Why ADHD Is Different for Women: Gender-Specific Symptoms & Treatments (with Ellen Littman, Ph.D.) 

ADHD Tip: listen at 1.25 speed or more or you may wander off.

You have just told my life story and explained everything that is happening to me now in one video. I am a 54 yr old undiagnosed woman. I am weeping, thrilled, hopeful and sad all at once. Very little hope that I will find a doctor who can really help, but You have decoded my situation like nobody ever has. God bless you

I really enjoyed this presentation. It’s a constant struggle being a woman with ADHD. Especially when you don’t live up to the societal expectations placed on women in the household.

The fact that she has the knowledge 30 years and that it’s not being picked up, shows a great deal of the misogynistic society we live in.

I don’t think anyone in my life has ever been able to see me like Dr. Littman just did and we never met. Im a psychology student and just been diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 33. I will share this information with everyone I know! Thank you so much 🙏

46:50 "So I don't know how much more startling the data on outcomes needs to be before women with ADHD get the attention they deserve." 🎤 drop

Amazing! I want to see more content about ADHD and hormonal regulation in women in ADDitude. After all, you have such a big audience! This gives good dopamine, you've got me hooked.

How can we increase the visibility on women with ADHD? Feels like most of the medical and mental health professionals I've seen don't know the first about ADHD let alone women who have it.

General Practitioners still don't have a clue about hormones!!!

I had no idea that sensory overload was part of ADHD….my life makes so much more sense now

I feel like most women start to notice symptoms when they finish high school because the structure of routine isn’t there anymore. But even then we blame it on our hormones or our upbringing.

Thank you for this! I am a 64 yr old female lay person who is as yet undiagnosed but am fairly certain I have had adhd and am now learning. I already know that if a lecture is more than a year old I pretty much ignore it. It seems there is a quantum leap happening for females in acknowledging our difficulties and unique needs. Good on you for speaking up for us!

Thank you Ellen and ADDitude for disseminating this critically important information. I am a high IQ woman and have struggled all my life

Man. This was eye-opening. Diagnosed as a preteen, wasn't taken seriously or given medication until age 32 (now 38). Stay strong, ladies. Advocate for yourselves! After taking my first ever dose of ADHD meds, I had to NAP (never napped before!), then woke up and cried because everything was SOO easy. Don't deny yourselves that!

Older women that are diagnosed in their 70's and 80's finally have explanations to their messed up lives. But finding that info as overwhelming.

This has been a huge A HA moment for me, especially as a struggling menopausal woman. I feel like my ADHD has been getting the better of me lately, now I know it’s not just me being a procrastinator.

This may be one of the best presentations about ADHD in women that I’ve seen. I was diagnosed at 45, still finding out so much information that clarifies many of my experiences in life. Thank you.

I was diagnosed at 40. Life-changing. My life makes so much more sense to me now. Hoping more women can get help!

I'm 55 and recently diagnosed. I joined the Air Force in 1986. I was extremely successful in basic training and technical school. However, once I left those structured environments, I performed very poorly. The biggest hurdle was my inability to complete self-directed correspondence courses needed to promote. I was also placed in a very mundane office position. I wish we knew the things about ADHD then as we do now. It's painful to think about all I could have accomplished had I known about this and received the treatment and accommodations I needed.

So much of this is me. I'm so thankful for this. Now to figure out a way to get my husband to be willing to listen...

This is a fantastic video. I have adhd which was diagnosed in adulthood. I recognise so much of my problems in this information. It's very helpful.

I have never felt so seen in my entire life. I felt like she was describing me exactly.

30:38 should be "clinicians cannot *OVERESTIMATE* the extent to which women measure their self worth by their success in conforming to gender expectations" ... Meaning, it's so much a compensatory strategy to overcome internal limitations that clinicians will not be able to appreciate how intensively women work to achieve an appearance of normal functioning. They have to work harder for "normal" . This is true for men as well, hence their regular agitated, reactive, angry "normal" states.

"Switch from behavioral model to impairment model!!" 🥳

This is such a great presentation thankyou so much for explaining the relationship to estrogen. Really helpful .

