We tend to associate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with children. But that’s not really accurate. While ADHD can appear during childhood, it is also diagnosed in adults who were never diagnosed as kids.
Also, approximately 30% to 70% of children with ADHD continue having symptoms into adulthood. When ADHD appears in adulthood, more obvious symptoms may develop, making relations difficult and sometimes causing trouble on the job.
Many adults don’t realize they have ADHD and are never diagnosed. As adults we experience occasional difficulties with certain tasks, but we don’t associate them with what we consider a “childhood disease”.
Keep reading for a list of ADHD symptoms in women.
- Avoiding Chores: Completing repetitive tasks like laundry is hard for women with ADD/ADHD.
- Getting Distracted: Daydreaming or getting lost in one’s thoughts is common.
- Tiredness and Restlessness: Fidgety and hyperactive behavior is prevalent in adults.
- Sleep Disorders: Insomnia gets worse during menopause.
- Time management: Women with ADHD are often running late or take on too many projects.
- Focusing and following through on a project is difficult with ADHD.
- Impulsiveness: Shopping, eating and watching TV, and eating are common types of addictive behaviors and sometimes irrational.
- Feeling the need to “do it all.” Juggling parenting and work responsibilities can simply be overwhelming.
- Easily upset or frustrated. Emotions are exacerbated during hormonal changes. An estimated one in four adults with ADHD also has symptoms of depression.
- Difficulty remembering names and words often gets worse before, during, and after menopause. This is also a sign of inattention.
- Saying things without thinking often leads to hurting others’ feelings.
- Interrupting conversation or bailing out on plans at the last moment. Appearing selfish is a sign of ADD/ADHD.
- Appearing aloof is particularly difficult for women, who often want to connect socially but have difficulty doing so.
- Poor handwriting can be an embarrassing symptom of ADHD.
- Difficulty making choices when grocery shopping due to the overwhelming number of options.
If these difficulties are not managed properly, they can cause related behavioral, emotional, social, vocational, and academic problems.
The inattentiveness and difficulty finishing tasks that made it tough for children to sit still in school can evolve into self-esteem issues, trouble holding down a job, and substance abuse problems. These symptoms of adult ADHD can also put a real strain on relationships.
Adult ADHD Statistics
- ADHD afflicts approximately 3% to 10% of school-aged children and an estimated 60% of those will continue to have symptoms that affect their functioning as adults.
- Prevalence rates for ADHD in adults are not as well determined as rates for children, but fall in the 4% to 5% range.
- ADHD affects males at higher rate than females in childhood, but this ratio seems to even out by adulthood.
If you are experiencing signs of ADHD, talk to your Gainesville GYN physician about how we can help.
