31 May 2024 , 12:15
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A mental health campaigner has highlighted several signs that women with ADHD may exhibit, which he claims might differ from the typical symptoms associated with the condition.
Diagnosed with ADHD himself, Alex Partridge, founder of LADBible and UNILad and host of a mental health podcast, discussed these signs in his latest video - claiming you can spot them in just '25 seconds'. The NHS states that males are usually diagnosed with ADHD at a younger age, while women who weren't diagnosed as children often don't receive a diagnosis until later in life.
In a video shared on the ADHD Chatter Podcast TikTok page, Alex listed some of the signs he believes women with ADHD might display that aren't commonly linked to the condition. He said: "They will have a huge amount of internal chatter, a million thoughts happening simultaneously, and this can sometimes cause paralysis which stops them from being able to anything."
"So they may be lying on the sofa scrolling social media, and this will look like laziness, but it's not. They are literally unable to do anything else right now." He added: "They will have an intense fear of rejection, feel constantly exhausted. They will have low self esteem, daydream, and have unusual eating habits."
"They will more likely be labelled as moody, too sensitive. They will be kind, creative and passionate, but also chaotic, scattered and distracted. They will feel misunderstood and feel like nobody understands them. They'll wish that those people could spend one day inside their head, so they can prove how difficult it can be sometimes. They will get diagnosed later in life and realise that all of their 'personality flaws' were actually undiagnosed ADHD, and that suddenly, their whole life makes sense."
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Alex concluded: "They'll be flooded with an overwhelming feeling of relief when after all this time that they're not broken, just different. And that they were always enough." The clip has racked up a staggering 1.8 million views, reports Gloucestershire Live. In the comments section, one user admitted: "It literally brought me to tears when I learned some people have silence in their head. no internal chatter. IT'S SO LOUD IN HERE."
Becrystalstudio shared: "Diagnosed with autism and ADHD in my 40s. I'm still v angry and bitter when I look back. Can't believe I was playing 'hard level' of this game since birth while evry1 else glided along. V angry." Another added: "Diagnosed at 50. Not only relief but a massive amount of grief over what I could have done with my life if diagnosed young."
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust points out that current research indicates ADHD does not discriminate by gender, despite its historical association with young boys. While statistics suggest that males are more frequently diagnosed, women are found to experience the same types, numbers, and intensity of symptoms as their male counterparts.
Experts have highlighted that women are more likely to exhibit inattentive symptoms of ADHD, as opposed to the hyperactive and/or impulsive symptoms often seen in men and boys. Inattentive ADHD can lead to difficulties with concentration, organisation, and memory.
Women with ADHD may also internalise their emotions, mask their symptoms, and display compensatory behaviours. The NHS explains that women often internalise their feelings and 'mask' their symptoms to fit into societal norms and expectations.
This behaviour can lead them to compensate for the challenges they face. While these compensatory behaviours can be beneficial, they can give the impression that women with ADHD have everything under control, thus hiding their struggles from others.
It is important to note that only a clinician can accurately diagnose ADHD.
What is ADHD?
The NHS says attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.
Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child's circumstances change, such as when they start school. Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it's diagnosed later in childhood.
Sometimes ADHD was not recognised when someone was a child, and they are diagnosed later as an adult. The symptoms of ADHD may improve with age, but many adults who were diagnosed with the condition at a young age continue to experience problems. People with ADHD may also have additional problems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders.
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Symptoms of inattentiveness ADHD
The main signs of inattentiveness according to the are:
- having a short attention span and being easily distracted
- making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork
- appearing forgetful or losing things
- being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming
- appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions
- constantly changing activity or task
- having difficulty organising tasks
Symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness ADHD
The main signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness are:
- being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings
- constantly fidgeting
- being unable to concentrate on tasks
- excessive physical movement
- excessive talking
- being unable to wait their turn
- acting without thinking
- interrupting conversations
- little or no sense of danger