Why ADHD Is Different for Women: Gender-Specific Symptoms & Treatments (with Ellen Littman, Ph.D.)
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- Опубліковано 23 чер 2022
- Women’s presentation of ADHD symptoms contributes to the diagnostic confusion that still leaves many women overlooked or misdiagnosed. The perfect storm of internalized symptoms, hormonal fluctuations, and societal expectations yields a distinct set of stressors. Emotional dysregulation also renders women more reactive than proactive. Trapped beneath the weight of stigma, self-doubt, and shame, they lose confidence in their judgment since it often betrays them.
In this hour-long webinar replay from 12/15/20, learn why ADHD is different for women with Ellen Littman, Ph.D.
2:33 Women's current status
4:17 Evolution of our understanding of ADHD
7:11 The Conundrum
8:22 Unique Developmental Trajectory
10:00 Unique Risks
12:14 Diagnostic Challenges
18:18 The Central Role of Hormones
23:09 Treatment Considerations
30:58 Social Difficulties
37:41 Comorbid Issues
39:58 Role of Impulsivity
42:32 Greater Severity of Outcomes
47:06 Treatment considerations
Download the slides associated with this webinar here:
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Related Resources
1. Read This: "That Explains Everything!" Discovering My ADHD in Adulthood www.additudemag.com/adhd-in-w...
2. Self-Test: ADHD Symptoms in Women
www.additudemag.com/self-test...
3. eBook: "Secrets of the ADHD Brain"
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ADHD Tip: listen at 1.25 speed or more or you may wander off.
Lol - I have started listening to all my videos at 1:75 at least - it really helps me stay focused and weirdly helps me as a mood regulator. I find the faster talk soothing to listen. Maybe partly as it doesn’t allow for the introjection of other thoughts. And partly maybe it acts a bit like white noise - although I do actually listen to what is being said.
2x speed for me lol
or use it as a body double to do a mindless task like data analysis :D
Thank you! I was trying to listen but got so frustrated at how slow it was going and started to tune out. This is an awesome tip.
@@Ikr2025 Currently and usually have playback set at 1.75x's.
The fact that she has the knowledge 30 years and that it’s not being picked up, shows a great deal of the misogynistic society we live in.
I had no idea that sensory overload was part of ADHD….my life makes so much more sense now
You have just told my life story and explained everything that is happening to me now in one video. I am a 54 yr old undiagnosed woman. I am weeping, thrilled, hopeful and sad all at once. Very little hope that I will find a doctor who can really help, but You have decoded my situation like nobody ever has. God bless you
I’m same age as you, Rose. Was diagnosed (by a female psychologist by the way), when I was 47.
I’ve always done a lot of introspection, self analysis, etc. One of my Nephews was diagnosed when he was a little kid. But I never considered the genetic factor as being beyond parental genes passed down.
I’d been to therapy when I turned 30 because a lot of pivotal life changes occurred and I (thought I was looking forward to turning 30) became depressed.
But not until one of my favorite entertainers died, did I put the pieces together about my own life challenges. Robin Williams had undiagnosed ADHD/ADD until late in life, and he self-medicated because of it.
I took an online ‘Do you have ADD?’ quiz on my health insurance website , and lo and behold…I scored the highest level of “We recommended you talk to your doctor” 😂
Fast-forward to 2020 (just weeks before Covid was announced as being in the US), I finally gave in and added medication to my treatment.
It’s really helping, but on days when I forget to take my meds, I notice the difference.
Not every treatment works for everyone, but I highly recommend finding a therapist trained in *adult* ADHD/ADD - especially for women.
I’ve had many regrets in my life, and one of them is regretting not going the medication route much earlier.
💜
@@yournamehere5444 me too 64
Me too...!!!
Me too, 57!
I'm 36 and I feel the same way!!
I feel like most women start to notice symptoms when they finish high school because the structure of routine isn’t there anymore. But even then we blame it on our hormones or our upbringing.
