Symptoms of ADHD in Adults Females
The symptoms of ADHD in adults females are often misdiagnosed or missed. However, a proper diagnosis can help improve your life quality, including relationships at work and in personal relationships.
The symptoms include forgetfulness and inability to stay organised and impulsiveness, poor emotional regulation, and trouble in recognizing social cues. Treatment may include medication and therapy.
Inattention and lack of Focus
One of the most prominent symptoms of ADHD is difficulty with sustained focus. People suffering from ADHD find it difficult to concentrate on a job for longer than a few minutes regardless of how fascinating the task. In contrast, when they do become interested in something, they could become obsessed to the point of neglecting other tasks or obligations. This can lead to procrastination and missed appointments as well as a lack of completion of work projects.
People with ADHD are also prone to having difficulty following instructions and remembering particulars. This can make it difficult for them to complete tasks at school or at work, which can cause misunderstandings and anger in relationships. It also plays part in issues with time management that include not paying bills on time or missing appointments.
Women with ADHD have strategies for coping to mask their symptoms. This can lead to them being perceived as disorganized or inattention by others. This could lead to them feeling shame and guilt which may affect their self-confidence and ability focus.
To help manage this symptom, try to use a planner or post-it notes to keep track of appointments and deadlines. Use a noise cancelling headset to block distractions and listen to music for improved concentration (make sure that the lyrics don't distract your concentration). Try to avoid caffeine before the time you go to bed, as it can alter sleep patterns. Make sure you practice good sleep hygiene by setting a routine for bedtime and turning off your devices an hour before you go to sleep. You can also try the weighted quilt, a warm bath or soothing music to calm your mind before sleeping.
Attention
Women who have the inattention ADHD subtype often have difficulty finishing tasks such as not being able to remember important deadlines and dates or even completing routine chores. They may also lose out on important details in conversations or become distracted by other events happening around them. Most often, they make naive mistakes at work or school and fail to review their work before sending it. ADHD adult symptoms have difficulty making plans and establishing priorities.
Forgetfulness and impulsivity can heighten the frustration and miscommunications between romantic partners, friends, family members as well as teachers and coworkers and make it more difficult for them to seek help for their issues. If you're always late for meetings or have difficulty keeping your schedule people might conclude that you are not concerned about them or are not committed to the relationship. Inability to remember or focus can also lead to conflicts and misunderstandings with those you live with.
Women with ADHD experience high-functioning symptoms, that do not have a significant impact on their everyday lives. They may forget about appointments, missing deadlines, or postponing tasks. However, they may have other issues, such as restlessness and ineffective organization skills.
Adult symptoms of ADHD may become more severe during menopausal phase (perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause). Regular exercise and adequate sleep can ease the symptoms.
Inattention ADHD is one of the most well-known types of ADHD, is a condition that develops when a person is not paying attention. A thorough assessment by a medical professional is required to diagnose ADHD. This may include a cognitive, physical or behavioral test as well as an interview with your doctor of your family. Note: Sex refers to biology - the chromosomal makeup, hormones and anatomy that determine whether you are a man, woman, nonbinary, or a different gender and gender identity, an internal sense of being a woman, man or another gender, including the associated social and cultural beliefs about roles, behavior, expressions and characteristics.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD typically struggle with impulse control, which is the ability to defer action or refrain from acting based on thought. They may be unable to self-restrain, interrupting others without thinking about it, and having a hard time understanding the boundaries of social interaction. They also have a difficult time waiting for their turn and tend to be irritable in general. These issues can lead to problems at home, school, work and in social interactions.
Adults suffering from ADHD might have difficulty to manage many tasks. This includes emails, phone conversations, and meetings. In addition, they may struggle to remember names, and their handwriting may be messy. They might also have a lack of organizational skills and procrastinate on projects, which can affect their job performance and cause stress. In certain instances, impulsive behaviors can result in unhealthy coping strategies such as alcohol or drugs.
Many women with ADHD aren't diagnosed because they aren't aware of it. Their symptoms can be difficult to detect because they are often obscured by the hormonal changes of puberty, pregnancy, as well as menopause.
At Salience Health, we help those suffering from ADHD manage their symptoms through a combination of therapy and medication. The use of medications can be extremely beneficial in treating the problem of impulse control. To learn more about the treatment options available to adults with ADHD contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Hyperactivity
Women with ADHD might have difficulty sitting still or be quiet for long periods of time. Their flitting and restlessness can affect their ability to concentrate on tasks at work or school. They have a difficult time playing or doing things in silence. They might appear as if they aren't interested in the things that other people are interested in, and are easily distracted. They might also have trouble remembering the specifics of conversations or events they have attended.
They might also have issues following through with plans and commitments. As adults many women with ADHD develop strategies to disguise their symptoms to keep their promises and maintain relationships. This can lead to feeling like they are overwhelmed and out of control. It is especially difficult for women who have the hyperactive/impulsive type of ADHD, which can cause mood swings. These mood swings could be misinterpreted as a sign of depression by male colleagues and even spouses.
The symptoms of ADHD are different for both genders, but a thorough evaluation by a qualified health care provider is crucial. A Salience Health provider can use tools such as Creyos Cognitive Testing and Brainview Advanced testing to make diagnose and suggest treatment options.
A combination of medication and therapy is usually recommended for those suffering from ADHD, including adult women. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as well as interpersonal skills training and other treatments can help change negative thought patterns and behaviors. The use of medication, including stimulant medication and non-stimulant medicines, can be helpful in the treatment of symptoms of ADHD in adult women. A health care provider can prescribe the right medication for you based on symptoms and age, your stage in life, your primary responsibilities, and any other illnesses or conditions you suffer from.
Social Skills
Many people suffering from ADHD struggle to connect with others and feel lonely despite having many friends, coworkers acquaintances, family members and acquaintances. They have trouble making new acquaintances and maintaining relationships due to their forgetfulness, focus problems and impulsivity. This can result in long periods without having a meaningful conversations and being late for appointments, and missing social occasions.
These social issues can lead to difficulties at work, at school, and in relationships. The inability to follow through on promises or commitments creates feelings of being rejected and not appreciated by family members, coworkers and friends. This can cause depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and a sense of failure or loss of control. In some cases it may result in separation or divorce due to the insidious behavior is too much for the partner or spouse who doesn't have ADHD.
Women who suffer from ADHD often mask their symptoms by changing their behavior to meet societal expectations and norms. This makes it harder to get a diagnosis, as they might not be as forthcoming about their difficulties. They might have developed a healthy repertoire of coping strategies to disguise their symptoms.
For instance, they might keep an eye on their appointments with the calendar app or set reminders on their phones to pay bills or attend important events. They might also be able to cope with their inability to multitask, by doing more than one thing at a time However, they might struggle with executive and memory issues that limit their ability to plan and manage their time.
They may also have difficulty understanding the language or comprehending subtexts while listening to others which could lead to social issues. Finding out the cause is the first step to finding solutions and creating stronger connections with other people. There are a variety of solutions and resources available, such as medication and therapies.