High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd are unhappy and are often misunderstood in their relationships. The symptoms can be more severe during times of hormonal changes such as the premenstrual and pregnancy cycles.
Many girls and women resort to compensatory strategies, concealing their impairments and symptoms that can delay time until referral.
This patient group has a unique set of issues that need to be considered when treating them.
1. Self-Esteem is not a strong point.
Women can feel depressed by the emotional and social challenges of ADHD. Even when they're doing well, it's easy to feel like a failure due to things they cannot control. This can result in an endless cycle of feeling like they feel constantly overwhelmed and never satisfied, which can affect their self-esteem and mental health.
Girls who suffer from ADHD who aren't treated are at a higher risk of having low self-esteem as well as teen pregnancy. They also have a higher risk of depression, anxiety and substance abuse. As adults, they are at greater risk of being single-parents of a child with ADHD and also facing financial difficulties or underemployment. They're also more likely than others to suffer from eating disorders and pass on their bad habits to their children.
It's important for girls to get a diagnosis, because it will give them a better understanding of their issues and allow them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Many women report that they feel much more at ease after receiving their diagnosis, allowing them to stop blaming themselves for the little things they are unable to manage. It helps them to see their struggles as strengths and focus their attention on the things that matter most (Waite 2010,).
As women age and enter menopause the hormone levels of their bodies change, and ADHD symptoms can become more severe. This can make it harder to diagnose and treated because they're often misdiagnosed as anxiety or mood disorder, and their symptoms are viewed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have a devastating impact on women's self-esteem as well as relationships with her family and friends. The symptoms can affect daily routines, leaving her frustrated and exhausted. She may feel that she cannot turn down people, which causes her to feel overwhelmed and resentful of people around her. It could be difficult to manage the work and home lives of her children, leading to unscheduled appointments and files being lost. She may also be more easily triggered when she is rejected and is more likely to snap at people she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel a strong sense of when you're being rejected, either real or perceived. You could be triggered by a disagreement with your partner or a negative review from a colleague at work. The brain's natural defence mechanisms are overstimulated and result in thoughts and feelings that can affect your relationships and self esteem. You may also experience anxiety, depression, and mood swings as a result of the sensitivity to rejection.
Rejection sensitivity, while typically associated with ADHD is actually an indication of emotional dysregulation. This affects the way your brain processes emotions and how you react to them. The symptoms can also be seen in other mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).
RSD patients can see events through a filter, making them appear brighter or darker than they actually are. This can cause them to interpret and perceive things as being related to rejection even if they aren't. RSD can also cause you to have a difficult to control your emotions and that's why it is important to develop healthy strategies for coping to handle this.
Learn more about the issue of rejection sensitivity by reading these articles:
While there is no cure for RSD it is possible to manage symptoms with the assistance of a mental healthcare professional. You can use coping techniques like cognitive behavior therapy to change your negative thinking patterns. You can also build an emotional support network and practice mindfulness to reduce the chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This can help you overcome your RSD to live a more fulfilling and happier life. Avoid toxic relationships because they can cause more symptoms. If you're in a abusive relationship, seek counseling to learn the best way to leave. This can lower the chance of feeling depressed and anxious, such anxiety and depression. You can also improve your self-esteem by building healthy relationships. This will allow you to feel more confident about your abilities and give you an objective view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. This often leads to sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behavior. 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 trigger feelings of guilt and embarrassment, which can affect their relationships and wellbeing.
One study looked at adults with ADHD and found that they were more likely to have adventurous sexual interests than those without the disorder. adhd in older women were affected. This could be due to the higher levels of impulsivity that can cause them to be more likely act on their sexual ideas and desires. In particular, the study showed that females with adhd were more likely to engage in paraphilic masturbation fantasies and behaviours. This included submissive role-play, bondage and sexual contact with strangers. They also went to sex parties and clubs more often.
Both females and males suffering from adhd had a greater rate of infidelity than those without the disorder. This was due to their poor impulse control, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. It could also be because of their higher levels of insecurity and being misunderstood or mistreated by their partners. The survey also asked participants to report their experiences with sexual relationships and sexual encounters without the use of contraception. Table 6 provides the results of this section.
Lastly, the study used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to ask participants about their problematic sexual behavior. This questionnaire consists of 19 items, which are divided into three subscales. Each item is scored on 5 points, ranging between 1 (never to 5) (very often)). The higher the score, the more symptoms are present. The HBI-19 was utilized to compare sexual behaviors between people who suffer from ADHD and those without.
These results are important due to the fact that the psychosexual effects of people with ADHD are not well-studied. They have been connected to sexual dysfunctions such as STI's and unwanted pregnancies, relationship dissatisfaction, adult and adolescent onset infidelity and risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD have issues in their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms like forgetfulness and inattention can result in anger, frustration, and conflict within the relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be assisted by a network of family and friends who can understand.
It is also important to keep in mind that people suffering from ADHD frequently have trouble listening. They are easily distracted by their own thoughts or impulsive behavior, which could cause them to miss out on the main reason for a discussion. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle in multitasking and can cause them to lose track of conversations or engage in other things while someone else is talking.
These struggles can result in a vicious cycle in which the non-ADHD partner becomes overwrought with anger and stress, and the ADHD partner is misunderstood and defensive. The issue can get worse in the meantime as they become more isolated.
Women with high-functioning ADHD are often overwhelmed and exhausted by their daily demands. They may experience low self-esteem or shame due to their impulsive and disorganized behavior. It is also possible that they feel like they cannot manage their obligations and bills. They might also have mood swings, sensitivity to rejection and low sexual desire.
It is crucial that people with ADHD find a treatment and seek out help. It is essential that the people closest to them, especially spouses, understand ADHD and how it affects the person they love. Together, they can establish clear expectations and establish boundaries. Then, they will create an action plan to meet their goals. The non-ADHD partner could assume more financial responsibility while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing chores at home.
In addition, both partners must work together to communicate more efficiently and clearly, and establish a routine that incorporates regular sleep patterns, meal times, and time for rest and relaxation. It is also crucial to discover ways to make life easier for both of you for example, sharing household chores or outsourcing some of the tasks that are challenging for a person with ADHD for example, hiring a cleaning service or using apps to manage expenses.