Exactly. The fall out starts after school and there's no tools for that. Just that we can't survive 🤷
So tired of every therapist immediately blaming my parents.
Yes! This is exactly what I've been saying. After high school is when it all goes to crap bc there's no scaffolding of that structure imposed on us from outside.
I don’t think anyone in my life has ever been able to see me like Dr. Littman just did and we never met. Im a psychology student and just been diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 33. I will share this information with everyone I know! Thank you so much 🙏
I really enjoyed this presentation. It’s a constant struggle being a woman with ADHD. Especially when you don’t live up to the societal expectations placed on women in the household.
46:50 "So I don't know how much more startling the data on outcomes needs to be before women with ADHD get the attention they deserve." 🎤 drop
Older women that are diagnosed in their 70's and 80's finally have explanations to their messed up lives. But finding that info as overwhelming.
I'm 55 and recently diagnosed. I joined the Air Force in 1986. I was extremely successful in basic training and technical school. However, once I left those structured environments, I performed very poorly. The biggest hurdle was my inability to complete self-directed correspondence courses needed to promote. I was also placed in a very mundane office position. I wish we knew the things about ADHD then as we do now. It's painful to think about all I could have accomplished had I known about this and received the treatment and accommodations I needed.
Man. This was eye-opening. Diagnosed as a preteen, wasn't taken seriously or given medication until age 32 (now 38). Stay strong, ladies. Advocate for yourselves! After taking my first ever dose of ADHD meds, I had to NAP (never napped before!), then woke up and cried because everything was SOO easy. Don't deny yourselves that!
Also re:Qs at the end: I'm in the process of checking my t3/t4 and getting referrals to obgyn for hormone testing because I just feel SOO out of whack as of late. Having a new Dr hear me/believe me, and not scoff at me for sending a paper/article feels like an impossible task. I hope I can find these articles she's referring to!
❤❤❤
Amazing! I want to see more content about ADHD and hormonal regulation in women in ADDitude. After all, you have such a big audience! This gives good dopamine, you've got me hooked.
This has been a huge A HA moment for me, especially as a struggling menopausal woman. I feel like my ADHD has been getting the better of me lately, now I know it’s not just me being a procrastinator.
I’m premenopausal
& I believe adhd also affects hormones more severely than other women. Lately I’ve been absolutely losing it a week before my period. It’s like I’m 13 again.
How can we increase the visibility on women with ADHD? Feels like most of the medical and mental health professionals I've seen don't know the first about ADHD let alone women who have it.
100%! Couldn't agree more!!
Probably by women getting into the field and doing the research and sharing the results with other professionals and to the public.
I think so too and Idk why because it’s far into the 21st century now
Word! I'm suffering because of this.
Just let pharma know there's 50% of the population they can mine for long term meds dependency and they'll be on it! I can see the tv ad now.. did you know, mom??
Thank you for this! I am a 64 yr old female lay person who is as yet undiagnosed but am fairly certain I have had adhd and am now learning. I already know that if a lecture is more than a year old I pretty much ignore it. It seems there is a quantum leap happening for females in acknowledging our difficulties and unique needs. Good on you for speaking up for us!
What a coincidence! I am also 64 and not diagnosed. I feel that i can no longer postpone a visit to a doctor. It can be another issue though and I'm not referring necessarily to you or me. I do not know if it can be an unhealthy attachment, covert npd, anxiety or something else. That is why a diagnosis is needed. I feel i have read enough to reach out to a doctor. Good luck to us.
I just entered long rambling response in the thread but I was a little pre-65 when my adult son was diagnosed. I found an MD who helps with generic Adderall ( all I can afford). Helps some but not great. Now I'm past 65 and of course Medicare does nothing.
This may be one of the best presentations about ADHD in women that I’ve seen. I was diagnosed at 45, still finding out so much information that clarifies many of my experiences in life. Thank you.
