Females in Focus

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder or impairment in regulating attention. It affects the parts of the brain that help us plan, focus on, and execute tasks. In Canada, 4 to 6 percent of adults and 5 to 7 percent of children have been diagnosed with ADHD—that’s roughly one out of every 21 people across the country.

The categories

ADHD symptoms vary by subtypes—inattentive, hyperactive, or combined. People who present as predominantly inattentive might struggle with paying close attention to details, resisting distraction, following through on instructions, remembering routine chores, sticking to lengthy tasks, and listening in conversation.

Those who present as hyperactive might struggle with sitting still, fidgeting, impulse control, interrupting, or moving or talking excessively. Someone with combined ADHD experiences both inattentive and hyperactive symptoms.

The changes

Compared to children, adults with ADHD symptoms may present differently: starting new tasks before completing old ones, struggling with keeping organized; misplacing items; engaging in risky or dangerous behaviour without much fear over safety; or feeling forgetful, restless, impatient, or edgy.

The contrast

When looking at the reported data, boys are about twice as likely to have been diagnosed with ADHD than girls, and some ADHD subtypes are more difficult to diagnose in girls and adults.

But growing research indicates that ADHD affects girls more than has so far been investigated. In fact, there may be a general bias toward diagnosing ADHD in girls because of the way their symptoms tend to manifest compared to boys.

The complicatedness

“Girls are less likely to display hyperactive or impulsive symptoms,” says Daniels, “and can appear inattentive, which causes fewer problems in the classroom. Girls are socialized to people-please and can compensate for the disorder so well it becomes mistaken as immaturity or lack of academic skill instead of ADHD. Sexism plays a pervasive role in the performance of women overcompensating for their symptoms.”

The caveat

Daniels points out that when we talk about the ADHD experiences of girls and women, we participate in a gender binary. This, says Daniels, “ignores or avoids transgender ADHD experiences altogether. Early diagnosis, coaching, and counselling support are often hindered or barriered for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ women.”

The current

Gendered diagnosis is exacerbated by societal expectations, notes Brooks, with pressure on women to be in charge of household chores such as grocery shopping, appointment scheduling, balancing the budget, and housecleaning. Without support in working with their ADHD, it can mean more stress, resentment, and poor mental health care for those women.

The clarification

“People often think that we’re careless or lazy, uncaring, or rude,” Brooks emphasizes. “That is because we have been taught that people who struggle with timeliness, procrastination, and other executive functions lack moral fortitude or stick-to-itiveness. This causes a lot of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and heartache for the person with ADHD.”

The consult

“When someone is experiencing symptoms that have a negative impact on their life,” says Brooks, “I think they owe it to themselves to investigate at the earliest opportunity.” Daniels adds that an “official diagnosis can be a sign of relief, a grieving process, a reconciliation, or spark an identity crisis.” For support before, during, or after a diagnosis, some places to start include a psychiatrist, family physician, or psychologist.

The confirmation

As important as any intervention, support, or medication, is the honouring of someone’s ADHD experiences. Without proper acknowledgment, says Brooks, ADHD can result in behavioural, emotional, academic, vocational, and social problems that diminish quality of life.