GENDER DIFFERENCES
“ADHD may be initially misdiagnosed in girls because of the symptoms they present. Manos notes that “girls tend to show fewer aggressive and impulsive symptoms, and they have lower rates of conduct disorders,” leading to a diagnosis later in life. The Mayo Clinic adds that female patients’ inattention problems often are combined with daydreaming, whereas males have more hyperactivity and behavioral problems, which are more noticeable during childhood.” – PsychCentral.com
Why do we need a special website for ADHD in women and girls?
“It was thought for a long time that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) did not present in girls. That was in the days when it was also thought that once a child reached adulthood, ADHD just disappeared. For a number of years now, we know that both of these assumptions are false. Assessment for – and diagnosis of – ADHD in girls is more complicated than in boys because of its later onset, more subtle clinical manifestations and the gender bias in the more popular ADHD Rating Scales, which emphasize behaviours seen more commonly in boys.
Women who menstruate or have reached menopause also experience additional problems because falling estrogen levels result in an additional decrease of dopamine.
Sandra Kooij has a very informative webinar entitled
Reading
“Like many women, I had been masking severe ADHD my entire life. Why had no one ever noticed?”
You can find more information regarding hormones and ADHD in an article I wrote for FLEX YOUR ADHD entitled