It's taken until age 51 before i was diagnosed. Previously I was diagnosed with bipolar which tore my family away, because they believed I could act properly with copious amounts of the wrong medication. It was horrible.

This was insanely informational.

I picked my body, chewed the insides of my mouth, bit my nails bloody as a little girl then graduated to Donnatal for my stomach aches by high school. My parents kept being blissfully ignorant as they moved the family multiple times with Dad's career - the last leaving me in yet another new school for my Sr year of HS. Hard to make friends and especially when you at last make a friend or two then get moved. With each year, the "good student" that made A's went to B's then to C's as I felt more a failure and outcast. We at last made it to the locale that was my Dad's goal where I made it through college and found my husband at my post-college work. I loved marriage and sons but the house was always a mess, I always forgot special tasks that made hubs mad, bills late, promises broken. At last nearing retirement (with my life sinking daily into clutter, lost bills, overdue taxes, you name it and yes one friend), my oldest son - miserably depressed like me - was clinically diagnosed as very intelligent, high functioning ADHD. "Who in your family is like you?" My own family laughs at me believing I'm crazy or early dementia. I found an MD that will prescribe helpful generic adderall (all I can afford as I'm uninsured). But I've tried his Vyvanse. Rather than having a buzz or a high or a roller coaster on the couple days I tried it, I found that when I took it I simply realized late afternoon "Hey - this was a happy, good, productive day." But it's a no go at over $400/mo. I'm spilling these beans to just let you know the markers here described Are My Life and would love love love to get PROPER professional help. My 2+ years of professional therapy (while I had insurance) found me to be medication resistant clinically depressed. They'd be depressed too if their condition was drugged and not understood. They and I mutually agreed to give it up.

Thank you very much for this. I feel very seen by this webinar, especially the outcomes.

I feel like I can finally understand myself... and help my family understand me, so that they can also help me.

Thank you Dr. Littman, this was a game changer for me and this is such a compelling presentation!

I’m 28 years old.. one week today on vyvanse for ADHD/binge eating/ help with addiction / alcoholism..(iv struggled with stimulant drug addiction and alcoholism since 14)…. I can finally think… I feel like I can finally relax. I can sit and paint, I can read a book for over an hour with no distractions… I sat and folded my laundry for the first time since I can even remember. It’s like a blanket of calmness has been wrapped around me and my body and mind finally know we’re okay. I haven’t had a drink or drug in 8 today after a 3..4 month bender again. FINALLY AT 28 I actually have hope for a better future.

As a mum who is trying to understand her daughter's insistence that she has ADD I have found this webinar very helpful because I was working off an understanding of the male ADHD model. ( the only one we hear about). Thanks to your explanation of the female experience, I am now beginning to see why my girl is so different from the model I previously understood, that she is presenting many of the symptons, and that she is probably right. I can now get on with helping her get the understanding and help that she needs. Thank you so much, Dr Littman.

This!!! Wow I had never heard about the possibility of my ADHD symptoms changing with hormone fluctuations before this... it makes so much sense!! More of this, please! Can I donate my blood on a periodic basis to be studied for this?!? I'm so willing!!

I can’t believe ppl have minds that aren’t moving a million miles per hour! How strange to just focus or have 1 thought till they’re ready for their next one! How boring for them! I love my wild mind! I’m a 42 female and don’t know any different couldn’t even imagine a regular mind Just sounds awful to me! Embrace your busy mind!

Alot of this overlaps with the female profile of ASD also, which also needs to be compared to the NT female profile and not the ASD male profile. There IS a Biological difference

Iam on HRT due to extreme hot flashes, menopause makes ADHD 10xs worse! So so sad that so little is known about womens health, infuriating really.

"and then if you can also go to yoga, it's great" This made me burst into a very genuine laughter. It was a refreshing joke 😅

Makes me so grateful that I was diagnosed at 14. I'm 44 now. Life was hell for me growing up.

Thank you! I see a lot of women with ADHD in my clinic and this info is very helpful.

