Signs of ADHD in Women
Women are under tremendous pressure to take care of their families, maintain healthy relationships, and perform well at work. ADHD symptoms can make these tasks seem overwhelming.
If you suspect you be suffering from ADHD It is crucial to be treated and diagnosed. It can help you deal with these symptoms and improve the quality of your life.
1. You are always late
Being late for work is a sign that you might have ADHD. People with ADHD can have difficulty managing their time and can be easily distracted by other tasks. This can cause problems at work or at school for example, like not remembering homework or avoiding important meetings. This can cause stress for you and the people who depend on your presence. Set a reminder in your phone or on your calendar to help avoid being late. Also, make sure you're ready the night before. Also, make sure to leave a few extra minutes for yourself to get there the place you're going.
Additionally, some women with ADHD are unable to make friends because they're constantly missing out on social occasions. They may also have difficulty learning to discern social cues or comprehend body language. They might also have difficulty staying focused and lose themselves in their thoughts.
Lastly, some girls with ADHD go undiagnosed because their symptoms are more difficult to notice than the hyperactive/impulsive ones seen in boys and men. Teachers and parents are more likely to recommend a man or a boy for an ADHD evaluation than they are to refer girls.
2. You are having difficulty in focusing.
It is common for people with ADHD to become lost in what they are doing. In a conversation, they could frequently wander off topic or talk about other topics. They may also have difficulty staying still and may be more impulsive.
These issues can affect relationships between family members as well as friends and coworkers. For example, it is common for people with ADHD to not remember appointments or to miss deadlines. They might also be unorganized or spend too much time on unimportant tasks. They may also have problems focusing at work or have difficulty manage their finances.
Boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed as having ADHD in children. However, as they grow older, the numbers even out. This is believed to be because women are more likely than men to have recurrences in symptoms and to seek treatment when one of their children has been diagnosed with ADHD. Changing hormone levels, especially during menopausal changes, may influence the severity of ADHD symptoms.
3. You have poor memory
Women suffering from ADHD are often unable to remember important events, such as birthdays, anniversaries and meetings. They may also have difficulty recalling names, which can make it difficult to keep up in conversations and social settings.
It's also common for people with ADHD to have poor judgment which means they speak their thoughts without thinking them through. This can cause lots of "foot-in-mouth" moments which can be very frustrating for loved ones and coworkers.
A woman's difficulty maintaining and forming friendships is another sign of adhd. Many girls with ADHD struggle to manage their emotions. This can cause them to fall into difficult romantic relationships. This increases the risk of being pressured to engage in sexual activity or become victims of intimate partner abuse.
Many women with ADHD find it difficult to keep up with the social expectations of parenting and homemaking, as well as relationships. This can cause a lot more stress in their lives, which makes it harder to identify and manage ADHD symptoms. conversational tone develop coping mechanisms, such as alcohol or drugs, to mask their symptoms. This can hinder treatment. Diagnoses are the first step in identifying and addressing issues. The good news is that you can get assistance.
4. You Have Trouble Making Decisions
Women who are struggling to make decisions may procrastinate or not be able to finish tasks because they aren't sure of what tasks to prioritize. They also have a difficult time recalling their choices and following through on them. This type of ADHD can affect work performance, relationships and self-esteem.
The symptoms of ADHD in women can be difficult to recognize than they are in children because teachers and parents don't make girls the focus of evaluation as often as they do for boys. Moreover, women are better at masking their symptoms. They may develop coping mechanisms that allow them to appear "normal", and meet social expectations. For instance, they might rely on apps to manage their daily activities.
Women can get an official diagnosis from their primary care physician who may refer them to a specialist. Depending on the results of the test, the doctor might recommend medication or talk-therapy. During therapy, the therapist will teach you healthier coping skills and help you swap negative thoughts with positive ones. They can help you and your family improve communication. This can be difficult when one or both of the people in a relationship have ADHD. Medications can help control the symptoms and improve productivity at school or at work.
5. You struggle with multitasking
Women with ADHD often find themselves feeling overwhelmed when they attempt to meet deadlines or work on several tasks at once. They may also have trouble regulating their emotions and finding it difficult to find or keep friends, particularly when they are unable to pick the social cues and may be susceptible to impulsive behavior.
Having trouble with multitasking is another indicator of adhd in women as is their tendency to be easily distracted and lose or misplace things. This is especially problematic for women at work where constant interruptions make it hard to stay focused or concentrate.
In addition, if you have the hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd, having trouble staying quiet and being able to control your emotions can lead to frequent outbursts that are not only disruptive to others but can be damaging to your career. This kind of ADHD is more likely to be misdiagnosed by women as the symptoms are more subtle than those that are associated with the inattention-deficit type.
Women who are not diagnosed with ADHD adulthood may also develop coping strategies to cover up their difficulties. For instance they may use self-medicating methods like alcohol or drugs to blend in. This can further aggravate symptoms as they struggle with chronic feelings inadequacy. This can lead to strained relationships and a general sense of low self esteem.
6. You are having trouble managing your time
In the workplace, ADHD time management problems can be a major issue. When you don't follow the proper procedure to finish tasks, answer phone calls or file paperwork, it's difficult to accomplish your tasks. Even if you're doing great work, your supervisors may question your competence if you regularly miss deadlines.
Women with ADHD are more likely to have the inattentive subtype of symptoms, which can make it harder for them to be diagnosed and treated than men or boys with the hyperactive/impulsive type of symptoms. This is because doctors and teachers are more likely to recognize the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms in boys and men, and may be less familiar with the inattentive-type symptoms of women with ADHD.
Women with untreated ADHD are also more likely to develop anxiety or depression with co-occurring disorders and may have a difficult time maintaining relationships. Women are expected to take care of their children which can increase the symptoms of ADHD in many women, particularly when they don't have access to the right treatment and support they need. This can also lead to difficult relationships with friends, family and romantic partners. The strain on relationships can lead to tension and miscommunication which makes it harder for women to seek assistance.
7. You have trouble making friends
Women who suffer from ADHD may find it difficult to be unable to make friends. Because of this, social expectations put a lot of emphasis on women to be able to perform many responsibilities, including parenting children, maintaining relationships, and doing well at work. As they attempt to fulfill these expectations, their symptoms may exacerbate. They could also be at an increased chance of having a negative relationship with their peers or having co-existing anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Additionally, women are more likely to develop strategies for coping that cover up their ADHD symptoms. This could cause them to over-exercise, stay up later than they should, and rely on schedules or reminders on their phones to manage their lives.
Other undesirable behaviors include impulsiveness and forgetfulness which can cause issues in both work and personal relationships. For instance, ignoring an event at a friend's house can make them feel depressed and don't value them. Disrupting conversations or getting angry at the smallest hint can lead to confusion and conflict. Being aware of the expectations you place on your friends can help avoid bad emotions, misinterpretations and resentment. You can accomplish this by keeping a calendar to track your friend's important dates and using a notepad to jot down information you learn about new friends and delivering on promises.