ADHD experts share signs of disorder in women - and why it's difficult to get a diagnosis
by Owen Younger · ChronicleLiveADHD experts have shared the signs of the disorder in women, and why it's difficult to get a diagnosis. They say that women are "less likely than men to have hyperactivity as a symptom", and so they're diagnosed less often.
ADHD is caused by differences in the brain, with key symptoms including inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Girls and women are more likely to have inattention as their main symptom; with the lack of hyperactivity or impulsivity making them stand out less, meaning their ADHD is more likely to go unnoticed.
Experts from Understood.org, a charity working to empower people, including those with ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, language disorders and written expression disorder, have shared the symptoms that women should be looking for.
ADHD therapist Jenna Free, shared this advice with her 109k TikTok followers: "I'm a therapist for ADHD, With ADHD, and I work with mostly women and most of those women have been diagnosed only in the past year or two, with most of them being in their late 20s to early forties.
"This can be for many reasons, a couple of which include doctors thinking, 'well, hey, you've been successful in life, you've gotten this far, you're probably fine. Some of the symptoms can be very internal, so the intensity is internal, in our minds.
"You can be laying there all day scrolling and you are still in those hyperactive symptoms and, but they're just not bothering anyone else. So we don't get diagnosed as often."
There are three types of ADHD:
- Predominantly inattentive: You have trouble with attention, focus, and organization.
- Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive: You may feel restless or act without thinking.
- Combined: You have parts of the two other types.
Experts said that girls and women mostly have the inattentive type of ADHD, which doesn’t stand out like being hyperactive and impulsive does, with those symptoms being more common in boys and men. Inattentive girls and women are more likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Below are some common signs of the three key symptoms of ADHD:
Inattention
The "predominantly inattentive" type of ADHD is the most common in adults. It’s particularly common in women.
Here’s what trouble with focus and attention can look like:
- Being spacey or daydreamy
- Getting distracted frequently, especially while reading or listening
- Making mistakes that come from not paying attention to details
- Struggling to finish tasks or projects, even when they’re mostly done
- Avoiding tasks or projects that require sustained focus
- Having trouble planning and staying organized
- Losing things, like your wallet, phone, keys, or glasses
- Having a space that is messy and cluttered
- Forgetting to return calls, go to appointments, or run errands
Impulsivity
Impulsivity means acting or talking without thinking first. It’s a lack of self-control.
Here’s what it can look like:
- Risky behaviour, including risky sexual behaviour
- Inability to resist temptation, like too much snacking or overspending
- Getting easily frustrated
- Being quick to anger
- Interrupting people
- Answering questions before they’re finished being asked
- Jumping into tasks or projects without planning
- Making decisions without thinking about the consequences
Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity is more common in kids than in adults, and women are less likely to experience it than men.
Here’s what hyperactivity might look like:
- Feeling restless or needing constant movement (like foot tapping, squirming, pacing)
- Fidgeting and grabbing things to touch and fiddle with
- Trouble with quiet activities
- Frequently needing to get up or check your phone
- Trouble “shutting off” at night
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble waiting your turn
- Talking nonstop or interrupting others
- Jumping from one task to another without finishing anything
The NHS has created a full list of symptoms that adults with ADHD experience on their website here.
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