3 Ways In Which The ADHD Traits In Women Can Affect Your Life ADHD Traits in Women

Verywell Health acknowledges the fact that gender and sexuality are based on biology, including the body's chromosomal makeup as well as hormones. Many people don't fit neatly into a binary sexuality. However, gender and sex influence the way symptoms of ADHD are diagnosed and treated.

ADHD is diagnosed in childhood, usually before age 12. The symptoms must be present before age 12 and cause problems in more than one environment to be eligible for an assessment.

1. Difficulty Focusing

Inattention is at the heart of ADHD and is a problem that affects both men and women. However, women might have a harder time to attain the attention they require particularly since symptoms typically manifest in different ways in men.

Women are more likely than men to be disorganized and indecisive, for example. They are also more likely to become emotional and have difficulty putting things in perspective. These issues can lead to an inability to focus and can result in a lack productivity at home or work. They are also more likely to forget their medication and skip appointments with doctors.

In addition to these innate variations, hormones in women can make their ADHD symptoms worse. The hippocampus of females is bigger, which aids in learning and memory. Menstrual hormone fluctuations or pregnancy, breastfeeding or menopausal changes can also affect brain function.

As a result, women who do not have a diagnosis of ADHD can have major struggles in relationships, at school and at work. They may also have a variety of comorbid disorders like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

This is why it's critical for health care professionals to be aware of the numerous clues that females with ADHD often exhibit. They must recalibrate their approaches for diagnosing and treating females suffering from ADHD to take into account hormonal fluctuations and emotional dysregulation. The patients will then receive the treatment they need.

2. Impulsivity

Females who suffer from ADHD are often unable to controlling their emotions, especially when they interact with other people. This can cause to emotional dysregulation that is a major cause of ADHD symptoms. It can also be associated with negative life outcomes. This includes low self-esteem coexisting depression and anxiety, problematic romantic relationships that can result in violence between partners, problems with friendships, a messy house or personal space, inability to manage time or money, and a messy house.

Gender stereotypes can also influence how women with ADHD will be treated. They could be misunderstood as they are thought to be more sensitive or prone to mood swings. This can increase their frustration about living with untreated ADHD.

People suffering from ADHD have a reduced ability to control impulses which is also referred to as the prefrontal cortex. This means they have a harder time making decisions and following through with their intentions. This could make you want to indulge in more cake or make a snide comment.

For adults with ADHD medication can assist to enhance their ability to control their behavior. The use of stimulants such as amphetamine or dextroamphetamine may reduce the impulsive behavior. Non-stimulants like clonidine and Guanfacine are also effective. People with ADHD may also benefit from behavioral therapy, which can help them alter their thinking patterns and develop healthier methods of coping.

Sleeping enough and eating a balanced diet, and meditating can also help to control the impulsiveness and restlessness of people with ADHD. adhd in adult women treatment is also a great idea to monitor their symptoms throughout the day and to share the information with their doctor to determine whether the treatment is working.

3. Disorganization

Disorganization is a common problem for people suffering from ADHD and can impact their work and personal lives. It can take longer to complete their tasks and reduce their efficiency. They may also be late or overwhelmed every day.

An absence of organization could make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships. They may miss important dates or misplace things like keys or purses. They might feel lonely and unloved due to this. Friends and family may misunderstand them. Disorganization can be worse during menopausal and perimenopausal cycles when hormones shift and symptoms become more severe.

Women often cover up their ADHD symptoms to conform to social norms or to avoid being judged. This can lead women to blame themselves and feel shame or guilt. It may be a reason why women and girls aren't diagnosed with ADHD. This is especially true in adolescence, when symptoms become more obvious.

Women who are not treated for ADHD might have a poor performance at school or at work. This could affect their career, grades or overall reputation. It could also cause issues in their personal life like issues with their romantic partners or the strain of relationships with friends and family members.


Women with chronic disorganization can get help one-on-one from a nonjudgmental support person. They can teach them strategies to stay organized, such as making an agenda of the daily tasks and creating reminders for them. A licensed mental health professional may also suggest medication and lifestyle changes that will reduce ADHD symptoms. These can include eating small meals throughout the day to maintain stable energy levels, and avoiding caffeine which can increase the side effects of stimulant medication.

4. Indecisiveness

Indecisiveness can affect decision-making in many aspects of life. A variety of instruments have been developed to assess indecisiveness. These include the Decision Behaviors Inventory (Barkley-Levenson and Fox) and the Indecisiveness Scale. Indecisiveness is also linked to neuroticism, as well as the tendency to think of worst-case scenarios. This is when people interpret ambiguous circumstances as threatening. It was also found to be associated with a fear of making a mistake, which could explain why people with adhd have trouble making decisions.

In the qualitative study of women who have adhd in their adult lives, interviewees described being incapable of making decisions in their personal and professional lives. They had a difficult time finding an occupation they enjoyed or to stay in, and were difficult to manage their finances, relationships and health. They often were dependent on others to make decisions or were unable to finish projects on their own, for example, organizing childcare. They often felt they were restricted by their ADHD symptoms, for example, difficulties with getting started or staying focused and impulsivity.

They had trouble in establishing and maintaining friendships which led to mental health issues. They described anxiety and stress, lack of sleep and inadequate nutrition. They also described feeling stigmatized by adults and the media. They were able to articulate their struggles with ADHD and helped increase their self-esteem since they were not blaming themselves. They also had access to treatment strategies that were appropriate.

The interviews revealed that women were extremely positive however, they struggled to overcome the effects of ADHD on different aspects of their lives. The women reported a lack in career or romantic opportunities, difficulties maintaining relationships and a messy home.

5. Self-esteem issues

Women can conceal their impulsivity and hyperactivity because they believe that their behavior is less acceptable than for boys and men. They may also internalize their ADHD symptoms and develop coping strategies such as self-harm (cutting or burning, or scratching). This can result in low self-esteem, which could cause anxiety, depression or eating disorders.

Having high inner worth is a key factor in healthier relationships and a positive outlook on life. If people do not have a strong sense of self-worth, they tend to seek outside things - including relationships, careers as well as wealth and power - to feel worthy. Therapist licensed Cheryl Clarke says this can cause a lack of communication in the relationship, which could ultimately end it.

Alongside a feeling of lack of self-worth, women with ADHD often struggle with the feeling that they don't have enough of the good things in their lives. These feelings may manifest as a desire to "keep up" or to please. This can lead to toxic work cultures and a negative self-image and an addiction of substance or food.

Despite these significant challenges However, the women who took part in this study discovered a number of positive aspects of living with ADHD. adhd women uk describe their ADHD as a blessing or a curse, based on whether they believe they have control over it. Some of them have identified their own strengths that they believe are partially due to their ADHD. These include the ability to be creative, energetic and determination, as well as the ability to effortlessly become interested in new topics. They also describe their unique struggles in the context of an overall picture that includes gender and biological differences, as well cultural and family issues.