHD may also be suffering from anxiety and depression. These issues can be exacerbated by hormone fluctuations, such as during the menstrual cycle or pregnancy, or during perimenopausal. In this time estrogen levels decrease and progesterone levels rise which can cause an increase in ADHD.
The environment can also trigger inattentive ADHD like a chaotic environment at home or in a workplace without a clear structure. navigate here who suffer from inattentive ADHD may have trouble keeping on track and may get behind in their work, resulting in feelings of being unworthy and low confidence. They may also find it difficult to accept criticism or negative feedback. This can further undermine confidence and cause people to avoid social interactions.
Additionally, add symptoms in women who have inattention ADHD are more likely to experience difficulties in establishing and maintaining romantic relationships. They are more likely than the rest to suffer from depression or anxiety and they are more vulnerable to rejection. This may make them reluctant to risk a romantic connection. This can lead to isolation, which can also contribute to depression and anxiety.
Symptoms
Women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD frequently suffer from low self esteem due to their struggle to cope. Some may say that they're careless or forgetful. They may develop unhealthy coping strategies like excessive drinking or drug use. They may also resort to non-suicidal self-injury, including cutting, burning, or scratching. ADHD symptoms can affect relationships, work and school.
Girls and women who suffer from ADHD are often mistakenly diagnosed more often as suffering from depression or anxiety disorders. This is because a lot of symptoms of these disorders are similar with the symptoms of ADHD. Women with undiagnosed ADHD can also experience mood swings, making them appear depressed or anxious. These symptoms can also be triggered by major life events, such as getting married, beginning a new job, or becoming a parent.
Inattentional inattention that is not diagnosed ADHD in adults is also frequent, and is often mistaken as bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. These symptoms include difficulty concentration and a feeling of sadness or hopelessness, and difficulties in coping with stress and criticism. When combined with poor time management, these signs can create problems at school or at work and cause problems with family and friends.
Attention-deficit ADHD can lead to problems with coping skills for girls and women, which can include procrastination or a tendency of underestimating how long an activity will take (timeblindness). They may have trouble keeping the track of their schedules and appointments and lose or misplace items easily, and flit from one task to the next. They may also have issues with controlling their impulses. This can include making impulsive decisions or interrupting others.
It is important for women suffering from undiagnosed ADHD to be aware of their symptoms and get help. They can seek help from their primary care provider or a mental health professional. Additionally they can improve their coping skills making use of strategies for organizing, such as making lists or planning ahead. They can also engage in exercises, which release neurotransmitters that improve attention and focus. It's also recommended for them to share household and caregiving tasks with their spouse or another support network to ensure they don't feel overwhelmed.
Treatment
A combination of treatments is usually required to treat ADHD symptoms, which includes therapy and medication. Stimulant medications such as methylphenidate and amphetamines can aid in reducing ADHD symptoms of inattention. Non-stimulant medications like atomoxetine (Strattera) are also available. Behavioral therapy can aid in the organizational and emotional aspects of ADHD. Some therapists offer cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) that is where they help people change negative thoughts or behaviors. Others provide one-on-one therapy that focuses on self-esteem as well as emotional regulation. Support groups are a great way for people suffering from ADHD to connect with other people with the same diagnosis and to learn how to manage their symptoms.
A diagnosis of inattention ADHD can be difficult for some women to accept. They may think that their problems stem from the lack of discipline or bad parenting, which can impact their self-esteem. They may be embarrassed and ashamed by their inability maintain their school schedule or work.
The symptoms of ADHD can heighten due to hormonal changes like those brought on by menstrual cycles, pregnancy or menopausal. This can make it harder to deal with emotional symptoms like irritability and mood swings. These symptoms can cause issues in relationships due to how they are perceived by other people.
Women with inattentive ADHD struggle to ensure a stable home life. This can lead to difficulties at school or at work. For instance, they could not remember important appointments or pay bills late. They may have trouble organizing their work or school materials, and they might struggle to complete assignments. They might have trouble understanding social boundaries or interrupting others while they are talking. These issues can result in conflicts in relationships, and impact a woman's self-esteem.
Many women with inattentive ADHD are hesitant to seek assistance. They may believe that their symptoms aren't sufficient to warrant attention or they believe that "pulling themselves up by the bootstraps" is possible. They might also be scared of the stigma that comes when they are diagnosed with ADHD which could make them less likely to seek treatment. Women who have untreated ADHD can be depressed or suicidal. They may also engage in unhealthy coping behaviors such as drinking alcohol or drug abuse, which can cause health issues and other issues, including self-injury that is non-suicidal (NSSI) which can involve burning or cutting.
Self-Esteem
Women with ADHD are often plagued by feelings of inadequacy and constant stress. This can make it difficult to recognize and articulate the symptoms, and seek treatment. Women often hide symptoms or employ strategies to compensate, particularly as they age, to cover their symptoms. Masking can cause difficulties at school or work, and can result in relationships being damaged.
Research has shown that women with ADHD are at a higher risk of experiencing rejection sensitivity and having difficulty finding an employment. These experiences can reinforce negative thoughts, which can lead to a lack in confidence and issues in interpersonal relationships.
For these reasons, it's important for women with ADHD to have access to the right diagnosis and treatment. It's also essential that they have a clinician or therapist who understands the unique challenges females and girls confront with the disorder.
As girls and women grow older as they get older, they will be faced with social and cultural expectations that place the majority of the household and parenting responsibilities on them. These expectations differ from those placed on men. These pressures can lead to depression and anxiety and can lead to disorganized, chaotic living spaces, incomplete projects and a lack of willingness to seek assistance or admit that they have a problem.
It's also normal for females with ADHD to experience symptoms that are related to adolescence and puberty, and also suffer from premenstrual dysphoria. These symptoms can be caused by the fluctuation in hormones, and may be misinterpreted as anxiety or mood shifts.
Women who suffer from ADHD are often unable to communicate their condition because of insufficient awareness of their condition, and are less likely to receive treatment than men. As a result, they are more likely to experience a variety of negative outcomes as adults such as relationships, unemployment and addiction. They are also more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and remain undiagnosed for the remainder of their lives. This gap can be eliminated through increased education and advocacy efforts to help health professionals and teachers as well as parents recognize the symptoms of ADHD in women and girls.