ADHD affects both men and women and can take a toll. How it affects ADHDers will vary, depending on gender, experiences, and so on. As the title suggests, for this post, I will discuss how having ADHD affects girls and women.
ADHD can be a struggle for women with ADHD. It affects us in several different ways, and not always in a good way. There are several things that women with ADHD struggle with, which are different than their male counterparts. It can be difficult to understand or see, as our struggles are more internal.
Here are a few things and ways that ADHD can impact women and girls.
#1: Negative Sense of Self & Self Talk
It can be so easy for women and girls with ADHD to struggle with this. We blame ourselves for things like being easily distracted or being so disorganized and messy. It can be so easy for us to focus on our struggles and what we have a difficult time with. It does affect our self esteem and our inner dialogue.
#2: Gender Roles
Whether we are aware of it or not, we can still find certain gender norms and expectations in society. Although they may not be communicated like it was decades ago, women with ADHD can still internalize gender-role related messages and feel as though they’re not good enough.
Women with ADHD tend to want to do things differently and not conform to gender roles. Due to our how our brain is wired, it can be easy to see why we’d prefer not to conform and do things that works for us.
#3: Emotional Impact
Research and studies have shown that women with ADHD are more likely to experience and be diagnosed with conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Women with ADHD are more likely to be diagnosed with another condition than their male counterparts.
#4: Hormones
Hormones can definitely affect our symptoms and can sometimes make it worse. Women with ADHD may find that hormones during pregnancy and menopause can increase. Sometimes, we may slowly notice some differences when hormones fluctuate.
Final Thoughts
There are so many things that affect women with ADHD, and not always in the best way. The thing is that the impact ADHD has on girls and women isn’t always noticeable, as so much of it is internalized. We may not always be comfortable talking about it.
