High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd are dissatisfied and often misunderstood by their relationships. The symptoms can be more severe in times of hormonal changes, like the premenstrual or menstrual cycles.
Many women and girls are forced to resort to compensatory strategies, hiding their impairments and symptoms that can delay time to referral.
This patient group faces specific issues that need to be taken into consideration when treating them.
1. Insecurities about self-esteem
Women can feel depressed by the emotional and social challenges of ADHD. Even when they are successful, it is easy to feel like an failure due to things they cannot change. This can create an endless feeling of being overwhelmed and unsatisfied. This can have a negative effect on their mental well-being.
Girls with untreated ADHD are at higher risk of chronic low self-esteem as well as anxiety, teen pregnancy, depression, and abuse of substances. As adults, they are more likely to be single-parents of a child with ADHD and also facing financial difficulties or underemployment. They're also more likely than other people to be afflicted by eating disorders and pass their bad habits onto their children.
It is essential that girls receive a diagnosis since it will help them comprehend their struggles and help them manage their symptoms. Many women report feeling empowered after receiving a diagnosis. They can stop getting angry about things they aren't able to control. It can also help reframe their issues and help them focus on what's important (Waite 2010).
As women age and move towards menopause their hormone levels alter and ADHD symptoms may get worse. This can make it difficult for them to be identified and treated, as they're often misdiagnosed as an anxiety or mood disorder and the symptoms are dismissed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have a devastating impact on women's self-esteem as well as relationships with her family and friends. The symptoms can disrupt the woman's daily routine which can make her angry and exhausted. It is possible that she isn't able to refuse people, which causes her to be overwhelmed and resentful towards those who are around her. It can be difficult organizing her work and home life, which can lead to delayed appointments and lost documents. She may be more easily affected by rejection, making her more likely to snap at people she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel deeply hurt when rejected. It could be real or perceived. It could be caused by an argument with your partner or a negative comment from a coworker at work. Your brain's natural defense mechanisms become over-stimulated, and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that result can harm your relationships and self-esteem. Rejection sensitivity can also cause anxiety, depression and mood shifts.
While it's often associated with ADHD Rejection sensitivity is actually a sign of emotional dysregulation that affects the way your brain manages emotions and how you react to them. The symptoms can also be seen in other mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People with RSD may see events through an eye that makes them appear darker or less than they really are. This can cause them to interpret and perceive things as rejection related, even though they're not. RSD can cause you to be incapable of controlling your emotions. This is why it is important to develop healthy coping strategies to manage RSD.
Learn more about rejection sensitivity by reading the articles below:
Although there isn't a cure for RSD, it's possible to manage your symptoms with the help of an expert in mental health. You can employ coping strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy to alter your negative thinking patterns. You can also engage in mindfulness and create a network of support to decrease your chance of experiencing negative reactions to rejection. This will aid you in overcoming your RSD so that you can live a more satisfying and happier life. It is also crucial to stay clear of toxic relationships since they can make your symptoms worse. If you're in a abusive relationship, seek out counseling to discover the best method to leave. This can reduce your risk of experiencing feelings of rejection like depression and anxiety. By focusing on healthy relationships that you are in, you will increase your self-esteem. This will help you feel more confident about your abilities and give you an objective view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. This can cause sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behavior. Women who have high functioning adhd may be at greater risk for sexual problems. These behaviors can lead to feelings of shame and guilt and can have a negative impact on their relationships and overall well-being.
In one study, adults with ADHD were found to be more likely than those without ADHD to have adventurous sexual interest. Both males and women were affected. This could be due to their higher levels of impulsivity, which makes them more likely to act on their sexual desires and thoughts. Specifically, the study found that women with adhd were more likely to engage in paraphilic sex fantasies and actions. This included submissive roles, bondage and sex with strangers. They also went to sex parties and nightclubs more often.
Both women and men with adhd were more likely to be infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This is due to their lack of impulse control and alcohol-related disinhibition, as well as their desire for sensation. This is likely due to their greater levels of anxiety, and feeling misunderstood or criticized by their partners. The survey also asked respondents to describe their experiences with extra-partner sexual affairs and sexual intercourse without use of contraception. Table 6 summarizes the results of this section.
The study also used the Hypersexuality-Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19), which asked participants about their problematic sexual behaviors. The questionnaire comprises 19 items, which are divided into three subscales. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale, between 1 (never to 5 (very often)). The higher the score, the more symptomatology there is. The HBI-19 was utilized to compare sexual behaviors between adults with ADHD and those who do not.
These findings are significant due to the fact that the psychosexual effects of adults with ADHD have been scarcely studied. They have been connected to sexual dysfunctions such as STI's and unplanned pregnancy, relationship dissatisfaction adult and adolescent onset infidelity and risky sexual behavior.
4. Relationships
Many people with high functioning ADHD experience difficulties in their relationships with loved ones. adhd symptoms in women adults of clarity in communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms such as inattention and forgetfulness may result in anger, frustration, and conflict within a relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be helped by a supportive network of family and friends who can understand.
It is crucial to keep in mind that those who suffer from ADHD have a difficult time listening. They are easily interrupted by their impulsive behavior, or their own thoughts, which can cause them to miss the main point of the conversation. People with ADHD are more likely to be struggling with multitasking, too which could cause them to lose track of conversations or perform other activities while someone else is talking.
These conflicts can result in a vicious cycle where the partner who is not ADHD is overwhelmed with anxiety and anger, and the ADHD partner feels misunderstood. The problem can escalate from there as they become more isolated.
Women with high-functioning ADHD are often overwhelmed and exhausted by their everyday demands. They may experience feelings of low self-esteem and shame because of their impulsive and disorganized behavior, or feel as if they're unable to keep up with their bills and chores. They might also be suffering from mood swings and sensitivity to rejection as well as low sex drive.
Because of this, it is crucial for people suffering from ADHD to establish a treatment plan and seek out help. It is important that the people closest to them, including spouses, learn more about ADHD and how it affects the person they love. They can work together to set clear expectations and boundaries and then formulate a plan of how they will meet those objectives. The non-ADHD partner can take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and finishing the chores at home.
Additionally, both partners should be able to communicate clearly and effectively and establish a regular routine that includes regular sleep patterns, meal times and time for rest and relaxation. It is also essential to find ways to make things easier for both parties, such as sharing household chores or outsourcing some tasks that are challenging for a person with ADHD, such as hiring an expert cleaning service or using apps to control expenses.