The Best Way To Explain Adult Female ADHD Symptoms To Your Boss
ADHD Symptoms in Adult Females
While ADHD affects both genders equally throughout adulthood, the condition typically is not recognized in females. This is likely due to gender stereotyping and the ability of females to conceal their symptoms.
Many healthcare professionals lack the knowledge and experience to identify ADHD in women. Many females are misdiagnosed and do not receive the care they require.
1. Disorganization
Girls and women with ADHD can struggle with disorganization. made my day is difficult to manage. For instance, your desk may be a mess of tangled papers, 17 chapsticks, and even a ticket for the Kings of Leon concert you attended in 2008. And while you spend money on products that claim to aid in your organization, your home and office may still be messy and chaotic.
Inability to keep track of your tasks may result in missed deadlines and appointments. In addition, you could be struggling with a concept known as "time blindness," which means you aren't able to remember or comprehend how much time it takes to finish a task. This could leave you feeling in a state of discontent and feeling as if you're not doing a great job in your career or in your personal life, particularly when you feel like others don't appreciate your efforts.
You may also have difficulty regulating your emotions, which could cause you to react too quickly in stressful situations. You may also make comments without intention of hurting people's feelings. You might also have difficulty stopping yourself from speaking before you have thought things through, since impulsivity can be common among people with ADHD.
If you have ADHD it is possible that some of your symptoms stem from gender stereotypes or cultural ideas about how women, men, and boys should behave. This can make it difficult to recognize and treat ADHD.
In addition to being diagnosed you may also need a treatment for behavioral issues to tackle the root of your condition. It may take a while to determine the most effective coping strategies, but implementing them will help you feel more in control of your life and improve your relationships with family members, coworkers, and friends.
2. Impulsivity
People who suffer from ADHD are prone to intense emotions. However their brains aren't able to filter them or evaluate them. This means that they could be overwhelmed by one setback or find it hard to discern the emotional state of their peers. This also makes them more prone to be distracted by small inconveniences such as the availability of a book or a friend who isn't reliable.
Many women suffering from ADHD manage their attention problems by hiding symptoms and developing coping strategies. They could be perfectionists or extremely meticulous at school or at work but struggle to keep the track of important dates, deadlines, and appointments. They may struggle with self-talk control and talk excessively or interrupt others frequently.
The hyperactive/impulsive subtype of ADHD tends to be more common in boys and men, but it's not unusual for women to have these symptoms too. These symptoms include the sudden desire to start or stop activities. They can also be characterized by being unable wait for your turn in a conversation or being unable to discern social signals.
While gender stereotypes can impact on the development of ADHD for women, it is difficult to recognize these issues. Rating scales that are used to determine ADHD symptoms are still skewed towards male behavior, and some healthcare professionals may misunderstand or misunderstand the symptoms of women.
Many women suffering from ADHD also note that their symptoms tend to become worse during times of hormonal changes, for example during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or perimenopause (the run-up to menopause). This can trigger emotional symptoms like frustration or irritability as well as depression. They may also experience an ongoing feeling of unsatisfaction with their relationships or life. This could lead to substance abuse, low-self-esteem or unbalanced ways of coping. This is the reason it's so important for women to understand that these symptoms are not an indication of their worth or worth as an individual. If you follow a proper treatment plan, you can improve or even eliminate these signs.
3. Inattention
While everyone struggles with paying attention and focusing at times with ADHD the symptoms can occur often enough that they cause disruption with your daily life. You may make careless errors at work or at school, forget appointments, or spend a great amount of time delaying. You are unable to wait your turn and interrupt others during conversations.
Inattentive symptoms in adults can include the tendency to get involved in projects without properly planning and researching them, which leads to inadequate or poor results. You may also be easily distracted and abandon projects that are not completed. This could include an unwatered vegetable garden planted, but not watered, or an organization system you put together and then put on your nightstand for it to rot.
People with inattentive ADHD suffer from chronic disorganization at home and in the workplace. You might have trouble finding important documents keys, bills, or other important documents and misplace things frequently. You could also be unable to keep track of the time and end up running late for work, meetings or school.
Women with hyperactive/impulsive ADHD are less likely to experience these inattentive symptoms, but they can still have problems with organization, time management and self-control. Women with these symptoms may make decisions or conduct actions without considering the impact. For instance, they might talk over others or make a lot of nonsensical noises when they are alone. They might be unable to sit still, and fidget in their chair or move. They might have issues working and may have frequent disagreements with coworkers and managers.
In some instances, the mood swings and emotional distress caused by ADHD can cause frustration in relationships and misunderstandings. This is especially the case in romantic relationships as well as at work. People with ADHD also are more likely having comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Women and girls with ADHD may face many difficulties when seeking treatment. These include gender bias as well as a tendency to cover up symptoms or underestimate their severity, as well as gender bias. The rise of well-known women like Mia Freedman and Em Rusciano who have publicly shared their personal struggles with ADHD has helped raise awareness, however many young women and girls aren't aware of the condition.
4. Anxiety
While most people feel anxious or nervous from time to moment, a constant and overwhelming anxiety is the hallmark of an anxiety disorder. You may feel a constant sense of unease or fear and also rapid pulse, difficulty maintaining calm, and having trouble thinking clearly. You might also have an increased sense of danger, even in situations that aren't likely be dangerous to you. The most commonly encountered forms of anxiety include general anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, phobias, separation anxiety and panic disorders.
Anxiety is more prevalent in women with ADHD as compared to men. It tends worsen around certain life events, such as menstrual cycles or pregnancy, or perimenopausal. This can make it harder to manage everyday tasks and social interactions, and lead to feelings of low self-esteem and general dissatisfaction with your life.
You are extremely sensitive to rejection and you have a hard to accept criticism. You can easily misinterpret feedback or even anticipated rejection, and you may get angry over minor things that others wouldn't see as a problem with.
Mood swings are also an indication of adhd in women. You might notice that you experience erratic emotions or are unable to control these. You could also be susceptible to self-injury that is not suicidal, such as scrubbing, burning or hitting yourself.
If you're struggling with any of the above symptoms, it's crucial to get a proper diagnosis. It will help you understand some of the challenges you're facing, and offer you strategies to improve your quality of life. You can take an ADHD test online, or talk to your doctor for a professional assessment. In certain instances doctors may prescribe medication to ease your symptoms. In other instances they may recommend an amalgamation of lifestyle changes and cognitive behavior therapy. In either scenario, it's essential to make positive changes to your life as soon as you can. This can help you regain control of your life and make you feel more confident and capable.