High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women who have high functioning adhd are prone to frustration and miscommunication in their relationships. The symptoms may be more severe during times of hormonal changes like the premenstrual or menstrual cycles.
Many girls and women resorting to compensatory strategies to hide their symptoms and impairments can delay the time for referral.
This group of patients has a unique set of problems that must be considered when treating them.
1. Lack of self-esteem
The emotional and social issues that accompany ADHD can cause women to feel down. Even when they're doing well it's easy to feel like a failure due to things they cannot control. This can lead to an unending cycle of feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. This can have a negative effect on their mental health.
Girls with ADHD who aren't treated are at a greater chance of developing chronic low self-esteem and teen pregnancy. They also have a higher chance of depression, anxiety and abuse of substances. As adults, they're more likely to be single-parents of a child with ADHD and also facing financial difficulties or unemployment. They are also more likely than other people 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 an understanding of their challenges and allow them to manage their symptoms more efficiently. Many women say that they feel more empowered after receiving their diagnosis, allowing them to not be a victim of the little things they can't control. It helps them to see their challenges as strengths and refocus their attention on the things that matter most (Waite 2010).
As women mature and approach menopausal age their hormone levels alter and ADHD symptoms may get worse. This can make it difficult for them to be diagnosed and treated since they are 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 relationships with her family and friends. Symptoms may interfere with a woman's daily routine which can make her angry and exhausted. It is possible that she cannot say no to anyone and end up overburdened herself and become angry with those close to her. She might have difficulty organizing her home and work life, resulting in missed appointments and lost documents. She may be more easily affected by rejection which makes her more likely to lash out at people she loves.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity is a condition that causes you to feel a strong sense of when you're rejected, either real or perceived. You might be triggered by a disagreement with your partner or a negative review from a coworker at work. The brain's natural defense mechanisms are overstimulated which can trigger thoughts or feelings, and beliefs that could harm your relationships and self esteem. Sensitivity to rejection can lead to depression, anxiety and mood shifts.
Rejection sensitivity, although typically associated with ADHD is actually an indication of emotional dysregulation. This impacts how your brain handles emotions and how you react to them. Other mental health disorders such as borderline personality disorder could be a sign of these symptoms too.
RSD patients might perceive events through a filter, which makes them appear darker or brighter than they actually are. This can lead them to interpret and perceive things as being related to rejection, even though they're not. RSD can also cause you to have a hard to control your emotions, which is why it is important to have healthy coping strategies to manage this.
Read the articles below to learn more about the sensitivity to rejection.
Although there is no cure for RSD it is possible to manage the symptoms with the help of a mental health professional. You can employ coping strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy to alter your negative thinking patterns. You can also build an alliance of support and practice mindfulness to reduce your 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 important to stay clear of toxic relationships since they can cause your symptoms to worsen. If you are in a abusive relationship, you should seek counseling to learn how to safely get out. This can reduce your risk of experiencing feelings of rejection such as depression and anxiety. By focusing on relationships that are healthy, you can improve your self-esteem. This will help you feel more confident in your capabilities and provide a realistic perspective on life.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. This often leads to sexual dysfunctions and risky behaviours. Research suggests that women with high functioning adhd are at higher risk of developing these sexual problems than their non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also lead to feelings of guilt and shame and can have a negative effect on the quality of their relationships and overall well-being.
In one study, people with ADHD were found to be more likely than those with ADHD to exhibit a sexual curiosity. This was true for both males and females. This is likely due to their higher levels of impulsivity which could make them more likely to act on sexual desires and thoughts. Specifically, the study found that females with adhd were more likely to indulge in paraphilic masturbation fantasies and behaviors. This included submissive roles play and bondage as well as sexual relations with strangers. They also attended sex parties and nightclubs more often.
Both women and men with adhd were more likely be in a relationship than those who didn't have the disorder. This was due to inability to control their impulses, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. This is likely due to their higher levels of insecurity and a feeling of being misunderstood or misjudged by their partners. The survey asked participants to describe their experiences with extra-partner relationships and sexual relationships without contraception. Table 6 summarizes the results of this section.
The study also used the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to inquire from participants about their problematic sexual behavior. adhd in women symptoms comprises 19 items that are grouped into three subscales. Each item is scored on 5 points, ranging between 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 people who suffer from ADHD and those who do not.
These findings are significant, because the psychosexual results for adults with ADHD were rarely studied. They have been connected to sexual dysfunctions such as STI's and unwanted pregnancies, relationship dissatisfaction, infidelity that begins at the onset of adulthood and adolescence and risky sexual behavior.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD have issues with their romantic relationships. Insufficient communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms like forgetfulness and inattention could lead to frustration, anger and conflict in a relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be assisted by a supportive network of family and friends who can understand.
It is important to remember that people with ADHD have trouble listening. They are easily distracted by their own thoughts or impulsive behavior which can result in them missing out on the central reason for a discussion. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle with multitasking, too which could cause them to tune out of conversations or perform other activities while someone else is talking.
These struggles can lead to a vicious cycle in which the partner who is not ADHD is overwhelmed with stress and resentment and the ADHD person feels untrusted. They then tend to withdraw, and the problem escalates from there.
Women who have high-functioning ADHD are often exhausted and overwhelmed by their everyday demands. They may feel shame or low self-esteem due to their impulsive, disorganized behavior. They may feel like they cannot manage their chores and bills. They may also have mood swings, rejection sensitivity and low sex desire.
For these reasons, it is crucial for people who suffer from ADHD to find an effective treatment plan and seek help. It is crucial that those closest to them, particularly spouses, are aware of ADHD and how it affects the person they love. They can collaborate to establish clear expectations and boundaries and then formulate a plan of how they will achieve their goals. The non-ADHD spouse could take on more financial responsibility while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing the 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 is also crucial to find ways to make things easier for both of you, such as dividing household chores, or outsourcing some of the tasks that are difficult for the person with ADHD like hiring cleaning services or using apps to manage costs.