High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd are frustrated and misunderstood in their relationships. The symptoms can become more severe during periods of hormonal changes, such as the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Many girls and women resort to compensatory strategies, masking their symptoms and impairments, which can delay time until referral.
This patient group has a unique set of problems that must be considered when treating them.
1. Lack of Self-Esteem
Women can be depressed by the emotional and social challenges of ADHD. Even if they're successful, it's easy to feel like failing because of the things they cannot change. This can create an unending cycle of feeling overwhelmed and not good enough. This can have a negative impact on their mental well-being.
Girls who aren't treated for ADHD are at greater risk of developing chronic low self-esteem, anxiety, teen pregnancy depression, and abuse of substances. As adults, they are more likely to be parents on their own to a child suffering from ADHD and experiencing financial crisis or underemployment. They're also more likely to struggle with eating disorders, and their negative patterns can pass down to their children.
It's crucial that women receive a diagnosis since it will allow them to better comprehend their struggles and manage their symptoms. Many women say that they feel much more confident after receiving their diagnosis, which allows them to stop blaming themselves for the little things they can't control. It can also help reframe their problems and refocus them on what's important (Waite 2010).
As women age and move towards menopausal age, their hormone levels change and ADHD symptoms may get worse. This makes it more difficult to diagnose and treated because they're often misdiagnosed as an anxiety or mood disorder, and their symptoms are dismissed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have devastating consequences on a woman’s self-esteem and relationships with her family and friends. Symptoms may interfere with women's daily routines which can make her angry and exhausted. She may feel she can't refuse to be around people and end up overburdened herself and feel resentful towards people close to her. She might have difficulty organizing her home and work life, resulting in delayed appointments and lost documents. Additionally, she could be more easily triggered by rejection so she may be more likely to be defensive and lash out at people she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel intensely when you're being rejected, whether real or perceived. A disagreement with your partner, or a negative comment from a colleague at work could trigger you. The brain's natural defence mechanisms are overstimulated, resulting in thoughts, feelings and beliefs that can harm your self-esteem and relationships. Sensitivity to rejection can lead to depression, anxiety and mood shifts.
While it's often associated with ADHD The issue of rejection sensitivity 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 observed in other mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder (BPD).
RSD patients can see events through a filter, which makes them appear darker or brighter than they are. This can cause them to perceive and interpret things as being related to rejection, even though they are not. RSD can also cause you to have a harder managing your emotions and that's why it's important to have coping strategies that are healthy to manage this.
You can learn more about rejection sensitivity by reading the articles below:
Although there is no cure for RSD it is possible to manage the symptoms with the help of a mental health professional. You can employ strategies to cope, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps you modify your negative thought patterns. You can also build an emotional support network and practice mindfulness to lower the chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This will help you discover ways to overcome your RSD and help you live a happier and more satisfying life. It is also important to avoid relationships that are toxic as they can make your symptoms worse. If you are in an abusive relationship, seek out counseling to learn how you can safely leave. This can lower the chance of experiencing feelings of rejection such as depression and anxiety. You can also increase your self-esteem by focusing on building healthy relationships. This will help you feel more confident in your abilities and provide you with 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 behaviors. Research suggests that women suffering from high functioning adhd are at greater risk of experiencing these sexual issues than their non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also trigger feelings of shame and guilt, which can affect their relationships and wellbeing.
One study looked at adults with ADHD and discovered that they were more likely to be interested in sexual activities than those who did not suffer from the disorder. This was the case for both males and females. This was likely due to their higher levels of impulsivity, which makes them more likely to act on their sexual desires and thoughts. The study found that women who have adhd are more likely to engage in paraphilic fantasies and behavior. This included submissive roles play and bondage as well as sexual contact with strangers. It was also common for them to go out to party and sex clubs.
Females and males with adhd had a higher rate of infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This was due to their inability to control their impulses and alcohol-related disinhibition, as well as their desire for sensation. This is likely due to their greater levels of anxiety and being misunderstood, or criticized by their partners. The survey asked respondents about their experiences with extra-partner relationships and sexual relations that were not contraceptive. Table 6 shows the results of this section.
The study also utilized the Hypersexuality-Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) which surveyed participants to describe their problematic sexual behaviors. adhd in adult women symptoms comprises 19 items that are divided into three subscales. Each item is scored using five-point scale, starting between 1 (never to 5) (very often)). The higher the score, the more symptomatology is evident. The HBI-19 was used to assess the sexual behavior of adults with and without ADHD.
These results are important since the psychosexual outcomes of adults with ADHD have not been studied extensively. They have been linked to sexual dysfunctions like STIs and unwanted pregnancy, relationship dissatisfaction and adult-onset infidelity, as well as risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD have issues with their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms such as forgetfulness and inattention can lead to anger, resentment, and conflict in the relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be helped 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 easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior which could cause them to miss out on the central reason for a discussion. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle in multitasking and can cause them to become disengaged of conversations or perform other activities while someone else talks.
These battles can create an unending 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 withdrawn.
Women with high-functioning ADHD are often exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of their lives. They may be feeling low self-esteem or shame due to their impulsive, chaotic behavior. Or they might find themselves struggling to keep up with their chores and bills. They might also experience mood swings, sensitivity to rejection and low sex desire.
It is important that those who suffer from ADHD find a treatment and seek help. It is essential that the people closest to them, especially spouses, learn more about ADHD and how it affects the person they love. They can work together to establish clear boundaries and expectations and then devise a plan of how they will meet those goals. For instance the non-ADHD spouse could be more involved in the financial responsibilities, whereas the person with ADHD might focus on organizing and completing housework.
Both partners should work to improve communication and establish a routine, which includes regular eating patterns, sleeping times, and time to relax and rest. It is also essential to find ways to make things simpler for both parties by dividing household chores, or outsourcing certain tasks that are difficult for the person with ADHD, such as hiring cleaning services or utilizing apps to manage expenses.