Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is one diagnosis that people of all ages, genders, creeds, and life experiences are mostly familiar with, despite not always fully understanding what it means. To minimize the experience of those with ADHD to “Oh, something shiny!” is to disregard the struggle that uncountable people go through every day to simply reach a bare minimum of functionality in society. But those struggling are divided, some being displayed clearly for medical professionals to identify easily, and others less so. More than half of the population (58.7%) in the United States are women, so why are a lower percentage of them being diagnosed, despite lifelong and sometimes debilitating symptoms?
Generally speaking, the three main types of ADHD are described as hyperactive impulsive, primarily inattentive, and combined. To learn more about the history of ADHD and what it means, the first article in this series can be found here, and for an insight into the implications of ADHD for those in the workplace, follow this link.
The following is a list of main symptoms that most with ADHD can attest to:
Hyperactivity – This symptom is the most recognized by the layman and may be physical or verbal. For example, bouncing, tapping, fast walking, and other physical representations. Verbal hyperactivity is seen in talking fast, verbal tics such as humming, whistling, and seemingly arbitrary sounds
Impulsivity – This can be seen as recklessness in many different settings such as poor money management, e.g. lack of savings, immediate gratification buying, etc.
Emotional dysregulation – The difficulty in managing emotions, resulting in an intense and prolonged reaction to emotional stimuli, often seen as outside of the “normal”, societal range of responses
Trouble completing tasks and frequent procrastination – Probably the most widespread symptom to quote, trouble multitasking and executive dysfunction (the ability to initiate tasks, poor working memory, time blindness (not recognizing how long a task will take, e.g. getting ready for work, preparing for deadlines, etc.), disorganization, short attention span, especially for non-preferred tasks
The numbers between boys and girls being diagnosed are significantly different, with boys (15%) more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (8%). Beyond childhood, it gets more and more challenging to receive a diagnosis of ADHD, due to individuals learning and applying coping mechanisms. These coping mechanisms are a necessity to acquire to reach the goals assigned to them by modern society, regardless of their personal strengths and weaknesses directly related to the ADHD experience.
Girls (and therefore women) tend to show symptoms differently than their male counterparts, generally presenting as inattentive (e.g. daydreaming, unfinished tasks, lack of time management skills, etc.) rather than hyperactive (“bouncing off the walls”, vocal stimming, the need for physical activity to focus, etc.). Many professionals believe this is due to the different socializing standards girls and boys receive as children. Girls are taught to be organized, polite, and responsible, forcing them to adopt coping mechanisms that allow them to appear, while not necessarily feeling, more “put together”. This, over time, begins to cause long-term stress, burnout, and easily one of the most common symptoms, anxiety.
Due to the lack of treatment and the stress of a lack of management of ADHD, these women tend to be given diagnoses for these aligning ailments rather than ADHD itself. For example, due to emotional dysregulation, women are frequently diagnosed with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, depression, and others. This prolonged, high-stress emotional environment can present in many different ways (as mentioned above) and contribute to emotional responses seen as “outside the norm”. Rejection Sensitivity Disorder, otherwise known as RSD, is one example of “extreme” emotional responses to perceived criticism due to low self-esteem, hypercritical expectations (internal or societal), and overexposure to stress. RSD usually causes extreme emotional pain, which is often seen as irrational or diminished as “mood swings” and disregarded entirely. All of this can lead to challenges in maintaining interpersonal relationships, especially without comprehension of why these experiences are so intense.
The weight of ADHD, personal relationships, and work expectations can prove to be overwhelming for some, even with significant support from loved ones and professional colleagues. Alternatively, neurotypical women (those without ADHD or other developmental or neurological disorders) face complexities at work, e.g. benevolent and hostile sexism, serving only to hinder their ascension via promotion or hiring. Reaching goals and living up to workplace expectations as a woman takes more energy, focus, and organization than a male coworker as is, all things that ADHD challenges substantially.
On top of these women-specific differences, those with ADHD are often also burdened by standard workplace demands such as work-life balance, schedule management, deadlines, and more on top of managing their personal emotional health due to ADHD and its accompanying symptoms. This can lead to a lack of consistency in jobs, stagnation in their career field, or communication issues within the workplace. Executive dysfunction serves as one of the most debilitating symptoms of ADHD for all of those who experience it, and those individuals’ jobs are hit the hardest by this.
In order to avoid as much systemic prejudice as possible, as women and as neurodivergent workers, education and the application of boundaries are ideal and often non-negotiable in sustaining a job or long-term career. This opens the door for understanding and communication, allowing for opportunities in the workplace that might have been closed to those with ADHD before.
The challenges women face in society are an accumulation of expectations coming from all directions: family, relationships, mental health, and work. Learning to juggle these expectations can be a lot, possibly too much, for many without (and possibly even with) medical interventions, whether behavioral or physical. Maintaining healthy coping mechanisms and support from medical professionals and loved ones can make a difference for positive personal and professional relationships alike.
To overcome the disadvantages of ADHD in the workplace, accessing accommodations and advocating for your needs are necessary. It marks the sharp divide between a long-lived, flourishing life of professional and person success and dragging the symptoms of ADHD underfoot, whether diagnosed early or learning about one’s unique mental health journey later in life.
As a lifelong writer of creative stories and novellas, Vance graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Communication. She is deeply invested in the art of connecting others through writing and words and shining a light on otherwise shrouded communities such as LGBTQ+, neurodivergent groups, and survivors of domestic abuse. Located in Talkeetna, AK with her five cats and Australian Shepherd, Corvo, she works towards a career in writing and editing as well as a Master’s in Communication.