Same goes for asd which so many women went undiagnosed (like me). We just work twice as hard to be neurotypical. Every accomplishment is so much harder. I was in therapy for over a decade…..if I told you what they decided was wrong with me? Laughable

This has been going on many generations, why did it takrs so long too understand women also have add/adhd....I am 66 urs old female and these are just now understand about women?

OMG FINALLY SOMETHING VALIDATING THAT MY ADHD SYMPTOMS ARE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM IN MY CYCLE 😭

Here's a useful term: 'medical gaslighting'.

everything just makes so much sense! thank you for this lecture, i learned so much about myself. I've always struggled with being hypersensitive to pain, especially stomach pain.

This explains so much. Thank you for helping me understand. You explained my ups & downs to a T. It's refreshing to hear someone that has real answers other than just being teased & that I'm “PMS-ing” when I'm truly struggling more so than my typical peers. I can now stop wondering why I am the way I am. It doesn't fix it; but at least I know that Im not the only one struggling with this and why.

Thanks. Just thanks! I agree with so many...how could this fit so perfectly in my experience, and why is it so hard to find a provider that understands? Hoping that this information continues to expand and inspire new women to go into the field of helping other women live their best lives! I am 42 and finally going back to school to become a nurse...and I am feeling a tug, or rather a duty almost, to consider becoming a mental health NP so I can help women!

Such an excellent talk! Eye- opening and helped improve my understanding of ADHD in women.

I have a messed up story behind my ADHD diagnosis. When I was almost 37 & had a 4 yr old son, I decided I couldn’t continue barely getting by in my daily life. My son was extremely well cared for, but that meant my life went to the wayside. I could only take care of one of us, & I chose him. I go to my appt & tell the psychiatrist my story & how overwhelmed I am. I tell her I have fibromyalgia & take methadone daily for it. She immediately started telling me “even IF you have ADHD I can’t treat you for it.” So I kept asking “well do I have it & you just don’t want to treat me, or do I not have it at all?” She repeated the same phrase again, which made me confused whether she thought I did or didn’t have it. She then told me “I’m sorry you’re struggling with being a mom. Some women just have a hard time with motherhood.” I broke down at that point. I cried hysterically in her office, which made her double down even more on diagnosing me with anxiety. After the appt I had to sit in her office for 10-15 mins to gather myself & stop crying. Fast forward 3 yrs & the VA sent me to a psychiatrist during a review to increase my fibromyalgia disability rating. I was so confused because I wasn’t diagnosed with any psychiatric symptoms or illnesses, nor did I request to have any evaluated for my disability rating. I ask the dr why I was there & he said because the VA wants me to evaluate your ADHD, even though they won’t give you disability for it since it started in childhood. I was SHOCKED!!!! I told him the entire story of the awful psychiatrist & he was so empathetic & apologized for anyone treating me that way. He told me that other psychiatrist did diagnose me but put in her notes she was concerned I was a liability because I was on methadone & refused to treat me. I can understand that completely. That’s 100% logical & responsible to be cautious, just in case someone is an addict & just seeking pills (which she also accused me of). However, lying to me about a real medical condition she was diagnosing me with is unacceptable!!! I’ve never been treated that despicable in my life by another Dr. Thank goodness because I couldn’t handle it if someone had. She left the VA shortly after that, or I would’ve reported her, & worse. Today, I’m being treated & my life has changed completely. My entire life has finally made sense to me when I look back on certain situations from my past.

I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD in my 30's but have had Panic Disorder and Anxiety since my early 20's.

Amazing video! So many dots connected for me. Diagnosed with treatment resistant depression, bpd & schizoid in college. Now at 48, I’m thinking it was adhd & autism, which is now exasperated by peri-menopause and thyroid cancer. Hopefully clinicians and psychologists update their understanding of adhd in women asap!

Anyone else break down crying during the "Social Difficulties" slide?

I've been in chemically induced menopause for over a year, and this hits home so much. I was trying to figure out why it's all worse now, specifically. But this makes so muvh sense.

Thank you for this. How could I restructure my home in a more organised ADHD friendly way? Where can I find information on this?

