“Chatty Kathy” with ADHD While they have a much higher activity level than the daydreamers, they are not necessarily “tomboys.” Often these girls are hyper-talkative rather than hyperactive.
Girls who are hyperactive and impulsive are rare. Some hyperactive girls are seen as tomboys and have a better chance of being diagnosed. Other hyperactive girls aren't overactive in a physical sense; instead, they're super-talkative “social butterflies.”
A recent study of thousands of men and women found two of five adults with ADHD are in excellent physical health, but ADHD women were less likely to be thriving. This comports with research from earlier studies that show women have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
Put simply; masking is intentionally shifting your behavior to hide your differences. For example, a woman with ADHD might smile and nod during a conversation even though she tuned out long ago, or she may secretly work late into the night to overcompensate for not staying on task for a deadline.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is very common — according to the most recent statistics, one in 10 children between the ages of 4 and 17 has been diagnosed with this problem.
Can ADHD cause shyness? Shyness is not an official ADHD symptom, but experiences and struggles due to the neurodivergent condition - or another existing mental health disorder - can cause a person to become shy, aloof, and introverted.
Hyperactive and impulsive girls sometimes have trouble taking turns or not getting their way. They might be too loud and aggressive, or just seem immature to other girls their age. All these things make them more likely to face rejection from their peers.
Research is showing that the symptoms of ADHD often intensify for girls during puberty when estrogen increases in their bodies.
A girl with ADHD may have impulsivity and be hyper-talkative. She may be verbally impulsive, interrupt others, talk excessively, or change topics repeatedly during conversations. She might even blurt out words without thinking about their impact on others. Girls with ADHD can also be overly sensitive.
Female children with ADHD often try to join a group, talk a lot but can hardly understand how her peers feel about what they are doing. They have difficulty connecting socially with others and when frustration gets in, they become impulsive and resort to verbal aggressiveness.
Doctors more commonly diagnose ADHD in male children than female children. The CDC reports that doctors diagnosed around 13% of boys with DHD in 2016–2019, whereas only 6% of girls received the same diagnosis. This has led many people to mistakenly believe that ADHD is a “boys' disorder” that rarely occurs in girls.
D., associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, conducted an interactive poll on girls and ADHD, and found the same: ADHD often expresses itself in girls through excessive talking, poor self-esteem, worrying, perfectionism, risk-taking, and nosiness — not the typical ...
This pattern of working hard to hide ADHD struggles is especially true for gifted females. These children often do well in elementary school, where their intelligence more than compensates for the challenges posed by ADD (ADHD).
Girls are also less likely to be diagnosed earlier because they often display more symptoms of anxiety. Medical providers may only treat a female patient's anxiety or depression without evaluating for ADHD. Hormones, which affect the symptoms of both ADHD and anxiety, can complicate things.
Mood swings are common in people with ADHD. People with this disorder can be hypersensitive, too. That means sensations, like touch, that may feel normal to another person can feel too intense for someone with ADHD.
It might be embarrassing small talk or something private about someone else. But for many people with ADHD, “oversharing” can be a more frequent problem. Oversharing is saying something personal or inappropriate in the wrong setting or to the wrong person. It's usually not something people with ADHD do on purpose.
Be on the lookout for nonverbal clues.
These include body language, such as moving away from you, cutting conversations short, or crossing their arms or legs. Also note facial expressions, such as red faces, scowls, tight lips, or hurt or angry eyes.
ADHD and your relationship
ADHD may affect relationships because people with the mental health condition are more likely to: misplace items regularly. become bored during date night outings. have trouble focusing during a fight or when discussing your day.
In a comprehensive study by Deloitte, researchers found that the disorder's worldwide prevalence ranges from 2% to 5%, encompassing both children and adults3. In Australia, ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting 6-7% of the population4.
Social media has also propelled ADHD into popular awareness, as it has taken over platforms like TikTok and Twitter. As of May 2022, the hashtag #adhd has 11.4 billion views on TikTok. Many people credit these platforms with helping them realize they had the diagnosis and subsequently seeking treatment for it.
“Opposites Attract”: People with ADHD are attracted to “organized” and joyless workers bees who can keep the trains running for the both of them and who in turn are drawn to their free-spirited ADHD partner's spontaneity and sense of fun.
Many adults with ADHD use coping strategies that help them hide their symptoms. This practice is known as ADHD masking and is especially common in women with ADHD. One type of ADHD masking — known as mirroring — involves intentionally or unintentionally mimicking the speech, movements, or behaviors of someone else.
These data suggest that ear length and nose wing width may be related to the neurodevelopmental disorder group. Similar to the literature, we found a strong relationship between the diagnosis of ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, and nasal width and ear length.