I agree, I love this as well. I now understand many symptoms I’ve been through. I had no idea it was tired into ADHD. It all falls into place now. 🙏 I’m very grateful for this video.✅
I was diagnosed at 40. Life-changing. My life makes so much more sense to me now. Hoping more women can get help!
I have never felt so seen in my entire life. I felt like she was describing me exactly.
same, this was amazing
like there were several times I laughed out loud because I feel like she has to be a mind reader or something 😂
Exactly❤
Hiding masking, I did that, I still do. It’s hard work, I felt I needed to protect myself from criticism. I know I’m intelligence, my brain just works in a different way. 😉 Thank you I loved this video.
General Practitioners still don't have a clue about hormones!!!
Thank you Ellen and ADDitude for disseminating this critically important information. I am a high IQ woman and have struggled all my life
Makes me so grateful that I was diagnosed at 14. I'm 44 now. Life was hell for me growing up.
I feel like I can finally understand myself... and help my family understand me, so that they can also help me.
OMG FINALLY SOMETHING VALIDATING THAT MY ADHD SYMPTOMS ARE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM IN MY CYCLE 😭
As a mum who is trying to understand her daughter's insistence that she has ADD I have found this webinar very helpful because I was working off an understanding of the male ADHD model. ( the only one we hear about). Thanks to your explanation of the female experience, I am now beginning to see why my girl is so different from the model I previously understood, that she is presenting many of the symptons, and that she is probably right. I can now get on with helping her get the understanding and help that she needs. Thank you so much, Dr Littman.
It's taken until age 51 before i was diagnosed. Previously I was diagnosed with bipolar which tore my family away, because they believed I could act properly with copious amounts of the wrong medication. It was horrible.
Same here
30:38 should be "clinicians cannot *OVERESTIMATE* the extent to which women measure their self worth by their success in conforming to gender expectations" ... Meaning, it's so much a compensatory strategy to overcome internal limitations that clinicians will not be able to appreciate how intensively women work to achieve an appearance of normal functioning. They have to work harder for "normal" . This is true for men as well, hence their regular agitated, reactive, angry "normal" states.
This has saved my life this talk. I’m a 58yr old woman and I’m just starting on this journey and it’s arduous going here in Australia getting a psychiatrist versed in female adhd hormone stuff etc etc.I’ve been battling suicidal ideation for the last 10yrs plus self harming. The shame and pain I’ve experienced has been next level but I masked it well till I went into full blown menopause. Help is hard to get and the Lord has kept me but now the mask is off and he’s opened the door to getting well. THANKU THANKU THANKU
So much of this is me. I'm so thankful for this. Now to figure out a way to get my husband to be willing to listen...
Wow wow wow. I'm dumb founded. I'm 43 and was in therapy over half my life for abuse and trauma. I've battled depression and now live a happy life.
HOW DID I NOT KNOW I HAD THIS?!?! My 4 adult children have been telling me the last couple years they thought I had it. I brushed it off. If I've lived this long, I should not need to make something out of nothing.
However, now, my work life is a mess and I CAN'T FOCUS for nothing!!!!!
This video just answered SO many questions I'm mindblown. Even little things that I didn't know why I did or was frustrated I never figured it out.
Tysm for this. I'll be getting on with a doc asap. So relived to have some answers!
This was insanely informational.
"Switch from behavioral model to impairment model!!" 🥳
This was one of the best presentations of the women affected by ADHD.
This is a fantastic video. I have adhd which was diagnosed in adulthood. I recognise so much of my problems in this information. It's very helpful.
Alot of this overlaps with the female profile of ASD also, which also needs to be compared to the NT female profile and not the ASD male profile. There IS a Biological difference
Amazing video! So many dots connected for me. Diagnosed with treatment resistant depression, bpd & schizoid in college. Now at 48, I’m thinking it was adhd & autism, which is now exasperated by peri-menopause and thyroid cancer. Hopefully clinicians and psychologists update their understanding of adhd in women asap!
