ADD Symptoms in Women
Women with ADD are often misunderstood or dismissed as being excessively emotional. For some, small inconveniences like standing in lines or waiting on hold drive them to distraction or rage.
Gender stereotypes can be a reason for symptoms to be hidden which makes it difficult to detect and diagnose. At Amen Clinics, we use brain imaging to determine if a woman suffers from undetected ADHD.
Hyperactivity
Women suffering from ADHD may feel overwhelmed by the tasks they must complete. They might describe their lives as like a constant chaos, and they find it difficult to get the support they require from friends and family. They also have a harder time handling criticism and stress and are more susceptible to anxiety and depression. Women who suffer from ADHD are also more likely to engage in dangerous sexual activities, such as sexually promiscuous or casual sex. These experiences can lead to sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies, and low self-esteem and feelings of shame.
Psychologists are working on advancing the research on ADHD in women of adulthood. Julia Rucklidge is a PhD student at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She is leading this effort. She and her colleagues focus on females who suffer from comorbid conditions like anxiety and depression. These co-occurring conditions can mask or increase ADHD symptoms, which can affect women's ability to perform at work, school, and at home.
Rucklidge discusses how many of the same biases which affect both men and boys make it difficult to diagnose ADHD in women and girls. Rating scales are skewed toward male behavior, and girls' strategies for coping may not be as effective in the classroom or workplace. Women who have impulsive ADHD are often seen as aggressive or irrational, and may hide their symptoms to fit in.
Additionally to that, a lot of the same behavioral signs are present in all three types of ADHD. Women can experience inattentive ADHD, hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, or mixed symptoms. They could be unruly or fidgety. They may also be in a hurry and disruptive or forgetful, unorganized, talkative and impatient inability and unwilling to wait for their turn, and prone mood swings.
Inattentiveness
Although the hyperactive or impulsive symptoms of ADHD are more well-known, the inattention of ADHD can be just as debilitating for children and adults alike. It can be difficult to remain organized, manage your time effectively and manage all the daily tasks. Children may be late to school for important deadlines or a worker might miss important meetings. Inattentive ADHD may also cause relationships problems when other people get annoyed when a friend or co-worker is frequently distracted by thoughts.
It's easy to overlook or dismiss the non-hyperactive signs of ADHD because they aren't as visible as the typical symptoms. Children who have inattentive ADHD are often portrayed as uncooperative or lazy children due to the fact that they do not follow the instructions of their parents or teachers or daydream in class. Adults with inattentive ADHD can also be ignored because their symptoms might not be as obvious as their peers' hyperactivity or impulsivity.
Inattentional ADHD can include having trouble staying focused, being easily distracted, difficulty paying attention to details and poor listening skills and frequent misplacing of items. Inattentive ADHD can be exacerbated or made more severe by anxiety, stress and other issues like depression, poor sleep and nutrition, side effects of medication (especially stimulant medications) as well as poor eating habits and nutritional deficiencies.
Attention-deficit ADHD is more common in girls and women than other ADD presentations, but this type of ADD is often not diagnosed and not treated. This is due to a variety of factors, including the particular symptoms that are present as well as the higher prevalence of anxiety and affective disorder in females and rating scales that favor male behavior. In addition, hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle may significantly affect how irritable ADHD symptoms appear.
Impulsiveness
People who are unable to control their impulses feel a sense of tension or excitement before they decide to act on their impulses. They also struggle to resist urges, even when they are aware that their act is harmful or dangerous. Afterward, they often feel guilt or regret.
Children are often impulsive as they begin to understand the consequences of their actions. It's also a characteristic of certain conditions like ADHD, antisocial personality disorder and pyromania (the desire to burn things).
Impulsivity may be a sign of mental illness, like bipolar disorder, stroke, brain tumors or diabetes. Certain substances, like alcohol, can also break down your inhibitions and cause you to behave recklessly.
An inability to control your impulses can impact your relationships, career and daily life. If you have ADHD, for example an impulsive attitude can disrupt your daily routine and impair your ability to manage your finances or work. The signs include interrupting people when they're talking, blurting out answers to questions, and having trouble waiting your turn in the line. Adults who are impulsive can include spending excessively on purchases or shopping on the spur of the moment or watching too much television.
It is important to know the difference between compulsive and impulsive behavior. Compulsive behavior is ritualistic and repetitive, while impulsive behaviour is spontaneous. For example, putting your hand into the fire to check whether it's still burning is an impulsive act and checking it over and over again to make sure the stove is turned off is a habitual behavior. Research has shown that men are more impulsive than women, but researchers aren't sure why. They speculate that genetics, environment and hormonal changes during the adolescent years and into adulthood could be a factor in the differences.
Agitation
Agitation is a feeling of restlessness and irritability which can be triggered by stress or an illness. It may cause a person to feel anxious, excited or tense, and can trigger aggression or suicidal behaviors. People who are anxious may have difficulty sleeping and experience problems in their relationships and at work.
Speak to your doctor if frequently agitated. The doctor might suggest to try medication or therapy. It is also recommended to visit the hospital if they have chest pain or difficulty breathing which could indicate an attack on the heart.
Sometimes agitation is a symptom of depression. Depression can trigger feelings of helplessness, sadness and hopelessness. Some people who suffer from depression may experience agitation. This is usually accompanied by anxiety and restlessness. This is known as agitated depression, and experts are still learning about how this type of depression differs from other forms of depression.
Sometimes, agitation may be an indication of mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. These conditions can make it difficult for someone to discern what is real and what is not. These people may pace or wring hands, or feel as if they can't remain still.
Certain medications, like antipsychotics, can cause an increase in agitation. If you feel agitated on a regular basis discuss it with your doctor. In some cases doctors may prescribe the patient a different medicine that doesn't cause this effect. Aside from these medicines people can also try to decrease their anxiety by avoiding situations that can stress them out and eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep.
Depression
Women who are depressed can experience feelings of sadness and hopelessness. It can also cause problems with eating, sleep and thinking clearly. Women should seek treatment for depression when they begin to start to notice signs. adhd symptoms for women will stop symptoms from worsening and even an relapse.
According to research studies, women are more susceptible to depression than men. It is often thought that this is due to the multitude of roles women fill in their lives, like being a mother and spouse, which can create stress or lead to burnout. Women are also more likely to experience hormonal changes that could lead to depression, for instance during menopausal or pregnancy.
It is possible that certain women are at a greater risk of depression due to previous history of the condition or a family history of it. This could also be the case for women who are self-conscious or who have had issues with sexuality or body image issues.
Women who suffer from depression might suffer from sleep issues, fatigue and thoughts of suicide or death. Women who are depressed may also feel shame or guilt. Women tend to blame themselves for their depressed mood, and this can be exacerbated because they have to take care of their children and other loved ones. Antidepressant medication can ease these symptoms. However, it is essential to seek advice from a professional from a doctor.