Understanding the Symptoms of ADHD in Women

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a condition where a person is inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. But the symptoms of this disease differ for every individual. ADHD does not happen to children alone. Adults can also have it.

Most of the time symptoms are seen at a young age. However, some people do not discover their ADHD until they are already adults. Women are particularly prone to this late discovery because women’s ADHD symptoms are less visible compared to men.

Adults with ADHD find it hard to manage their time, be organized, set goals, or keep a job. These reasons are why women might discover their ADHD later than men. The society expects women to be a picture of perfection, elegance, and gracefulness. Women are required to be the organized person in the room, and when a girl with ADHD finally has to face these expectations, it can trigger her tendencies and make her feel hopeless.

The expectations of society to women make it hard for them to conquer ADHD. They are faced with the challenge of keeping up with everything the world expects them to be or to do when they can’t even yet face their disorder. Even when using supplements to manage ADHD, things tend to be quite difficult.

Symptoms of ADHD in women can be noticed even at a young age. For example, a child who can’t seem to sit still or complete her schoolwork can be one of the indications they have the condition. Children with this kind of condition also tend to be overly emotional and might say inappropriate comments. These symptoms are under the hyperactive-impulsive form of ADHD.

Inattentive ADHD symptoms are forgetfulness, lack of focus, daydreaming, and difficulty with organization. According to experts, girls with ADHD belong to the inattentive type while boys are more of hyperactive-impulsive types of ADHD. However, there are still some who are exemptions to these rules.

Being a woman with ADHD is difficult especially if you are already married and are starting your own family. You now have a big responsibility on your shoulder. With your ADHD, facing those responsibilities may be a lot harder than otherwise, but always remember that nothing is ever impossible.

Opening up to your family and friends about your condition will make everything much easier. They will realize how difficult it is for you and will support you by resetting their expectation to something more realistic.

Hiring a professional to help you organize or work can also help you get started with conquering your condition. This way, you won’t miss anything because you will always have an assistant by your side.

/by

How Can Nootropics Help With ADHD?

ADHD affects more than 5% of the population. While the condition is quite common among young children, nearly 8 million adults are also suffering from some form of attention deficit disorder. And, of the children showing ADHD symptoms, more than 60% will carry those into adulthood.

The only true difference between childhood and adult ADHD is the way that an adult controls his or her condition. Although there might not be a permanent cure for ADHD as yet, there are effective methods to manage it. This article provides information on how one of those methods, nootropics supplements, can help with ADHD.

There are many common symptoms of ADHD and other similar disorders. Some of them include not paying attention, not being capable of listening, not following instructions, being forgetful, being easily distracted, having organizing difficulties, not being able to sit still or keep quiet, and interrupting others. Often, most of these symptoms are confused with other illnesses. For a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, they must show several of these symptoms simultaneously.

Although the real cause of the ADHD is still unknown, genes are suspected to play a significant role. Smoking or drinking during pregnancy and environmental factors also play an important part in developing the condition.

People with ADHD are either born with it develop it in early stages of childhood, as talked about in the WebMD article How to Recognize ADHD Symptoms at Every Age. ADHD is supposed to be caused by the malfunction of neurotransmitter pathways. A recently published study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513209/) shows that patients suffering from it are more likely to have a mutation in the dopamine-related gene known as DRD4.

Another study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12377397) revealed that patients with ADHD tend to have a sluggish dopamine system. This is the exact reason why many natural stimulant drugs, like nootropics, are supposed to help manage the condition effectively. They can stimulate and optimize dopamine production in the brain.

Most people who have ADHD prefer not to use addictive stimulant drugs to treat themselves, let alone their children. Amphetamine based medications fall into that category, and there are many side effects of using such drugs. Nootropic supplements typically don’t have these issues. This lack of side-effects is why many patients and healthcare providers have started to take a closer look at nootropics as a viable way to manage ADHD.

Of the countless studies conducted to find out how nootropics can help with ADHD, many have shown surprisingly good results. In fact, one nootropic has been found to be an extremely useful treatment options. There is a well-documented study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15071842) that reveals the effectiveness of a nootropic called piracetam. Piracetam is one of the most popular and powerful nootropic supplements on the market.

In the study, 80 children who had ADHD were treated with piracetam in place of using more traditional methods. The children were further subdivided into two groups, where one received a higher amount of pramiracetam than the other.

The group that received the higher amount showed much better improvement, upwards of 60% better. One study is not, of course, the end all end be all, but it illustrates the potential of nootropics like piracetam in treating the symptoms of ADHD.

Fewer studies have been done with other nootropics, but the potential is also there. The popular stimulant modafinil, which some consider a nootropic, has been found useful in treating ADHD. Many people buy it (https://www.bestnootropicsnow.com/buy-modafinil-online/) for off-label use with this exact purpose in mind.

