ADHD Adult Female Symptoms
ADHD can affect people of all genders and ages, but it can be harder for women to be diagnosed. It's because women do not typically exhibit the same levels of high levels of impulsivity or hyperactivity that men do, which means they are often misdiagnosed or not recognized.
The first step in managing your symptoms is to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Adults with ADHD are often treated with stimulant medication, but there are other alternatives.
1. Problems with Focusing
While everyone gets distracted from time to time women who suffer from ADHD have difficulty putting their focus on their work and conversations particularly when they're dealing with emotional or sensory overload. These difficulties can be exacerbated when menstrual cycles are in full swing.
Women with inattentive ADHD also have problems with their working memory, which makes it hard to remember simple things like appointments or upcoming events. They may often forget where they kept their car keys or the name of the lady who took them home from spin class, or even important deadlines and dates.
Procrastination and the inability to stick with plans are also symptoms of ADHD among adult females. They are more likely to be distracted by shiny objects or social networks, making it difficult to finish their projects and assignments. This can cause feeling overwhelmed and underperforming at work or school.
Because of the way society views gender, many women with ADHD go undiagnosed. In turn, they experience guilt and mistakenly attribute their problems as "bad behaviors" or "character imperfections". They may feel as if they are a fraud. A diagnosis could be an "lightbulb" moment for them, as it provides them with an external explanation for their struggles and helps them accept themselves better.
Untreated ADHD for girls and women can result in a myriad of negative effects, such as problems with academics, behavioral issues, relationship and family problems as well as coexisting mental health issues. A correct diagnosis and treatment plan can improve the lives of people who suffer from ADHD at any point in their lives. Treatment options include stimulant drugs and therapy. *
2. Difficulty Finishing Projects
Women suffering from ADHD often have trouble completing tasks and duties. They may be unable to remember important details, have difficulty switching between tasks or responsibilities and find it difficult to meet deadlines. They are also more likely to make careless mistakes, struggle with organizing and managing their schedule and underestimate the time it takes to complete tasks.
Women suffering from ADHD can find the emotional symptoms of ADHD like mood swings or irritability particularly difficult. Symptoms can be exacerbated by hormonal changes, such as those that occur during the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy, as well as menopausal. Women with undiagnosed ADHD may feel angry and disappointed by their performance at work or in relationships.
Women with ADHD have a difficult time staying on top of daily tasks, such as grocery shopping and household chores. They might have a difficult recalling to take out the trash or to switch off the stove, and they are easily distracted by the smallest things around them. They might also struggle doing repetitive tasks, like folding the dishes or washing the laundry. Simple chores or boring ones can become exhausting and cause impulsive behavior such as excessive talking or sharing. The impulsivity associated with ADHD can also lead women to make unruly decisions and use unhealthy coping methods like alcohol or drugs.
If you're having difficulty getting things done, have memory problems, procrastinate chronically or are experiencing relationship issues It is crucial to seek out professional help for ADHD. A correct diagnosis can enhance your quality of life and help you achieve success in both your professional and personal life. It can help you better manage your ADHD symptoms and devise strategies to manage them effectively. To avoid lapses of focus and attention you should keep a consistent schedule and use planners or reminder apps and take notes during meetings, and maintain good habits of sleep (avoid screens for an hour prior to the time you go to bed). Exercise can also improve focus as it increases the neurotransmitter levels in your brain.
3. Trouble remembering names
Difficulty remembering names can be associated with other ADHD symptoms like difficulty following directions and trouble finishing projects. The underlying issue behind these difficulties is an inability to organize and prioritize tasks which affects efficient information retrieval. This symptom tends to worsen when there is a period of fatigue, stress or hormonal changes.
Forgetting names can be more frustrating when it's followed by a feeling of numbness over larger things, such as appointments and events, or personal reminders. These lapses may be caused by depression or anxiety, which commonly co-occur with ADHD in women.
ADHD is often not recognized in women due to gender bias and internalized symptoms. Inattentive ADHD symptoms are more subtle than hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, making them harder to detect and identify. As a result, they are not recognized and referred to for treatment and diagnosis.
Additionally, there is gender-based discrimination since the disorder is often be viewed as a condition that is affecting boys. Boys who are hyperactive are the ones most often taken to clinics and assessed for treatment. In addition to internalized stigma and the fact that women's symptoms tend to differ from those of men as well, a lot of professionals fail to detect or treat ADHD in women.
It's becoming more commonplace for women to be diagnosed with ADHD in their adulthood. A diagnosis can improve relationships and prepare you for success at school and at work and provide the support you need to thrive in your daily life. If you're interested in getting a diagnosis, talk to an experienced Salience Health provider. We will be able to assess your symptoms using tools like Creyos Cognitive Testing and Brainview Advanced and connect you to a therapist who is right for you.
4. Ailoofs with difficulty
Women suffering from ADHD are often prone to inattention and their issues may appear insignificant to other people. They may miss appointments, forget to complete chores around the house or have trouble making notes at work. They may also have issues with impulsivity or have difficulty understanding the boundaries of social interaction. This could cause them to misinterpret and misunderstandings with family and friends and may cause feelings of loneliness and isolation.
In addition, women who suffer from untreated ADHD frequently have difficulty meeting the expectations of society for them as women. They may struggle with the burden of caring for children and household chores, and this social pressure can exacerbate their ADHD symptoms and feelings of inadequacy. Many women with untreated ADHD have low self-esteem, and they resort to unhealthy strategies for coping such as binge eating and marathons on TV.
The challenges of ADHD for women are added to by gender bias in the way that girls and women are viewed as well as how clinicians assess their symptoms. Some research suggests that women and girls are more likely to hide their ADHD symptoms or attempt to cover up for them, and might be less likely than males and females to be referred to a specialist for treatment and diagnosis.

Another issue is that women with ADHD might have difficulty recognizing their own symptoms, and they may confuse them with anxiety or mood disorders. This could lead to false diagnoses and improper or delayed treatment.
Symptoms of ADHD can vary with hormonal fluctuations. They are most noticeable during the ovulation cycle or menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause. These changes can intensify a woman's frustration with her ADHD symptoms, and could increase the chance of being viewed as moody or emotional.
5. Impulsivity
Women are also susceptible to the impulsivity that is a symptom of ADHD.
what are the symptoms for ADHD in adults may also have difficulty managing their emotions, and be prone to "foot in the mouth" moments. These impulsive behaviors can have a big impact on relationships and professional life.
Prefrontal cortex is the region of the brain responsible for controlling thinking and making decisions. This brain area can help people avoid making a mistake by serving as a check on their behavior. ADHD sufferers have less functional prefrontal cortex. This makes it more difficult to resist impulses and prevent themselves from engaging in reckless behavior. It can also cause an inability to respect themselves. In women, impulsiveness usually manifests as difficulty with social boundaries and conversational self-restraint (interrupting, finishing others' sentences, and speaking too much).
Women may also struggle with impulse control due to the many hormonal changes throughout their lives. Estrogen is naturally fluctuates at various times throughout the menstrual cycle, and also during pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. The use of oral contraception and hormone therapy during perimenopause and menopausal cycles can alter the levels of estrogen and other hormones that affect the woman's ADHD symptoms.
ADHD symptoms for girls and women can differ from those in men and boys, which is why they are often misdiagnosed. Many adults with ADHD are unaware of their condition. The positive side is that identifying and treating ADHD can improve a person's life regardless of age. If you're unsure if or not you suffer from ADHD consult your doctor and find out how they can help. Treatment options include medication, cognitive therapy and couples counseling.