High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd experience frustration and misunderstandings in their relationships. The symptoms may be more severe in periods of hormonal changes, like premenstrual and menstrual cycles.
Many girls and women use compensatory strategies to concealing their impairments and symptoms that can delay time until referral.
This patient group faces specific challenges that must be considered when treating them.
1. Insecurities about self-esteem
The social and emotional challenges that come with ADHD can cause women to feel low. Even if they're successful, it is easy to feel like failing because of the things they cannot change. This can result in an endless feeling of being overwhelmed and inadequate. This can have a negative impact on their mental well-being.
Girls with ADHD who aren't treated are at a higher risk of having low self-esteem and teen pregnancy. They also have a higher chance of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. As adults, they're at increased risk of single-parenting a child with ADHD and financial difficulties, as well as underemployment. They're also more likely to struggle with eating disorders, and their unhealthy patterns can pass down to their children.
It is crucial for girls to get an assessment, as it will provide them with a better understanding of their challenges and help them manage their symptoms more efficiently. Many women report feeling confident after receiving the diagnosis. They are no longer getting angry about things they aren't able to manage. It can also help to reframe their issues and help them focus on the things that matter (Waite 2010).
As women mature and approach menopausal, their hormone levels change, and ADHD symptoms may get worse. It is often difficult to identify and treat people suffering from ADHD because their symptoms may be mistakenly diagnosed and dismissed as "hormonal", "that time of month" or "an anxiety disorder".
Untreated adult ADHD can have a devastating impact on women's self-esteem as well as relationships with her family and friends. Symptoms can interfere with daily routines, making her feeling exhausted and angry. She might feel like she isn't able to refuse people, leading her to be overwhelmed and resentful towards people who are around her. It can be difficult organizing her work and home life, resulting in delayed appointments and lost documents. She may also be more easily triggered by rejection, so she may be more likely to react defensively and even lash out at the people she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity is a condition that causes you to feel a strong sense of when you're being rejected, either real or perceived. You might be triggered by an argument with your partner or a negative feedback from a coworker at work. Your brain's natural defense mechanisms become overwhelmed and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that result could harm your self-esteem and relationships. There are also anxiety, depression and mood fluctuations as a result of sensitive to rejection.
Although it's often attributed to ADHD, rejection sensitiveness is actually a sign of emotional dysregulation, which affects the way your brain handles emotions and how you react to them. adhd in older women can also be observed in other mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).
RSD patients can see events through a filter, which makes them appear darker or brighter than they actually are. This can cause them to interpret things as being related to rejection, even though they're not. RSD can also cause you to have a harder time regulating your emotions which is why it's crucial to have healthy coping strategies to manage this.
Learn more about the sensitivity to rejection by reading the articles below:
While there is no cure for RSD it is possible to manage symptoms with the assistance of a mental healthcare professional. You can use strategies to cope, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help you modify your negative thought patterns. You can also engage in mindfulness and build a community of support to decrease your risk of negative reactions to rejection. This can help you find ways to overcome your RSD and allow you to live a more positive and fulfilling life. It is also essential to stay clear of toxic relationships since they can make your symptoms worse. If you're in a abusive relationship, seek counseling to learn how to get out. This can lessen the risk of having feelings of rejection, like anxiety and depression. By focusing on relationships that are healthy, you can improve your self-esteem. This will help you feel more confident in your abilities and give a realistic perspective on life.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. This can result in sexual dysfunctions or risky sexual behaviors. Research suggests that women with high functioning adhd are at higher risk of having sexual problems than their non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also cause feelings of shame and guilt, which can have a negative impact on their relationships and overall well-being.
One study looked at adults with ADHD and found that they were more likely to have adventurous sexual interests than those who did not suffer from the disorder. This was the case for males and females. This is likely due to their higher levels of impulsivity which makes them more likely to act on sexual desires and thoughts. The study found that females with adhd are more likely to indulge in paraphilic fantasies and behavior. This included submissive roles play bondage, sex with strangers. They also went to sex parties and more clubs.
Females and males with adhd had a higher risk of infidelity than those without the disorder. This was due to their poor impulse control and alcohol withdrawal, as well as the desire to feel. This is likely due to their higher levels of insecurity, and feeling misunderstood or misjudged by their partners. The survey asked participants to describe their experiences with extra-partner affairs and sexual relations without contraception. Table 6 provides the results of this section.
The study also utilized the Hypersexuality-Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) which surveyed participants to describe their sexual issues. 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 frequently)). The higher the score, the more symptomatology is evident. The HBI-19 was used to compare the sexual behaviors of people with and without ADHD.
These findings are significant, because the psychosexual results for adults with ADHD have not been studied extensively. 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 behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD struggle with their romantic relationships. Insufficient communication and miscommunication caused by symptoms such as inattention and forgetfulness may cause anger, frustration and conflict within relationships. A supportive network of family and friends members who are able to understand each other can be helpful for maintaining healthy relationships.
It is also important to note that people with ADHD are often unable to listen. They are easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior which can cause them to miss out on the central point of a discussion. People with ADHD are more likely to be struggling in multitasking, which can cause them to lose track of conversations or do other activities while someone else is talking.
These battles can create an unbalanced relationship where the non-ADHD partner is overwhelmed with anger and stress and the ADHD partner feels misunderstood and defensive. They then tend to withdraw and the issue can escalate from there.
Women who have high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their everyday life. They might experience feelings of low self-esteem and shame because of their chaotic and impulsive behavior, or feel like they're not able to handle their chores and bills. They may also have mood swings, rejection sensitivity and low sex desire.
This is why it is essential for those with ADHD to find a treatment plan and seek help. It is important that those who are closest to them, particularly spouses, understand ADHD and how it affects the person they love. Together, they can establish clear expectations and establish boundaries. Then, they can create an action plan to meet their goals. The non-ADHD partner can take on more financial responsibility while the person with ADHD is focused on organizing and completing chores at home.
Additionally, both partners must work together to communicate more clearly and effectively and establish a regular routine that incorporates regular sleep schedules, meal times, and time to relax and rest. It is also crucial to find ways to make things simpler for both parties, such as splitting household chores, or outsourcing some of the tasks that are challenging for a person with ADHD like hiring an expert cleaning service or utilizing apps to manage costs.