20 Fun Facts About Female ADHD Symptoms
Adult Female ADHD Symptoms
ADHD in childhood is characterised by impulsivity and hyperactivity. This can lead to academic and behavioral difficulties. It's a chronic illness that children typically overcome the symptoms.
In adulthood, symptoms of inattention persist and can cause issues at school or work. These symptoms can also be caused or aggravated by hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or menopausal.
Inattentive Symptoms
The symptoms of inattention ADHD can be extremely frustrating for adults. They can impact relationships as well as productivity at work and school performance. You could be easily distracted, lose things often or have difficulty following directions. You may forget business appointments or meetings, leaving unfinished tasks. You might be overwhelmed by the mess in your office or home and have trouble remembering important details of events that happened in your life. You may find it difficult to be attentive to others and may have what's known as the"thousand-yard stare," where you stare at people but you don't listen to them.
Adults with inattention ADHD may also suffer from memory problems, especially when hormonal changes occur such as during menstrual cycles, pregnancy menopausal, perimenopausal, and menopausal. This can be especially difficult for women who believe that their symptoms are being aggravated by these periods.
You can make a difference in your life if you've been diagnosed with inattention ADHD. It is essential to establish realistic goals for yourself and plan ahead. You can use apps for reminders or planners, as well as post-it notes to keep the track of appointments or deadlines. Break down large projects into smaller pieces and finish them one at a time. Take regular breaks and move around to refocus.
You can also ask your employer or school for accommodations that could help you manage your symptoms, like allowing you to work from home, allowing you extra time on tests or assignments or assisting with notetaking during meetings. Many places have policies requiring them to offer accommodations for people who have disabilities, such as ADHD.
Women with ADHD who don't receive a diagnosis could end up feeling angry or frustrated. They might blame their issues on themselves, or believe that medical professionals or family members have dismissed them. Many feel sadness and loss over the lack of opportunities and damaged relationships because they did not receive treatment for their condition.
Research suggests that, in comparison to men and boys, girls and women with inattentive ADHD are not recognized and diagnosed. This is primarily due the fact that their symptoms tend to camouflage. They can appear to be anxiety or mood-related, leading clinicians to misdiagnose them. They also have more effective coping strategies than men, which can mask the root cause of ADHD symptoms.
Hyperactive symptoms
In girls and women, hyperactive ADHD symptoms can manifest as a sense of agitation or difficulty sitting still. They might feel fidgety or constantly in motion or be extremely talkative or struggle to concentrate in class or at work. Girls can also be anxious and struggle to control their emotions. They are often challenged to meet the expectations of society for women's behavior and this can lead to feelings of inadequacy and chronic stress.
While the symptom-profile of females with ADHD is different than that of men, the condition is a long-lasting disorder. It's estimated that only about 30% of adults overcome their ADHD, and women are less likely to be successful than men. If you've been diagnosed of adult ADHD the symptoms could get worse as you age and undergo hormonal changes.
You might notice that your ADHD symptoms are more intense during puberty, around your menstrual cycle and during perimenopause (the years leading up to menopausal). You may notice that you are making more mistakes, have trouble staying on top of deadlines and tasks or ignoring appointments.
If you suffer from the inattentive type of ADHD, your symptoms might be more severe during perimenopausal and menopausal. This is because estrogen levels decrease around ovulation, and in the middle of your period. This can cause an increase in ADHD symptoms. It's possible that these fluctuations explain why many women don't get an ADHD diagnosis in childhood and instead are left undiagnosed when they become adults.
In the initial diagnosis, doctors use different methods, including interviews, rating scales and other methods, to determine if a patient suffers from ADHD. It is also crucial to think about the way you react and interpret your symptoms. Women and girls can hide or cover up their ADHD symptoms to avoid being judged. This could result in being misdiagnosed with anxiety or mood disorders. Males and males are more likely than women to be diagnosed with ADHD due to their disruptive behaviors. This is the reason why a majority of the first ADHD studies were conducted with hyperactive boys and males.
The symptoms of an impulse
Having ADHD can make it difficult to control impulsive behaviors such as hitting your fist against the wall or picking something off the floor. It can make it difficult to think before acting and can create problems at school or work when you must finish tasks or follow directions without interruptions.
As you age as you get older, your issues with controlling your impulses, planning and organisational abilities could become more invisible and less noticeable than when you were a kid. Hyperactivity can turn into an inner restlessness. The periods of organization may be accompanied by periods of procrastination or feeling overwhelmed.
symptoms of adult attention deficit disorder suggests that girls and women tend to hide their ADHD symptoms more frequently than men and boys do. It's partly due to the fact that males and boys are more likely to be socially accepted for the way they behave particularly impulsive or hyperactive ones. This could be due to gender stereotypes, such as the idea boys are more impulsive than girls, and less organized. This can encourage a girl to hide her ADHD symptoms to fit in.
The hormone fluctuations that happen during menstrual cycles or pregnancy can exacerbate ADHD symptoms in females. This is because estrogen levels drop around ovulation and even more during the beginning of menstruation. This causes symptoms to become more severe. It is important that girls and women with ADHD are examined by a mental health professional or a health care professional when they exhibit these symptoms.
You can manage the symptoms of ADHD. A combination of medication, therapy and lifestyle changes can make a difference. Regular exercise can boost your mood, release neurotransmitters and increase energy and focus. Try taking part in sports, cardio or aerobic exercises at home, or in your local gym.
Getting enough sleep is also crucial. A restful night can reduce fatigue, which is often a sign of ADHD. It is important to eat a balanced diet and avoid eating foods that cause ADHD symptoms.
Internalizing Symptoms

Women suffering from ADHD can experience unique difficulties in all aspects of their lives. They are more susceptible to irritability and may develop coping strategies such as internalization. This can lead to poor self-esteem and a negative body image. For these reasons, it's especially important that they get diagnosed and receive treatment as adults. For many, the diagnosis could be a lightbulb moment that provides a rationale for the difficulties they've faced and allowing them to accept themselves more fully (Waite, 2010).
symptoms of adhd in adults can vary in intensity according to the hormone levels. The symptoms can improve during pregnancy or ovulation however, they can become more severe when approaching menopausal. Women may find it difficult to maintain relationships and manage daily tasks during this time. This can lead to feelings of unsatisfaction.
Relationships can be affected by impulsive or forgetful behaviors. Not remembering birthdays or projects that aren't finished, or not paying your bills on time, can make people feel like you're not worth it which can lead to conflicts. People with ADHD tend to be extremely sensitive to rejection and have trouble controlling their emotions. This can lead to extreme reactions to rejection or failure.
Because of the impulsivity, desire to be part of something, and to be loved, girls and women with ADHD might develop sexually active earlier than their peers. This puts them at increased risk of becoming victims of intimate partner violence and STIs, because they are less likely to take protection or insist their partners do so. They are also more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression co-occurring with it and may have a hard time maintaining friendships.
While more research is required to better understand the impact ADHD has on different genders it's clear that females are more likely not be diagnosed, and to have a distinct experience with the disorder. It is possible to get diagnosis and receive treatment to improve your relationships and allow you to succeed at work or in school. Your doctor might also suggest therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy to aid you in managing your emotions and thoughts while replacing negative thinking patterns with healthier ones.