Signs of ADHD in women
I must admit, when I thought of ADHD, I thought of the naughty boy in my class who used to throw chairs and tables.
Let’s talk about what ADHD is. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can have excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
There are three types of ADHD:
- inattentive type
- hyperactive-impulsive type
- Combined inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms
Recently, there have been more studies where females have the mostly inattentive ADHD. However, because of the inattentive part is less disruptive, it has meant that many young girls were not diagnosed at school. The signs and symptoms of ADHD became more apparent through work and adult lives, particularly in recent years with COVID restrictions.
At school, I had always exhibited the signs of inattentive ADHD. This included:
- lack of attention to detail
- Making careless mistakes in schoolwork
- Trouble focussing
- l am easily distracted
- Messy
- Forgetting routine tasks
- Zoning out
- Not being able to follow through on instructions
- Difficulty organising and completing tasks
- Failing to meet timeframes
- Avoiding more complex tasks
- Frequently losing things like school books, keys and phone
I also exhibited some signs of hyperactive ADHD:
- body focussed fidgeting constantly
- difficulty sitting still as I shook my legs
- Difficulty waiting their turn, such as in line
- Interrupting conversations
- Acting or speaking without thinking
- Trouble keeping on one topic
- Unable to make long term friends
Coping strategies became easier to figure out which was used to fit in during school.
However, as teenage years turned into adulthood, the signs and symptoms of ADHD become more prominent and difficult in adult settings particularly where there was no school structure at university or at work - no one cared if I failed school subjects or did not perform well at work. As I’ve said many times, the information on this website is not and should not ever be considered medical or health advice. This is just my experience.
Women with inattentive ADHD often experience symptoms like:
- Being repeatedly called out on careless mistakes
- Inability to multi-task or manage multiple relationships
- Missing deadlines
- Procrastinating and rushing to complete tasks at the last minute
- "Zoning out" during meetings or in conversation
- Difficulty keeping organised or tidy at school, home, or work
- Frequently misplacing or losing things, such as phone or glasses
- Frequently missing appointments or forgetting to return calls
- Trouble making decisions or building manageable strategies
While hyperactive and impulsive symptoms are less common in females with ADHD, women experience behaviours such as:
- Restlessness and fidgeting
- Jumping from one topic or task to the next
- Talking excessively
- Interrupting frequently or talking over people
- Difficulty sitting still or relaxing with others
- Trouble maintaining friendships
If you think you may have ADHD, consider whether you want to get a diagnosis. Are your ADHD symptoms impacting on all aspects of your life. What would would a achieve? Could a diagnosis help you better understand how your brain works and therefore better able to put strategies in place to assist?
Our resources page is regularly updated with helpful links. You can find out more at https://subtlyanxious.com.au/pages/anxiety-resources
Subtly Anxious does not provide health or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any information published on this website or by Subtly Anxious is not intended to be a replacement for health or medical advice.
If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.