Me over here comfortably watching the video at 2x the speed. 😂

30:40 I’ve found myself comparing myself more when it comes to academic expectations and finding some comfort in gender expectations. I have a VERY hard time reading. However reading for someone else gives me just the push that I need to actually do it.

37:30 gasoline, insence AND FLOWERS, I Can deal with perfumes but actual flowers and weeds I can’t!

If ADHD in women is highly mediated by estrogen effects on dopamine metabolism...it could also be true in men with ADHD such that they have abnormally low or highly fluctuating levels of baseline estrogen-testosterone balance (men do have estrogen and women do have testosterone).

Really interesting. One area that I think hasn’t been explored is the relationship with ADHD and the MTHFR gene. Or to put it more simply - with the individual’s ability to methylate B vitamins effectively. This is a relatively new area of research and knowledge and I think it has links to neurological issues like ADHD.

You might have an emotional meltdown at work. And you can't control it.... f. And then the shame... PMDD. 😣

Which type of doctor would be knowledgeable about hormones and hormone therapy. I even brought up my likelihood of hormonal imbalance to my new psychiatrist; she didn’t listen to me at all. She was suspicious of my add diagnosis and wanted to prescribe an antipsychotic for bi polar instead has of any adhd medication. She refused to even acknowledge or prescribe anything for my adhd. It is so frustrating and demeaning to be disrespected and disbelieved and misdiagnosed.

My goodness, there is so much there that sounds familiar. I just can't believe it. Is this what has been going on all these years?? The hormonal aspect explains so much.

This was very helpful. This gives a good baseline for questions to take to clinicians

To me, the comorbidities and outcomes sections sound like the fall-out from traumatic life experiences 😊xx

Omg you just explained my life. I see that now in my daughter and the therapist have no clue!!!! Thank gods i can understand her… but there is a huge gap!!!, the hormones… I am a super happy person and in the pms phase I almost have suicidal thoughts and feelings, they literally hurt! It’s such a horrible situation, but if you know it, you CAN find ways to control it!!, tapping knocking on the bones of the body has helped me. The knocking sound is like a bell when people have a fight in an apartment, suddenly the fighting stops so that people can see who is at the door. This is the way to trick those feelings out. But you need to know you HAVE a life vest, to use it.

This was one of the best presentations of the women affected by ADHD.

Thank you so much for this podcast. Having ADHD and hormonal imbalances is exhausting. My life feels like I’m treading water and sometimes drowning. Full disclosure, I was actually have views as a young girl I had a eating disorder as a teenager as well I wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my second year of college. And I still to this day at 47 years old Phillp insecure and socially accepted at times. I’ve been in three major relationships and they have been abusive I’ve only been in one that wasn’t. So I want to say thank you again and please if there’s any resources that can help women like me I would love to know what they are and how to utilize them. Best regards, Micaela Briley

Anti depreassants have never worked for me. They have however made me feel hyperactive when just newly taken up. I have the inattentive time but at that time I didn't know that.

What are have ran across is the hesitation from doctors to prescribe (stimulants) medication for ADHD in adults

This has saved my life this talk. I’m a 58yr old woman and I’m just starting on this journey and it’s arduous going here in Australia getting a psychiatrist versed in female adhd hormone stuff etc etc.I’ve been battling suicidal ideation for the last 10yrs plus self harming. The shame and pain I’ve experienced has been next level but I masked it well till I went into full blown menopause. Help is hard to get and the Lord has kept me but now the mask is off and he’s opened the door to getting well. THANKU THANKU THANKU

I have literally made a sketch of my mom hiding the sunlight!!! Years ago… 😢😢😢😢 because she shamed, daily. Daily. No one understands why I hate her voice and have no desire to ever see her. I do not want my mom, I am 47,… she has Parkinson’s, I have no inch of feeling for her. Had to completely block it off.

I actually feel heard and understood listening to this. THANKYOU!!

