High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with adhd that are high functioning are unhappy and are often misunderstood in their relationships. Symptoms can heighten at periods of hormonal changes, such as the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Many women and girls resort to compensatory strategies to mask their impairments and symptoms can delay the time for referral.
This group of patients faces particular issues that must be taken into account when treating them.
1. Self-esteem issues
The emotional and social challenges associated with ADHD can make women feel down. Even when they're successful and have a good time, it's easy for them to feel like a failure due to things they aren't able to control. This can create an unending cycle of feeling overwhelmed and not good enough. This can have a negative effect on their mental well-being.
Girls who aren't treated for ADHD are more at risk of chronic low self-esteem as well as anxiety, teen pregnancy, depression, and abuse of substances. As adults, they are at a higher risk of becoming parents on their own to a child suffering from ADHD and also facing financial difficulties or unemployment. They're also more likely than other people to be afflicted by eating disorders and pass on their bad habits to their children.
It is crucial for girls to receive a diagnosis, because it will give them a better understanding of their issues and allow them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Many women report feeling confident after receiving a diagnosis. They are no longer getting angry about things they cannot manage. It can also help them see their difficulties as strengths and help them focus their attention on the things that matter most (Waite 2010).
As women age and move towards menopausal age, their hormone levels could change and ADHD symptoms can become more severe. This can make it difficult for them to be diagnosed and treated because they're often misdiagnosed as having anxiety or mood disorder and their symptoms are dismissed as "hormonal" or "that time of the month."
Untreated adult ADHD can have a devastating impact on women's self-esteem as well as relationships with her family and friends. The symptoms can affect a woman's daily routine that can leave her feeling angry and exhausted. She might feel like she cannot turn down people, which causes her to become overburdened and angry with those around her. It can be difficult organizing her home and work life, which can lead to delayed appointments and lost documents. adhd in women treatment may be more prone to being affected by rejection which makes her more likely to snap at those she likes.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel deeply hurt when rejected. It could be real or perceived. You could be triggered by a disagreement with your partner or a negative review from a coworker at work. Your brain's defense mechanisms naturally become overwhelmed and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that result can harm your self-esteem and relationships. Sensitivity to rejection can cause anxiety, depression and mood shifts.
Although it's often linked to ADHD, rejection sensitiveness is actually a sign of emotional dysregulation that affects how your brain manages emotions and how you react to them. The symptoms can also be seen in other mental health conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People suffering from RSD may see events through an eye that makes them appear darker or dimmer than they really are. This can cause them to interpret things as being related to rejection, even though they're not. RSD can make you incapable of controlling your emotions. This is why it is important to develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage RSD.
You can find out more about the sensitivity to rejection by reading the following articles:
Although there isn't a cure for RSD it is possible to manage symptoms with the assistance of a mental health professional. You can use coping techniques like cognitive behavior therapy to change your negative thinking patterns. You can also create a support network and practice mindfulness to lessen your chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This will aid you in overcoming your RSD to live a more fulfilling 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 a abusive relationship, seek out counseling to find out how you can quit. This can lessen the risk of having rejection-related feelings, such as anxiety and depression. You can also improve your self-esteem by focusing on building healthy relationships. This will help you feel more confident about your abilities and provide you with an objective view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship challenging. This can lead to sexual dysfunctions and risky behaviours. Women with adhd that is high functioning may be at greater risk of having sexual issues. These behaviors can lead to feelings of shame and guilt and can have a negative effect on their relationships as well as their overall health.
In one study, those with ADHD were found to be more likely than those without ADHD to have adventurous sexual curiosity. This was the case for males and females. This was likely due to their more impulsive levels, which can make them more likely to act on sexual desires and thoughts. Specifically, the study found that females with adhd were more likely to engage in paraphilic sex fantasies and behaviours. This included submissive role play and bondage as well as sexual contact with strangers. It was also more typical for them to attend sexual clubs and parties.
Both women and men with adhd were more likely to be in a relationship than those who didn't have the disorder. This is due to their poor impulse control and alcohol withdrawal, as well as the desire to feel. This is probably due to their greater levels of anxiety and being misunderstood, or misjudged by their loved ones. The survey also asked respondents to describe their experiences with sexual relationships and sexual encounters without contraception. 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 issues. The questionnaire comprises 19 items, which are divided into three subscales. Each item is rated on a five-point scale that ranges from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The higher the score, the more symptomatology it has. The HBI-19 was used to assess the sexual behaviours of adults with and without ADHD.
These findings are important because the psychosexual outcomes of people with ADHD have been scarcely studied. They have been linked to sexual dysfunctions, such as STIs and unwanted pregnancy relationships, dissatisfaction with relationships and adult onset infidelity, and risky sexual behavior.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD have difficulties in their romantic relationships. Lack of clear communication and misunderstandings triggered by symptoms such as forgetfulness and inattention can cause anger, frustration and conflict within a relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be helped by a network of friends and family members who 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 could cause them to lose focus on the central point of a discussion. People with ADHD are more likely to have difficulty with multitasking, too and can cause them to tune out of conversations or engage in other things while others talk.
These battles can create a vicious cycle where the partner who is not ADHD becomes overwhelmed with anger and stress, while the ADHD partner feels that they are not understood. They can then become more introverted and the situation can get worse from there.
Women with high-functioning ADHD are often overwhelmed and exhausted by their everyday demands. They may experience feelings of shame and low self-esteem because of their chaotic and impulsive behavior, or feel that they're unable to keep up with their chores and bills. They can also suffer from mood swings and sensitivity to rejection, as well as low sexual drive.
This is why it is essential for those suffering from ADHD to establish an effective treatment plan and seek assistance. It is also important for family members particularly spouses to learn more about the condition and how it affects the person they love. They can work together to set clear boundaries and expectations and then devise a plan for how they will achieve their objectives. The non-ADHD spouse could take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing chores at home.
Both partners should also strive to improve communication and establish a routine, which includes regular eating patterns, sleeping times, and time for relaxation and rest. It's also important to discover ways to make life easier for both of you, such as dividing household chores, or outsourcing certain tasks that are difficult for a person with ADHD for example, hiring an expert cleaning service or using apps to control expenses.