ADHD in WOMEN

Women with ADHD have recently been a hot topic both in Finland and around the world. Even the world-famous magazine National Geographic writes about it. Helsingin Sanomat wrote about the topic emphasizing that adult women seek a psychiatrist to get an ADHD diagnosis because of their overachieving tendencies, although the doctors interviewed for the article disagreed and claimed that the problem lies elsewhere. The article aroused a lot of opinions.

I think ADHD in women is still underestimated. First, ADHD in girls is still not diagnosed early enough compared to boys, and the mere delay in diagnosis and support distorts girls’ performance in school, further studies, and life in general. Many girls with ADHD who do well in school learn early on to mask their ADHD symptoms and cover them up by overachieving and overdoing it. The same pattern of overachieving continues in further studies, work, and relationships until they seek treatment due to exhaustion.

Highly educated women with multiple degrees but intermittent career paths have also become familiar to us coaches. They too have a background of undiagnosed ADHD that has distorted their work performance and directed their actions in the wrong direction. They have put a lot of effort into trying to explain, cover up, deny, and disguise ADHD symptoms instead of receiving appropriate help. Simply masking up ADHD is exhausting and takes attention away from actual goals. Life becomes a cover-up play.

Adults with ADHD, without proper help and guidance, are social outcasts who have had to find a balance due to their inattention and hyperactivity problems. These complex and multilayered problems have eaten away their self-esteem and caused damage to their studies, careers, finances and relationships. Very often, the problems also manifest a lack of mental and physical well-being.

It is yet to be studied what the real reasons are for the career failure of women and men with ADHD. Are there gender differences? I would argue that part of the reason is the general rejection of people who behave differently. Humans are social animals, and they sense the difference. It is easy to leave the odd one out.

ADHD without help, support, and in adults without trauma treatment, ruins live and further distort images of oneself and one's own life. These distortions are easily passed from generation to generation. ADHD is not only a genetic disorder, but also a behavioral and a societal disorder. When will we start taking this seriously enough?