It can be difficult to explain the struggles of being a woman/girl with ADHD. We struggle with organization, forgetfulness, staying on task, picking up on social cues, just to name a few.
It’s not always easy for girls to feel as though they fit in with their peers. It can also be a challenge as girls become women with ADHD.
So, in order to protect ourselves from rejection, bullying, or any other negative situation, we try to find ways to cope.
One way is emotional withdrawal. We do this by bottling up our emotions, or pretending we don’t care, for instance. Girls with ADHD may learn this coping mechanism at a young age and continue to use it as an adult.
As much as we all want to avoid negative situations, this may not be the way to do it, as it can put a strain on the relationships we have with those we really care about and who can really help us.
There are things that we can do to change and not bottle up our emotions.
First is being aware that we are using emotional withdrawal as a coping mechanism. It’s not always easy to admit how we cope with things, but admitting it is always a good first step.
Another way that we can over this is getting help, talking about it, or getting support. Now I know it’s hard to admit that we need help. I definitely struggled with this. However, getting help and support can definitely make a difference.
There are definitely ways to stop being emotionally withdrawn. Find what works for you. There are other ways to manage and deal with what we go through as girls and women with ADHD.
