Many females with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder  (ADHD) do not get diagnosed until their late 30s or early 40s. There is a paucity of research in this area, as symptoms may not be as obvious as with their male counterparts. Often, symptoms get more prevalent when females find themselves struggling with daily life and report chronic stress and exhaustion, or after a child in the family has been diagnosed, and many women are good at masking their symptoms.

ADHD has three main presentations:

predominantly inattentive,

predominantly hyperactive-impulsive and a

combined inattentive and hyperactive presentation. 

Women who are predominantly inattentive report specific difficulties with their time management, feeling overwhelmed, disorganisation, poor budgeting skills and difficulties  maintaining their attention and becoming easily distracted; compared to women with predominantly hyperactivity/impulsivity type, who report difficulties with fidgeting/a need to get up and walk around frequently, talking excessively, acting impulsively, an ability to easily make friends but problems sustaining their friendships,  and that they often get involved in unhealthy relationships and feel that they have to work harder than their peers to be equally successful.  

In addition to these difficulties, women with ADHD can also suffer from eating disorders, low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviours , fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and sleep difficulties. Furthermore, hormonal changes and environmental factors, such as differences in how females and males may be raised may also play a role in different presentations.

In academic and working environments, women often experience problems such as having difficulties remembering things, starting tasks and completing them on time/meeting deadlines, procrastinating, often feeling easily distracted,  difficulties completing admin related tasks, and interpersonal issues such as interrupting their peers/colleagues, being blunt in their communicative style, talking too much and having emotional outbursts.

Effective support and treatment need to involve using a multi-modal approach that often comprises medication, stress/anxiety management, psychological therapy, counselling, life coaching and environmental adaptations. However, most women face challenges finding a professional who fully understands the problems they face and how best to manage these.  Women with ADHD often find therapeutic approaches most helpful which help them to develop a healthy self-esteem and daily healthy habits, reduce and manage stress, and help them to develop their overall coping strategies.

If you feel you would benefit from a comprehensive assessment for ADHD or require additional support, Dr Miranda Gaylor can help you to

  • Develop strategies in managing distractibility
  • Build effective coping strategies in managing stress and emotional dysregulation
  • Manage feelings of restlessness and hyperactivity
  • Develop your planning and organisation skills, memory and time management
  • Overcome Boredom-blockouts and procrastination
  • Improve your interpersonal skills
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle and positive self-esteem
Dr Miranda Gaylor is a Consultant Psychologist at Vivamus, Dubai Healthcare City. 
Dr Miranda  has over 20 years experience as a psychologist and specialises in supporting adolescents and adults with ADHD and who are on the autistic spectrum (ASD).

Contact us if you would like to make an appointment for an ADHD assessment and/or ADHD coaching. 04 44 03844 or hello@vivamus.me