Looking for advice about ADHD in women

[Kim_is_confused]

Hey,

So I'm a 23 yr old female and about five to six years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Anyway, I recently found an article about ADHD and how it presents itself differently in women and often goes unnoticed and undiagnosed for years because of that. Honestly just clicked it for an interesting read because psychology right, but as I read it I found myself relating to a lot of the symptoms and wondering if maybe it's something I should chase up. So I did a bucket load of research about it and a lot of it relates?

A lot if the things have been an issue for years but I've just associated them with the whole depressing/anxiety thing but since reading about ADHD I'm starting to doubt everything and now I'm just super confused.

So I just wanted to put it out there and ask if there's anyone who has been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult about that could offer me some insight about their experiences?

How do I go about figuring this out with a doctor?

Were you misdiagnosed with other mental health issues before finding ADHD as the answer?

Please help me I am a very confused person rn.

[itselsie]

Hi Kim,

Welcome! I'm 24 and got diagnosed with ADHD in January.

My psychiatrist said it is missed a lot in girls because they tend to be less destructive and disruptive and more distracted so its easier to be missed by parents and teachers in the early years. My parents and friends still can't believe my diagnosis but my psychiatrist and I are pretty convinced.

Symptoms wise I had a short attention span, talked a lot, interrupted people, fidgeted, put things off, spent too much time on irrelevant tasks and just constantly had a few things running through my head.

I originally self-diagnosed, procrastinated getting help then finally did and had a chat to my GP who referred me to a psychiatrist. In adults ADHD is effectively a process of elimination diagnosis so your GP and especially psychiatrist will ask a number of questions and observe your behaviour to make a diagnosis. Also I am fairly sure in Australia ADHD has to be diagnosed, treated and managed by a psychiatrist but they can give co-prescribing privileges to a GP once your medication (if you go on it) is sorted out.

I've never been diagnosed with other mental illnesses and everyone always chalked my procrastination and distractability down to being bored or things like that.

There are a few other posts on ADHD on the forums including from people around 23 who have been recently diagnosed or suspect they might have it so definitely do a quick search for some more info.

If theres anything else I can help you with feel free to reach out! The Australian-specific resources aren't that helpful so happy to help you with what I've learnt about diagnosis, treatment (including the PBS), regulation, management etc. 🙂

Elsie

[Kim_is_confused]

Hi Elsie,

Thanks for such a quick response!

I'm definitely going to see my gp next week to determine for sure one way or the other. Im super apprehensive about the whole process tbh.

When I went to see the doctor about my depression and anxiety it was because I found my self sleeping and lot and I had very low self worth because I was unable to do any of my uni work, (couldn't concentrate on it long enough to get it done) and I go through the same thing very time I see a doctor about my mental health in that I feel like I have to convince them that I'm not faking?

I just think so many pieces fell into place the more I learned about ADHD and I really would like to have an answer to why I am so spacey and distracted and why I struggle with things that seem so easy for others!

Thank you so much for sharing, nice to know there are others out there around my age that are only just figuring their brains out as well!

[itselsie]

Hi!

Sorry I didn't get back to you last night.

Definitely have a chat to your GP but I am almost certain GPs can't diagnose ADHD so expect a referral to a psychiatrist. You can find some of the adult ADHD ones on the RANZCP website and just through google. I just went and saw a general adult psychiatrist though because I had no idea I needed to see a psychiatrist so hadn't looked to see who I wanted to see. Your GP will be able to recommend someone anyway so don't feel like you have to have a look if you don't want to.

I was so apprehensive about it all too! It took me months to self-diagnose and then finally decide to bring it up with my GP. So you're doing better than I was!

My GP was great about it but once I found out I had to see a psychiatrist I was so freaked out because I was worried I'd go in expecting ADHD and come out with a different diagnosis. Plus I had never even been to a psychologist before so it was all very new. It was totally fine though! We had a chat about everything including things I couldn't see the relevance of (but now I totally get), he observed my behaviour and diagnosed me at the end. Diagnosis is usually via DSM-5 or ICD-10 but there are also written tests and scans you can get. My psychiatrist was happy to pass on the written test and scans and I was happy to do that too. Then I just had to do some admin type stuff and started on medication. It was so, so much better than I expected. Hoepfully that helps you feel a little less apprehensive about the process.

Its frustrating as a uni student when doctors automatically think we are stressed or anxious because of uni or because we are looking for excuses or extensions which I think sometimes stops doctors from looking for other causes or explanations.

Good luck with your GP next week and of course if theres anything I can help with let me know 🙂

Elsie

[Just_another_guy]

G'day Kim.

First off, I want to state that I'm not exactly going to give you the advice that you are necessarily looking for. However I still feel that my advice may still be, valid, in some way, shape or form.

I am a 15~ year old male and was diagnosed with ADHD at youngish age. I only really learnt of my ADHD when I was 9 but my parents knew of it before then. I will state, yes, ADHD is different in women due to the difference in genetic/physical/chemical and hormonal structure, but that's not to say that all cases are the same. Because like with all mental illnesses, no case is ever the EXACT same.

First off, to put it bluntly, ADHD sucks the less experience you have with it. It's taken me 15 years to learn to use it and keep it under control with the help of medication in my case and I still have trouble with it. ADHD can be commonly confused with Asperger's or mild Autism but does have pretty obvious differences. The number one thing to remember with ADHD is to never fees the beast. Once you get hyper and go on a reckless tear, try your best to not condone those actions, same goes if you have a friend with ADHD. Don't assist their mindless adrenaline dump, it doesn't help. Secondly, listen to people. This might seem kinda weird and nonsensical to you atm but ADHD can make it so that you don't read social cues well and so to assist, just listen to everything, non-stop. You might go a bit crazy but I assure you, we're all a bit crazy when it comes down to it.

It has also occurred to me that you may have self-diagnosed and are asking about consulting a doctor. My advice is to book a session with a psychologist and talk it over with them, they may refer you to a clinic to get tested as that was what happened with me and so just make sure that you do find out if it is ADHD or not.

That's my two cents for now, feel free to ask anymore questions.

Sincerely,

Just Another Guy.

[LavenderTea]

Hey Kim!

Thanks for your post. To be honest, I haven't had much experience with dealing with ADHD, nor have I come across a lot of information in my studies... HOWEVER, a really good friend of mine was diagnosed with ADHD only recently, and had first been diagnosed with anxiety.

I had wanted to know a bit more about ADHD so that I could understand my friend better and know how to be helpful to her whenever she wanted, so she told me about this magnificent YouTube channel called "How to ADHD". I found this really helpful because there are a tonne of videos which talk about how you can explain ADHD to others, ADHD and relationships, self-care, rebuilding routines, and there's also a specific video on ADHD in females.

It sounds like you've already done a lot of research on the signs and symptoms, and you sound super proactive in getting to your GP and working out what is going on for you but this might be a helpful tool for you to understand it a bit more, and to help you explain it to others in your life.

Hope it helps!

LT.