I’m 28 years old.. one week today on vyvanse for ADHD/binge eating/ help with addiction / alcoholism..(iv struggled with stimulant drug addiction and alcoholism since 14)…. I can finally think… I feel like I can finally relax. I can sit and paint, I can read a book for over an hour with no distractions… I sat and folded my laundry for the first time since I can even remember. It’s like a blanket of calmness has been wrapped around me and my body and mind finally know we’re okay. I haven’t had a drink or drug in 8 today after a 3..4 month bender again. FINALLY AT 28 I actually have hope for a better future.
"and then if you can also go to yoga, it's great"
This made me burst into a very genuine laughter. It was a refreshing joke 😅
I am only 25 years old and you've described my whole life. I was undiagnosed for 22 years, and I experienced so much shame and despair from it. As a kid, it was impossible for me to make true and lasting friendships. As a young adult in college, I struggled with everything. There was nothing I could do as well as I was supposed to.
Now as an adult in the workforce, I am still struggling but I know where and how I am struggling. I am still not as kind to myself as I should be, but I am healing.
This is such a great presentation thankyou so much for explaining the relationship to estrogen. Really helpful .
My goodness, there is so much there that sounds familiar. I just can't believe it. Is this what has been going on all these years?? The hormonal aspect explains so much.
Thank you! I see a lot of women with ADHD in my clinic and this info is very helpful.
30:40 I’ve found myself comparing myself more when it comes to academic expectations and finding some comfort in gender expectations. I have a VERY hard time reading. However reading for someone else gives me just the push that I need to actually do it.
Thank you Dr. Littman, this was a game changer for me and this is such a compelling presentation!
I have a messed up story behind my ADHD diagnosis. When I was almost 37 & had a 4 yr old son, I decided I couldn’t continue barely getting by in my daily life. My son was extremely well cared for, but that meant my life went to the wayside. I could only take care of one of us, & I chose him. I go to my appt & tell the psychiatrist my story & how overwhelmed I am. I tell her I have fibromyalgia & take methadone daily for it. She immediately started telling me “even IF you have ADHD I can’t treat you for it.” So I kept asking “well do I have it & you just don’t want to treat me, or do I not have it at all?” She repeated the same phrase again, which made me confused whether she thought I did or didn’t have it. She then told me “I’m sorry you’re struggling with being a mom. Some women just have a hard time with motherhood.” I broke down at that point. I cried hysterically in her office, which made her double down even more on diagnosing me with anxiety. After the appt I had to sit in her office for 10-15 mins to gather myself & stop crying. Fast forward 3 yrs & the VA sent me to a psychiatrist during a review to increase my fibromyalgia disability rating. I was so confused because I wasn’t diagnosed with any psychiatric symptoms or illnesses, nor did I request to have any evaluated for my disability rating. I ask the dr why I was there & he said because the VA wants me to evaluate your ADHD, even though they won’t give you disability for it since it started in childhood. I was SHOCKED!!!! I told him the entire story of the awful psychiatrist & he was so empathetic & apologized for anyone treating me that way. He told me that other psychiatrist did diagnose me but put in her notes she was concerned I was a liability because I was on methadone & refused to treat me. I can understand that completely. That’s 100% logical & responsible to be cautious, just in case someone is an addict & just seeking pills (which she also accused me of). However, lying to me about a real medical condition she was diagnosing me with is unacceptable!!! I’ve never been treated that despicable in my life by another Dr. Thank goodness because I couldn’t handle it if someone had. She left the VA shortly after that, or I would’ve reported her, & worse. Today, I’m being treated & my life has changed completely. My entire life has finally made sense to me when I look back on certain situations from my past.
