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.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
Research is showing that the symptoms of ADHD often intensify for girls during puberty when estrogen increases in their bodies. 3 As you already know, puberty is a time of great change in a girl's life as she begins the transition from childhood into adulthood.
Girls with ADHD sometimes struggle to make and keep friends. Many also experience low self-esteem, depression or anxiety. They also have higher rates of self-harm, substance abuse, and suicide attempts than other girls.
Interestingly, girls with untreated ADHD may be more likely to blame and judge themselves for these problems, leading to a higher risk for low self-esteem than boys who have ADHD. They may also be more likely to have problems with substance abuse, eating disorders, and anxiety.
ADHD does not get worse with age if a person receives treatment for their symptoms after receiving a diagnosis. If a doctor diagnoses a person as an adult, their symptoms will begin to improve when they start their treatment plan, which could involve a combination of medication and therapy.
This means girls with ADHD are less likely to be diagnosed — and less likely to get the help they need. Girls with ADHD often have a type called ADHD-inattentive (ADHD-I). That means they have a hard time paying attention, staying organized, and managing their time.
Many people with ADHD experience daytime sleepiness and difficulty waking up as a result of poor sleep. Others experience restless, non-refreshing sleep with multiple nighttime awakenings.
Physical and mental health problems.
The symptoms of ADHD can contribute to a variety of health problems, including compulsive eating, substance abuse, anxiety, chronic stress and tension, and low self-esteem.
People with ADHD experience an ongoing pattern of the following types of symptoms: Inattention–having difficulty paying attention. Hyperactivity–having too much energy or moving and talking too much. Impulsivity–acting without thinking or having difficulty with self-control.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
Atypical Presentation of ADHD Symptoms:
Impaired sense of time (loses track of time, often late, hates waiting, avoids doing homework, etc.) Sleep disturbances (has trouble with sleep initiation, sleep deprived, can't wake up easily, etc.)
Effective treatment involves a multimodal approach that often includes medication, therapy and counseling, stress management techniques, workplace and homelife accommodations. Some women and girls incorporate various lifestyle strategies to help manage their ADHD.
It is often characterized by feelings of overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair. Those experiencing ADHD burnout may find it even more challenging than usual to initiate and complete tasks, maintain focus and attention, and regulate their emotions.
During teen years, especially as the hormonal changes of adolescence are going on and the demands of school and extracurricular activities are increasing, ADHD symptoms may get worse.
Girls with ADHD may want to move and talk, but don't want to be seen to be misbehaving, so they keep it in. They may fidget in smaller, less recognisable ways, such as doodling or playing with jewellery, or may be overly chatty when allowed to talk.
They keep their things fairly organized and try to avoid making a mess. But many kids and adults with ADHD are the opposite — they're messy most of the time. And it can cause problems at home, school, and work.
Millions of US children have been diagnosed with ADHD
Boys (13%) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (6%).
With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
In one way or another, hormonal changes directly impact most adolescents' ADHD symptoms. Puberty's physical influence on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) is undoubtedly more intense for girls, but it shouldn't be minimized for boys.