Are you wondering if the challenges you face daily might point toward ADHD? I know how moms with ADHD can struggle with things at home constantly.
If you’re navigating through forgetfulness, sensitivity, or fluctuating emotions, understanding these symptoms can be the first step in seeking clarity on what’s going on.
My ADHD in women checklist targets key symptoms of ADHD in women, offering a practical guide to self-recognition that could help you talk to a professional about how you’re doing.
Key Takeaways
- ADHD in women often goes under the radar due to symptoms like inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and forgetfulness, which can be misinterpreted as personality traits rather than symptoms of more.
- These symptoms are only some of the things women with ADHD may deal with, and not all women may go through the same symptoms in life.
- ADHD symptoms in women can be exacerbated by hormonal changes and are frequently accompanied by other mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.
- Diagnosis of ADHD in women can be challenging due to gender biases and overlapping symptoms with other conditions.
- Once identified and diagnosed by a healthcare professional, treatment plans may include medication, therapy, and lifestyle modifications.
ADHD In Women Checklist
Has the thought ever crossed your mind that your daily struggles might be more than just ‘being scatterbrained’ or ‘too emotional?’
For many women, ADHD remains a secret companion throughout their lives, only revealing itself through a constellation of symptoms that, when pieced together, form a clearer picture.
This checklist will guide you to understanding ADHD in women, pinpointing the symptoms that they might often experience.
From hyperactivity to forgetfulness, each symptom mentioned is a step towards understanding and accepting a life with ADHD:
Inattentiveness
Inattentiveness, often mistaken for disinterest or negligence, is a silent productivity killer for women with ADHD.
Have you ever found yourself lost in thought, missing the finer points of a conversation or project at work?
Sometimes, it’s more than simply being easily distracted!
It’s a pervasive pattern of losing track of details, struggling with organization, and frequently misplacing important items – all signs of difficulty sustaining attention.
Women may go to great lengths to mask these inattentive symptoms, as when they’re growing up, girls tend to have more pressure to push themselves to “do better” and get on track.
Forgetfulness
Many women living with ADHD often grapple with forgetfulness, which manifests in the form of misplaced items and missed appointments.
It sometimes goes hand in hand with inattention, but it has its own state of being that can be frustrating to live with.
Being forgetful may be a frequent frustration that leaves you feeling out of control as if life’s demands are just a bit too much to handle.
Even when you are paying attention in the moment, once that moment is over, your brain acts like you never needed to know it in the first place.
This forgetfulness stems from deficits in working memory, thus leading to issues like losing the plot in movies or forgetting the purpose of walking into a room.
Hyperactivity
Have you ever felt like you operate at two extremes, either significantly inactive or overly active? That’s hyperactivity for women living with ADHD.
Hyperactivity in women that makes it a symptom of ADHD is more complex than it appears.
It’s not limited to physical overactivity but includes internal restlessness, the sensation of constant movement, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by one’s surroundings.
Hyperactivity can often result in hard-to-express emotional overload from the need to be active or feeling restless despite a calm situation.
This symptom can manifest as a struggle with time, money, and overall organization, often hampering our goals.
Hyper Sensitivity (Environmental)
Women may also experience hypersensitivity to things around them, reacting intensely to stimuli that others may overlook or not notice at all.
I’m not talking about emotional sensitivity, though it can be part of ADHD in women, but reactions to what is happening outside of their bodies cause them to struggle.
That could be people not being able to focus with really bright lights on, needing music to cover up silences, needing to face away from windows because they feel watched, and more.
This heightened experience can lead to feeling overwhelmed by too much information and may even create more trouble with attention or forgetfulness.
Recognizing one’s sensitivity is crucial, as it can help women with ADHD understand their reactions and not view their responses as personal flaws.
Rejection Sensitivity
For women with ADHD, rejection sensitivity can be a profound and piercing experience.
This hypersensitivity goes beyond mere discomfort or a small disappointment—it’s like a downpour of bad feelings that makes it into a failure you overthink to figure out what went wrong.
It often leads to a spiraling effect, where the fear of rejection begins to dictate actions and interactions, creating a barrier to genuine connections and deeper relationships.
Overcoming this emotional pain requires a deep understanding of self-worth and, often, the support of a compassionate therapist to navigate the complex feelings that arise from these sensitivities.
Depression/Anxiety/Other Disorders
ADHD often co-exists with other mental disorders like depression and anxiety, creating a complex mix of symptoms that can be challenging to decipher.
The chronic stress of living can contribute to the development of these additional mental health conditions.
Even sleep disorders can form because people with ADHD struggle to relax, be still, or shut off their brains.
Nearly half of individuals with ADHD experience one additional disorder in their lifetime, hence why seeing a mental health professional is the best way to see what’s really going on with you.
Emotional Fluctuation
Women with ADHD often find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster, experiencing intense highs and lows similar to those from bipolar disorder.
