Symptoms of ADHD in Females
Posted: October 20, 2022
October is ADHD awareness month, and so I thought this would be the right time to talk about how ADHD affects women specifically. So much research has gone into the effects of ADHD in males, and this has led to boys getting a more accurate diagnosis than girls.
The problem is, most scientific studies about ADHD symptoms focus on the “hyperactive” patterns, which are far more common in males. Since girls with ADHD show less hyperactive behavior, they tend to go undiagnosed. As a result, their issues continue into adulthood.
ADHD Symptoms in Adult Women
Because young girls don’t show the same ADHD behaviors as boys, they tend to get misdiagnosed as having anxiety or depression. Subsequently, most women are not accurately diagnosed until they are well into their 30s or even 40s. Here are some of the signs of ADHD in adult women:- A low self-esteem
- Issues with time management
- Difficulty with money management
- Disorganization
- Becoming overwhelmed easily
- A history of anxiety or depression
- Poor coping strategies (when it comes to daily stress)
- Exhaustion
- Compulsive overeating
- A dependence on drugs and alcohol