ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurological disorder that affects people’s behavior and routines.
This condition is categorized into three types: inattentive, hyperactive, and combined, each showing different kinds of symptoms.
In medical terms, hyperactive and combined are labeled as ADHD. Inattentive is referred to as ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.
Additionally, ADD symptoms show differences from ADHD.
Individuals with ADHD often experience symptoms such as restlessness, talking excessively, fidgeting, or impulsivity.
As for individuals with ADD, they commonly undergo symptoms such as frequently losing items, easily distracted, or forgetting daily tasks.
While combined experiences a mix from both categories like trouble focusing, slow or fast talking, keeping routines, frequent mood swings, and trouble retaining details or information.
These disorders make it extremely difficult to complete simple tasks, whether that be a daily routine, or something new they have to get done.
“When I try to focus on one thing, my brain immediately focuses on 40 other things,” says freshman Colier Barker, who was diagnosed with ADHD.
Pamala Lapham, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, states that “ADHD and ADD can make it [very] difficult for kids and teens to focus at school. [Often] can lead to poor grades and falling behind.”
Getting a diagnosis at an earlier age would help kids and teens excel at their education or meet standards.
U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention states, “An estimated 7 million (11.4%) U.S. children aged 3–17 years [have] been diagnosed with ADHD.”
However, women are less likely to be properly diagnosed and given support when it comes to things like education and jobs, as stated by U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, reporting that “Boys (15%) were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (8%).”
Symptoms of ADHD appear differently depending on gender, causing many problems with getting the support they need as well as a diagnosis.
For centuries, the study of ADHD and ADD was primarily focused on males and how they are affected, completely excluding females from their studies.
The unequal amount of research caused a large number of girls to get turned away and disregarded when they displayed symptoms related to ADHD.
This was primarily because those symptoms were not listed as the “typical” traits that boys typically showed.
These disparities have resulted in a large number of girls getting misdiagnosed. Some women get diagnosed later in life, but many never get diagnosed at all.
ADD are often misdiagnosed as depression due to the accompanying expressive emotions and motivation.
For the women receiving the wrong diagnosis, they are prescribed with the wrong medication, given insufficient support, and they do not receive proper assistance for their needs.
Even with newer studies on women and ADHD, girls and women’s symptoms still get swept under the rug and are misdiagnosed with other disorders.
However, the problem still lingers from time to time, yet more girls are getting diagnosed with the correct condition and getting the support and accommodations they need and deserve.
Living with ADHD or ADD can be very difficult and have a huge impact on people’s lives, but who's to say that makes them any different from anyone else.