Omg you just explained my life. I see that now in my daughter and the therapist have no clue!!!! Thank gods i can understand her… but there is a huge gap!!!, the hormones… I am a super happy person and in the pms phase I almost have suicidal thoughts and feelings, they literally hurt! It’s such a horrible situation, but if you know it, you CAN find ways to control it!!, tapping knocking on the bones of the body has helped me. The knocking sound is like a bell when people have a fight in an apartment, suddenly the fighting stops so that people can see who is at the door. This is the way to trick those feelings out. But you need to know you HAVE a life vest, to use it.
Thank you very much for this. I feel very seen by this webinar, especially the outcomes.
🙏🏾
I picked my body, chewed the insides of my mouth, bit my nails bloody as a little girl then graduated to Donnatal for my stomach aches by high school. My parents kept being blissfully ignorant as they moved the family multiple times with Dad's career - the last leaving me in yet another new school for my Sr year of HS. Hard to make friends and especially when you at last make a friend or two then get moved. With each year, the "good student" that made A's went to B's then to C's as I felt more a failure and outcast. We at last made it to the locale that was my Dad's goal where I made it through college and found my husband at my post-college work. I loved marriage and sons but the house was always a mess, I always forgot special tasks that made hubs mad, bills late, promises broken. At last nearing retirement (with my life sinking daily into clutter, lost bills, overdue taxes, you name it and yes one friend), my oldest son - miserably depressed like me - was clinically diagnosed as very intelligent, high functioning ADHD. "Who in your family is like you?" My own family laughs at me believing I'm crazy or early dementia. I found an MD that will prescribe helpful generic adderall (all I can afford as I'm uninsured). But I've tried his Vyvanse. Rather than having a buzz or a high or a roller coaster on the couple days I tried it, I found that when I took it I simply realized late afternoon "Hey - this was a happy, good, productive day." But it's a no go at over $400/mo.
I'm spilling these beans to just let you know the markers here described Are My Life and would love love love to get PROPER professional help. My 2+ years of professional therapy (while I had insurance) found me to be medication resistant clinically depressed. They'd be depressed too if their condition was drugged and not understood. They and I mutually agreed to give it up.
This explains so much. Thank you for helping me understand. You explained my ups & downs to a T. It's refreshing to hear someone that has real answers other than just being teased & that I'm “PMS-ing” when I'm truly struggling more so than my typical peers. I can now stop wondering why I am the way I am. It doesn't fix it; but at least I know that Im not the only one struggling with this and why.
I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD in my 30's but have had Panic Disorder and Anxiety since my early 20's.
Me too. Severe panic disorder. Started when I was 19. Hospitalized bc of it. Anxiety. Then depression. They diagnosed at 36 with adhd
@@Megdracula I'm so sorry. I know how hard it is and how little people understand. ((HUGS))💜
@@irene_f. thank you n hugs back at you. No one really gets it until they experience it. And I pray they never do…. It’s overwhelming fear that takes over your body and convinces you you’re going to die or pass out. Heart beating so fast clammy hands or tingles up my hands n feet. Had them so badly I couldn’t see straight it disrupted my vision and sent me into confusion and embarrassment at my inability to control it.
@@Megdracula I understandand you are not alone. 💜
same sis :( i would say the panic disorder has ruined my life more than the adhd though
I've been in chemically induced menopause for over a year, and this hits home so much. I was trying to figure out why it's all worse now, specifically. But this makes so muvh sense.
This!!! Wow I had never heard about the possibility of my ADHD symptoms changing with hormone fluctuations before this... it makes so much sense!! More of this, please! Can I donate my blood on a periodic basis to be studied for this?!? I'm so willing!!
everything just makes so much sense! thank you for this lecture, i learned so much about myself. I've always struggled with being hypersensitive to pain, especially stomach pain.
This was very helpful. This gives a good baseline for questions to take to clinicians
Thanks. Just thanks! I agree with so many...how could this fit so perfectly in my experience, and why is it so hard to find a provider that understands? Hoping that this information continues to expand and inspire new women to go into the field of helping other women live their best lives! I am 42 and finally going back to school to become a nurse...and I am feeling a tug, or rather a duty almost, to consider becoming a mental health NP so I can help women!
