Women With Attention Deficit
Women who suffer from ADHD may experience difficulty managing relationships, jobs and even life in general. They can become easily impatient and even minor inconveniences such as waiting in line or being on hold for an extended time can result in a major irritation.
Many women struggle to obtain an accurate adult ADHD diagnosis. The gender bias and the fact that a lot of studies focus on males and children can contribute to this.
Impatience
Women with attention deficit often have a difficult time managing their everyday responsibilities and manage multiple tasks. Their frustrations can be mistaken by others as anger or moodiness, or as an inability to commit to relationships or work. In reality, these struggles could be a sign of a disorder that is not properly diagnosed in adults: adult ADHD.
One of the most common symptoms of ADD is being anxious. People with the disorder can speed through tasks or dive into projects without a clear plan, which can result in mistakes and a sense of being overwhelmed. They are easily distracted by things that happen around them. This makes it difficult for them to complete their tasks and keep a conversation going.
The inattention-deficit symptom of ADHD including difficulty getting things done procrastination, apathy, forgetting and needing help keeping the track of appointments or possessions are a significant challenge for women. A lot of these women are very self-critical and their issues are often exacerbated by anxiety or depression that frequently coexist with the disorder. They aren't able to accept criticism and are at greater risk of intimate partner violence and aren't able to deal with conflict or discontent in their relationships.
Hormonal fluctuations may affect the women's symptoms of ADD. For instance, when women enter puberty and notice changes in estrogen levels which can cause ADD symptoms worse. These fluctuations can continue through menstruation and perimenopause, when estrogen levels are low. Additionally, women's symptoms can be exacerbated by pregnancy, menopause or hormonal fluctuations in women with bipolar disorder.
It is important for women with ADHD to locate a medical professional who is knowledgeable about their condition and is well-trained in the diagnosis and treatment. Take a look at the recommended books mentioned in this article prior to making an appointment to better understand ADHD and its symptoms.
If you are unable to locate a medical professional who specializes in treating ADHD, you might think about participating in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies that search for new methods to prevent, diagnose or treat illnesses and disorders. You can learn more about clinical trials and whether they are suitable for you by visiting the NIMH's Clinical Trials webpage.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD frequently have difficulty controlling their emotions, which can lead to impulse-driven behaviors that can be very damaging. Examples include making impulsive purchases or jumping into marriages and relationships before they are ready and causing disruptions to others in conversations or uttering answers without paying attention. In addition, they might be sensitive to rejection that could cause them to feel intense emotional responses to perceived or real rejection.
The same problems that make it difficult for men to focus and remain organized can be observed in women with attention deficit disorder, but they have unique issues of their own. The hormones they experience, for instance can affect the way symptoms manifest and how they respond to treatment.
Women who suffer from ADD struggle to remain focused on a single task. For them, being distracted or lost in their thoughts or daydreaming is normal, especially when doing boring tasks like shopping for groceries or writing letters, or performing chores. They are prone to becoming bored and find it difficult to shift their attention to different activities. This can interfere with school and work.
When it is time to organize, women who suffer from ADD often have trouble keeping things in order, whether it's appointments or belongings. They are more likely to forget things and have a hard time remembering details of conversations or events, which can lead to embarrassing mistakes at school, work or social settings. They also have a tendency to procrastinate and get overwhelmed by multitasking, which can result in more stress.
In addition to the problems of inattention and impulsivity, women with ADD may have a combination subtype that includes hyperactivity or prefrontal cortex dysfunction. Women with a combination subtype can exhibit both hyperactivity as well as inattention symptoms. However they can be difficult to identify, particularly when young.
Regular exercise can reduce ADHD symptoms. Physical activity can boost mood and attention by increasing neurotransmitters. Stress, another problem that many women with ADHD have, can be relieved by physical activity. Women suffering from ADHD are advised to participate in at minimum four or five hours of cardio or aerobic exercises for 30 minutes every week, which include running, swimming, cycling or playing team sports.
Lack of Organization
Women with ADHD have difficulty keeping the track of their daily tasks and events. This can lead to messy offices or homes and financial issues and a general lack of organization at work or in their daily lives.
They may have difficulty completing tasks or projects that don't yield immediate rewards. adhd in adult women treatment might also fail to plan ahead to meet any future obligations. In addition, women with ADHD frequently have trouble focusing on and remembering what other people have said during conversations. They are more likely to miss appointments and meetings and have trouble following directions at school or work and are more likely than the rest of us to have frustrating misunderstandings with their spouses.
It is essential to consult an experienced doctor to get a precise diagnosis. Adult ADD is often misdiagnosed and a lot of doctors have a limited understanding of the disorder. Ask doctors you are considering for recommended reading materials and a list of questions to help ensure that they have a solid understanding of the disorder.
ADHD in women is worsened by gender roles. Women are often under pressure to excel in their professions, to take on more responsibility in the family, to maintain happy relationships, and perform well in the society. In some instances these pressures from society can make it difficult to recognize symptoms of ADHD as the disorder can interfere with the ability to meet these expectations.
The signs of ADHD are less apparent in girls and adolescent women than in men and boys and can lead to underdiagnosis. This is because social and family expectations typically require that women and girls are focused on their appearance and social skills, rather than recognizing any problems with their performance or in their concentration. Furthermore, females who suffer from ADHD tend to have more irritable symptoms than hyperactivity and are more likely to suffer from mood disorders and anxiety, which may further obscure the symptoms of the disorder.
The good news is that there are ways you can reduce your symptoms and improve your functioning. Regular exercise releases neurotransmitters that increase attention and reduce anxiety. Try swimming, jogging or dancing, or joining classes in groups such as yoga or Pilates. Include these activities in your routine to reduce ADHD symptoms. It can also be helpful to keep a planner and use checklists or post-it notes to manage your daily tasks. Make sure to take frequent breaks and eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost mental clarity and regulate attention.
Social Awkwardness
In contrast to social anxiety, social awkwardness is not caused by a severe fear of judgement, but rather an inability to navigate the complexity of social interactions. This may be due to a lack of exposure as well as certain neurological disorders like autism spectrum disorder or personality traits that make it difficult to adjust to social situations.
Someone who is socially awkward may make inappropriate comments or conduct in a conversation, seem off-balance, and fail to notice nonverbal signals that signal how to proceed. They may also have a hard time understanding social conventions, such as sarcasm or humor. They might also avoid social activities or feel self-conscious about how they perform in social situations, leading to feelings of rejection and embarrassment.
People who are socially awkward often withdraw from group activities and resort to self-care methods such as overeating or shopping, watching TV or exercising to help feel better. These habits can exacerbate the feelings of social awkwardness by limiting their social opportunities.
Trauma can lead to social awkwardness. Trauma can manifest when a person's needs for trust, attunement, or autonomy are not met in the early years of life and they develop a rigid behavior pattern to deal with the threat. This can result in an uncomfortable feeling of social isolation when sensory information from the environment triggers the trauma.
Gifted children can also feel a sense of social anxiety because their higher intellectual functioning makes them appear more mature than their peers. They may also be too focused on their own interests and act as though they are more knowledgeable than others, which could cause them to speak in an unbalanced or academic tone.
Another cause of social awkwardness is fear of being judged for their appearance or behavior. This can result in poor body language, avoiding eye contact, or adopting an aggressive posture that communicates how uncomfortable they are. The majority of social awkwardness symptoms can be resolved through therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which challenges and reframes negative thought patterns, is one way to aid people. Exposure therapy gradually exposes people to situations that cause anxiety so that they can develop tolerance and confidence.