Emotional dysregulation, a common symptom of mood disorders, can manifest as extreme emotions that damage interpersonal relationships and hurt your self-esteem.
With the added factor of hormonal changes affecting the severity of ADHD symptoms, the emotional landscape becomes even more complex.
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal fluctuations can intensify ADHD symptoms in women, particularly during significant life events like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
Estrogen fluctuations, in particular, have a significant impact on neurotransmitters associated with mood regulation and attention.
Science has told us that it leads to a drop in dopamine function and thus intensifies ADHD symptoms.
Procrastination
Procrastination in women with ADHD goes beyond a lack of willpower; it involves struggling with time management, self-control, and constant distractions that divert attention.
I have friends with ADHD who need to procrastinate and feel the time crunch in order to get motivated to do some projects in school.
If they started “too early,” they said they’d lose steam and stop caring enough to even do it later.
This doesn’t look the same for every woman who may have ADHD, but whether it’s from forgetfulness or actively putting things off, procrastination could be a symptom that sticks out.
Imposter Syndrome
Women with ADHD experiencing imposter syndrome often feel as though they’re living on the edge of collapse, like a house of cards that will topple over at any second.
Despite achievements, they may struggle to recognize their accomplishments and fear being exposed as fraud, attributing success to luck or others rather than their own efforts.
This can lead to a tendency to dwell on failures and overlook successes, which may be a sign of low self-esteem.
Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus in women with ADHD can be both a blessing and a curse, allowing intense concentration on certain tasks or subjects but often neglecting other responsibilities.
While it can lead to significant achievements in areas of personal or professional interest, it can also become a liability by disrupting work, school, and relationships.
I have a friend who will hyperfocus on cleaning around the house and get so much done, but she feels frustrated because it all started out as cleaning out the fridge because she needed to shop.
She didn’t get the groceries she needed, and yes, the house was spotless, but her energy was gone, and she felt frustrated that she “failed” to even do what she meant to do.
Cluttered Living Spaces
Clutter and disorganization, common traits among people with ADHD, often result in feelings of chaos and overwhelm.
Now, I have some friends who thrive with a little bit of clutter, especially in their craft or art spaces, but there gets to be a point where things get so messy that they feel paralyzed.
While some may function effectively despite the clutter, for others, it becomes problematic to goals in life.
When it leads to buying replacements for lost items (that they found later) and “wasting money” or spending time searching for things (leading to tears or yelling), then it doesn’t feel okay.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Getting an accurate ADHD diagnosis can be an eye-opening process, particularly for women whose symptoms have been ignored or overlooked.
If you feel like you’ve checked a lot of these boxes and constantly feel down about these issues you’re facing, it’s time to talk to someone who can help.
An ADHD evaluation with a healthcare professional will take into account your unique challenges, including hormonal changes and possible other mental health conditions.
Once you’re diagnosed, a personalized treatment plan can be developed, encompassing medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
You and your doctor will figure out what works for you and make adjustments along the way so that you can feel less overwhelmed and more content with your life.
FAQs
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a documented neurodevelopmental disorder that affects attention, impulse control, and activity levels.
Professionals say ADHD presents itself in three main forms: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined presentation, with symptoms that can change over time.
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is often used interchangeably with ADHD, although it primarily refers to the inattentive “form” and is an outdated diagnosis term.
What are the common symptoms of ADHD?
Common ADHD symptoms include:
- Inattention, such as making careless mistakes and difficulty in holding attention
- Hyperactivity, like fidgeting and excessive talking, which are some of the hyperactive symptoms
- Impulsivity, such as interrupting others and displaying impulsive symptoms
These symptoms significantly impact social, school, or work functioning, often being indicative of social anxiety disorder.
Can women be diagnosed with ADHD later in life?
Yes, women can be diagnosed with ADHD later in life.
Many are often in their late 30s or early 40s due to gender biases and less obvious symptoms that lead to ADHD being overlooked in young girls.
What might someone with ADHD struggle with?
An individual with ADHD may struggle with inattentiveness, forgetfulness, hormonal fluctuations, hyperactivity, rejection sensitivity, and more, as I’ve listed above.
How is ADHD treated?
ADHD is often treated using behavior therapy and medication by a medical professional, or sometimes together or just one to see how it goes.
Healthy lifestyle choices and stress management techniques are also encouraged to manage symptoms more effectively.
Final Thoughts
From the inattentiveness that whispers through daily tasks to the hyperactivity that roars in quiet moments, ADHD in women sometimes causes them to struggle in many aspects of life.
Don’t worry about the stigmas around ADHD- if these symptoms fit you and you’ve been feeling like your life is chaotic, it’s time to talk to someone and see what can change your life for the better.
Embracing the full spectrum of symptoms and seeking appropriate treatment can lead to a life not just managed but truly lived.
Whether it’s meds or creating techniques to move past your roadblocks, you don’t have to feel stuck with how things are going- let’s make life easier for you, Mama!
