Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often misunderstood, especially in women. The reason is the lack of awareness about the difference in the symptoms of ADHD in both genders.
Most of the research studies on ADHD have been done on young boys, so the symptoms in women are masked under their emotional sensitivity and womanly drive to perfectionism.
Thankfully, with the growing awareness, there is now more acceptance of gender-specific symptoms of ADHD helping women to seek the right support at the right time through lifestyle changes, ADHD therapies, and medications like Adderall for ADHD if medically appropriate.
In this blog post, we’ll break down why ADHD in women has gone unnoticed for years and its impact on life.
Stereotypic Understanding of ADHD
Traditionally, the characteristic traits of ADHD including impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, and difficulty in maintaining focus are found more prevalent in young boys. In reality, ADHD symptoms in girls are more like quiet coping mechanisms. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that differently impacts each gender and age group.
According to DSM-5, it is now categorized into 3 types based on the variety of its signs.
- Predominantly Inattentive Type: It included symptoms including the struggle with maintaining focus and daydreaming.
- Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: It is characterized by typical ADHD signs like struggles to sit still, restlessness, and impulsive decision-making.
- Combined Types: This type depicts the combined symptoms of the other two types of ADHD.
As women mostly have the signs of inattentive type of ADHD, so they often go unnoticed. This misdiagnosis leaves women struggling with self-doubts and frustration without finding the true cause behind it.
Reasons Behind the Misdiagnosis of ADHD and Their Impact on Women
Unlike hyperactivity in young boys, the signs of ADHD in women are more subtle and internalized. However, it’s just one reason among the several causes of the misdiagnosis of ADHD in women. Let’s explore the key reasons.
- ADHD in Women Looks Different
The simplest reason behind the misdiagnosis of ADHD in women is that its signs in women are different from the ones that are typically attributed to this disorder. In women, ADHD appears as the mental hyperactivity instead of the physical. Such women are in the phase of constant worry and overthinking and are found to be lost in their thoughts.
Moreover, some women struggle with forgetfulness and disorganization while others show emotional sensitivity to each feeling. These patterns are mentally exhausting, so their ADHD is misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression.
- The Pressure of Societal Expectations
From a young age, girls are expected to meet societal norms like being quiet, well-organized, and behaved. Gradually, they start to unconsciously suppress the typical ADHD signs by adopting masking behaviors to meet society’s pressure. So, instead of showing hyperactivity, they have the signs like:
- Internalization of the struggles leads to depression and low self-esteem.
- Overcommitment to responsibilities causes exhaustion.
- Confusing their restlessness to their tendency to be perfectionists.
As they grow up, the further expectations from family and society like maintaining a work-life balance make it more difficult to find the root cause of the problem.
- Fluctuation Symptoms with Hormonal Changes
One missing piece in the diagnosis of ADHD in women is the lack of consideration of the frequent hormonal changes in females. The hormonal fluctuations directly impact the symptoms of ADHD or their interpretation, so they may feel serious about certain hormonal changes. For instance, during the teen years, both hormonal changes and ADHD symptoms spike up. Therefore, ADHD is often confused with hormonal changes at a young age.
Similarly, during pregnancy, the increased estrogen levels improve the intensity of ADHD. However, the hormonal changes during postpartum may bring back the severe form of ADHD. At this stage, ADHD can be misunderstood as postpartum depression. Many women do not understand this pattern and fail to find out the reason behind it.
- Misdiagnosis due to Co-occurring Conditions
As there is limited awareness about this atypical aspect of ADHD, when women try to seek assistance, they are misdiagnosed. This misdiagnosis is due to the ADHD symptoms in women that are similar to conditions like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders that frequently co-occur with ADHD.
So, it’s common to miss the diagnosis of ADHD as an underlying cause and follow ineffective treatment to treat apparent symptoms.
Final Takeaway: The Hidden Cost of ADHD Misdiagnosis
The misdiagnosis of ADHD has long-lasting impacts on the lives of women. It leaves them with a constant feeling of falling behind while questioning their self-worth. The worst thing is that many of them never know the true reason behind their struggles is an underlying neurological condition. It may be controlled with the correct diagnosis and medical intervention, such as with Adderall prescription online if medically appropriate. Fortunately, there is increased awareness about the gender-specific differences of ADHD and the availability of the proper support to help people struggling with ADHD.
