High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd are frustrated and misunderstood in their relationships. The symptoms may increase during periods of hormonal changes, such as menstrual cycles and pregnancy.
Many girls and women resorting to compensatory strategies to mask their impairments and symptoms can delay the time for referral.
This patient group has particular challenges that need to be taken into account when treating them.
1. Insecurity about oneself
The emotional and social issues associated with ADHD can cause women to feel down. Even when they're successful and have a good time, it's easy for them to feel like a failure for things they cannot control. This can create an endless cycle of feeling like they feel overwhelmed and never good enough and can be detrimental to their self-esteem and mental health.
Girls with ADHD who aren't treated are at a higher risk for chronic low self-esteem as well as teen pregnancy. They also have a greater chance of anxiety, depression, and addiction to drugs. As adults, they are at greater risk of being single-parents of a child with ADHD and facing financial hardship or unemployment. adhd in adult women symptoms than others to suffer from eating disorders and to pass their bad habits onto their children.
It's crucial that women receive a diagnosis since it will help them comprehend their struggles and help them manage their symptoms. Many women say that they feel much more empowered after receiving their diagnosis, which allows them to not be a victim of the little things they can't control. It helps them to see their challenges as strengths and focus their focus on what is important most (Waite 2010,).
As women age and enter menopause the hormone levels of their bodies change and ADHD symptoms can get worse. It isn't easy to diagnose and treat people suffering from ADHD due to the fact that their symptoms can be incorrectly identified and dismissed as "hormonal", "that time of month" or "an anxiety disorder".
Having untreated adult ADHD can have devastating consequences on self-esteem of women, and her relationships with family and friends. The symptoms can disrupt a woman's daily routine, leaving her irritable and exhausted. She might feel that she is unable to say no to anyone and end up overburdened herself and feel resentful towards people close to her. She might have difficulty to manage her work and home life, which can lead to 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 is in love with.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel deeply hurt when rejected. This could be real or perceived. You might be triggered by an argument with your partner or a negative feedback from a coworker at work. The brain's natural defense mechanisms are triggered, resulting in thoughts or feelings, and beliefs that could harm your self-esteem and relationships. Rejection sensitivity can also result in anxiety, depression and mood shifts.
Rejection sensitivity, while typically associated with ADHD is actually a sign of emotional dysregulation. This impacts how your brain handles emotions and how you respond to them. Other mental health conditions such as borderline personality disorder may be a sign of these symptoms too.
RSD patients can see events through a filter, which makes them appear darker or brighter than they actually are. This could cause people to interpret things as rejection related, even though they're not. RSD can make you in a state of being unable to control your emotions. This is why it is essential to develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with RSD.
You can learn more about the issue of rejection sensitivity by reading the articles below:
Although there is no cure for RSD it is possible to manage the symptoms with the assistance of a mental healthcare professional. You can use strategies to cope, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps modify your negative thought patterns. You can also build an alliance of support and practice mindfulness to lessen your chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This will help you overcome your RSD so that you can live a more satisfying and happy life. It is also important to avoid toxic relationships as they can cause symptoms to become worse. If you're in a abusive relationship, get counsel to find out the best method to leave. This will help lessen the risk of having feelings of rejection, such as anxiety and depression. By focusing on relationships that are healthy and relationships, you can boost your self-esteem. This will allow you to feel more confident about your abilities, and will give you an unbiased view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship challenging. This can lead to sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behaviors. Research suggests that women suffering from high functioning adhd are at higher risk of developing these sexual problems than their non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also result in feelings of guilt and shame which can have a negative effect on the quality of their relationships and overall well-being.
One study surveyed adults with ADHD and found that they were more likely to have a passion for sexual exploration than those who did not suffer from the disorder. This was true for both males and females. This is probably due to the increased levels of impulsivity which could make them more likely to act on their sexual ideas and desires. Particularly, the study revealed that women with adhd were more likely to indulge in paraphilic masturbation fantasies and actions. This included submissive role play and bondage as well as sexual contact with strangers. It was also more typical for them to attend party and sex clubs.
Both women and men who suffer from adhd were more likely be in a relationship than those who did not have the disorder. This is due to their inability to control their impulses, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. This is likely due to their higher levels of insecurity and being misunderstood, or criticized by their partners. The survey also asked participants to report their experiences with extra-partner sexual relationships and sexual encounters without use of contraception. Table 6 presents the results for this section.
Lastly, the study used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to inquire from participants about their sexual issues. This questionnaire is composed of 19 items, and is divided into three subscales. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale, between 1 (never to 5 (very often)). The higher the score, the more symptomatology is present. The HBI-19 was used to compare the sexual behaviours of people with and without ADHD.
These findings are significant because the psychosexual outcomes of people with ADHD have been scarcely studied. They have been associated with sexual dysfunctions, such as STI's and unwanted pregnancies, relationship dissatisfaction, adolescent and adult onset infidelity and risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD experience difficulties in their relationships with loved ones. Insufficient communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms like forgetfulness and inattention can lead to frustration, anger and conflict within the relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be helped by a supportive network of family and friends who can understand.
It is also important to note that people suffering from ADHD often have difficulty listening. They are often interrupted by impulsive behavior or their own thoughts, which could cause them to lose the purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD might also have difficulty multitasking, which can lead them to tune out conversations or do something else while another person is talking.
These struggles can result in an unbalanced relationship where the non-ADHD person becomes overwhelmed with stress and resentment, and the ADHD partner is misunderstood and defensive. They may then become more withdrawn and the situation can get worse from there.
Women who have high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their everyday life. They may feel low self-esteem and shame because of their unpredictable and unorganized behavior, or feel that they're not able to handle their bills and chores. They may also experience mood swings and rejection sensitivity as well as low sexual drive.
This is why it is crucial for people who suffer from ADHD to find a treatment plan and seek assistance. It is also important for their family members particularly spouses, to learn more about the condition and how it affects the person they love. They can collaborate to set clear boundaries and expectations and then formulate an action plan to can achieve those objectives. For example the partner who is not ADHD could assume more financial responsibility, while the person with ADHD might focus on organizing and completing housework.
Both partners must be working to improve communication and establish a routine, which includes regular eating patterns, sleeping times, and time to relax and rest. It's important to find ways to make things easier for both of you, like sharing household chores or outsource some of those that are difficult for someone with ADHD.