ADHD Presents Differently In Women

The signs of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in females might differ from those in males. How impulsivity and inattention symptoms manifest in males versus females may depend on various factors, including hormones and sex norms. There are numerous complicated reasons why males with ADHD are more likely than females to be diagnosed. Here are just a few of the key factors:

• Different people experience ADHD in different ways. Which symptoms, such as hyperactive symptoms, are more prevalent may be influenced by sex and hormones.

• Girls who exhibit signs of ADHD may be forced to conceal them due to sex norms and standards. Girls and women may be influenced by stereotypes about neatness, organization, collaboration, compliance, and social behaviors to conceal or manage their ADHD symptoms in the workplace, the home, and everyday life.

• Males have been the subject of most research up until recently, so more is known about how males experience ADHD and how the illness affects their lives.

Like girls, women with an adult ADHD diagnosis may not exhibit the same impulsivity, hyperactivity, or disruptive behavior as men, making the symptoms more likely to go unnoticed or be misdiagnosed. But that does not negate that women might occasionally experience similar symptoms, such as inattentive symptoms.

ADHD Symptoms In Women And Young Girls

Compared to men, women are less prone to exhibit outward hyperactivity and impulsivity. Women with internal hyperactivity often overthink, have intrusive ideas, and engage more in critical self-talk. Women and girls with an ADHD diagnosis may also experience the following internalized symptoms of inattention, distractibility, and hyperactivity:

• Anxiety

• Body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g., skin picking, hair pulling, leg bouncing)

• Crying with deep emotion, anger, and feelings of guilt and shame

• Depression

• Auditory processing disorder

• Easily losing focus

• Forgetfulness

• Impatience

• Insomnia

• Fatigue

• Maladaptive daydreaming

• Shyness due to social anxiety and sensory sensitivities

• Spacing out during conversations

• Hypersexuality

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms in girls are frequently seen as character qualities as opposed to symptoms of a larger disorder. For instance, a young girl may be considered talkative, forgetful, or spacey. Later in adulthood, a woman may seek assistance for her symptoms only to be diagnosed with a mood disorder, like depression or anxiety and not assessed for other co-occurring challenges, like ADHD. The good news is that women are more likely to be able to seek the care they require due to growing recognition of the signs of ADHD in women.

How Do I Get Started?

1. Schedule a free ADHD testing consultation.

2. We’ll reach out within 48 hours to answer your questions and match you with the perfect in-person or online therapist!

3. Schedule your comprehensive evaluation, and we will discuss diagnosis and treatment with you.

Are you ready to take the first step towards a healthier and happier you?

RPS in Manhattan, New York, offers Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) testing for women. Please reach out to our office to learn more.

Other Services at Rapoport Psychological Services

If you need support in New York, we offer therapy for women in New York, but we can help you with specific mental health care issues. Additional services we provide include depression treatment, anxiety treatment, PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, testing services, diagnosis and treatment for ADHD, professional development, online therapy for moms, life transitions, and group therapy. Lastly, we offer workshops on women’s empowerment, grief, mindfulness, and stress management. We look forward to walking alongside you and hope you will take the next step and begin in-person or online therapy in New York!