Woman and ADD

The knowledge concerning women and ADD has been limited and underdeveloped in comparison to what we know about children and adult men with ADHD. Still few ADD studies have focussed specifically on women. The need for this becomes larger and larger.

Women with ADD usually show no hyperactive behavior. Therefore many ADD cases are overlooked. Woman and girls learn themselves to behave as expected, using their high intelligence, creativity and perseverance. In this way many find a way to deal with their ADD symptoms. They internalize these positive and negative adaptations so it fuses more and more with their individuality. The ADD symptoms are covered through incorporating behavioral patterns that frequently come at high emotional costs. This often results in chronic physical and emotional exhaustion at adult age, usually it manifest itself most forcefully in woman who are between 20 and the 35 years of age.

More and more women look for treatment when they can no longer manage to keep control of their lives. Their financial administration is a mess, they feel unable to meet the the requirements of their employer and consider them self unable to do daily tasks like washing, cooking and cleaning. Women are more successful in (unconsciously) hiding their ADD but find themselves in a continuing fight against an always larger pressure. They will wrestle daily with their desire of finishing tasks an develop sleep shortage and feelings of guilt and uncertainty. These women regularly are misdiagnosed by their general practitioner who considers them depressive or burnout.

AD/HD symptoms are reinforced by woman's hormonal household. Women with ADD must take into account that their daily challenges become larger when they are in their monthly period. Woman who try to keep their heads above the water frequently describe themselves as being exhausted. The combined roles of being a partner, housewife, having a carrier and being a mother is a huge task even for women who don't have ADD. The striving towards success at all these factors, makes living for ADD woman extremely complex.

While at work the a female with ADD might have a clear task description, her private life generally is much less structured. Tasks do not always have a beginning or clear end. The problems she has already experiences with structuring, forgetfulness and stress often result in a situation wherein none of both jobs can longer be "properly" carried out. A woman who's diagnosed at adulthood has frequently shown signs of depression and large uncertainty. They are continually trying to maintain control, until they find that this does not succeed. These women develop coping skills to deal with their ADD and keep things going and are often unattended to the emotional consequences this has in their life. They are less focussed on emotions because they have learned tuck them away far enough to be able function.