High Functioning ADHD in Women
Women with high functioning adhd are dissatisfied and often misunderstood by their relationships. The symptoms may increase during times of hormonal change, such as the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Many women and girls are forced to resort to compensatory strategies, masking their symptoms and impairments, which can delay time until referral.
This patient group faces particular issues that need to be taken into consideration when treating them.
1. Insecurity about oneself
The emotional and social challenges associated with ADHD can make women feel low. Even if they're successful, it is easy to feel like they're an failure due to things they aren't able to change. This can lead to an unending cycle of feeling overwhelmed and not good enough. This can have a negative impact on their mental well-being.
Girls with untreated ADHD are at higher risk of having low self-esteem for a long time, anxiety, teen pregnancy depression and substance abuse. As adults, they are more likely to be parents on their own to a child suffering from ADHD and facing financial hardship or unemployment. They're also more likely to suffer with eating disorders, and their bad patterns could be passed on to their children.
It's essential that women receive a diagnosis because it will allow them to better understand their struggles and help them manage their symptoms. Many women report that they feel more empowered after receiving their diagnosis, which allows them to stop beating themselves up over the small things they cannot control. It can also help reframe their problems and refocus them on what is important (Waite 2010).
As women age and enter menopause their hormone levels alter and ADHD symptoms may get worse. It can be difficult to diagnose and treat women with ADHD due to the fact that their symptoms can be incorrectly identified and dismissed as "hormonal", "that time of the month" or "an anxiety disorder".
Untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on self-esteem of women, and her relationships with family and friends. Symptoms can interfere with everyday routines, leaving them feeling exhausted and angry. She may feel she can't say no to people, leading her to overburden herself and become resentful of people close to her. It could be difficult to organize her work and home life, leading to unscheduled appointments and files being lost. She could be more easily affected by rejection and is more likely to snap at those she loves.
2. Rejection Sensitivity
Rejection sensitivity makes you feel very hurt when rejected. This can be real or perceived. It could be caused by an argument with your partner or a negative feedback from a colleague at work. Your brain's natural defense mechanisms become over-stimulated and the thoughts and feelings that result can harm your self-esteem and relationships. You can also experience depression, anxiety and mood swings as a result of the sensitivity to rejection.
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 found in other mental health disorders, including borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People suffering from RSD might see events through a filter that makes them appear darker or dimmer than they really are. high functioning adhd in women could cause people to interpret things as being related to rejection, even though they're not. RSD can make you in a state of being unable to control your emotions. This is why it is crucial to develop healthy coping strategies to manage RSD.
Read the articles below to find out more about rejection sensitivity.
Although there isn't a cure for RSD but it is possible to manage your symptoms with the assistance of a mental health professional. You can use coping techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy to change your negative thinking patterns. You can also establish an alliance of support and practice mindfulness to lower your risk of reacting negatively to rejection. This will help you discover ways to overcome your RSD, so you can live a happier and more fulfilling life. It is also crucial to avoid toxic relationships as they can cause symptoms to become worse. If you are in an abusive relationship, you should seek counseling to find out how you can get out. This can lower the risk of experiencing rejection-related feelings, such as depression and anxiety. You can also boost your self-esteem by developing healthy relationships. This will help you feel more confident in your abilities and provide you with an objective view of the world around you.
3. Sexuality
ADHD symptoms can make maintaining a healthy relationship difficult. This often leads to sexual dysfunctions and risky sexual behavior. Women with adhd that is high functioning are at a higher risk of developing sexual problems. These behaviors can cause feelings of guilt and embarrassment which may negatively impact their relationships and well-being.
One study conducted a survey of adults with ADHD and found that they were more likely to have a passion for sexual exploration than those without the disorder. This was the case for males and females. This is likely due to the increased levels of impulsivity which could make them more likely to to act on sexual thoughts and desires. Specifically, the study found that women with adhd were more likely to engage in paraphilic masturbation fantasies and actions. This included submissive role play bondage, sex with strangers. They also went to sex parties and nightclubs more often.
Both females and males suffering from adhd had a higher rate of infidelity than those who did not have the disorder. This was due to lack of impulse control and alcohol-related disinhibition, as well as their desire for sensation. This was likely also because of their higher rates of anxiety and being misunderstood or mistreated by their partners. The survey also asked participants to report their experiences with sexual affairs and sexual intercourse without use of contraception. Table 6 shows the results of this section.
In the final analysis, the study utilized the Hypersexuality Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) to inquire of participants about their problematic sexual behavior. This questionnaire is composed of 19 items, and is divided into three subscales. Each item is rated using a five-point scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The higher the score the more symptomatology is present. The HBI-19 was used in order to evaluate sexual behaviors between people with ADHD and those without.
These results are important, because the psychosexual results for adults with ADHD have not been studied extensively. They have been linked with sexual dysfunctions, such as unwanted pregnancy and STIs, relationship dissatisfaction and adult-onset infidelity, as well as risky sexual behaviors.
4. Relationships
Many people with high functioning ADHD have issues with their romantic relationships. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms such as forgetfulness and inattention can result in anger, frustration and conflict in relationships. A supportive network of family and friends members who understand can be beneficial in maintaining healthy relationships.
It is also important to keep in mind that those with ADHD often have difficulty listening. They are easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior which could cause them to lose focus on the primary purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD may also have trouble multitasking, which can cause them to shut out conversations or perform other tasks while other people are talking.
These struggles can lead to a vicious cycle where the person who isn't ADHD is overwhelmed with stress and resentment and the ADHD partner feels that they are not understood. The issue can get worse in the meantime as they become more isolated.
Women who have high functioning ADHD often feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their daily life. They might experience feelings of guilt and low self-esteem as a result of their impulsive and disorganized behavior, or feel as if they're not able to handle their household chores and bills. They may also feel mood swings, rejection sensitivity and a lack of sexual desire.
It is important that those with ADHD seek treatment and seek assistance. It is also essential for their family members, especially spouses, to learn more about the disorder and how it affects their loved ones. They can work together to establish the right expectations and boundaries and then formulate a plan of how they can achieve those goals. The non-ADHD spouse could take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing the chores at home.
In addition, both parties should be able to communicate clearly and effectively and establish a regular routine that includes regular sleeping patterns, meal times and time for relaxation and rest. It is also crucial to find ways to make things simpler for both parties by sharing household chores or outsourcing some of the tasks that are challenging for a person with ADHD, such as hiring cleaning services or using apps to manage costs.