Does ADHD Affect Women Differently Than Men?

Before we explore the subject of "Does ADHD Affect Women Differently than Men" we should refresh our memories as to the three primary symptoms of ADHD along with the three types of ADHD. The primary symptoms of ADHD are inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity with the three basic types of ADHD being the inattentive type, impulsive type, and the combined type. In reviewing these basic guidelines it is easy to pick out the areas where attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity may have a greater affect on a woman than a man.

The most obvious challenge for a woman experiencing ADHD is staying organized. Let's face it a woman must possess extraordinary organizational skills both in the workplace and at home. She must be able to organize both her schedule and her children's schedules. She often is the one who sends out the thank you, holiday, and birthday cards. She also must have the answers to her spouse's inquiries as to where his shirt or pants are located. To add to her already daunting organizational demands is the fact that many women will not ask for help, even though they are being overwhelmed. Lets face it if a man is forgetful or absent minded it is often accepted as normal behavior but if a woman becomes disorganized or forgetful it is looked upon as a problem.

Perhaps these challenges might be illustrated better in a short story about Trish the ADHD working mom.

Trish is a working mom with ADHD who have two wonderful children who also have the ADHD. Trish's children are both boys, which makes them more hyperactive than females with the condition. Trish is faced with the challenge of getting her husband organized in the morning (packing his lunch and locating his briefcase). Once her husband is on his way she then rounds up her elementary school age boys who she drops off at school, on her way to work. Her job deals with insurance which requires a great deal of patience and organizational prowess, leaving her exhausted after each and every day on her job. Once the workday is over Trish must get home in time to straighten up the house and get dinner going before her husband arrives. She also is saddled with the task of helping her very disorganized and hyperactive ADHD boys with their homework. Once she gets her sons started on homework she must check on them every few minutes to make sure they haven't become distracted or let the dog out through the bathroom window. When all of the above is done Trish relaxes with a little television where she is expected to know the television schedule by heart.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Now, let's break this down into specific reasons why ADHD affects women differently than men.

* Women with children face an infinitely larger number of organization challenges than men.
* Women with ADHD may have a husband and/or children with ADHD creating organizational challenges 24/7.
* Women generally have more tasks to do
* Generally, men don't get upset about their lack of organization.
* Men generally are allowed to focus in a narrow area such as work or lawn care.
* Men who are absent minded or disorganized are seen as cute.
* Men regularly have help with their organizational inadequacies such as secretaries and/or assistants.

In summary, women with ADHD must effectively find ways to overcome ADHD symptoms. They generally face a greater number of challenges. Despite these hurdles many ADHD have taken charge of their lives and ultimately overcome their additional challenges.

Also, many women with ADHD have adopted a natural a natural ADHD treatment option known as homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies for ADHD have shown to very safe and effective in treating ADHD symptoms such as inattention, distractibility, and erratic behavior.