5 Lesser-Known Signs You Might Have ADHD As A Woman
Number 3 is one of the most overlooked symptoms.
Coming to grips with the realization that I had ADHD was intense. As a woman with a good job, a good salary, and a good degree, it didn’t feel real.
Looking back, the signs were always there. I’ve struggled with inattentiveness and daydreaming for much, if not all, of my life, along with forgetfulness and procrastination that plagued my time at university. I was, according to my primary school teachers, a ‘bossy boots’ and a ‘scatterbrain’, who lacked confidence, but only in the academic subjects she struggled with.
Yet, at the same time, I was creative, driven, gifted at certain subjects (not maths), and would now consider myself to be pretty successful. I thrive in my job (creative marketing), make friends easier than most, and have carved a career out of building connections with others.
Put simply, ADHD does not just apply to 8-year-old boys running around a classroom. It affects all genders, and yet most women go years without a proper diagnosis.
Why?
Because ADHD in women presents itself differently.
You don’t have to be a fidget queen to have ADHD. Trust me. Here are the five top, yet lesser-known symptoms of ADHD in women.
If any of them resonate with you, please comment and seek professional support for a proper diagnosis. It is the first step to managing symptoms (and thriving) with ADHD.
- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria — Being hypersensitive to criticism from others (and yourself) and setting unreasonably high expectations (and then beating yourself up when you don’t meet them).
- Time blindness — My friends expect me to always be ten minutes late. Women with ADHD often struggle to keep time and when it’s 11 o’clock in the morning in our head, it’s actually 13.30 pm to the rest of the world. Women with ADHD also struggle to work towards a set time. For example, give us a project and tell us we need to do it in one hour, and we’ll do it in one hour. Give us the same project and tell us to do it in three days, and it’ll take us three days.
- Severe PMS or Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder — I struggled with both before getting on top of my hormonal health. Many women with ADHD struggle with mood swings which are A, another lesser-known symptom of ADHD, and B exacerbated heavily by our menstrual cycles. It can be an unmitigated, raging shit show if you don’t know what’s going on.
- Insomnia — Women with ADHD often struggle with random, racing thoughts that prevent them from falling asleep, leaving them chronically tired and often feeling more disorganized than the night before as we’re now running late to work.
- Extreme talent — If you read the last four and thought “shit, that’s me”, don’t panic. It’s definitely not all bad! I consider my ADHD to be a blessing. It’s made me a quick-thinking, dynamic, creative machine. Yes, you have to get on top of it and yes, it makes life a little challenging at times, but once you understand why you do things a certain way (and how to work with your brain) you can make truly epic strides at home, at work, and in your own head.
A final note — Some of the most successful women in the world have ADHD, even Emma Watson! ADHD is intense and difficult for women to navigate along with all the other life challenges we face, but it can be well-managed and supported by a combination of tools, including exercise, medication, and therapy.
I found that once I started talking more openly about it to family and friends (and colleagues), the easier it got for me to show up authentically. I feel so much better about it and I hope you will too if this resonated with you.
If it did, please leave a comment and, most importantly, speak to someone about getting a diagnosis. It’s the first step to thriving with ADHD.
A x
