Why You Must Experience High Functioning ADHD In Women At Least Once In Your Lifetime
High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd experience frustration and misunderstandings in their relationships. The symptoms may increase during times of hormonal change such as menstrual cycles and pregnancy.
Many girls and women resort to compensatory strategies, hiding their impairments and symptoms which may delay the time until referral.
This group of patients faces specific challenges that must be considered when treating them.
1. Insecurities about self-esteem
The emotional and social challenges that accompany ADHD can make women feel down. Even when they're successful, it's easy to feel like a failure because of things they aren't able to control. This can lead to an endless cycle of feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. 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 and teen pregnancy, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. As adults, they're at greater risk of being the sole parent to a child with ADHD and financial problems, as well as underemployment. They're also more likely to suffer with eating disorders, and their bad habits can be passed on to their children.
It's important for girls to get an accurate diagnosis because it will provide them with an understanding of their issues and allow them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Many women say that they feel more at ease after receiving their diagnosis, allowing them to stop blaming themselves for the little things they are unable to manage. It can also help them reframe their problems and refocus them on what's important (Waite 2010).
As women age and move towards menopausal age, their hormone levels could change, and ADHD symptoms can become more severe. It is often difficult to identify and treat people suffering from ADHD due to the fact that their symptoms can be mistakenly diagnosed and dismissed as "hormonal", "that time of month" or "an anxiety disorder".
Having untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on self-esteem of women, and her relationships with friends and family. The symptoms can affect everyday routines, leaving them frustrated and exhausted. She may feel she can't say no to anyone which causes her to burden herself and feel resentful towards the people closest to her. It could be difficult to manage her work and home life which can lead to missed appointments and lost files. She can also be more susceptible to being triggered by rejection, so she may be more likely to react defensively and snap at those she loves.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity causes you to feel deeply hurt when rejected. This could be real or perceived. You could be triggered by an argument with your partner or a negative review from a colleague at work. Your brain's natural defense mechanisms become over-stimulated, and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that result can hurt your relationships and self-esteem. The sensitivity to rejection can also lead to depression, anxiety and mood fluctuations.
While it's often associated with ADHD, rejection sensitivity is actually a symptom of emotional dysregulation that affects the way your brain manages emotions and how you respond to them. The symptoms can also be observed in other mental health conditions, including borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People with RSD might see events through an eye that makes them appear more dark or dimmer than they actually are. This makes them more likely to interpret and interpret events as being related to rejection, even though they are not. RSD can make you incapable of controlling your emotions. This is why it is crucial to develop healthy coping strategies to manage RSD.
Check out the following articles to learn more about the sensitivity to rejection.
Although there is no cure for RSD it is possible to treat symptoms with the assistance of a mental healthcare professional. You can use strategies for coping, such as cognitive behavior therapy, which helps change your negative thinking patterns. You can also build a support network and practice mindfulness to lessen your risk of reacting negatively to rejection. This will help you discover ways to overcome your RSD and allow you to lead a more pleasant and satisfying life. It is also essential to avoid toxic relationships as they can cause your symptoms to worsen. If you're in a abusive relationship, seek out counseling to learn the best way to leave. This can lower the chance of experiencing feelings of rejection such as depression and anxiety. You can also increase your self-esteem by focusing on creating healthy relationships. This will make you feel more confident about your abilities and give an objective view of life.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship difficult. This can result in sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behaviors. Women with adhd that is high functioning might be more at risk of having sexual issues. These behaviors can cause feelings of shame and guilt, which can negatively impact their relationships and wellbeing.
In one study, adults with ADHD were found to be more likely than those with ADHD to have adventurous sexual curiosity. Both males and women were affected. This is likely due to the increased levels of impulsivity which can cause them to be more likely be influenced by sexual ideas and desires. The study found that women with adhd are more likely to engage in paraphilic fantasies and behaviors. This included submissive role-play and bondage as well as sexual contact with strangers. It was also more typical for them to go out to sex 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 was due to inability to control their impulses, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. It could also be because of their higher rates of insecurity and being misunderstood or mistreated by their partners. The survey asked participants to describe their experiences with extra-partner relationships and sexual relations that were not contraceptive. Table 6 presents the results from this section.
adhd in adult women treatment utilized the Hypersexuality-Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19), which asked participants about their problematic sexual behaviors. This questionnaire is composed of 19 items, and is divided into three subscales. Each item is scored using a 5-point scale, from 1 (never to 5 (very frequently)). The higher the score, the more symptomatology is evident. The HBI-19 was utilized to evaluate sexual behaviors between people with ADHD and those who do not.
These findings are important because the psychosexual experiences of people with ADHD are not well-studied. They have been linked to sexual dysfunctions such as STIs and unwanted pregnancy, relationship dissatisfaction and adult-onset infidelity as well as risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people who have high functioning ADHD experience difficulties in their relationships with loved ones. Lack of clear communication and miscommunication caused by signs such as forgetfulness and inattention can cause anger, frustration and conflict in a relationship. Maintaining healthy relationships can be assisted by a network of friends and family members who understand.
It is crucial to keep in mind that people who suffer from ADHD have a difficult time listening. They are easily distracted by their own thoughts or impulsive behaviors that can result in them missing out on the main reason for a discussion. People with ADHD might also have difficulty multitasking, which can cause them to shut out conversations or to do something else while another person is talking.
These battles can create a vicious cycle where the person who isn't ADHD becomes overwhelmed with anger and stress, while the ADHD person feels untrusted. The issue could escalate in the meantime as they become more withdrawn.
Women with high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their daily life. They may experience shame or low self-esteem because of their impulsive, chaotic behavior. Or they might find themselves struggling to keep up with their obligations and bills. They might also have mood swings, sensitivity to rejection and low sex desire.
For these reasons, it is vital for those suffering from ADHD to establish a treatment plan and seek out help. It is also important for those close to them particularly spouses, to understand the disorder and how it affects their loved ones. They can collaborate to set the right expectations and boundaries, then come up with a plan for how they will achieve their goals. The non-ADHD partner can assume more financial responsibility while the person with ADHD would focus on organizing and finishing the chores at home.
Both partners must work to improve their communication and establish an established routine that includes regular sleeping patterns, meal times, and time for relaxation and rest. It is essential to find ways to simplify things for both of you, like sharing household chores or outsource certain tasks that are difficult for someone with ADHD.