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High Functioning ADHD in Women Women who have high functioning adhd are prone to frustration and misunderstandings in their relationships. The symptoms can become more severe during times of hormonal change like the pre-menstrual period and pregnancy. Many girls and women resort to compensatory strategies, masking their symptoms and impairments that can delay time to referral. This group of patients faces a unique set of problems that need to be taken into account when treating them. 1. Self-esteem issues Women can be depressed due to the emotional and social issues of ADHD. Even when they're doing well and have a good time, it's easy for them to feel like a failure because of things they cannot control. This can result in an endless cycle of feeling overwhelmed and unsatisfied. This can have a negative effect on their mental health. Girls who don't have treatment for ADHD are at higher risk of having low self-esteem for a long time as well as teen pregnancy, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. As adults, they're at greater risk of being single-parents to a child with ADHD and also facing financial difficulties or underemployment. They're also more likely to struggle with eating disorders, and their negative patterns can pass down to their children. It is crucial for girls to get a diagnosis, because it will provide them with a better understanding of their struggles and enable them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Many women say that they feel much more confident after receiving their diagnosis, which allows them to stop blaming themselves for the little things they are unable to control. It can also help to reframe their problems and refocus them on what's important (Waite 2010). As women age and move towards menopausal, their hormone levels can change, and ADHD symptoms could worsen. It is often difficult to identify and treat patients with ADHD because their symptoms may be incorrectly identified and dismissed as “hormonal”, “that time of the month” or “an anxiety disorder”. Being diagnosed with untreated adult ADHD can have devastating effects on self-esteem of women, and her relationships with friends and family. The symptoms can affect daily routines, making her exhausted and irritable. She might feel like she isn't able to refuse people, which causes her to feel overwhelmed and resentful towards people around her. She may find it difficult to organize her work and home life and this can lead to unscheduled appointments and files being lost. She may also be more easily triggered by rejection therefore she's more likely to react defensively and lash out at people she is in love with. 2. Rejection Sensitivity Rejection sensitivity is a condition that causes you to feel a strong sense of when you're rejected, whether real or perceived. It could be caused by a disagreement with your partner or a negative comment from a coworker at work. The brain's natural defense mechanisms are triggered and result in thoughts or feelings, and beliefs that could harm your relationships and self esteem. Rejection sensitivity can also lead to depression, anxiety and mood swings. Rejection sensitivity, while often associated with ADHD is actually an indication of emotional dysregulation. adhd traits in women how your brain handles emotions and how you react to them. The symptoms can also be found in other mental health disorders, including borderline personality disorder (BPD). RSD patients might perceive events through a filter, which makes them appear darker or brighter than they actually are. This causes them to perceive and interpret things as if they are related to rejection, even if they're not. RSD can make you unable to control your emotions. This is why it is essential to develop healthy coping strategies to manage RSD. Read the articles below to find out more about the sensitivity to rejection. Although there isn't a cure for RSD it is possible to treat symptoms with the help of a mental health professional. You can utilize coping techniques like cognitive behavior therapy to change your negative thinking patterns. You can also create an emotional support network and practice mindfulness to reduce the chance of reacting negatively to rejection. This can help you find ways to overcome your RSD and help you live a more positive and satisfying life. It is also important to avoid relationships that are toxic as they can cause symptoms to become worse. If you're in a abusive relationship, get counseling to discover how to get out. This will reduce the risk of feeling depressed and anxious such as depression and anxiety. You can also boost your self-esteem by focusing on creating healthy relationships. This will help you feel more confident about your abilities, and will give you an objective view of the world around you. 3. Sexuality ADHD symptoms can make the maintenance of a healthy relationship a challenge. adhd traits in women leads to sexual dysfunctions and risky behaviours. Women who have high functioning adhd might be more at risk of having sexual issues. These behaviors can also result in feelings of guilt and shame which can have a negative impact on the quality of their relationships as well as their overall health. In one study, adults with ADHD were found to be more likely than those with ADHD to have adventurous sexual curiosity. This was true for both males and females. This is likely due to the higher levels of impulsivity that could make them more likely to act on their sexual ideas and desires. Specifically, the study found that females with adhd were more likely to engage in paraphilic sex fantasies and behaviours. This included bondage, submissive roles and sex with strangers. They also attended sex parties and nightclubs more often. Both women and men with adhd were more likely be in a relationship than those who didn't have the disorder. This was due to their inability to control their impulses, alcohol disinhibition and sensation-seeking. This was likely also because of their higher rates of insecurity and feeling misunderstood by partners. The survey asked participants about their experiences with extra-partner relationships and sexual relationships without contraception. Table 6 outlines the results for this section. The study also used the Hypersexuality-Symptom Inventory-19 (HBI-19) which surveyed participants to describe their sexual issues. The questionnaire comprises 19 items that are divided into three subscales. Each item is scored using a 5-point scale, from 1 (never to 5) (very frequently)). The higher the score, more symptomatology is present. The HBI-19 was used to assess the sexual behaviors of people with and without ADHD. These findings are significant, because the psychosexual results for adults with ADHD were not studied as often. They have been associated with sexual dysfunctions, like STI's, unwanted pregnancies, relationship problems, infidelity that begins at the onset of adulthood and adolescence and risky sexual behaviors. 4. Relationships Many people who have high functioning ADHD have difficulties in their romantic relationships. Lack of clarity in communication and misunderstandings caused by symptoms like inattention and forgetfulness may cause anger, frustration, and conflict within the relationship. A supportive network of friends and family members who are able to understand each other can be beneficial in maintaining healthy relationships. It is also important to remember that people with ADHD are often unable to listen. They are easily distracted by their thoughts or their impulsive behavior, which can result in them missing out on the central purpose of a conversation. People with ADHD might also have difficulty multitasking, which could cause them to shut out conversations or to do something else while someone else is talking. These conflicts can result in an unending cycle where the partner who is not ADHD is overwhelmed with anxiety and anger, and the ADHD partner feels misunderstood. They then tend to withdraw and the situation can get worse from there. Women who have high-functioning ADHD are often overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of their lives. They might experience feelings of guilt and low self-esteem as a result of their unpredictable and unorganized behavior, or feel as if they can't keep up with their household chores and bills. They might also feel mood swings, sensitivity to rejection and a lack of sexual desire. It is essential that those who suffer from ADHD seek treatment and seek assistance. It is also crucial for family members, especially spouses, to be aware of the disorder and how it affects their loved one. Together, they can establish clear expectations and establish boundaries. They can then come up with an action plan to reach their goals. The non-ADHD partner can take on more financial responsibilities while the person with ADHD will be focused on organising and completing chores at home. Both partners must strive to improve communication and establish an established routine that includes regular sleeping patterns, meal times, and time to relax and rest. It's important to find ways to make things easier for both partners, such splitting household chores or outsourcing some of those that are difficult for someone with ADHD.