ADHD in Women and Girls
- Ingrid Sampson
- Mar 20, 2021
- 3 min read
When we think of ADHD and the preconceptions we hold about the mental illness, we tend to think of restless and hyper young boys who are disruptive in class. And while that is certainly true, that is only one aspect of a much broader and widely undiagnosed mental illness. Women and girls are chronically underdiagnosed with ADHD because they don’t typically show these hyperactive symptoms, and end up suffering in silence for years because they can’t figure out why they struggle to function like everyone else.
There are three types of ADHD: hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive, and a combination of the two. Boys tend to be hyperactive and impulsive, while ADHD usually presents itself as the inattentive type in girls and women. Symptoms include high emotional sensitivity, difficulty focusing or hyperfocusing on a single subject, difficulty completing tasks, hopelessness because accomplishing goals feels impossible, always trying to stay organized but always falling behind, being extremely talkative, and many others. Along with these symptoms, ADHD generally presents itself alongside depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders and eating disorders. Because of the presence of these accompanying mental illnesses, women and girls are often misdiagnosed with only anxiety or depression and become medicated, but don’t seem to find any relief which only leads to more distress and worsening symptoms. Boys often see their symptoms lessen or disappear as they grow up, while symptoms only worsen in girls as they go through puberty and produce higher amounts of estrogen. This later onset of symptoms is another reason for late diagnosis. Additionally, because self-regulation is especially difficult for girls and women with ADHD, they are more likely than women without ADHD to succumb to peer pressure and therefore often engage in high-risk behavior like drug experimentation and alcohol dependence.
Roughly 75% of women with ADHD are never diagnosed and feel hopeless their whole lives. Undiagnosed ADHD keeps women who are mothers from being able to successfully perform the gendered roles they are expected to excel at, like keeping the house clean, remembering birthdays and appointments, juggling their own responsibilities alongside their children’s, and being the “perfect” spouse. This prolonged feeling of inadequateness is extremely dangerous to one’s self-confidence and can lead to other serious mental illnesses over time.
This year I was diagnosed with ADHD and suddenly my whole life started to make sense to me. I’ve always been extremely talkative, a daydreamer, disorganized, highly emotionally sensitive, and I could never understand why others seemed to pass me by in achievements when I knew I was just as smart. At 17, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety by my general practitioner, but I wasn’t seeing any positive results from medication or therapy. Recently, at age 20, I decided to find a new therapist because I was sick of feeling hopeless all the time, and she is the one who finally diagnosed me with ADHD. Getting that diagnosis and realizing that there was a reason that I had always felt misunderstood was so comforting and put my whole life into perspective. Since then, I’ve been able to target these symptoms from the correct angle with the help of my therapist and I’m finally starting to feel like I’m making progress with my mental health.
ADHD is a very serious mental health concern and receiving a correct diagnosis early is crucial to helping girls and women understand their mental health, receiving proper medication, and developing the correct strategies for combating the daily struggles they face. Doctors and mental health specialists need to listen to their female patients who express their mental health concerns and start considering ADHD as the culprit for many of their problems. Once it stops being considered a “boy” disease, girls and women will hopefully be able to find peace and help at a much younger age.
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