High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with adhd that are high functioning are frustrated and misunderstood in their relationships. Symptoms can heighten at periods of hormonal changes, such as the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Many women and girls resort to compensatory strategies to hide their symptoms and impairments could delay referral.
This group of patients has a unique set issues that need to be taken into consideration when treating them.
1. Self-esteem issues
The social and emotional challenges associated with ADHD can leave women feeling down. Even when they're doing well it's easy to feel like a failure because of things they cannot control. This can create an unending cycle where they feel constantly overwhelmed and never good enough and can be detrimental to their mental health and self-esteem.
Girls with ADHD who are not treated are at greater risk of having low self-esteem and teen pregnancy. They also have a greater chance of anxiety, depression, and addiction to drugs. As adults, they're at an higher risk of having a single parent for a child with ADHD, financial crises and underemployment. They're also more likely to struggle with eating disorders, and their negative patterns could be passed on to their children.
It's crucial for girls to get a diagnosis, because it will give them an understanding of their challenges and help them manage their symptoms more efficiently. Many women say that they feel much more at ease after receiving their diagnosis, which allows them to stop beating themselves up over the little things they are unable to manage. It can also help them reframe their issues and help them focus on what's important (Waite 2010).
As women age and move towards menopause their hormone levels may change and ADHD symptoms can become more severe. It isn't easy to diagnose and treat patients with ADHD due to the fact that their symptoms can be mistakenly diagnosed and dismissed as "hormonal", "that time of month" or "an anxiety disorder".
Having untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on self-esteem of women, and her relationships with friends and family. Symptoms may interfere with a woman's daily routine which can make her angry and exhausted. She may feel that she cannot turn down people, leading her to feel overwhelmed and angry with those around her. It could be difficult to manage the work and home lives of her children which can lead to unscheduled appointments and files being lost. Additionally, she could be more easily triggered by rejection, which means she is more likely to react defensively and snap at those she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity makes you feel deeply hurt when rejected. This could be real or perceived. A disagreement with a partner, or an unkind comment from a co-worker at work can trigger you. Your brain's defense mechanisms naturally become over-stimulated, and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that result could harm your relationships and self-esteem. There are also depression, anxiety, and mood swings as a result of the sensitivity to rejection.
Rejection sensitivity, which is often associated with ADHD is actually an indication of emotional dysregulation. This affects how your brain handles emotions and how you react to them. The symptoms can also be observed in other mental health conditions like borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People suffering from RSD might see events through a filter that makes them appear darker or less than they actually are. This could cause people to interpret things as rejection related, even though they're not. RSD can also cause you to have a difficult time regulating your emotions and that's why it is important to have healthy coping strategies to deal with this.
You can find out more about the issue of rejection sensitivity by reading the articles below:
While there is no cure for RSD but it is possible to manage your symptoms with the assistance of a mental health professional. You can use strategies to cope, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps change your negative thought patterns. You can also build a support network and practice mindfulness to lessen the chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This will help you discover ways to overcome your RSD and allow you to live a more positive and fulfilled life. It is also essential to stay clear of toxic relationships since they can cause symptoms to become worse. If you're in an abusive relationship, seek counseling to discover how to get out. This can help you reduce your risk of rejection-related feelings, such as depression and anxiety. You can also boost your self-esteem by focusing on developing healthy relationships. This will allow you to feel more confident in your abilities and give you an objective view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship difficult. This can result in sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behaviors. Women with high functioning adhd might be more at risk for sexual problems. These behaviors can also trigger feelings of guilt and embarrassment and can negatively impact their relationships and well-being.
One study surveyed adults suffering from ADHD and found that they were more likely to be interested in sexual activities than those who did not suffer from the disorder. This was true for both males and females. This could be due to the higher levels of impulsivity that can cause them to be more likely to act on sexual thoughts and desires. The study revealed that females who have adhd are more likely to indulge in paraphilic fantasies and behavior. This included bondage, submissive roles, and sex with strangers. It was also more typical for them to go to party and sex clubs.
Both women and men with adhd were more likely to be in a relationship than those who did not suffer from the disorder. This was due to inability to control their impulses, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. This is probably due to their greater levels of anxiety and a feeling of being misunderstood or misjudged by their partners. The survey also asked participants to report their experiences with sexual relations and sexual interactions without use of contraception. Table 6 outlines the results for this section.
Lastly, the study used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to ask participants about their problematic sexual behavior. The questionnaire is comprised of 19 items that are divided into three subscales. Each item is evaluated on a 5-point scale ranging that ranges from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The higher the score the more symptomatology there is. The HBI-19 was developed in order to assess sexual behavior between adults with ADHD and those without.
These findings are significant, because the psychosexual results for adults with ADHD were not studied as often. They have been linked to sexual dysfunctions, such as STI's and unplanned pregnancy, relationship dissatisfaction infidelity that begins at the onset of adulthood and adolescence and risky sexual behavior.
4. Relationships
Many people with high functioning ADHD struggle with their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clear communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms such as forgetfulness and inattention can lead to frustration, anger and conflict in a relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be assisted by a network of family and friends who understand.
It is also important to keep in mind that those with ADHD frequently have trouble listening. They are often interrupted by their impulsive behavior or own thoughts, which may cause them to lose the purpose of an exchange. People with ADHD are more likely to be struggling with multitasking, too which could cause them to tune out of conversations or do other things while someone else talks.
These struggles can lead to a vicious cycle where the person who is not ADHD is overwhelmed with anger and stress, while the ADHD partner feels misunderstood. They may then become more introverted and the situation can get worse from there.
Women who have high-functioning ADHD are often exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of their lives. They might experience feelings of low self-esteem and shame because of their impulsive and disorganized behavior, or feel that they're unable to keep up with their household chores and bills. They might also be suffering from mood swings and rejection sensitivity, as well as low sexual drive.
It is important that those who suffer from ADHD seek treatment and seek out help. It is also important for family members particularly spouses, to learn more about the disorder and how it affects their loved ones. They can collaborate to set the right expectations and boundaries and then formulate a plan of how they will achieve their objectives. The non-ADHD partner can take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing chores at home.
In adhd test for women , both partners must work together to communicate more effectively and clearly and establish a regular routine that includes regular sleep schedules, meal times, and time for rest and relaxation. It is also essential to find ways to make things easier for both parties for example, dividing household chores, or outsourcing certain tasks that are difficult for a person with ADHD like hiring cleaning services or utilizing apps to manage expenses.