Adult Female ADHD Symptoms
Women who suffer from ADHD are often overlooked due to symptoms that may be less evident, gender biases in healthcare professionals and symptom masked. It is important to get a diagnosis in order to improve your relationships, prepare yourself for success and better understand your behavior.
To be diagnosed with ADHD, you need to have at least five ongoing symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms that interfere with daily life. Use this checklist to determine these symptoms:
Hyperfocus
Many people with ADHD are able to focus on a particular activity until they are unable to think about the outside world, even if the activity isn't productive. Hyperfocus is what it is. While some people, such as scientists, artists and writers utilize this ability to be successful in their profession but uncontrolled hyperfocus can be a liability. It can lead you to delay appointments, experience problems at work or school, and strain relationships with family and friends.
Hyperfocus can be a challenge to stop, particularly when you don't know it's occurring. Create a schedule for the day and prioritize daily tasks such as brushing your teeth or taking bath. If you're having a difficult time keeping track of your time you can use a clock or alarm clock to help keep track of your time or ask a trusted friend to be in touch with you at specific intervals. It also helps to move around and take frequent breaks when working on a project.
Hyperfocus in children is sometimes thought of as positive, since it allows them to be engaged in a fun activity, such as skateboarding, or building with Legos. However, excessive hyperfocus can lead to setbacks in school, lost productivity at work, and damaged relationships with parents or siblings.
Hyperfocus can make it difficult to determine if a child is experiencing emotional issues such as depression or anxiety, which is common among adolescents. This is why it is crucial to seek medical attention if you suspect your child has symptoms of ADHD that interfere with her daily functioning.
ADHD symptoms may be more prevalent during certain phases of a woman's pregnancy, or menstruation. This can increase the intensity and frequency of emotional symptoms like irritability and mood swings. It also increases the chance of a woman being misunderstood either by her lover, or coworkers.
While the male-to-female ratio of diagnosed ADHD is at 2:1 in childhood, this imbalance becomes less noticeable after age 14, when more women are diagnosed with ADHD. The good news is that there are a variety of resources available to help girls and women manage their ADHD, and improve their lives.
Procrastination
Procrastination is an atypical adult female ADHD symptom and can cause problems in both your professional and personal life. This symptom can make it difficult to complete tasks, especially ones that require self-regulation and executive functioning skills. Procrastinators often fall behind in important school or work assignments, which can damage their reputation and damage relationships.
Other signs of adult ADHD include not remembering appointments and ignoring deadlines. You might also forget important details during conversations or your own personal needs, such as paying your bills. You may find it difficult to concentrate in busy or noisy places, which could cause you to miss opportunities at school or work. You could also be easily distracted by your smartphone or social media accounts and have difficulty staying focused while reading or listening to someone else.
People with the hyperactive/impulsive type of ADHD typically have a harder time controlling their emotions than those with the inattentive type. This can result in many emotional problems including anxiety and depression to shifts in mood that affect your life in many ways. It can also make it difficult to handle tensions and miscommunications in personal and professional relationships.
Women are better at concealing their ADHD symptoms than men, which could cause difficulty in getting a diagnosis and accessing treatment. This is especially the case for women who suffer from high-functioning ADHD. The inattentive signs aren't as obvious and are often concealed by depression or anxiety. Reports on school typically do not include any comments regarding relationship or social issues and focus more on academic performance and behavior, which can result in under-diagnosis and under-identification of women and girls with ADHD.
There are a variety of treatments for adults suffering from ADHD. These include medication, cognitive behavioral treatment, and lifestyle modifications. Talk to your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Remember that the purpose of the treatment plan is to improve your daily functioning and help you manage your symptom. Be sure to discuss the benefits and side consequences of any medication you're taking, as well any co-occurring conditions you have.
Impulsivity
Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to have inattentive symptoms than men and boys, but they're less likely to have the hyperactive/impulsive or mixed subtypes of ADHD. The symptoms of inattention are common and can cause problems at work, school or in relationships.
Impulsivity is a symptom of the type of ADD/ADHD that is inattentive and can result in poor choices or dangerous behaviors. Signs of impulsivity could include blurting out answers prior to questions are asked, interrupting others during conversations, and purchasing items on impulse without thinking through the consequences. These impulsive behaviors can lead to embarrassing situations in relationships, social awkwardness and financial difficulties.
Emotional impulsivity can also be an underlying symptom of adult female ADHD. It can cause people to act out in reaction to feelings of anger or frustration, which may be difficult to control. The impulsivity of this behavior can also trigger mood swings, which makes it difficult to maintain healthy and supportive relationships.
Women suffering from ADHD might have trouble managing their emotions, leading to depression and anxiety. These negative emotions can negatively impact the performance of a person at work, and can result in missed appointments or health issues. Women with impulsive ADHD are unable to making decisions or planning ahead. In the process, they may become a bit dependent on others or may have a hard time keeping their commitments.
Throughout adolescence and into adulthood, girls and women who suffer from ADHD are more likely to engage in risky sexual actions than those who are not affected by the disorder. ADHD symptoms adults male is because sexual activity is valued for social acceptance. Sexually risky behaviors of adolescents and young adults with ADHD are a contributing factor to higher rates of teenage, early or unplanned pregnancy in these populations.
The good news is that there are a variety of ways to curb impulsive behavior. It can be helpful to learn to pause and write down thoughts before acting. Meditation or mindfulness can help to calm the body and mind, and block out distractions. Diet is a factor in reducing impulsiveness. A balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as high-quality protein, can improve concentration and reduce the risk of an impulsive behaviour. Sleep is also key to reducing the risk of impulsiveness. Make sure you have a regular sleep routine, using a heavy blanket to relax your mind and body, and limiting your use of screens prior to you go to bed.
Emotional Dysregulation
Emotional dysregulation is a typical issue that typically affects adults with ADHD. When you're unable to control your emotions, it can be difficult to navigate your daily life and relationships. This could lead to self-destructive behaviours like addictions or eating disorder. This can make it hard to keep a clean home, work or school life.
You may have difficulty identifying your emotions or understanding what they mean. This can be especially challenging in the case of an emotional disorder like anxiety or depression. The signs of emotional dysregulation could include difficulty relaxing after an argument, having frequent outbursts or becoming easily annoyed by minor inconveniences and annoyances. You might also have trouble let go of past experiences or holding grudges.
Females with ADHD may be particularly vulnerable to emotional dysregulation. This is because the symptoms they experience are internalized, and they are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than males or females. Symptoms may also be harder to notice because many teachers miss subtle hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in girls, and rating scales for ADHD are still skewed toward male behavior symptoms.
Girls with ADHD typically feel more pressure to conform to social norms than boys and men. This can be especially challenging for teenagers with ADHD as they transition into the hormonal changes that accompany puberty and the adolescent years. This can cause emotional dysregulation, particularly when combined with the increased sensitivity of girls suffering from ADHD to social and academic pressures.
If your ADHD symptoms cause you to experience emotional dysregulation, treatment options include medication or therapy. Medicine can help improve your mood and regulate your hormones while therapy can provide a secure space to process emotions like sadness, anger and rejection. It can also help with anxiety.
Whether you opt for therapy or medication the best method to treat the issue of emotion dysregulation is to implement steps to improve your sleep. This can be accomplished by following a routine before going to bed, doing a meditation routine or listening to relaxing music. Practicing good sleep hygiene can help you get more energy throughout the day.
While everyone's experience is different, it's vital to keep in mind that there are ways to manage ADHD symptoms and lead an enjoyable life. It's common for people to test various treatments or medications or lifestyle changes to find the most effective solution.