Inattentive ADHD in Women
Many women had to struggle for years before they were diagnosed with ADHD. When they do, it can be like an epiphany.
The symptoms often change in response to hormonal changes. For example, women may notice their symptoms get worse during their menstrual cycle, or during pregnancy.
Women can also take on ADHD traits that lead to depression. This makes it more difficult to be diagnosed and treated for their ADHD.
Causes
Women with inattentive ADHD typically are not diagnosed until they reach adulthood, at which point their problems begin to impact with school, work, and personal relationships. This is because of gender bias, both in the clinical setting as well as in parents' and teachers perceptions. Girls are less likely than boys to recognize ADHD symptoms.
Inattentive ADHD can cause women to forget appointments, miss deadlines and lose 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 difficulties keeping their attention during conversations and are easily distracted by external stimuli, internal thoughts or daydreaming. These issues can lead to poor performance at school or at work, which leads to feelings of self-esteem loss and frustration.
Friends, family members and coworkers are often misinformed about women with inattention ADHD. Their discontent with their condition can increase the misunderstandings that they face. This can result in strained relations. They are often viewed by others as moody or crazy. This can increase their feeling of being misunderstood.
Women with inattentive ADHD may also be suffering from depression and anxiety. These issues can be made more difficult due to hormonal fluctuations, for instance during menstruation or pregnancy, or perimenopausal. At these times, hormone levels of estrogen decrease and progesterone levels rise which can aggravate ADHD symptoms.
The environment can also trigger inattentive ADHD for example, an unorganized home or at work with little structure. Women with inattentive ADHD are often unable to stay on task at work and get behind in their work. This leads to a sense of failure and low self-esteem. They may also find it difficult to accept criticism or negative feedback. This can further erode confidence and cause people to avoid social interactions.
Women who are inattentive ADHD have a higher tendency to struggle in establishing and maintaining romantic relations. They are more likely to have depression or anxiety that is co-existing and may be particularly sensitive to rejection, which may cause them to be more reluctant to risk a relationship. This can lead to isolation which can lead to depression and anxiety.
Signs and symptoms
Women with undiagnosed ADHD often suffer from low self esteem due to their struggle to cope. People may tell them that they're careless or forgetful. They might adopt unhealthy coping strategies like excessive drinking or drug use. They might also resort to non-suicidal methods of self-injury like cutting, burning, or scratching. Symptoms of ADHD can interfere with relationships, work, and school.
Girls and women with ADHD are often misdiagnosed more often as having depressive or anxiety disorders. This is due to the fact that many of the symptoms of these disorders are similar with those of ADHD. In addition women who are not diagnosed with ADHD are prone to mood swings that cause them to appear anxious or depressed. These symptoms can also be brought on by major life events like getting married, starting in a new job or becoming a mother.
Undiagnosed inattentive ADHD in adults is also common, and can be mistaken for bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. The symptoms include trouble staying focused and a feeling of despair or sadness and difficulty handling criticism and stress. Combined with poor time management, these symptoms can cause problems at work or school and can cause issues with family and friends.
Inattentional ADHD can cause issues with coping skills in girls and women, such as procrastination or a tendency of underestimating the time the task will take (timeblindness). They can have trouble keeping track of schedules and appointments, can easily lose or misplace their belongings and are prone to flitting from one task to the next. They also may have issues with controlling their impulses, for example, interrupting others or making impulsive choices.
Women with undiagnosed ADHD should be aware of their symptoms and seek help. They can seek help from their primary care provider or a mental health specialist. Additionally, they can try to improve their coping skills by employing strategies for organizing, such as writing lists or planning ahead. They can also engage in exercise, which releases neurotransmitters that improve attention and focus. It's also an excellent idea to share household and caregiving tasks with their spouse or another support network to ensure they do not feel overwhelmed.
Treatment
A combination of treatments is usually required to treat ADHD symptoms, which includes medication and therapy. Drugs that stimulate the brain, such as methylphenidate and amphetamines can help reduce the ADHD symptoms of inattention. There are also nonstimulant medications, such as atomoxetine. The behavioral therapy method is a great option to treat the emotional and organizational aspects of ADHD. Certain therapists employ cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which teaches people to modify negative thoughts and behaviors and others provide one-on-one therapy for self-esteem and emotional regulation. Support groups can help people with ADHD connect with other people who suffer from the disorder and share tips for managing symptoms.
For some women, the diagnosis of inattention ADHD can be difficult to accept. They may believe that their problems are due to a lack of discipline or poor parenting, which can impact their self-esteem. In addition, they may feel frustrated by their inability to keep up with work or school, and this can cause feelings of shame and embarrassment.
ADHD symptoms can be exacerbated by hormonal changes like those that occur during menstrual cycles, pregnancy or menopause. adult adhd in women www.iampsychiatry.uk can make it more difficult to cope with emotional symptoms, such as irritability and mood swings. These symptoms can also cause issues in relationships due to how they are perceived by others.
Women with inattentive ADHD struggle to ensure a stable family life. This can cause difficulties at school or at work. For instance, they could not remember important appointments or pay bills late. They might have issues organizing their work or school materials, and they may struggle to complete their tasks. They might have trouble understanding social boundaries and interrupting other people while talking. These issues can create conflicts in relationships and affect a woman's overall sense of self-worth.
Many women suffering from inattention ADHD are unable to seek assistance. They may think that their problems are not serious enough to warrant attention, or that "pulling themselves up by the bootstraps" is possible. They might also be afraid of the stigma associated with getting a diagnosis of ADHD, which can make it more difficult to seek treatment. Women who are not treated for ADHD may develop depression or suicidal. They can also resort to unhealthy coping methods, such as alcohol or substance abuse which can cause health issues and other issues, such as self-injury that is not suicidal (NSSI) that includes burning or cutting.
Self-Esteem
Women with ADHD are often affected by feelings of inadequateness and constant stress. This can make it more difficult to identify and explain the symptoms, and seek treatment. It's also normal for women to hide their symptoms or develop strategies to disguise them from others, especially as they get older. Masking can lead to problems at school or work, and it can also affect relationships.
Research has shown that women with ADHD are at a higher chance of feeling a sensitivity to rejection and finding it difficult to get a job. These experiences can lead to negative thoughts that lead to a lack in confidence and difficulties with interpersonal relationships.
This is why it's important for women with ADHD to be able to access appropriate diagnosis and treatment. It's important that they are able to access the right therapist or clinician who is familiar with the challenges that women and girls face with ADHD.
As women and girls mature as they get older, they will be faced with the expectations of society and culture that place the majority of the household and parenting responsibility on them. These expectations differ from those placed on men. These pressures can lead to depression and anxiety, and can result in a messy and chaotic home environment, unfinished projects, and a reluctance for women and girls to ask for assistance.
It's also normal for females suffering from ADHD to experience symptoms that are related to puberty and adolescence, and also to experience premenstrual dysphoria. These symptoms can be caused by the fluctuation in hormones and can be misinterpreted as anxiety or mood swings.
Women with ADHD are less likely than males to be aware of their condition and seek treatment. They are more likely to suffer negative outcomes in adulthood, such as relationships, unemployment and addiction issues. They're also more likely be misdiagnosed than males, and to go undiagnosed for the rest of their lives. This gap can be closed by increasing awareness and advocacy efforts to help health professionals and teachers as well as parents recognize the signs of ADHD in girls and women.