Same goes for asd which so many women went undiagnosed (like me). We just work twice as hard to be neurotypical. Every accomplishment is so much harder. I was in therapy for over a decade…..if I told you what they decided was wrong with me? Laughable
Really interesting. One area that I think hasn’t been explored is the relationship with ADHD and the MTHFR gene. Or to put it more simply - with the individual’s ability to methylate B vitamins effectively. This is a relatively new area of research and knowledge and I think it has links to neurological issues like ADHD.
Gonna check this out ty.
I have this! Or some of the markers at least ( found out years ago at a fertility clinic). I think there could be something to this!
Folic Acid is toxic, Folate with a B minus Complex and B12 ( Hydroxy, Adeno, etc)
Seeking Health has these supplements
Yep it's definitely part of the RCCX cluster: MTHFR/ASD/ADHD/Kryptopyrolle disorder/Lyme...eds, pots, etc
@@hspinnovators5516 The list just goes on and on doesn’t it. And a lot of these conditions are invisible to other people. Lucky us.
I actually feel heard and understood listening to this. THANKYOU!!
This is such an accurate description of my experience. Gave me chills
Thank you so much, Dr Littman.
This is phenomenal thankyou for this video.
This is actually amazing!
Such an excellent talk! Eye- opening and helped improve my understanding of ADHD in women.
Very thankful for you Dr.
Excellent and critical info the ADHD community should be aware of. Not to nit pick, but the possibly 100+ "um, uh, and ums", were horribly distracting and nerve wracking. I got a headache from the frustration of listening to such a strained and rocky delivery. This may seem odd, but I feel this is such important information, so needed by very long-suffering and neglected members of society, that we deserve to be addressed better than this. You could hear pages turn so it was being read. Why not have it read by someone capable of a clear and flowing presentation, then Dr Littman could've added to it as needed and for answering questions at the end?
Maybe I shouldn't feel almost slighted, but the gravity and caliber of the content should be matched by the caliber of the presentation.
Thank you.
This is so helpful!!
I was "diagnosed" (only told here take this pill you have ADD) at 12 and now at 28 with 4 kids I'm just starting to understand myself and why I always feel like the world is falling apart around me...
This is amazing, thank you so much Dr Ellen. So much of this applies to me, my childhood, teenage years, hormones, being a young woman, anxiety and depression diagnosis, peri menopause and symptoms being worse executive functioning being much worse as well as sensory issues and finding more things overwhelming Finally at age 46 I'm being assessed for ADHD after researching for my daughter age 6 and Son age 10. It's thanks to social media that I know so much about it, have found people in the same boat which helps greatly. I'm also hoping my diagnosis will help with my daughters journey in particular as she experiences worse symptoms. I'm in a happy place in a new job working as a Learning and Teaching Assistant with children on the spectrum and I'm loving it. I've always suffered in previous jobs especially office roles due to executive functioning, lack of interest and sensory issues so ADHD symptoms have got the better of me and I've experienced burn out/anxiety and depression.
Iam on HRT due to extreme hot flashes, menopause makes ADHD 10xs worse! So so sad that so little is known about womens health, infuriating really.
42:42 hits the spot
Wow, thank you for this 😢
Life changing thank u so much
I can’t believe ppl have minds that aren’t moving a million miles per hour! How strange to just focus or have 1 thought till they’re ready for their next one!
How boring for them! I love my wild mind! I’m a 42 female and don’t know any different couldn’t even imagine a regular mind
Just sounds awful to me! Embrace your busy mind!
Thank you! 🌹
Very informative talk thankyou, the hormonal theories particularly interesting. Too many symptoms thrown in the mix though, to gain a definitive explanation. Every one wins a prize !!!
I understand what you are saying, but you’re being a bit patronizing by remarking that “everyone wins a prize”. It was initially stated that ADHD studies for girls/women are woefully minimal and defined by male ADHD. Never mind the complexities of the human mind.
