ADHD for Women
Studies show that adult ADHD is more likely to go undiagnosed in women compared to men.
This starts in childhood as boys are more likely to exhibit the Hyperactive/Impulsive Type of ADHD, girls are more commonly known to have the Inattentive Type of ADHD, which makes it harder to stay focused, organised, listen and retain things successfully in working memory.
This difference in presentation often means that boys are typically more disruptive and hyperactive in class and therefore the ADHD symptoms will be more noticeable and likely to lead to a referral for diagnosis.
Surveys conducted in the UK with children aged between 5 and 15 years old, 3.62% of boys and 0.85% of girls had ADHD.
There are Three Recognised Types of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD in Women:
1) Combination Type – Symptoms of both criteria inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity were present for the past 6 months
2) Inattentive Type –Symptoms of inattention, but not hyperactivity-impulsivity, were present for the past six months (Previously called ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder).
3) Hyperactive/Impulsive Type – Symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity but not inattention were present for the past six months.
Many women in today’s society often feel extra pressures in the family to look after the children, provide a good home environment, be in a happy relationship and hold down a job. When a woman has ADHD, adopting and integrating these different roles and responsibilities can be very challenging. Society can also be less forgiving of women who struggle with these tasks, unlike their male counterparts who might be excused as being ‘charmingly messy and disorganised’.
Women with ADHD are more inclined to feeling dysphoria, depression and anxiety. They are also prone to having lower self-esteem and developing coping strategies that are more focused on compensating unfinished and forgotten tasks rather than actually solving an existing problem.
If you are a woman and has undiagnosed or untreated ADHD in adulthood, then these are some of the common problems that you might be struggling with:
- Difficulty in functioning in a busy and noisy surrounding resulting to unproductivity during working hours
- You quickly become too emotional and small things push you over the top
- You find it hard to settle and relax
- Places like your home or office are often untidy and disorganised
- You find it hard to remember where you have put things
- Easily forgets important appointments and events.
- Impulse buying and shopping unnecessary things
- You easily feel overwhelmed, whether with people or with doing things like going shopping.
- Always running late for meetings and having a hard time finishing projects and meeting deadlines
- Constantly feeling “zoned out”, whether in a middle of conversation or in the middle of doing something
There are also other disorders that can occur along with ADHD in women. These complications may cause trouble in correctly diagnosing the existence of ADHD, so an expert clinician needs to be aware of the existence of these possible comorbidities.
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Depression and Anxiety
- Sleeping disorders
- Substance abuse, drugs or alcohol
Just as different as we are as individuals, people with ADHD have different millstones and challenges to overcome, depending on their age and gender. Untreated and undiagnosed ADHD may have a critical impact on a woman’s mental, physical and social avenues. It is of utter importance that women with ADHD be accurately diagnosed and receive ADHD treatments that will suit their lifestyle and can address the symptoms to enable them to flourish.
To access the latest evidence-based treatments for ADHD
Setting up a Shared Care Agreement with your GP
If you choose to go on medication, once you are on a stable regime, then if you wish, we can set up a Shared Care Agreement with your GP so that they can take over the prescribing of any medication that may be indicated in your treatment plan. We have standard protocol documents for this procedure. This would mean that your prescription would then become an NHS prescription and therefore charged at their standard rate. Please note we cannot guarantee a Shared Care arrangement with your GP. We would encourage you to discuss your plans for a Shared Care Agreement with your GP before you commence on treatment with the ADHD centre, so that they are informed and involved early on.