Women With Attention Deficit
Women who suffer from ADHD might have difficulty navigating relationships, jobs and even life in general. They can become impatient easily and minor issues like waiting in line or being stuck on hold for prolonged durations of time can become major irritations.
Many women have difficulty to obtain an accurate adult ADHD diagnosis. This could be due to gender bias and the fact that many studies focus on children and gay males.
Impatience
Women with attention deficits often struggle to handle their daily responsibilities and juggle many tasks. Others may mistakenly interpret their anger as irritability, moodiness, or a lack commitment to their work or relationships. However, these issues could be a sign of a disorder that is often not recognized by adults: adult ADHD.
Impatience is a typical characteristic of ADD. People with ADD can be rushed through tasks or projects without a plan, which can lead to a sense of overwhelm. They can be easily distracted by things that happen around them. This makes it difficult to finish tasks and keep a conversation going.
The inattention-deficit symptoms of ADHD, such as trouble staying on task procrastination, apathy, forgetting and needing help keeping things in order with appointments or belongings is a major challenge for women. Many of these women have a high level of self-criticism and their problems could be exacerbated by anxiety and depression that are often associated with the disorder. They aren't able to accept criticism and are at a greater risk of violence from their intimate partners and are unable to handle conflicts or anger in their relationships.
Hormonal fluctuations can increase or decrease a woman's symptoms of ADD. For instance, as women reach puberty, they notice changes in estrogen levels which can cause ADD symptoms worse. These fluctuations can persist through menstrual cycles and perimenopausal periods as estrogen levels become low. The symptoms of a woman can be aggravated due to menopausal changes, pregnancy or hormonal fluctuations, particularly in women with bipolar disorders.
Women suffering from ADHD need to find a healthcare provider who is knowledgeable about their condition and has been trained to diagnose and treat it. You should read the recommended books in this article prior to scheduling an appointment to better understand ADHD and its signs.
You may want to consider participating in a clinical study if you are unable to find a doctor specialized in treating ADHD. Clinical trials are research studies that seek out new ways to treat, diagnose or prevent diseases and disorders. Learn more about clinical trials and whether they are right for you by visiting the NIMH's Clinical Trials webpage.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD often have trouble regulating their emotions, which can lead to impulsive behaviors that can be damaging. Examples include impulsive purchases that lead to marriage or relationships before they are ready and interrupting others during conversations or blurting out answers without paying attention. In addition, they might have rejection sensitivity that can cause them to experience intense emotional reactions to perceived or real rejection.
Women who suffer from attention deficit disorder are faced with the same problems as men, but their issues differ. Their hormones, for example can influence how symptoms manifest and how they react to treatment.
For women who suffer from ADD one task can seem interminable when they are trying to keep their focus. Distracted and lost in her thoughts, or even daydreaming are common for them particularly during boring activities like grocery shopping, writing letters or doing chores. They can easily become bored and have a difficult time switching their attention between activities. This can interfere with school and work.
Women with ADD have a hard time keeping an eye on their appointments and possessions. They often forget things and don't remember specific details of conversations or events. This can lead to embarrassing mistakes in the workplace, at school or in social situations. They also tend to delay or get overwhelmed by multitasking. This can cause anxiety.
In addition to the problems of impulsivity and inattention as well as inattention and impulsivity, women with ADD might have a combination subtype, which also includes hyperactivity or prefrontal cortex dysfunction. Women with a combination subtype can exhibit both hyperactivity as well as inattention symptoms. However they can be difficult to recognize, especially when young.
Regular exercise can reduce ADHD symptoms. Physical activity can improve mood and focus by increasing neurotransmitters. It also helps relieve anxiety, which is a different problem that women with ADHD have to deal with. Women with ADHD should try to do at minimum four to five sessions of 30 minutes or more each week of aerobic or cardio exercises, like cycling, swimming, running or playing team sports, or doing yoga.
Inorganizational issues
Women suffering from ADHD often have difficulty managing their daily activities or events. This can lead to a messy home or office, problems with personal finances and a general lack of organization at work or in their daily lives.
They may be unable to finish projects or tasks that are not immediately satisfying or exciting and may not have a plan for the future obligations. In addition, those who suffer from ADHD frequently have trouble focusing on and remembering what others have said in conversations. This is why they frequently miss meetings and appointments, struggle to follow instructions at school or at work, and are more likely to encounter frustrations with misunderstandings in their relationships.
For an accurate diagnosis, it is important to consult an experienced doctor. Adult ADD is often misdiagnosed and a lot of doctors have a limited knowledge of the disorder. Consult the doctor you're considering to consult for an inventory of recommended reading resources, and then ask them several questions to make sure they are aware of the disorder.
ADHD in women is exacerbated by gender roles. It is normal for women to feel pressured to be successful in their careers and to have more family responsibilities, maintain happy relationships, and perform well in the community. In some instances these pressures from society can make it difficult to identify the signs of ADHD due to the fact that the disorder can hinder the ability to meet these expectations.
ADHD symptoms are more subtle in girls, adolescent females and men than they are in males or boys. This can lead to being underdiagnosed. This is due to the fact that women and girls are typically expected to focus on their appearance and social skills instead of recognizing any issues in their performance or focus. Females who suffer from ADHD tend to be more inattentive than hyperactive symptoms and could also be suffering from mood disorders or anxiety.
The good news is that there are ways you can reduce your symptoms and improve your functioning. Regular exercise can help release neurotransmitters that boost the ability to focus and reduce anxiety. Try swimming, jogging, dancing or taking group classes such as yoga or Pilates. Include these activities into your routine to help control ADHD symptoms. You can use a planner, checklists, or a post-it notepad to plan your day-to-day tasks. Finally, be sure to take regular breaks and eat healthy foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They can help control attention and promote mental clarity.
Social Awkwardness
Contrary to social anxiety awkwardness is not caused by a severe fear of judgement, but rather an inability to navigate the complexity of social interactions. This may be due to limited social exposure or neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or personality characteristics that make it difficult for people to adjust to social situations.
A person who is socially awkward could make inappropriate comments or actions that make them appear out of balance and miss nonverbal signals that indicate what to do next. They may also have difficulty understanding social norms like humor and sarcasm. They may also be hesitant to participate in group activities or be self-conscious about how they perform in social situations, leading to feelings of embarrassment and rejection.
People who are socially awkward often withdraw from group activities and turn to self-care strategies such as overeating or shopping, watching TV or exercising to help feel better. These behaviors can increase the feeling of being socially awkward by restricting social activities.
Sometimes, treatment for adhd in women of social awkwardness stems from trauma. Trauma can happen when a person's needs for trust, attunement, or autonomy are not met in the early years of life and they develop a rigid behaviour pattern to deal with the threat. This can result in feeling of social anxiety, when sensory information from the environment triggers the trauma.
Gifted children can also experience social anxiety because their higher levels of intellectual ability make them appear older and more mature than their peers. They might also be focused on their own interests and act as though they know more than others, which can cause them to speak with an academic or unbalanced tone.
Fear of being judged by other people for their appearance or behavior is another cause of social awkwardness. This can result in poor posture, avoiding eye-contact or displaying an angry posture that reveals how uncomfortable they feel. The majority of social awkwardness symptoms can be addressed through therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a method of challenging and alters negative thinking patterns is one method to aid individuals. Exposure therapy gradually exposes people to stressful situations so that they can build confidence and tolerance.
