ADD Symptoms in Women
Women with ADD are often misunderstood, or dismissed as being excessively emotional. For adhd in adults signs , even minor inconveniences like waiting in line or waiting on hold drive them to distraction or rage.
Gender stereotypes can also camouflage symptoms, making them hard to identify and diagnose. At Amen Clinics, we use brain imaging to determine if a woman has undiagnosed ADHD.
Hyperactivity
Women with ADHD often feel overwhelmed by their everyday tasks. They might describe their lives as like a constant mess or chaos and are unable to receive the help they require from friends and family. They are also more prone to depression and anxiety because they have difficulty dealing with criticism and stress. Women who suffer from ADHD can also be more likely to engage in sexually risky behaviors, such as promiscuous or casual sexual activity. These situations can result in to sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy, low self-esteem, and feelings of shame.
A few psychologists are currently working on conducting research on ADHD in adult women. Julia Rucklidge is a PhD student at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She is the leader of this project. She and her colleagues are focusing on females who suffer from comorbid conditions like anxiety and depression. These co-occurring disorders can cause or worsen ADHD, affecting the ability of women to function at work, home and at school.
Rucklidge explains that a lot of the same biases that affect boys and men make it difficult to identify ADHD in girls and women. Rating scales are biased towards male behavior, and girls might have less effective strategies for coping at school or at work. Women who have hyperactive ADHD are often viewed as being irrational or aggressive and can hide their symptoms to fit in.
Additionally, many of the same behavioral symptoms can be observed in all three types of ADHD. Women can experience inattentive ADHD, hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, or mixed symptoms. They could be unruly, fidgety or on the go, disruptive, forgetful, disorganized, talkative and impatient inability and unwilling to wait for their turn, and prone to mood swings.
Inattentiveness
Attention-deficit ADHD can be equally detrimental to adults and children. The struggle to organize, manage time efficiently and keep track of everyday tasks can be overwhelming. A child may not be able to meet important deadlines at school or a worker might not remember important meetings. Inattentive ADHD can also lead to issues with relationships as others become frustrated when a partner or coworker is often lost in thought.
It's easy to dismiss or ignore the non-hyperactive symptoms of ADHD because they are less visible than stereotypical symptoms. Children with inattentive ADHD often get mistaken for being lazy or indifferent because they don't follow instructions given by parents or teachers or even ponder their thoughts in class. Adults with inattentive ADHD can also be missed because their symptoms might not be as obvious as their peers' hyperactivity or impulsivity.
Inattentive ADHD symptoms can include difficulty staying focused, getting easily distracted, lacking listening skills, and misplacing things frequently. Inattentional ADHD can be exacerbated or made more severe by stress, anxiety and other conditions such as insomnia, depression and nutrition, side effects of medication (especially stimulant medications) and poor diet and nutritional deficiencies.
Inattentive ADHD is more prevalent in girls and women than other ADD manifestations, yet this subtype is often under-diagnosed and undertreated. This is due to a number of factors, including the particular symptoms presented as well as the higher prevalence of anxiety and affective disorder in females and rating scales that favor male behavior. In addition, hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles can greatly affect how irritable ADHD symptoms manifest.
Impulsiveness
People who struggle to control their impulses experience a feeling of tension or excitement before they decide to act on their urges. They also struggle to resist urges, even if they know that the behavior is harmful or problematic. Afterward, they often feel guilt or regret.
Children often act impulsively as they learn about the consequences of their decisions. It is also a symptom of certain conditions such as ADHD and antisocial personality disorder and pyromania.
The tendency to be impulsive could indicate that you have mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, stroke or brain tumor or a chronic medical problem such as diabetes or heart disease. Alcohol can also cause you to act out in a reckless manner by reducing your inhibitions.
A lack of control over your impulses can affect your relationships, career, and everyday life. For instance, if you suffer from ADHD an impulsive behavior could disrupt your day-to-day routine and impact your ability to manage your money or work. The signs include interrupting people when they're speaking, blurting out answers to questions, and finding it difficult to wait your turn when standing in line. In adults, impulsive behaviors could include shopping on a whim, spending too much money or watching a lot of television.
It is essential to distinguish between compulsive and impulsive behavior. Compulsive behavior is ritualistic and repetitive, while impulsive behaviour is spontaneous. As an example, putting the hand in the fire to see if it's still on is an impulsive act while checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off is a habitual behavior. Studies show that men are more impulsive than women, but researchers aren't sure why. Researchers speculate that hormonal changes and genetics in adolescence or adulthood, as well as the surrounding environment could be significant factors.
Agitation
Agitation is a feeling that causes restlessness and irritability which can be caused by stress or a medical condition. It may cause a person to feel anxious, excited or tense, and can lead to aggressive or suicidal behaviours. People who are agitated are often unable to sleep and could be having issues with their relationships or at work.
If someone feels anxious frequently, they should talk to their doctor. The doctor may want them to consider therapy or medication. They should also visit the hospital in case they experience chest pain or trouble breathing, which could be a sign of heart attacks.
Sometimes agitation is a symptom of depression. Depression can trigger feelings of helplessness, sadness and hopelessness. Some people with depression may also have agitation which is often accompanied with restlessness and anxiety. This is known as an agitated depression. Experts are still figuring out how this kind of depression differs from other forms of depression.
Sometimes, agitation may be a sign of a mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. These conditions can make it hard for someone to discern what is real and what's not. People who have these conditions may feel like they can't sit still, and they might pace or wring their hands.
Agitation is also an effect of certain medication, such as antipsychotics. People who are taking these drugs should talk to their doctor whenever they feel frequently agitated. Doctors may prescribe a medicine that does not have this effect. Apart from these medications one can attempt to decrease their anxiety by avoiding situations that stress them out and eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep.
The following are some of the ways to reduce your risk:
Women who suffer from depression are afflicted with an extremely serious mental health issue that can trigger feelings of despair, sadness and worthlessness. It can also cause problems with eating, sleep and thinking clearly. It is important for women to get treatment for depression at the earliest indication of the illness. This can prevent symptoms from becoming worse and could even stop a relapse of depression.
Research indicates that women are more likely to experience depression than men. It is thought that this is due to the multitude of roles that women have in their lives, like being a wife and mother, which can create stress or cause burnout. Women are also more likely to have hormonal changes that can lead to depression, for example during menopausal or pregnancy.
It is possible that certain women are more at chance of developing depression due to previous experience with the disorder, or a family background of it. This can also be the case for women who have low self-esteem or who have had issues related to body image or sexuality.
A few of the signs that are present in depression in women include a lack of energy as well as sleeplessness and thoughts of suicide or suicide. Additionally, women who have depression may also experience feelings of guilt or shame. This is due to the fact that women are more prone to blaming themselves for their low moods and this can be made worse by the fact that they bear a greater responsibility to care for their children and other loved ones. Antidepressant medications can ease these symptoms. However, it is important to seek professional advice from a specialist.