“Why Can’t I Be More Organized?”
Women and AD/HD

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a neurological condition, largely genetic, that affects people’s level of attention, activity, and impulsivity. In the past, it was thought that AD/HD is a childhood disorder that only affects boys, and involves being hyperactive. Now we know that AD/HD often continues into adulthood, affects many girls and women, and does not always involve hyperactivity. For a variety of reasons,

AD/HD is often misdiagnosed or missed altogether
in girls and women who suffer from this condition.

There are three types of AD/HD. The predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type involves symptoms of hyperactivity such as fidgeting, restlessness, and a tendency to be very talkative, as well as symptoms of impulsivity such as interrupting others, being very blunt, poor judgment, and difficulty waiting your turn.

The predominantly inattentive type of AD/HD involves symptoms of inattention and distractibility, but without the hyperactivity. Symptoms include difficulty paying attention, disorganization, forgetfulness, a tendency to lose things, distractibility, and failure to complete tasks. The third type of AD/HD is the Combined Type that involves features of both inattention and hyperactivity.

More females than males suffer from the inattentive type of AD/HD, although there are females who suffer from the hyperactive and combined types as well. Therefore, it wasn’t until the inattentive type of AD/HD was identified that more females began to be diagnosed with the condition.

People who suffer from the inattentive type of AD/HD do not exhibit the same behavioral difficulties that tend to go along with hyperactivity and impulsivity.

The lack of acting out behaviors at home, at school, or on the job makes it easy to overlook these females and attribute their symptoms to something else, such as laziness, shyness, or lack of motivation. Even in this day and age, boys who experience academic difficulties and behavioral problems tend to get more attention from both parents and teachers than girls. It is easy to overlook little girls who are compliant and don’t make waves in the classroom, but who have trouble finishing their schoolwork, daydream, and are shy. Hyperactive girls are dismissed as “tomboys” rather than being accurately diagnosed with AD/HD.

There are many problems, risk factors, and conditions that commonly go along with AD/HD. Someone diagnosed with AD/HD may experience a few or many of the following:

• Other psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety,
  and obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Learning disabilities
• Underachievement
• Poor time management, tendency to be late
• General disorganization
• Difficulty managing paperwork and finances
• Poor work history, frequent job changes
• Low motivation
• Emotional reactivity, exaggerated response to stress
• Low self-esteem
• Sluggishness
• Being a “night owl”
• Low frustration tolerance, difficulty controlling your temper
• Difficulty concentrating when reading, in a lecture or meeting
• Tendency to speak without considering the consequences
• Tendency to leave projects unfinished
• Chronic forgetfulness
• Always “on the go,” need for constant stimulation
• Drug and alcohol abuse

Our society expects women to have great organizational and planning skills, both at home and in the workplace. On a normal day, women are required to take care of and structure the lives of others, and juggle many responsibilities, often without much assistance. Women with AD/HD struggle with these very skills, and thus often feel a great sense of shame and failure. Women with AD/HD can find being a homemaker particularly difficult. The lack of structure inherent in being a stay-at-home mother and housewife exacerbates AD/HD symptoms, as do the constant interruptions and chaotic home environment that go along with having children in the home.

Fortunately, with good and comprehensive treatment, women with AD/HD can be properly diagnosed and greatly reduce their symptoms and the impact that AD/HD has on their life.

A thorough psychological evaluation is one of the best ways to diagnose AD/HD. It is important to find a qualified professional who has experience in diagnosing and treating AD/HD to perform the assessment, such as a psychologist or neurologist.

AD/HD cannot be diagnosed by any one test alone,
so beware of anyone who tells you that they can give you a single definitive test.

A good AD/HD assessment includes several different types of tests, including a thorough clinical interview, an AD/HD screening questionnaire, and psychological tests to rule out co-existing conditions such as anxiety and depression. It also might be useful to include tests of cognitive functioning and learning disabilities, and neurological screening.

Treatment begins with the diagnosis of AD/HD, but it should not end there. Effective treatment of AD/HD involves several different components, including some or all of the following: therapy, medication, tutoring, coaching, education, professional organizers, and support groups.

AD/HD cannot be “cured” but it can be effectively managed with the proper diagnosis.