High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women who suffer from high functioning adhd may experience discontent and confusion in their relationships. The symptoms may increase during periods of hormonal changes, like the pre-menstrual period and pregnancy.
Many girls and women resorting to compensatory strategies to mask their symptoms and impairments could delay the time for referral.
This group of patients has a unique set of issues that need to be taken into account when treating them.
1. Lack of Self-Esteem
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 can't control. This can result in an unending cycle of feeling overwhelmed and unsatisfied. This can have a negative effect on their mental health.
Girls with ADHD who are not treated are at a greater risk of having low self-esteem as well as teen pregnancy. They also have a greater chance of depression, anxiety and substance abuse. As adults, they're at increased risk of single-parenting children with ADHD, financial crises and underemployment. They're also more likely to suffer with eating disorders, and their negative patterns could be passed on to their children.
It's essential that girls receive a diagnosis since it will help them recognize their struggles and help them manage their symptoms. Many women report feeling more confident after receiving a diagnosis. They are no longer berating themselves over things they can't manage. It can also help them see their challenges as strengths and focus their attention on the things that matter most (Waite 2010).
As women age and approach menopausal age, their hormone levels could change and ADHD symptoms may worsen. This makes it more difficult for them to be diagnosed and treated, as they're often misdiagnosed as having anxiety or mood disorder, and the symptoms are dismissed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have devastating consequences on a woman's self-esteem, and her relationships with friends and family. The symptoms can disrupt the woman's daily routine, leaving her irritable and exhausted. She may feel that she can't refuse people, leading her to be overwhelmed and angry with those who are around her. It could be difficult to manage the work and home lives of her children which can lead to missing appointments and lost files. She may also be more easily triggered by rejection, which means she is more likely to react defensively and even lash out at the people she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity makes you feel extremely when you're being rejected, whether real or perceived. A disagreement with your partner or a negative comment from a coworker at work can trigger your symptoms. The brain's natural defence mechanisms are overstimulated and result in thoughts and feelings that could harm your relationships and self esteem. There are also depression, anxiety and mood swings as a result of the sensitivity to rejection.
Although it's often attributed to ADHD Rejection sensitivity is actually a sign of emotional dysregulation that affects how your brain handles emotions and how you react to them. The symptoms can also be observed in other mental health conditions like borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People suffering from RSD may see events through an eye that makes them appear more dark or dimmer than they really are. This can cause them to interpret things as if they are related to rejection, even if they are not. RSD can cause you to be incapable of controlling your emotions. This is why it is essential to develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with RSD.
You can learn more about the sensitivity to rejection by reading the articles below:
Although there isn't a cure for RSD however, you can manage your symptoms with the assistance of an expert in mental health. You can use coping techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy to change your negative thinking patterns. You can also build an emotional support network and practice mindfulness to lessen the chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This will aid you in overcoming your RSD so that you can live a more fulfilled and happier life. It is also essential to avoid relationships that are toxic as they can cause your symptoms to worsen. If you are in an abusive relationship, seek counseling to learn how you can safely leave. This will reduce the risk of experiencing feelings of rejection like depression and anxiety. By focusing on healthy relationships and relationships, you can boost your self-esteem. This will help you feel more confident in your capabilities and provide an honest view of life.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to maintain a healthy romantic relationship. This can result in sexual dysfunctions or risky behavior. Women with high functioning adhd might be more at risk of developing sexual problems. These behaviors can also cause feelings of shame and guilt and can negatively impact their relationships and well-being.
In one study, adults with ADHD were found to be more likely than those without ADHD to be sexually adventurous. fascination. Both genders were affected. high functioning adhd in women is likely due to their more impulsive levels, which makes them more likely to act on their sexual desires and ideas. Particularly, the study revealed that females with adhd were more likely to engage in paraphilic sex fantasies and actions. This included submissive roles play bondage, sex with strangers. They also attended sex parties and clubs more often.
Both females and males suffering from adhd had a higher rate of infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This is due to their inability to control their impulses, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. This was likely also due to their higher levels of insecurity and feeling misunderstood by their partners. The survey asked participants to describe their experiences with extra-partner relationships and sexual relations that were not contraceptive. Table 6 shows the results of this section.
Lastly, the study used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to inquire from participants about their sexual problems. The questionnaire comprises 19 items, and is divided into three subscales. Each item is evaluated on a five-point scale that ranges from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The higher the score, the more symptomatology is present. The HBI-19 was developed in order to evaluate sexual behaviors between adults with ADHD and those who do not.
These findings are significant because the psychosexual experiences of adults with ADHD have been scarcely studied. They have been connected to sexual dysfunctions like STI's, unwanted pregnancy, relationship dissatisfaction adolescent and adult onset infidelity and risky sexual behaviours.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD experience difficulties in their romantic relationships. Lack of clear communication and miscommunication caused by symptoms like forgetfulness and inattention can cause anger, frustration and conflict within the relationship. A supportive network of friends and family members who understand can be beneficial for maintaining healthy relationships.
It is also important to keep in mind that those with ADHD are often unable to listen. They are easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior, which could cause them to lose focus on the primary purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle with multitasking, too and can cause them to become disengaged of conversations or perform other things while others talk.
These struggles can result in a cycle where the non-ADHD partner becomes overwrought with stress and resentment, and the ADHD partner feels misunderstood, and defensive. They then tend to become more withdrawn and the issue can escalate from there.
Women with high-functioning ADHD are often exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of their lives. 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 chores and bills. They can also suffer from mood swings and sensitivity to rejection as well as low sex drive.
This is why it is crucial for people with ADHD to establish an effective treatment plan and seek out help. It is also essential for those close to them particularly spouses to understand the condition and how it affects their loved one. They can collaborate to set the right expectations and boundaries, then come up with a plan for how they will meet those objectives. The non-ADHD partner could take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing the chores at home.
Both partners should also be working to improve their communication and create a routine, which includes regular schedules for sleeping, meal times, and time to relax and rest. It's also important to find ways to make things easier for both parties, such as dividing household chores, or outsourcing some tasks that are difficult for a person with ADHD, such as hiring an expert cleaning service or using apps to control expenses.