This is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart – Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in females. I am a father of three daughters – two of which have ADD – and my wife, Tana, was diagnosed with ADD.
ADD is commonly thought of as a disorder of hyperactive, behaviorally troubled boys. Yet, it affects many girls who are
often overlooked because they tend not to be as hyperactive and have fewer behavior problems.
In fact, although females have ADD in high numbers, males are diagnosed
three to four times more than females. Missing ADD in women can have devastating lifelong effects on their health, mood, relationships, career, and finances.
I’m going to share with you 8 specific ways that ADD may be holding you back:
1. Disorganization
Most people with ADD tend to struggle with organization. You often struggle keeping spaces tidy, especially your room, book bags, filing cabinets, drawers, closets, and paperwork. Things are left half done, half put away, “organized” through piles, or dropped wherever. Other people often complain bitterly about the disorganization, such as bosses, teachers, children, and spouses.
2. Being Chronically Late
Challenges with the organization of time are also something that you tend to struggle with. You tend to be late and have trouble completing tasks on time. Tasks and duties tend not to get done until there are deadlines or someone else is mad at you for not doing it. Often, you agree to do too many things at once, not realizing the time commitment involved. The chronic tardiness lands many ADD people in deep trouble. For example, you get fired from jobs for being late to work, not once, but on a chronic basis.
3. Conflict Seeking
To feel more alert, folks with ADD often find themselves seeking conflict or excitement. You can be masterful at making other people mad or angry at you which can have a serious impact on personal relationships. Additionally, many people with ADD are in constant turmoil with one or more people at work. You seem to “unconsciously” pick out people who are vulnerable and begin to pick verbal battles with them. Conflict may follow you from job to job.
4. Short Attention Span
This is true for regular, routine, everyday tasks. People with ADD have a difficult time with boring tasks and need stimulation or excitement to stay engaged, which creates problems in terms of following through on things like homework, chores, or paperwork. The mundane is terrible for you and not by choice. Many people with ADD can pay attention just fine for things that are new, novel, interesting, highly stimulating, or frightening.
5. Easily Distracted
You tend to notice more in your environment than others, which makes you easily distracted by outside stimuli, such as light, sounds, smells, certain tastes, or even the clothes you wear. Your keen sensitivity causes you to get easily off task. This can completely ruin relationships because they require consistent attention over time.
6. Stress
You may experience chronic stress from the results you’ve created in life. Chronic exposure to stress hormones does not make ADD better. In fact, stress hormones damage the
memory centers, and chronic stress causes the brain to become hyper-alert, leading to severe distractibility and an inability to filter out extraneous stimuli.
7. Sleep Problems
Sleep disturbances are very common in people with ADD. Thanks to having a busy brain, you may have trouble getting to sleep at night and getting up in the morning. Sleep cycle problems can interfere with relationships, work, school, and overall energy level. Sleep deprivation leads to overall decreased brain activity and makes ADD worse. To optimize brain function, proper sleep is essential. Be sure to practice good
sleep hygiene.
8. Insecurity
You may often have what feels like a long list of failures. You have many experiences of trying hard and not succeeding. ADD coaching can be particularly helpful for this. It allows
females with ADD to develop a greater sense of confidence in their abilities. This, in turn, gives you the momentum to move forward with your goals.
The good news is that ADD is highly treatable. However, ADD, like many other conditions, is not just a single and simple disorder. Therefore, treatment is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have identified 7 types of ADD– and each requires a different treatment plan because of the diverse brain systems involved.
To begin treatment for ADD, it is critical to know which type you have so that you know how to implement the most targeted interventions possible for your specific type. Amen Clinics has developed a free and confidential
questionnaire to help you know if you or a loved one has ADD and which type you might have.
Tens of thousands of people with ADD from all over the world have been helped by Amen Clinics, and we can help you, too. To learn more or schedule a comprehensive evaluation, contact the Amen Clinics Care Center
online today or call (888) 288-9834.