Brilliant video thank you, I am 66 on an ADHD assessment waiting list. I was diagnosed Autistic two years ago. This video is enlightening 😊

Wow wow wow. I'm dumb founded. I'm 43 and was in therapy over half my life for abuse and trauma. I've battled depression and now live a happy life. HOW DID I NOT KNOW I HAD THIS?!?! My 4 adult children have been telling me the last couple years they thought I had it. I brushed it off. If I've lived this long, I should not need to make something out of nothing. However, now, my work life is a mess and I CAN'T FOCUS for nothing!!!!! This video just answered SO many questions I'm mindblown. Even little things that I didn't know why I did or was frustrated I never figured it out. Tysm for this. I'll be getting on with a doc asap. So relived to have some answers!

Thank you so much, Dr Littman.

Thank you for such an informative and detailed presentation! I appreciate your discussing a possible thyroid connection. Just be aware that many regular doctors miss thyroid issues and even endocrinologists may under-treat. Sometimes functional medicine providers are more thorough.

My app won’t let me adjust the speed ! Damn !

So thankful to you for highlighting how important oestrogen is for the brain 🤗xx

I feel like you've read a book on my life and just written down my different experiences. This was too scarily close.

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🎙️ *Introduction to the topic* - ADHD affects women differently, leading to long-term psychological distress. - Women are learning to trust their voices and seek help. 03:36 📚 *Limited research on women with ADHD* - ADHD studies historically focused on boys, leading to a lack of understanding about women's experiences. - Women with ADHD remain underserved and misunderstood. 06:22 🧠 *ADHD presentation in women* - Girls with ADHD often overlooked due to inattentive symptoms and less hyperactivity. - ADHD symptoms persist differently in women over the lifespan. 08:45 📊 *Risks and challenges for women with ADHD* - Women with ADHD are at higher risk for emotional reactivity, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. - They often face diagnostic challenges due to their unique presentation. 11:56 🧩 *Diagnostic challenges* - Women with ADHD may be misdiagnosed due to gender bias and atypical symptoms. - Camouflaging and intentional hiding of symptoms are common. 15:05 🕰️ *Gender bias in diagnosis* - Gender bias affects the perception of women's ADHD symptoms. - Women's symptoms are often perceived as less credible. 18:18 🌼 *Impact of hormones* - Hormones play a significant role in women's ADHD symptoms, with fluctuations affecting daily experiences. - Understanding hormonal cycles is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment. 23:26 💼 *Implications of hormonal studies* - ADHD symptoms in women are influenced by hormone fluctuations. - Future research needs to include hormonal data for a comprehensive understanding. 26:26 🚺 *Gender role expectations* - Women with ADHD often struggle to meet society's gender role expectations, leading to self-worth issues. - They face difficulties in maintaining relationships and may experience rejection sensitivity. 31:17 👫 *Challenges in socialization* - Women with ADHD may have trouble maintaining friendships due to their impairments. - Rejection sensitivity can lead to intense emotional responses and feelings of judgment. 33:22 👩‍⚕️ *ADHD Symptoms in Women* - Women with ADHD often hide their difficulties due to shame. - They may withdraw from social situations and isolate themselves. - Central nervous system hypersensitivities, more common in women with ADHD, include tactile sensitivities, headaches, stomach aches, and insomnia. 40:10 🧠 *Impulsivity and Gender Atypical Behaviors* - Impulsivity in women with ADHD can lead to gender atypical behaviors. - These behaviors may include controlling, demanding, or projecting blame. - Women with ADHD are more prone to high-risk behaviors like speeding and addictive behaviors due to estrogen's interaction. 45:44 ☠️ *Health Risks and Mortality in Women with ADHD* - Women with ADHD face various health risks, including earlier mortality. - Accidents are a common cause of early death, often related to impulsivity. - High cholesterol, obesity, and substance abuse can contribute to earlier mortality in women with ADHD. 47:20 🏥 *Treatment Considerations for Women with ADHD* - Finding a therapist who understands women with ADHD is crucial. - Family psychoeducation helps the support network understand the challenges. - Therapists can assist with questioning societal expectations, building strengths, and advocating for oneself. Made with HARPA AI

Presentation starts at 2:32 for my fellow impatient peeps

This woman i've never met has seen all of me.

