High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women who suffer from high functioning adhd may experience frustration and miscommunication in their relationships. The symptoms can be more severe during periods of hormonal changes, like the premenstrual or menstrual cycles.
Many women and girls resort to compensatory strategies in order to cover their impairments and symptoms can delay referral.
This group of patients faces a unique set issues that need to be taken into consideration when treating them.
1. Self-esteem issues
The emotional and social issues that accompany ADHD can make women feel down. Even if they're successful, it is easy to feel like they're failing because of the things they aren't able to change. This can lead to an endless cycle of feeling like they are constantly overwhelmed and never satisfied which can take a toll on their mental health and self-esteem.
Girls with untreated ADHD are at greater risk of developing chronic low self-esteem and anxiety, teen pregnancy depression, and abuse of substances. As adults, they're at greater risk of being parents on their own to a child suffering from ADHD and facing financial hardship or unemployment. They're also more likely to be struggling with eating disorders, and their bad patterns can pass down to their children.
It's crucial for girls to receive an assessment, as it will give them a better understanding of their struggles and enable them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Many women report feeling empowered after receiving a diagnosis. They can now stop getting angry about things they cannot control. It can also help to reframe their problems and refocus them on what's important (Waite 2010).
As women mature and approach menopausal age the hormone levels of their bodies change and ADHD symptoms may get worse. This makes it more difficult to diagnose and treated since they are often misdiagnosed as an anxiety or mood disorder and their symptoms are viewed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on a woman’s self-esteem and relationships with her family and friends. The symptoms can disrupt the woman's daily routine which can make her angry and exhausted. She might feel like she can't refuse people, causing her to become overburdened and resentful towards those who are around her. It can be difficult organizing her home and work life, which leads to missing appointments and documents getting lost. add adult women could be more easily affected by rejection and is more likely to snap at those she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel deeply hurt when rejected. This can be real or perceived. A disagreement with your partner or an unkind comment from a colleague at work could trigger you. The brain's natural defense mechanisms are overstimulated which can trigger thoughts and feelings that can affect your relationships and self esteem. You may also experience anxiety, depression, and mood changes due to sensitive to rejection.
Although it's often linked to ADHD, rejection sensitiveness is actually a sign of emotional dysregulation that affects how your brain manages emotions and the way you react to them. The symptoms can also be seen in other mental health disorders like borderline personality disorder (BPD).
RSD patients might perceive events through a filter, making them appear brighter or darker than they are. This makes them more likely to interpret and interpret events as if they are related to rejection, even if they are not. RSD can cause you to be incapable of controlling your emotions. This is why it is essential to develop healthy coping strategies to deal with RSD.
Check out the following articles to find out more about rejection sensitivity.
Although there isn't a cure for RSD but it is possible to manage your symptoms with the assistance of an expert in mental health. You can utilize strategies for coping, such as cognitive behavior therapy, which helps change your negative thought patterns. You can also build a support network and practice mindfulness to lower the chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This can help you find ways to overcome your RSD, so you can lead a more pleasant and fulfilling life. Avoid toxic relationships because they can cause more symptoms. If you're in an abusive relationship, seek out counseling to learn how to get out. This can lessen the risk of having feelings of rejection, like depression and anxiety. By focusing on relationships that are healthy that you are in, you will increase your self-esteem. This will help you feel more confident in your abilities and give you a more realistic perspective on the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship difficult. This can lead to sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behavior. Research suggests that women suffering from high functioning adhd are at higher risk of developing these sexual issues than their non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also lead to feelings of guilt and shame, which can have a negative impact on their relationships and overall wellbeing.
In one study, people with ADHD were found to be more likely than those with ADHD to have adventurous sexual fascination. This was the case for both males and females. This is likely due to their more impulsive levels, which makes them more likely to act upon their sexual desires and ideas. The study found that women who have adhd are more likely to engage in sexual fantasies and actions. This included submissive roles, bondage, and sex with strangers. They also attended sex parties and nightclubs more often.
Females and males with adhd had a higher risk of infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This was due to their lack of control of their impulses and alcohol withdrawal. This was likely also because of their higher levels of insecurity and feeling misunderstood by partners. The survey asked participants to describe their experiences with extra-partner affairs and sexual relations that were not contraceptive. Table 6 shows the results of this section.
Lastly, the study used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to ask participants about their problematic sexual behavior. The questionnaire consists of 19 items, and is divided into three subscales. Each item is scored using 5 points, ranging from 1 (never to 5 (very often)). The higher the score, the more symptoms are present. The HBI-19 was used in order to evaluate sexual behaviors between people with ADHD and those without.
These results are important because the psychosexual outcomes of people with ADHD have been scarcely studied. They have been connected to sexual dysfunctions like STI's, unwanted pregnancies, relationship dissatisfaction, infidelity that begins at the onset of adulthood and adolescence and risky sexual behavior.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD struggle with their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms like forgetfulness and inattention can lead to frustration, anger and conflict in the relationship. A strong group of family and friends members who can understand is helpful for maintaining healthy relationships.
It is crucial to keep in mind, too, that people with ADHD have a difficult time listening. They are easily distracted by their own thoughts or impulsive behavior which could result in them missing out on the primary purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD might also have difficulty multitasking, which could cause them to tune out conversations or perform other tasks while other people are talking.
These struggles can result in a cycle where the non-ADHD partner becomes overwrought with anger and stress and the ADHD partner feels misunderstood and defensive. The issue could escalate in the meantime as they become more distant.
Women with high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their daily life. They may feel guilt and low self-esteem as a result of their chaotic and impulsive behavior, or feel as if they can't keep up with their chores and bills. They can also suffer from mood swings and sensitivity to rejection, as well as low sexual drive.
It is crucial that people with ADHD find a treatment and seek help. It is important that those who are closest to them, especially spouses, are aware of ADHD and how it affects the person they love. They can collaborate to establish clear expectations and boundaries, then come up with a plan of how they will achieve their objectives. For instance, the non-ADHD partner might be more involved in the financial responsibility, while the person with ADHD might be focused on organizing and completing housework.
Both partners should also work to improve their communication and establish a routine that includes regular eating patterns, sleeping times, and time for relaxation and rest. It's important to find ways to simplify things for both of you, like splitting household chores or outsourcing certain tasks which are challenging for people with ADHD.