Women With Attention Deficit
Women who suffer from ADHD might have a difficult time navigating their relationships, careers and everyday life. They can be easily annoyed, and minor inconveniences like waiting in line or being put on hold for a long time can result in a major aggravation.
Many women have a tough finding a reliable diagnosis of adult ADHD. This can be due to gender bias and the fact that many studies are geared towards children and cisgender males.
Impatience
Women with attention deficits often have a difficult time managing their everyday responsibilities and manage multiple tasks. Their frustration can sometimes be misinterpreted by others as irritability or moodiness, or as a lack of commitment to work or relationships. These struggles may be symptoms of adult ADHD, a disorder that is often misdiagnosed.
A typical symptom of ADD is the tendency to be impatient. Women with the disorder may speed through tasks or dive into projects without a thorough plan, which can result in mistakes and a feeling of being overwhelmed. They can be easily distracted by things that are happening around them. This makes it difficult for them to complete their tasks and maintain a conversation.
Women can experience many difficulties with the inattentive ADHD symptoms, such as forgetfulness, procrastination and needing assistance to keep the track of appointments or possessions. A lot of these women are very self-critical, and their problems are often worsened by depression or anxiety that frequently coexist with the disorder. They have trouble accepting criticism, are at a higher risk of violence from their intimate partners and have difficulty dealing with conflict or frustration in their relationships.
Hormonal fluctuations may alter or even reduce a woman's symptoms of ADD. As women enter puberty, they may experience changes in estrogen that can worsen ADD symptoms. 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 fluctuations in women with bipolar disorder.
It is important for women suffering from ADHD to locate a medical professional who is knowledgeable about their condition and is well-trained in the diagnosis and treatment. Before making an appointment, you should read the books suggested in this article to gain greater understanding of ADHD and its manifestations.
You may want to consider participating in a clinical study if you cannot find a doctor who is specialized in treating ADHD. Clinical trials are research studies that seek out new ways to diagnose, treat or prevent illnesses and disorders. You can learn more about clinical trials and whether they are suitable for you by visiting NIMH's Clinical Trials webpage.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD can have difficulty controlling their emotions. This can lead to impulsive behavior that can be damaging. Examples include buying things on impulse that lead to marriage or relationships before they are ready and interrupting others during conversations or shouting out answers without listening. In addition, they might be sensitive to rejection, which can cause them to experience intense emotional responses to perceived or real rejection.
The same problems that make it difficult for men to concentrate and stay organized can also be seen in women with attention deficit disorder, however they have unique issues of their own. For instance, their hormones can influence the way their symptoms are manifested and how they respond to treatment.
Some women who suffer from ADD struggle to focus on one task at a time. Getting distracted and lost in her thoughts or imagining things are common for them, especially during boring tasks such as grocery shopping or writing letters, or even doing chores. They can easily become bored and have a hard time shifting their attention between different tasks, which could hinder their work and school.
When it is time to organize, women who suffer from ADD often have trouble keeping things in order, whether it's things to do or possessions. They tend to forget things and aren't able to recall specific details of conversations or events. This can result in embarrassing mistakes in the workplace, at school or in social situations. They also have a tendency to put off tasks and become overwhelmed by multitasking, which can lead to more anxiety.
In addition to the difficulties of impulsivity and inattentiveness, women with ADD might have a combination subtype that includes hyperactivity or prefrontal cortex disorder. Women who have a combination subtype exhibit both inattentive and hyperactive symptoms, but these are sometimes hard to differentiate between them particularly when they are young.
Regular exercise can help reduce ADHD symptoms. Physical activity can boost the mood and concentration by increasing neurotransmitters. It can also reduce stress, an problem that many women suffering from ADHD confront. Women who suffer from ADHD should aim to complete at minimum four to five sessions of 30 minutes or more each week of aerobic or cardio exercises, such as running, swimming, cycling, playing team sports or doing yoga.
Lack of Organization
Women suffering from ADHD often have trouble keeping track of their daily tasks or activities. This can lead to a messy home or office and financial issues and an overall lack of organization at work or in their daily lives.
They may be unable to finish projects or tasks that are not immediately rewarding or exciting and may not have a plan to meet their future obligations. Women who suffer from ADHD also have difficulty focusing and remembering other people's words during conversations. As a result, they often miss appointments and meetings, are unable to follow instructions at school or work and are more likely to have disconcerting confusions in their relationships.
To make sure you get a correct diagnosis, it is important to consult a doctor who is qualified. Adult ADD is frequently misdiagnosed and many doctors have a poor understanding of this disorder. Consider asking the doctor you're considering to consult for recommendations for reading materials, and ask them an array of questions to ensure they understand the disorder.
ADHD in women is worsened by gender roles. It is normal for women to feel pressured to be successful in their professions and to take on more family responsibilities, keep good relationships and be successful 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 the expectations of society.
ADHD symptoms are less apparent in females, adolescents and males than in males or boys. This could lead to an underdiagnosis. This is because societal and family expectations tend to dictate that girls and women concentrate on their appearance and social skills rather than recognizing any problems with their performance or in their concentration. Females who suffer from ADHD tend to show more inattentive than hyperactive symptoms and may also suffer from anxiety or mood disorders.
There are a variety of things you can do to improve your health and reduce your symptoms. Regular exercise releases neurotransmitters that improve concentration and decrease anxiety. Try swimming, jogging and dancing or attending group classes such as yoga or Pilates. Include these types of activities in your daily routine to control ADHD symptoms. You can also use planners, checklists, or a post-it notepad to plan your day-to-day tasks. Take frequent breaks, and eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost the clarity of your mind and help regulate attention.
Social Awkwardness
Unlike social anxiety, social awkwardness is not caused by an intense fear of judgment but rather an inability to navigate the complexities of social interactions. This could be due to a lack of social experiences, a neurological condition such as autism spectrum disorders, or personality traits that make it difficult to adjust to social settings.
Someone who is socially awkward could say or do inappropriate things that make them appear out of balance and do not understand non-verbal signals that tell them what to do next. They might also have a hard time understanding social conventions, such as sarcasm or humor. They might also shy away from group activities, or be overly self-conscious about their appearance in social situations. This can cause feelings like rejection and embarrassment.
Socially awkward people tend to stay away from social events, and instead rely on self care strategies like overeating or watching television or exercising to feel better. These behaviors can increase the feeling of social awkwardness by further limiting their available social outlets.
Sometimes, the anxiety of social isolation stems from trauma. Trauma can occur when a child's need for trust, attunement or autonomy is not met in early childhood. They develop a rigid behavioral pattern to face this threat. This can result in feelings of social anxiety if environmental sensory information triggers the trauma.
Gifted children can also be uncomfortable socially because their superior intellect makes them appear older and more mature. They might also be focused on their own interests and act as though they know more than others, which can result in them speaking in an overly-academic or off-balanced tone.
Fear of being judged by others due to their appearance or behaviour is a different cause of social awkwardness. This can result in poor posture, avoiding eye contact or displaying an angry posture which demonstrates how uncomfortable they are. Fortunately adhd in adult women of the issues associated with social awkwardness can be resolved with therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a method of challenging and alters negative thinking patterns is a method to aid people. Exposure therapy gradually exposes people to situations that cause anxiety so that they can develop confidence and tolerance.