Women With Attention Deficit
Women who have ADHD may experience difficulty dealing with relationships, work and life in general. They can be easily annoyed and even minor inconveniences such as waiting in line or being placed on hold for a long duration can cause a huge frustration.
Many women have a tough to get an accurate diagnosis of adult ADHD. A bias towards gender and the fact that most studies focus on males and children can be a contributing factor to this.
Impatience
Women with attention deficits often struggle to manage everyday responsibilities and manage many tasks. Their frustrations can be mistaken by others as anger or moodiness, or as a lack of commitment to relationships or work. In reality, these struggles could be a sign of a disorder that is not properly diagnosed in adults: adult ADHD.
A common symptom of ADD is the tendency to be in a hurry. Women suffering from the disorder might be quick to complete tasks or jump into projects without a thorough plan, which can result in mistakes and a feeling of being overwhelmed. They can be easily distracted by events that occur around them. This makes it difficult to finish tasks and maintain a conversation.
The inattentive symptoms of ADHD like difficulty getting things done, procrastination, forgetting and needing help keeping the track of appointments or possessions is a major problem for women. A lot of these women are very self-critical and their issues are often worsened by depression or anxiety that frequently coexist with the disorder. They have difficulty accepting criticism and are more likely to be victims of violence from their intimate partners.
Hormonal fluctuations can either increase or decrease a women's symptoms of ADD. For instance, when women reach puberty and are affected by changes in estrogen levels which can make ADD symptoms worse. These changes can last throughout menstrual cycle and perimenopausal phase when estrogen levels are low. The symptoms of a woman can be aggravated due to menopausal changes, pregnancy or hormonal fluctuations, especially in women with bipolar disorders.
Women suffering from ADHD should consult a healthcare provider who is knowledgeable about their condition and is trained to recognize and treat it. Before making an appointment, consider reading the books suggested in this article to gain a better understanding of ADHD and its symptoms.
You might want to think about taking part in a study if you are unable to locate a doctor trained to treat ADHD. Clinical trials are research studies that look for new methods to prevent, diagnose or treat illnesses and disorders. Visit the NIMH Clinical Trials page to find out more about clinical trials and whether they're the right choice for you.
Impulsivity
Women with ADHD can have difficulty controlling their emotions. This can lead to impulsive behaviors which can be harmful. Examples include spending impulsively, jumping into relationships and marriage before they're ready, and interrupting conversations and uttering responses before they've completed their listening. They might also be suffering from an sensitivity to rejection, which can cause them extreme emotional reactions to real or perceived rejection.
The same issues that make it difficult for men to focus and remain organized can be observed in women with attention deficit disorder, but they face unique challenges of their own. Their hormones, for example can affect the way symptoms are manifested and how they respond to treatment.
For women who suffer from ADD, a single task could seem to be endless as they struggle to remain focused. Getting distracted and lost in her thoughts, or even daydreaming are common for them, especially during boring tasks like grocery shopping, writing letters or doing chores. They can easily become bored and have a difficult time switching their attention between activities. This can cause problems with school and work.
When it comes to organizing, women with ADD often have difficulty keeping things in order, whether it's appointments or belongings. adhd symptoms in women adults lose things and don't remember specific details of conversations or events. This can lead to embarrassing mistakes in the workplace at school, or in social situations. They may also be prone to procrastinate or be overwhelmed by multitasking. This can cause anxiety.
Women suffering from ADD can also suffer from several symptoms, including hyperactivity as well as prefrontal cortex dysfunction. Women who have a combination subtype can exhibit both hyperactivity as well as inattentive symptoms. However, they are often difficult to recognize, especially when young.
Regular exercise can reduce ADHD symptoms. Physical activity can improve mood and attention by increasing neurotransmitters. It can also reduce anxiety, which is a different issue that many women with ADHD confront. Women suffering from ADHD should aim to complete at least four to five sessions of 30 minutes or more per week of cardio or aerobic exercises, like cycling, swimming, running or playing team sports, or doing yoga.
Inorganizational lapse
Women with ADHD often have difficulty keeping track of daily activities or events. This can lead to clutter in their home or office, financial issues and an inability to organize their work or personal lives.
They may have trouble completing tasks or projects that are not immediately rewarding or exciting and may not have a plan to meet their future obligations. In addition, women with ADHD are often unable to focus on and remembering what other people have said during conversations. They often miss meetings and appointments and have trouble following directions at school or work and are more likely than others to have miscommunications with their spouses.
It is important to seek a qualified doctor to get a precise diagnosis. Adult ADD is often misdiagnosed, and a majority of doctors have a poor knowledge of the disorder. Ask doctors you are considering for recommended reading resources and a list of questions to help ensure they have a thorough understanding of the disorder.
The gender roles that women are expected to play can contribute to the challenges of ADHD for women. It is common for women to feel pressured to be successful in their career and to assume more family responsibilities, keep good relationships and be successful in the community. These societal pressures may make it difficult for women to recognize symptoms of ADHD because they hinder their ability to meet the expectations of society.
ADHD symptoms are less apparent in females, adolescents and males than in males or females. This can result in an underdiagnosis. This is because social and family expectations often require that women and girls focus on their appearance and social skills rather than recognizing any difficulties in their performance or in their concentration. Moreover, females with ADHD tend to have more irritable symptoms than hyperactivity, and are more likely to have coexisting mood disorders and anxiety which may further obscure the presence of the disorder.
The good news is that there are ways you can manage your symptoms and improve your functioning. Regular exercise releases neurotransmitters that improve attention and reduce anxiety. Try swimming, jogging and dancing or attending group classes such as yoga or Pilates. Include these types of activities in your daily routine to reduce ADHD symptoms. You can make use of planners, checklists or a post-it notepad to plan your day-to-day tasks. Take frequent breaks, and eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids which can help improve concentration and improve mental clarity.
Social Awkwardness
In contrast to social anxiety, social awkwardness is not caused by an intense fear of judgment but rather an inability to navigate the complexities of social interactions. This could be due to limited social exposure as well as certain neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or personality characteristics that make it difficult to adapt to social situations.
A person who is socially awkward might say or do inappropriate things in a conversation. They may also appear off-balance, and fail to notice nonverbal signals that tell them how to proceed. They might also have trouble understanding social norms like humor and sarcasm. They may also avoid social activities or be too self-conscious of their performance in social situations. This can cause feelings like rejection and embarrassment.
People who feel awkward socially often withdraw from group activities and resort to self-care methods like overeating or shopping or watching television to help feel better. These habits can exacerbate the feeling of social awkwardness by limiting their social options.
Trauma can lead to social awkwardness. Trauma can happen when a child's desire for trust and autonomy, attunement or even independence is not fulfilled in the early years of childhood. They develop a rigid behavioral pattern to deal with this threat. This could lead to feeling social awkwardness, when sensory information from the environment triggers the trauma.
Children with giftedness may feel socially awkward because their superior intellect makes them appear older and more mature. They could also be focused on their own personal interests and appear to have more knowledge than others, which can result in them speaking in an academic or unbalanced tone.
Another cause of social awkwardness is the fear of being judged for their appearance or behaviors. This can result in poor body language, avoiding eye contact or adopting a frantic stance that telegraphs how uncomfortable they are. The majority of social awkwardness issues can be resolved through therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) assists people to challenge and alter negative thoughts while exposure therapy gradually exposes people situations to increase confidence and tolerance.