Many women are hyperactive, without knowing it, and suffer from it in their daily lives, particularly at work.
Twice as many men as women are diagnosed with ADHD in their lifetime. The problem – and research shows this – is that women are less likely to be diagnosed, whether in childhood or adulthood.Symptoms of hyperactivity often go unnoticed in girls or women. Partly because there is a social bias in the interpretation of their behavior, explains Dr Elena Touroni, consultant psychologist and co-founder of the Chelsea Psychology Clinic, whose comments were quoted in the NottinghamPost.
“When we see a girl who is inattentive, distracted or talkative, we tend to think that it is part of her personality and that it is not necessarily associated with a particular disorder, whereas with boys, we will dig deeper“. Also, the girls would be “more able to mask it and develop coping strategies and workarounds to conform to social norms.” Consequence: many women, hyperactive without knowing it, can suffer from it in their daily lives and particularly at work (lack of concentration, time management problems, relationship problems, etc.)
The psychologist, however, wants to be reassuring and insists on the fact that “There is a set of typical indicators and behaviors” which may suggest hyperactivity in women. For example:
- Not paying enough attention to details
- Not being able to maintain attention on an everyday task (preparing a recipe, professional task, etc.)
- Making careless mistakes
- Failure to follow instructions (the rules of a game, the instructions of a mission, etc.)
- Having difficulty organizing yourself
- Often appearing impatient, nervous, or having difficulty controlling impulses
- Talking excessively (often to say nothing)
- Internalizing (excessively) one’s feelings and emotions
If you recognize yourself in one of these behaviors, it may be useful to ask for help and consult your doctor, advises the psychologist. He or she can then refer you to a doctor who specializes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): psychiatrist, psychologist, neuropsychologist, etc. The most important thing is to take charge of yourself to regain serenity.