Women With Attention Deficit
Women who have ADHD may experience difficulty navigating relationships, jobs and even life in general. They can be easily annoyed and minor inconveniences like waiting in a line or being on hold for a lengthy time can be a major aggravation.
Many women struggle to obtain an accurate adult ADHD diagnosis. This is due to gender bias as well as the fact that a lot of studies are focused on children and transgender males.
Impatience
Women with attention deficits often find it difficult to juggle everyday responsibilities. Their frustrations can be taken as irritability or moodiness, or as a lack of commitment to relationships or work. In fact, these struggles could be a sign of a disorder that is not properly diagnosed in adults and adults: adult ADHD.
Impatience is a frequent sign of ADD. Women with ADD might rush through projects or tasks without a plan, which can lead to errors and a feeling of overwhelm. They may also be easily distracted by things going on around them which makes it difficult to finish tasks or keep a conversation.
Women may experience a lot of difficulty with the inattentive ADHD symptoms, including forgetfulness, procrastination and needing assistance to keep things in order with appointments or possessions. Many of these women have an excessive amount of self-criticism and their problems could be exacerbated by anxiety and depression, which often accompany the disorder. They have difficulty accepting criticism, and are more likely to be victims of violence from their intimate partners.
Hormonal fluctuations may affect the women's symptoms of ADD. For instance, as women reach puberty and are affected by changes in estrogen levels which can cause ADD symptoms worse. These fluctuations can continue through menstruation and perimenopause, when estrogen levels are low. Additionally, women's symptoms can be magnified due to menopausal, pregnancy or hormonal changes in women with bipolar disorder.
It is essential for women suffering from ADHD to locate a medical professional who understands their needs and is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment. Before making an appointment, consider reading some of the books that are recommended in this article to gain more understanding of ADHD and its manifestations.
You might want to think about participating in a clinical study if you can't find a doctor trained to treat ADHD. Clinical trials are research studies that look for new methods to diagnose, treat or prevent diseases and disorders. Visit the NIMH Clinical Trials page to find out more about clinical trials and if they're suitable for you.
Impulsivity
Women suffering from ADHD often have trouble regulating their emotions and can result in impulsive behaviors which can be extremely damaging. Some examples include impulsive spending on marriage and relationships before they're ready and interrupting conversations and uttering answers before they've completed listening. They might also be suffering from an sensitivity to rejection, which can cause them intense emotional reactions to real or perceived rejection.
The same problems that make it difficult for men to focus and stay organized can also be seen in women with attention deficit disorder, but they face unique challenges of their own. Their hormones, for instance can influence how symptoms are expressed and how they react to treatment.
Women who suffer from ADD struggle to stay focused on a single task. Being distracted and lost in her thoughts or imagining things is commonplace for these women particularly during boring activities like grocery shopping, writing letters or doing chores. They can get easily bored and have a difficult finding the time to switch their attention between different tasks, which could interfere with work and school.
Women who suffer from ADD are having a difficult time keeping the track of their appointments and belongings. They tend to forget things and have a hard recalling the details of events or conversations which can lead to embarrassing mistakes at school, work or in social situations. They can also procrastinate or become overwhelmed by multitasking. This can cause anxiety.
In addition to the difficulties of inattention and impulsivity, women with ADD may have a combination subtype that also includes hyperactivity or prefrontal cortex disorder. Women who have a combination subtype exhibit both inattentive and hyperactive symptoms. However, they can be difficult to differentiate between them particularly when they are young.
Regular exercise can help reduce ADHD symptoms. Physical exercise can boost neurotransmitters in the brain, which boost attention and mood. Stress, another problem that many women with ADHD have, can be relieved by physical activity. Women with ADHD are advised to participate in at least four or five times of aerobic or cardio exercises of 30 minutes each week, including cycling, swimming, running or participating in team sports.
Inorganizational issues
Women with ADHD are unable to keep the track of their daily tasks and activities. This can lead them to clutter in their home or office as well as financial issues and a lack of organization in their personal or professional lives.
They may be unable to finish tasks or projects that aren't immediately exciting or rewarding and might not be prepared to meet their future obligations. Women with ADHD also have difficulty staying focused and remembering the words of others in conversations. As a result, they often miss appointments and meetings, are unable to follow directions at work or school and are more likely to experience frustrating confusions in their relationships.
It is crucial to consult a qualified physician for a clear diagnosis. Adult ADD is often misdiagnosed and many physicians have limited knowledge of the disorder. Consider asking the doctor you're considering to consult for recommendations for reading materials, and ask them an array of questions to determine if they're aware of the disorder.
ADHD in women is worsened by gender roles. It is common for women to feel pressure to be successful in their professions and to have more family responsibilities, keep happy relationships and perform well in the community. These pressures from society could make it difficult for women to identify the symptoms of ADHD because they interfere with their ability to meet these expectations.
Symptoms of ADHD are less apparent in girls and adolescent females than men and boys, which can contribute to the underdiagnosis. It is because women and girls are expected to focus on their social skills and appearance instead of recognizing any issues with their performance or concentration. Furthermore, females who suffer from ADHD typically have more irritable symptoms than hyperactivity and are more likely to suffer from co-existing mood disorders and anxiety, which can further mask the existence of the disorder.
There are things you can do to improve your health and manage your symptoms. Regular exercise can help release neurotransmitters that increase concentration and decrease anxiety. Try jogging, swimming or dancing, or joining classes in groups such as yoga or Pilates. Include these types of activities in your routine to manage ADHD symptoms. It is also helpful to keep a notebook and use checklists or post-it notes to organize your daily tasks. Make sure to take frequent breaks and eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids which can help improve concentration and improve mental clarity.
Social Awkwardness
Unlike social anxiety, social awkwardness is not a result of a heightened fear of judgement, but rather an inability to navigate the intricacies of social interactions. This could be due to a lack in social experience, a neurological disorder such as autism spectrum disorders, or personality characteristics that make it difficult for people to adjust to social settings.
Someone who is socially awkward might be prone to making inappropriate remarks in a conversation, appear off-balance and ignore non-verbal signals that tell them the best way to proceed. They may be having a difficult time understanding social conventions, such as sarcasm or humor. They may also avoid social activities or be overly self-conscious about their appearance in social situations. This could lead to feelings like rejection and embarrassment.
People with a social awkwardness often withdraw from group activities and rely on self-care strategies such as overeating shopping, consuming alcohol or watching television to try to feel better. These habits can exacerbate the feelings of social awkwardness by limiting their social outlets.
Social awkwardness can result from trauma. Trauma can happen when a child's need for trust attunement, autonomy or trust is not fulfilled in the early years of childhood. They develop a strict behavioral pattern to cope with this threat. This can lead to a feeling of social awkwardness when sensory information from the environment triggers the trauma.
Children with giftedness can also feel a sense of social anxiety because their higher level of intelligence makes them appear more mature than their peers. They might also be focused on their own personal interests and appear to know more than others, which could cause them to speak with an academic or unbalanced tone.
Another cause of social awkwardness is fear of being judged for their appearance or behaviour. This can result in poor body language, avoiding eye contact, or adopting an aggressive posture that communicates the degree of discomfort they feel. The majority of social awkwardness issues can be resolved with therapy. I Am Psychiatry (CBT) helps individuals challenge and reframe negative thought patterns while exposure therapy gradually exposes people to anxiety-provoking situations to increase tolerance and confidence.