I’ve been diagnosed with major depression & borderline personality disorder. I was misdiagnosed. I don’t have bpd. I have adhd. It’s over looked so often. Many adhd people are misdiagnosed.
Brilliant video thank you, I am 66 on an ADHD assessment waiting list. I was diagnosed Autistic two years ago. This video is enlightening 😊
May I ask, how is life 2 years out from diagnosis?
I was diagnosed earlier this year at age 30, and the new context for my life hit like a freight train. I can't imagine how much learning and unlearning such a discovery kicks off in one's 60s! Congratulations on being identified at last!!
@@BuckitOfSean hi, for me it's been a funny two years. It's like getting to know myself all over again. I no longer need to feel guilty about things I don't really want to do or eat. I can let my younger self come out, like walking in puddles and cracking ice on top of puddles. I can dress how I want to. It now seems funny how much I had to mask just to try and fit in. As Popeye says "I am what I am" and I can be happy with myself. I can't see me ever getting old 😁
@@Iamlynie1 that's so beautiful. I'm happy for you!
@@BuckitOfSean thanks, enjoy discovering who you really are 😉
What are have ran across is the hesitation from doctors to prescribe (stimulants) medication for ADHD in adults
Anti depreassants have never worked for me.
They have however made me feel hyperactive when just newly taken up.
I have the inattentive time but at that time I didn't know that.
As a woman with ADHD I totally agree with you
I feel like you've read a book on my life and just written down my different experiences. This was too scarily close.
Thank you so much for this podcast. Having ADHD and hormonal imbalances is exhausting. My life feels like I’m treading water and sometimes drowning. Full disclosure, I was actually have views as a young girl I had a eating disorder as a teenager as well I wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my second year of college. And I still to this day at 47 years old Phillp insecure and socially accepted at times. I’ve been in three major relationships and they have been abusive I’ve only been in one that wasn’t. So I want to say thank you again and please if there’s any resources that can help women like me I would love to know what they are and how to utilize them. Best regards, Micaela Briley
Presentation starts at 2:32 for my fellow impatient peeps
Thank you 💕💕
Thank you, thank you, thank you…
Thank you for such an informative and detailed presentation! I appreciate your discussing a possible thyroid connection. Just be aware that many regular doctors miss thyroid issues and even endocrinologists may under-treat. Sometimes functional medicine providers are more thorough.
I’ve always wished my thyroid was the answer to my problems, but every time I’m tested, my thyroxine is function is normal. I know that’s a good thing but it’s difficult to have such an “invisible” issue when your whole family looks down on you because you can’t “prove” that who you are is valid even when you’ve worked harder than many if not most.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 🎙️ *Introduction to the topic*
- ADHD affects women differently, leading to long-term psychological distress.
- Women are learning to trust their voices and seek help.
03:36 📚 *Limited research on women with ADHD*
- ADHD studies historically focused on boys, leading to a lack of understanding about women's experiences.
- Women with ADHD remain underserved and misunderstood.
06:22 🧠 *ADHD presentation in women*
- Girls with ADHD often overlooked due to inattentive symptoms and less hyperactivity.
- ADHD symptoms persist differently in women over the lifespan.
08:45 📊 *Risks and challenges for women with ADHD*
- Women with ADHD are at higher risk for emotional reactivity, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
- They often face diagnostic challenges due to their unique presentation.
11:56 🧩 *Diagnostic challenges*
- Women with ADHD may be misdiagnosed due to gender bias and atypical symptoms.
- Camouflaging and intentional hiding of symptoms are common.
15:05 🕰️ *Gender bias in diagnosis*
- Gender bias affects the perception of women's ADHD symptoms.
- Women's symptoms are often perceived as less credible.
18:18 🌼 *Impact of hormones*
- Hormones play a significant role in women's ADHD symptoms, with fluctuations affecting daily experiences.
