Undiagnosed ADHD in Women
Women with undiagnosed ADHD suffer from low self-esteem. They struggle to meet social expectations, and often internalize their discontent with life.
They may also be suffering from emotional distress like sensitivity to rejection. They are more likely to engage in risky behaviours.
ADHD symptoms can also change during hormonal changes like menstrual cycle or pregnancy, as well as menopausal. This can make them more difficult to diagnose.
Signs and symptoms
Women may be unable to recognize their ADHD symptoms, since they are often masked. This could lead to an inaccurate diagnosis and the wrong treatment could cause more issues. Many women also report difficulty being diagnosed, particularly when they reach adulthood. This could be due to the fact that the criteria for diagnosing were formulated based on research done with males. Some experts are working on improving these criteria.
Undiagnosed ADHD symptoms for women are typically similar to the symptoms of men. Many people suffering from ADHD have difficulty concentrating and listening. They might lose track of important tasks or misplace things. They could spend hours organising their work or home space, but not keep up. They are often distracted by noise or other activities that are happening around them. People who suffer from ADHD may have difficulty relaxing and may worry over their health and the safety of others.
If women and girls experience symptoms that are not diagnosed as ADHD it can impact every aspect of their lives. They can have trouble in school or at work, and have issues with their relationships with their friends and romantic partners. They can have low self-esteem and anxiety, which is why they might use unhealthy strategies to cope like drugs or alcohol.
Undiagnosed ADHD can cause more frustration and confusion in relationships with friends, family, and coworkers. They may be criticized by teachers and coaches, or feel that they are being treated unfairly at work. Having ADHD can make it difficult to focus on tasks and meet deadlines.
Over the years, many people with undiagnosed ADHD have developed coping strategies. They might work until the early hours of the morning to keep up with their workload or conceal from their loved ones their struggles. It's like a lightbulb when they realize that their issues are due to ADHD. They can then use their strengths to overcome their difficulties (such as creativity and high levels of energy).
Undiagnosed ADHD may affect a person’s career, relationships, and life. It can lead to financial instability, social isolation and even depression. Certain people who suffer from ADHD, who are not diagnosed, develop an addiction to stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine. This can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke.
Diagnosis
Many women with ADHD aren't diagnosed because symptoms are harder to recognize in women than they are in males. This could be due the fact that women have a harder time talking to health professionals about their struggles and are more likely to resort to strategies to disguise their ADHD symptoms. These coping strategies could include changing behavior, such as working extra hours at work or school to compensate for their lapses in focus or relying on productivity tools to help them stay focused and on the right the right track with their projects. These coping methods might be effective in the short run however they are usually draining and unsustainable.
Additionally, due to gender stereotypes about what women should be as, a lot of people don't know that the woman they know may have ADHD. Some symptoms can be worsened by hormonal changes like those that happen during menstrual cycles, pregnancy or menopause. This can cause women to be viewed as a moody or emotional, which may increase their angst.
The most frequently undiagnosed signs of ADHD among women are memory loss, trouble concentrating, impulsivity and an ability to switch from one task to the next, and difficulties maintaining relationships. Undiagnosed ADHD is more prevalent in women. They are also more likely than others to have coexisting conditions like depression or anxiety. These conditions may have symptoms that are similar to ADHD and can result in being treated incorrectly and not correctly.
It can be difficult to diagnose anxiety and ADHD because they share a variety of symptoms. The signs of anxiety include agitation, difficulties in concentration, and a constant sense that something isn't right. Anxiety disorders do not exhibit the impulsivity or inattention of ADHD.
A diagnosis by a doctor of undiagnosed ADHD can be life-changing for women. In a number of studies, women have reported that their symptoms diminished after they received a diagnosis. Finding an external explanation for their problems helped them stop blaming themselves, and instead looking at their own problems as something they could manage.
It can take time to diagnose ADHD, but it is worth the long wait. Treating ADHD with medication and therapy can improve relationships, set women up for success at work and school and help them gain an understanding of themselves.
Treatment
Women and girls typically suffer from different symptoms of ADHD than men, which can make it harder to obtain diagnosis and treatment. They are also more adept in masked symptoms which makes it difficult to seek help or assistance. This could be due to forgetting appointments, being unable to finish tasks at work or school, and having issues with relationships. They could also be at a higher chance of being pushed into unwanted sexual activity or being the victim of intimate partner violence due to their difficulty recognizing and responding to their own emotions.
Early diagnosis and a successful treatment can make a big difference for these women. A 2020 study found that a missed or late diagnosis can have lasting negative impacts on a woman's social-emotional well-being as well as her ability to build and keep relationships. It can also affect her self-worth and sense of control. adhd symptoms for women of the women in these studies reported feeling a sense relief and self-confidence boosting after receiving an assessment and treatment for their ADHD.
This is particularly important due to the fact that research has shown women with undiagnosed ADHD have lower levels of self-esteem and are less likely to seek treatment than their male peers. They are more likely to blame their attention, impulsivity and problems with organization on personal or social factors rather than their ADHD.
There are a variety of options for treating adults suffering from ADHD in addition to medication. The most popular are cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy. CBT helps people recognize and change negative attitudes and behaviors, whereas DBT teaches skills to increase mindfulness and self-acceptance. Neurocognitive Psychotherapy, which combines elements of these therapies as well as training in strategies to increase focus and concentration is another option. This treatment is available in groups or individually and is designed for adults suffering from ADHD. *Note: In this article, the word "women", is used to describe those who were assigned female at birth, regardless of gender identity. Also, it refers to people born male as "men" to include people of all gender identities.
Support
Many people with ADHD are in a state of confusion or fearful of their symptoms. Because social pressures and hormonal changes dramatically affect how ADHD manifests in women, it's not uncommon for females to be undiagnosed or not diagnosed. This can lead to inappropriate or ineffective treatment as well as the increased likelihood of developing mood-related disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
Contrary to men, who can have hyperactive and impulsive symptoms more frequently, women tend to be better at hiding their symptoms at work or school. They may become adept at working late into the night, and rely on productivity apps to hide their inattention. The problem is, these coping mechanisms take their toll on self-esteem and ultimately impact the quality of life.
The process of diagnosing women with ADHD can be complicated and frustrating. The traditional ADHD criteria were created for males and may not capture all the symptoms that women experience. In the end, many women with undiagnosed ADHD are mistakenly diagnosed with other disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Clara was the same. Clara was smart committed, hardworking and dedicated to her job. She was unable to meet her deadlines and felt overwhelmed with the demands of her job. She believed that her failures were her own fault, and felt that she wasn't adequate enough. Her confidence in herself was shattered as a result of an undiagnosed ADHD.
When she was diagnosed with adult ADHD it was a shock. Clara finally understood that her challenges were not her own personal flaws. She could stop seeing them as laziness-related signs, and begin to consider her ADHD thread as a thread which can be woven in to an effective professional and personal life.
As awareness of the various differences in how ADHD manifests in women, the need to promote inclusion in research and treatment initiatives will be increasingly crucial. This is particularly true in the area of specific treatment for sex, as new research is focused on understanding how gender influences the disorder and developing medication that works well for women. This will hopefully result in better diagnosis and treatment of women who have not been diagnosed with ADHD.