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 the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Many women and girls are forced to resort to compensatory strategies, concealing their impairments and symptoms, which can delay time to referral.
This group of patients has particular issues that need to be taken into consideration when treating them.
1. Insecurity about oneself
The social and emotional challenges that come with ADHD can leave women feeling low. Even if they're successful, it's easy to feel like failing because of the things they can't change. This can result in an unending cycle of feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. This can have a negative impact on their mental well-being.
Girls who don't have treatment for ADHD are at higher risk of chronic low self-esteem as well as 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 facing financial hardship or unemployment. They are also more likely than others to suffer from eating disorders and pass their bad habits onto their children.
It's essential that girls receive a diagnosis since it will help them comprehend their struggles and help them manage their symptoms. Many women say that they feel more at ease after receiving their diagnosis, allowing them to stop beating themselves up over the little things they can't control. It can also help to reframe their issues and help them focus on what is important (Waite 2010).
As women age and move towards menopausal age their hormone levels alter, and ADHD symptoms can get worse. This can make it harder for them to be identified and treated, as they're often misdiagnosed as anxiety or mood disorder and their symptoms are dismissed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Being diagnosed with untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on women's self-esteem and her relationships with friends and family. The symptoms can affect everyday routines, leaving them exhausted and irritable. It is possible that she can't refuse people, which causes her to be overwhelmed and resentful of people around her. She may find it difficult to organize her home and work life, leading to missing appointments and lost files. She may be more easily angered when she is not liked, making her more likely to snap at those she loves.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity makes you feel extremely when you are rejected, whether real or perceived. A disagreement with your partner or a negative comment from a co-worker at work can trigger you. Your brain's defense mechanisms naturally become over-stimulated, and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that result can hurt your self-esteem and relationships. Rejection sensitivity can also lead to depression, anxiety and mood swings.
Rejection sensitivity, while often associated with ADHD is actually an indication of emotional dysregulation. This affects how your brain handles emotions and how you respond to them. The symptoms can also be seen in other mental health conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).
RSD patients might perceive events through a filter, making them appear brighter or darker than they actually are. This could cause them to interpret things as being related to rejection, even if they aren't. RSD can also cause you to have a harder time regulating your emotions and that's why it's crucial to have coping strategies that are healthy to handle this.
Check out the following articles to learn more about rejection sensitivity.
Although there isn't a cure for RSD it is possible to manage the symptoms with the help of a mental health professional. You can use coping strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps change your negative thought patterns. You can also establish a support network and practice mindfulness to reduce your chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This can aid you in overcoming your RSD to live a more fulfilling and happy life. Avoid toxic relationships, since they can worsen your symptoms. If you're in a abusive relationship, seek counsel to find out the best method to leave. This can lower the chance of feeling depressed and anxious like depression and anxiety. By focusing on relationships that are healthy, you can improve your self-esteem. This will make you feel more confident in your abilities and give a realistic perspective on life.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. This can cause sexual dysfunctions or risky behavior. Research suggests that women with high functioning adhd are at greater risk of experiencing these sexual issues than their non-ADHD counterparts. These behaviors can also cause 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 exhibit a sexual fascination. This was the case for males and females. This is likely due to their higher levels of impulsivity, which makes them more likely to act on their sexual desires and thoughts. In particular, the study showed that women with adhd were more likely to indulge in paraphilic masturbation fantasies and behaviours. This included submissive roles play bondage, sexual contact with strangers. It was also more common for them to attend sexual clubs and parties.
Females and males with adhd had a greater rate of infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This was due to poor impulse control and alcohol-related disinhibition, as well as their desire for sensation. This could be due to their higher levels of insecurity, and feeling misunderstood or misjudged by their partners. add adult women asked participants about their experiences with extra-partner affairs and sexual relations that were not contraceptive. Table 6 shows the results of this section.
In the final analysis, the study utilized the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to inquire from participants about their sexual problems. The questionnaire is comprised of 19 items that are divided into three subscales. Each item is evaluated on a 5-point scale ranging that ranges from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The more high the score, the more symptomatology is present. The HBI-19 was used to evaluate the sexual behaviours of adults with and without ADHD.
These findings are important because the psychosexual outcomes of people with ADHD have not been studied extensively. They have been associated with sexual dysfunctions, such as unwanted pregnancy and STIs relationships, dissatisfaction with relationships and adult onset infidelity, and risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people with high functioning ADHD have issues with their romantic relationships. A lack of clear communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms such as inattention and forgetfulness can cause anger, resentment and even conflict within the relationship. A supportive network of friends and family members who can understand is beneficial in maintaining healthy relationships.
It is important to remember, too, that people with ADHD have a difficult time listening. They are easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior that could cause them to lose focus on the main purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle with multitasking as well, which can cause them to become disengaged of conversations or do other things while someone else talks.
These struggles can result in an unbalanced relationship where the non-ADHD partner becomes overwrought with anger and stress and the ADHD partner is misunderstood and defensive. They may then become more introverted and the issue can escalate from there.
Women with high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their everyday life. They may feel guilt and low self-esteem as a result of their unpredictable and unorganized behavior, or feel as if they're not able to handle their household chores and bills. They may also have mood swings, sensitivity to rejection and low sexual desire.
It is essential that those with ADHD find a treatment and seek assistance. It is also essential for family members particularly spouses to understand the disorder and how it affects their loved one. They can collaborate to establish clear boundaries and expectations and then devise an action plan to will achieve their goals. For example the partner who is not ADHD could be more involved in the financial responsibilities, while the person with ADHD may be more focused on organizing and completing housework.
Both partners should be working to improve their communication and create an established routine that includes regular eating patterns, sleeping times, and time for relaxation and rest. It is also essential to find ways to make things simpler for both parties for example, sharing household chores or outsourcing some tasks that are challenging for a person with ADHD for example, hiring cleaning services or utilizing apps to manage expenses.