Symptoms of ADHD in Adults Females
Adult females with ADHD are often misdiagnosed and missed. However, a proper diagnosis can help improve your quality of life including relationships at work and in personal relationships.
Symptoms include forgetfulness, inability to stay organized, impulsiveness, poor emotional regulation, and trouble in recognizing social cues. Treatment may include therapy and medication.
Lack of Focus
ADHD is characterized by difficulty keeping focus. People with ADHD tend to find it difficult to remain focused on a task for more than a few minutes, regardless of whether or not the task is something that interests them. When they do get interested in something, they can get hyperfocused to the point of neglecting other tasks or tasks. This symptom can result in procrastination, missed appointments and incomplete work projects.
People suffering from ADHD are also prone to having difficulty remembering instructions and retaining specifics. This can make it hard to complete tasks at school or at work and can cause misunderstandings and frustrations between colleagues. It also plays a role in issues with time management like not paying bills on time or missing appointments.
Women suffering from ADHD may develop coping mechanisms to hide their symptoms, which can result in them being seen as disorganized or spacey by other people. ADHD symptoms in women adults can lead people to feel shame and guilt. This can affect their self-esteem.
Use an organizer to help manage this symptom. You can also make use of post-it notes or a planner to keep appointments and deadlines. Use a headset that blocks out noise to block out distractions and listen to music to improve your concentration (make sure that the lyrics don't distract your concentration). Avoid drinking alcohol before bedtime because it can disrupt sleep patterns. Practice good sleep hygiene, such as creating a regular bedtime routine and turning off your devices an hour before going to bed. You can also try taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music or using a blanket with weights to relax your mind prior to falling asleep.
Inattention
Women who suffer from the subtype of inattention ADHD are often unable to finish tasks, keep track of important dates and deadlines, remember appointments or complete daily chores. They may also miss out on details in conversations or get distracted by other events happening around them. They frequently make mistakes at work or school and fail to check their work prior to submitting. They also have trouble making plans and establishing priorities.
The impulsivity and forgetfulness of people can cause the frustration and miscommunications between romantic partners, friends, family members colleagues, teachers or coworkers, making it harder for these individuals to seek out treatment for their issues. For example, if you are often late for meetings or struggle to keep your schedule it could lead others to assume that you don't care for them or aren't committed to the relationship. Your forgetfulness or inability to concentrate can also cause conflict and miscommunication with the people you share your life with.
Women who suffer from ADHD suffer from high-functioning symptoms that don't significantly impact their daily lives. These include forgetting about appointments, missing deadlines, or putting off tasks. But, they also suffer from other signs such as anxiety and poor ability to organize.
The symptoms of adult ADHD can worsen during perimenopause, the period that leads to menopausal symptoms. Regular exercise and adequate sleep can ease the symptoms.
Inattentive ADHD is among the most frequent types of ADHD. A thorough examination by a medical professional is required to diagnose ADHD. This can include a behavioral, cognitive or physical test, as well as an interview with your physician. *Note: Sex refers to biology and the chromosomal makeup of hormones and anatomy that determine whether you are either a woman or a man; nonbinary or other gender and gender identity - an internal perception of being a woman, man or another gender, including the associated social and cultural beliefs about roles, behavior expressions, and traits.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD typically struggle with impulse control, which is the ability to delay action or refrain from acting based on thought. They may have difficulty self-restraining or interrupting other people without thinking about it, and having a hard time understanding the boundaries of social interaction. They have a tough waiting to be the first, and are generally impatient. These issues can lead to problems at home, at school, at work and even in social interactions.
Adults suffering from ADHD may find it difficult to keep track of many tasks. This includes emails, phone conversations, and meetings. In addition, they may be unable to remember names and their handwriting could be messy. They might also lack organizational skills and stall on projects, which can affect their work performance and lead to stress. In some cases, impulsive behavior leads to unhealthy coping strategies such as alcohol or drugs.
Since many women suffering from ADHD do not realize they suffer from the condition and therefore, they are often not diagnosed. The symptoms of ADHD can be difficult to identify because they are often obscured by hormonal changes like those associated with menopausal changes, puberty or pregnancy.
At Salience Health, we help those suffering from ADHD manage their symptoms by using a combination of therapy and medication. The use of medication can be extremely beneficial in treating the problem of impulse control. To learn more about treatment options for adults suffering from ADHD Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Hyperactivity
Women with ADHD may find it difficult to sit still or be still for long periods of time. Their flitting and restlessness can affect their ability to concentrate on school or at work. They have difficulty playing or enjoying leisure activities while in silence. They may seem like they don't care about the things that other people are interested in, and are easily distracted. They may also have difficulty remembering the specifics of the conversations or events that they attended.
In addition, they can struggle to keep plans and commitments. As they age many women with ADHD come up with strategies to hide their symptoms in order to keep their promises and keep relationships. This can result in feeling like they are out of control and overwhelmed. It is especially difficult for women who have the hyperactive/impulsive type of ADHD, which can cause mood swings. These mood changes could be confused by male partners and coworkers, which can cause feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Men and women experience different symptoms of ADHD, but it is essential to have a thorough assessment by a qualified healthcare provider. Salience Health providers can use tools such as Creyos Cognitive Testing or Brainview Advanced Testing to identify and recommend treatments.
Adult women with ADHD are usually treated with the combination of therapy and medication. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and training in interpersonal skills can assist to change negative thoughts and behaviors. The use of medication, including stimulant and non-stimulant drugs, can be helpful in managing the symptoms of ADHD in women of adulthood. A doctor can prescribe a medication suitable for you, based on your symptoms, your age, stage of life and primary responsibilities, and any other illnesses or conditions you have.
Social Skills
Many people with ADHD are lonely despite having a large number of family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. They have difficulty making new acquaintances and maintaining relationships because of their forgetfulness and focus issues, as well as impulsivity. This can result in prolonged periods without a meaningful conversations and being late for appointments and missing social events.
These social difficulties can cause problems at school, work and in relationships. The inability to follow through on commitments or promises creates a feeling of being disregarded and not appreciated by family members, coworkers and even peers. This can cause depression and anxiety, as well as low self-esteem and a sense of failure or lack of control. In some cases it may cause marriage or relationship breakups because the inappropriate social behavior is too excessive for the partner or spouse who does not have ADHD.
Women with ADHD might hide their symptoms through changing their behavior in order to comply with social norms and expectations. This can make it difficult for them to receive a diagnosis because they may not be as open about their struggles. They could also have developed an arsenal of healthy coping strategies that mask the impact of their symptoms.
They could, for instance use a calendar app to keep track of their schedules or set up phone reminders to pay their bills or attend important events. They might be able to deal with their inability of multitasking by focusing on more than one thing at a time, but still struggle with memory or executive function limitations that limit their ability to plan and manage time.
They may also have difficulties in reading between the lines or comprehending subtexts while listening to others which can lead to social problems. Accurate diagnosis is the first important step to find solutions and establishing relationships with others. There are many solutions and resources available, such as medication and therapies.