High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd experience frustration and miscommunication in their relationships. The symptoms can be more severe during times of hormonal changes like the premenstrual or pregnancy periods.
Many girls and women resorting to compensatory strategies to hide their symptoms and impairments could delay the time for referral.
This patient group faces particular challenges that must be considered when treating them.
1. Self-Esteem is not a strong point.
Women can be depressed due to the social and emotional challenges of ADHD. Even if they're successful, it is easy to feel like they're a failure because of things they cannot change. This can lead to a vicious cycle where they feel overwhelmed and never quite good enough and can affect their self-esteem and mental health.
Girls who aren't treated for ADHD are more at risk of chronic low self-esteem and teen pregnancy, anxiety, depression, and addiction to drugs. As adults, they're at greater risk of being parents on their own to a child suffering from ADHD and experiencing financial crisis or underemployment. They are also more likely than other people to be afflicted by eating disorders and to pass their bad habits onto their children.
It's crucial for girls to receive an accurate diagnosis because it will provide them with an understanding of their issues and enable them to manage their symptoms more efficiently. Many women report feeling empowered after receiving the diagnosis. They are no longer being a victim of things they cannot control. It can also help them reframe their struggles and refocus on the things that matter (Waite 2010).
As women age and enter menopausal age, their hormone levels change, and ADHD symptoms can get worse. This can make it difficult for them to be identified and treated, as they're often misdiagnosed as anxiety or mood disorder and the symptoms are dismissed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on a woman’s self-esteem and relationships with her family and friends. Symptoms can interfere with everyday routines, leaving them frustrated and exhausted. She might feel that she is unable to say no to people and end up overburdened herself and become resentful of people close to her. She might have difficulty organizing her work and home life, which leads to missing appointments and documents getting lost. She may also be more susceptible to being triggered by rejection, therefore she's more likely to be defensive and even lash out at the people she is in love with.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity makes you feel extremely when you're being rejected, whether real or perceived. It could be caused by a disagreement with your partner or a negative comment from a coworker at work. The brain's natural defense mechanisms are overstimulated, resulting in thoughts and feelings that can harm your self-esteem and relationships. The sensitivity to rejection can also cause anxiety, depression and mood fluctuations.
Although it's often attributed to ADHD Rejection sensitivity is actually a symptom of emotional dysregulation that affects the way your brain handles emotions and the way you react to them. Other mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder can also be a cause for these symptoms.
RSD patients may perceive events through a filter, making them appear brighter or darker than they are. This can cause them to interpret things as rejection-related, even when they're not. RSD can make you unable to control your emotions. This is why it is important to develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with RSD.
You can find out more about the issue of rejection sensitivity by reading these articles:
While there is no cure for RSD but it is possible to manage your symptoms with the help of a mental health professional. You can utilize coping techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy to alter your negative thinking patterns. adhd traits in women can also engage in mindfulness and create a network of support to decrease the chance of having negative reactions to rejection. This will help you discover ways to overcome your RSD, so you can lead a more pleasant and satisfying life. It is also important to avoid relationships that are toxic as they can make your symptoms worse. If you're in an abusive relationship, seek counsel to find out how to get out. This will help lessen the risk of having feelings of rejection, such as depression and anxiety. You can also increase your self-esteem by focusing on creating healthy relationships. This will help you feel more confident about your abilities and provide you with 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 or risky behavior. Women who have high functioning adhd are at a higher risk for sexual problems. These behaviors can also result in feelings of shame and guilt and can have a negative effect on the quality of their relationships and overall well-being.
In one study, those with ADHD were found to be more likely than those with ADHD to be sexually adventurous. fascination. Both genders were affected. This could be due to the higher levels of impulsivity that could make them more likely to to act on sexual thoughts and desires. The study found that women who have adhd are more likely to engage in paraphilic fantasies and behavior. This included bondage, submissive roles and sexing with strangers. It was also more typical for them to go out to sex clubs and parties.
Both women and men with adhd were more likely be infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This is 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 higher levels of insecurity and being misunderstood, or criticized by their partners. The survey also asked participants to share their experiences with extra-partner sexual relationships and sexual encounters without use of contraception. Table 6 shows the results of this section.
The study also used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to inquire of participants about their problematic sexual behavior. The questionnaire is comprised of 19 items, which are divided into three subscales. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging between 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The higher the score, more symptomatology is present. The HBI-19 was utilized to evaluate sexual behaviors between people with ADHD and those without.
These results are important because the psychosexual outcomes for adults with ADHD have not been studied extensively. They have been associated with sexual dysfunctions, such as STI's and unplanned pregnancy, relationship dissatisfaction adult and adolescent onset infidelity and risky sexual behaviours.
4. Relationships
Many people with high functioning ADHD have issues in their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings triggered by symptoms like forgetfulness and inattention could lead to frustration, anger and conflict in a relationship. A strong network of friends and family members who understand can be beneficial for maintaining healthy relationships.
It is also important to remember that people with ADHD frequently have trouble listening. They are easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior that could cause them to miss out on the primary purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD are more likely to be struggling with multitasking as well and can cause them to become disengaged of conversations or do other activities while someone else is talking.
These conflicts can result in an unending cycle where the partner who is not ADHD becomes overwhelmed with stress and resentment and the ADHD partner feels that they are not understood. The issue could escalate from there as they become more distant.
Women who have high-functioning ADHD are often overwhelmed and exhausted by their daily demands. They may be feeling shame or low self-esteem because of their impulsive, disorganized behavior. They may feel that they are unable to manage their chores and bills. They can also suffer from mood swings and rejection sensitivity and low sexual drive.
It is important that those with ADHD seek treatment and seek help. It is also essential for their family members, especially spouses, to be aware of the condition and how it affects their loved one. Together, they can set clear expectations and establish boundaries. They can then create an action plan to meet their goals. The non-ADHD spouse could take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD is focused on organizing and completing housework.
Both partners must strive to improve their communication and create a routine, which includes regular sleeping patterns, meal times and time for relaxation and rest. It's also important to find ways to make things simpler for both parties, such as splitting household chores, or outsourcing certain tasks that are difficult for a person with ADHD, such as hiring cleaning services or using apps to manage costs.