- Understanding hormonal cycles is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
23:26 💼 *Implications of hormonal studies*
- ADHD symptoms in women are influenced by hormone fluctuations.
- Future research needs to include hormonal data for a comprehensive understanding.
26:26 🚺 *Gender role expectations*
- Women with ADHD often struggle to meet society's gender role expectations, leading to self-worth issues.
- They face difficulties in maintaining relationships and may experience rejection sensitivity.
31:17 👫 *Challenges in socialization*
- Women with ADHD may have trouble maintaining friendships due to their impairments.
- Rejection sensitivity can lead to intense emotional responses and feelings of judgment.
33:22 👩⚕️ *ADHD Symptoms in Women*
- Women with ADHD often hide their difficulties due to shame.
- They may withdraw from social situations and isolate themselves.
- Central nervous system hypersensitivities, more common in women with ADHD, include tactile sensitivities, headaches, stomach aches, and insomnia.
40:10 🧠 *Impulsivity and Gender Atypical Behaviors*
- Impulsivity in women with ADHD can lead to gender atypical behaviors.
- These behaviors may include controlling, demanding, or projecting blame.
- Women with ADHD are more prone to high-risk behaviors like speeding and addictive behaviors due to estrogen's interaction.
45:44 ☠️ *Health Risks and Mortality in Women with ADHD*
- Women with ADHD face various health risks, including earlier mortality.
- Accidents are a common cause of early death, often related to impulsivity.
- High cholesterol, obesity, and substance abuse can contribute to earlier mortality in women with ADHD.
47:20 🏥 *Treatment Considerations for Women with ADHD*
- Finding a therapist who understands women with ADHD is crucial.
- Family psychoeducation helps the support network understand the challenges.
- Therapists can assist with questioning societal expectations, building strengths, and advocating for oneself.
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@8:25 THANK YOU!
Which type of doctor would be knowledgeable about hormones and hormone therapy. I even brought up my likelihood of hormonal imbalance to my new psychiatrist; she didn’t listen to me at all. She was suspicious of my add diagnosis and wanted to prescribe an antipsychotic for bi polar instead has of any adhd medication. She refused to even acknowledge or prescribe anything for my adhd. It is so frustrating and demeaning to be disrespected and disbelieved and misdiagnosed.
All of my symptoms for years are adhd symptoms of women. I am 60 years old and went into menopause when i had a mastectomy in 2010; and my adhd symptoms and all the internalized negativity and isolation have ruined my life. It’s so aggravating and hard not to feel wronged.
Endocrinologist
As a partner of an ADHD woman this answer so many issues I see in the relationship.
If ADHD in women is highly mediated by estrogen effects on dopamine metabolism...it could also be true in men with ADHD such that they have abnormally low or highly fluctuating levels of baseline estrogen-testosterone balance (men do have estrogen and women do have testosterone).
Men don't really have a hormone cycle like women have. So I don't see how they would be shifting, except for in specific life stages (adolescence and elderhood).
This is very interesting
Thank you from a italian woman , thanks from Italy! ❤️
So thankful to you for highlighting how important oestrogen is for the brain 🤗xx
So true my hormone are so bad I cry almost all the time on my period I always stayed quite and my mind was in another world starting at the wall in school all my life was in sped classes
Anyone else break down crying during the "Social Difficulties" slide?
I experienced that one as a kind of rapid slideshow of all the friendships I've let fade away over time... It made me cry but hearing it in the context of a medical problem helps me forgive myself for what I'd seen as my failures (which in turn also makes me cry!)
This has been going on many generations, why did it takrs so long too understand women also have add/adhd....I am 66 urs old female and these are just now understand about women?
Medical science is patriarchal as can be. FDA still doesn't test drugs on women during clinical trials
To me, the comorbidities and outcomes sections sound like the fall-out from traumatic life experiences 😊xx
Shocking
Wow! This!! 100%