ADHD is a widespread condition that affects millions in the United States and indeed around the globe. It’s a disease that takes no prisoners, as children and adults alike suffer from it. Hopefully, this article has made you realize that the options for treatment are vast and that nootropic supplements are a serious contender.

/by

Relationship Strains as an Adult with ADHD

While systemic and general stigma adults with ADHD face undeniably constitutes a major concern, on a lesser but still, hurtful scale, are relationship problems they may often face as well. Any number of issues have the potential to complicate romantic relationships, but adults with ADHD tend to disproportionately experience certain strains that can make maintaining healthy and satisfactory relationships all the more difficult.

Without proper communication between partners and a legitimate understanding of the disability from the person who does not struggle with it, relationships, where one or more partners have ADHD, can become toxic. That does not mean that partners with the disorder themselves are toxic, or that they are to blame. Rather, relationships are a collaborative, mutual collection of interactions that require compassion and understanding on both sides in order to make things work. Having a relationship as an adult with ADHD can be difficult, but certainly not impossible.

Feelings of anger, frustration, and even emotional abuse tend to be common issues experienced in these relationships. Symptoms such as inattentiveness can create doubt and confusion on both sides of the relationship. The partner without ADHD may confuse lack of ability to focus as a lack of love and commitment expressed by their partner when that really is not the case. In addition, the rollercoaster ride of symptoms the partner with ADHD experiences may become overwhelming for their partner, which can cause relationship burnouts.

Common impacts on ADHD partners:

  • Feeling like their partner is constantly trying to “change” or “fix” them through continual nagging and/or verbal abuse
  • Not being able to recognize the impact of their symptoms on their partner
  • May feel more worn out over time

Common impacts on non-ADHD partners:

  • Confusing lack of focus for lack of love
  • Feeling as though ADHD partner is often withdrawing
  • Has misunderstanding of the disorder, which may lead to becoming annoyed by the cycle of symptoms their partner experiences

Respectful communication and understanding in relationships where one or more partner has ADHD are essential. There are certainly hurdles these relationships tend to possess more often than others and being able to recognize whether you’re ready to commit to honoring that upfront may be able to save a lot of heartbreak later on. However, it’s not always easy in the beginning to understand the strains the relationship may be more likely to face.

Checking in with one another regularly and communicating concerns or doubts within the relationship are important to ensure there is no avoidable hurt taking place, and that each partner can feel respected, heard, and understood within the relationship.

/by

Yes, Women Can Have ADHD Too

When it comes to public understanding of any mental or developmental illness, people who struggle with said illness may find themselves surprised (or really, not surprised) by how little others actually know. It can be frustrating, but even more than that; it can be harmful – particularly if the ignorance is being spewed by someone in a position of authority or power, like a doctor.

Being invisible within the ADHD demographic – as per general understanding – is one struggle women with ADHD uniquely face. While all adults with ADHD tend to run into someone or another (or many) that doesn’t seem to realize that yes, adults struggle with ADHD and it’s not just children, women, in particular, are often met with more incredulity when disclosing their condition than men.

Case in point, research even shows that although it appears that both females and males equally find themselves struggling with the illness (this study, in particular, did stick to the binary gender system); women are less likely to actually be diagnosed. It’s suggested that this is due to the fact that guidelines surrounding the diagnostic criteria have historically focused more on males.

That, of course, is majorly problematic – not just because it means women are more likely to get a reaction of confusion or disbelief from the odd person, but because it means myths surrounding the illness even exist within the system designed to help those with the disorder. How can women expect to have their disability taken seriously by any person within the general public if a doctor can’t even get it right?

Quick answer: They should be able to. Genitalia shouldn’t get to determine the validity of an individual’s disclosure of having ADHD.

What can be noted, however, is that there’s research to suggest that women experience ADHD symptoms different than men – which is why, among other reasons, the ADHD guidelines being focused on males has been deemed problematic. If doctors don’t know the symptoms that uniquely affect women with ADHD, then they can’t diagnose properly, and misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis can lead to adverse circumstances that should have been avoidable.

One study from 2005 found, for instance, that women tend to experience separation anxiety disorder at higher rates than men, while men tend to more often struggle with conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Women also tend to be more likely to struggle with symptoms such as disorganization, forgetfulness, introversion, and depression than hyperactivity and impulsivity. Depression is one common misdiagnosis for women with ADHD.

Different symptoms and manifestations of the disorder in women call for different treatments and methods of care. Gender differences, if applicable, need to be taken into account when treating an individual with ADHD – a statement that is backed by many top researchers and professionals that treat the disorder.
So, while it may not be as widely understood or accepted as the picture of the hyperactive young boy acting out in school, women with ADHD do exist. If you the reader out there is a woman with ADHD, you’re not alone – and your struggle is valid.

Sources/Readings to check out:
https://psychcentral.com/lib/adhd-and-gender/
https://www.thecut.com/2015/08/what-its-like-to-have-adhd-as-a-grown-woman.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/adhd-is-different-for-women/381158/

/by