The main symptoms of ADHD include inattention, distractibility, and impulsivity. In most cases of adult ADHD, these symptoms are present in childhood but don’t become problematic until adulthood. ADHD affects 4.4% of adults.
The impact of untreated adult ADHD in women can be devastating. Women frequently have to juggle more roles than men. A woman may have to juggle motherhood, job, and spousal responsibilities simultaneously. Some women are also in school at the same time. Inattentiveness, impulsiveness, and possible concomitant hyperactivity wreak havoc on a woman’s ability to pay attention in conversations, read and remember, focus on details of a project, manage time wisely, and negotiate conflicts with children and spouse. Wives often come to see me with the urging or insistence of their husband.
Frequently, women seek psychiatric help with suspected adult ADHD in times of crisis.
They may be nearing finals and are frantic because they haven’t been able to sit down and study regularly throughout the semester, and now can’t retain what they’re trying to cram. Another common scenario is when a woman has received a bad review at work. She is frustrated because she’s put in great effort and a lot of time. She knows she has the intelligence to do a good job, but has been disorganized, unfocused, and unable to maintain a consistent high quality performance. Sometimes mothers seek treatment because they know they’re irrationally impatient with their children. They are so overwhelmed by their responsibilities that they have not been able to organize and focus on one task to completion. They may start cleaning, go to another room, get caught up in some activity in that room, and not complete one chore in three hours.
If you suspect you may be having problems with ADHD, call us today at 770-458-0007 or contact us by email.