ADHD in Women: The Missed Signs and Consequences

Are you often busy in your head? Or are you always fiddling? When you think of ADHD you quickly think of a bouncing boy who can’t sit still, but ADHD is just as common in men as in women. Yet this attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in women is often missed. We asked ADHD-coach Eveline Roux what ADHD in women can look like.

The different forms of hyperactivity

ADHD can sometimes be less visible to the outside world. For example, hyperactivity can manifest itself in different ways. You can move a lot on a smaller scale, such as endless fidgeting or tapping with your feet. Or you can be busy in your head. ‘It looks like you have three radios on at the same time,’ says Roux.

Talk a lot

According to her, it can also manifest itself in a lot of talking. Something that is often seen in women as a pleasant chatterbox instead of a form of hyperactivity. And let that be one of the reasons why ADHD is recognized less quickly in women.

As a result, ADHD is recognized less quickly in women

ADHD is less likely to be recognized by the prevailing stereotype, but there is more. For example, much more research has been done on boys and men, but the social role and expectations of women are also different. ‘Forgetting a birthday is a small example of something that is more accepted with men than with women. And that has everything to do with the caring role of women,’ says Roux.

Response from health care providers

Many healthcare providers also do not recognize ADHD in women. Roux often sees women in her practice who are not referred by their GP. Fortunately, there are also women who do receive a diagnosis, but they are sometimes told not to hide behind it. It’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation. And it can be a good explanation for why you have certain behaviors,’ says Roux.

This is often associated with ADHD in women

In women, ADHD often goes hand in hand with fear of failure, perfectionist behavior and rejection sensitivity. “Women with ADHD can set the bar very high and are often very hard on themselves,” says Roux. She regularly sees women who think they should be able to do everything, because they often succeed. “Only when it doesn’t work because of ADHD, do they push it to personal failure,” says Roux. As a result, they run even faster. “Then many people don’t see how hard you tried. This is often because you are so good at masking.’

These can be the consequences if you don’t know you have ADHD

If you don’t know you have ADHD, you keep looking for it and moving on,” says Roux. And this can have serious consequences. For example, you can end up in a burnout faster. “I see a lot of women who don’t know they have ADHD and have already had a burnout two or three times,” says Roux. She also often sees a bore-out or Imposter Syndrome. This is because women with ADHD often set the bar extremely high and therefore keep themselves small.

This pattern is common in women with ADHD and this is where things go wrong

The ADHD coach often sees a recurring pattern in young women. They pop for a period, collapse completely for one to two days, and then resume. But the moment you take a new step in your life – such as buying a house, a career switch or having a baby – this pattern can suddenly go wrong. ‘You then see cracks appearing in the mask you made for yourself, but also in the safety net you have created for yourself and so carefully hide yourself from your surroundings,’ says Roux. And then you can suddenly fall over.

This can help women with ADHD

This does not have to cause problems if your environment is set up for this. You have different forms of ADHD that can express themselves in different ways. Roux: ‘Someone can be very dreamy and enjoy working alone. If you put someone like that in an office garden, they will no longer be able to concentrate properly. But if you are someone who is good at interacting with others and you are working alone in a room, then you can be distracted by the silence.’ And then a burnout or boreout is lurking faster.

Do you think you have ADHD? Then you can do this

Do you think you have ADHD? Then the first step is to see a doctor. Following Roux, it can help to do your own research before your doctor’s appointment. This way you are stronger in your shoes and you can tackle misconceptions about ADHD and women more quickly. You can also make Roux hair Complete ADHD test. This one is specially made for women.

Already follow up on your Women’s Health Facebook, Instagram in TikTok?