Thank you so much for this informative video, a few weeks ago at 47 I got a diagnosis of ADHD I was gobsmacked ! , how it came across was my menopause symptoms had exacerbated so badly I couldn’t function my dr had to refer me to the mental health team, through tests they discovered it , I just thought I was a highly sensitive person so there you go . My life makes sense now my school years were hellish ! , though my diagnosis my 77year old mother has been diagnosed also ! 77 years old ! Women have been failed !

I am so glad o found this! It is exactly what has been going on with me. I have just been diagnosed at age 60! I am now on Focalin which has helped the ADHD. Now i need help getting the RSD under control somehow! Thank you! You got my attention and i plan to use my voice to help others!!

I hate my hair in my face. It genuinely pisses me off. I hate when a bottle rattles in a cup holder in a car lol 😂. I hate tags on cloths... My meds don't work when I bleed. I do wanna eat carbs lol.... I get sensory over load after orgasm 🙈🤷 Used to get chronic head aches but I changed my pillow. I love loud music and people chewing sucks. I have transition glasses for light hahahah Lol this woman. I hate purfume and insense This is me! Jesus.

I had no idea about the inhibition stuff around 24:00! It always felt like my masking/camouflaging switch was stuck off and I agree it's a mixed blessing and curse. Thanks for sharing!

Very informative. The pencil and paper kept distracting me though 😆

I’ve been diagnosed with major depression & borderline personality disorder. I was misdiagnosed. I don’t have bpd. I have adhd. It’s over looked so often. Many adhd people are misdiagnosed.

Has anyone considered that ADD/ADHD may actually be a product of the environment? It’s most heavily diagnosed in young boys before the age of 7. What if the majority of boys (and all kids for that matter) can’t sit still, can’t focus, or hyper focus because of the environment we insist they spend the majority of their time in? Indoors, at a desk, sitting in a chair, under fluorescent lights, listening to someone speak. An ADHD diagnosis looks much different when the child is removed from that environment and allowed to move, play mostly outdoors, focus on learning through interests and curiosity and not forced to conform to the standards of institutionalized education. I removed my children from public school several years ago and I have seen them blossom. They are learning faster than their peers and we spend a fraction of the time on school work. Just an observation that certain behaviors may be exacerbated by the environment we forcing kids to conform to. You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole. And I don’t want my children to “fit in” to society’s version of what is good, valuable and acceptable. I hope this diagnosis will evolve to be looked at not as a deficiency but as a unique set of abilities that when nurtured, can become super powers.

Dr. Dodson states in his ADDitude webinar on RSD that the DSM was written to define RESEARCH PARAMETERS/criteria for clinical and basic research, and NOT written for clinicians as a diagnostic tool -- despite it being named "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual"... 🤔 Seems like psychology is not well defined as a practice.

I was "diagnosed" (only told here take this pill you have ADD) at 12 and now at 28 with 4 kids I'm just starting to understand myself and why I always feel like the world is falling apart around me...

'Women's non traditional symptoms': meaning what is called traditional in healtcare refers to men mainly in many cases. Sad. No wonder that anxiety is higher among women, than men. Gender bias in healthcare is scary AF.

Thank you so much, that was very powerful & validating.

There are also all those boys (especially non white who's symptoms are often overlooked due to racial bias) who's symptoms are closer to inattentive women who have also been dismissed. The ADHD type in my family is consistent symptomatically across genders and generations.

I know in my bones ADHD is why ive struggled so hard my whole life... i just recently went through an evaluation attempting to get diagnosed... im still waiting for the followup appt to that visit and im terrified that the doctor will nor agree with me and i wont be any closer to an answer...

This is actually amazing!

I just got diagnosed at 40. I can even see that the Australian government medication controls are based around the old research . In order to get medication you need to have some kind of evidence that you had it before 7. For me having kids and more so now perimenopause that sent me from a bit chaotic to dysfunctional

So true my hormone are so bad I cry almost all the time on my period I always stayed quite and my mind was in another world starting at the wall in school all my life was in sped classes

This is such an accurate description of my experience. Gave me chills

as many mental hospitals I have been to, or doctors or physicians; not one person has ever asked me about my period or my cycle