When it comes to getting officially diagnosed with ADHD, it’s definitely a process that takes quite some time due to the complexity of its nature. When it comes to women with ADHD, a full diagnosis can take even longer than it usually does for men or children. In this article, we will discover why for women, an ADHD diagnosis can take longer.
ADHD is known to be ‘underdiagnosed’ amongst women. This is mainly due to the fact that women tend to ‘’camouflage’’ their symptoms. For many, ADHD symptoms are easily misinterpreted as anxiety or depression, which are more general conditions. This leads to misdiagnosis with a condition that’s similar to ADHD only when it comes to its symptoms, but is nothing like it when it comes to how it affects behavior and how it's treated.
In some other cases, some women go underdiagnosed simply because the criteria that some doctors use can be outdated or doesn’t necessarily apply to women with ADHD. It is to note that for women, inattentive ADHD is what shows the most. Some of its symptoms are:
- Having trouble focusing.
- Struggling to pay attention to details.
- Staying organized.
- Listening and remembering things.
Generally, ADHD symptoms in women are often overlooked and are explained away as something they aren’t. This leads to misdiagnosis, or in the best cases, to late diagnosis. Therefore, a lot of women go through a longer battle with ADHD trying to figure out exactly where the issue lies.
If you suspect having ADHD, or have a fear of possibly getting misdiagnosed, we offer a self-assessment booklet you can take to your doctor that can help you discover and visualize your ADHD symptoms in order to eliminate the risk of a false diagnosis and make the journey easier for both you and your clinical expert.
Also, if you want more information about ADHD and especially how it affects women, we have a full section in our ‘ ADHD BRAIN EXPLAINED’ booklet where we explain how ADHD manifests in women and more reasons why late diagnosis is very common among them. You can check it out in our store.