The Epidemic No One Is Talking About | The Late Diagnosis of ADHD in Women

Hey there, my neurodiverse lovelies! Today, we're about to dive deep into a topic that's been brewing beneath the surface of misdiagnosis and high achievement: the epidemic of late ADHD diagnoses in women. 

Grab yourself a cup of tea or refill yoyr big ass Stanley water jug, and let's talk about the hidden truth behind this overlooked issue.

A Perfect Storm for Late Diagnoses

If late diagnoses of ADHD in women is an epidemic, we have to look at how it happened. And it really is a perfect storm, which is SO AWESOME [read heavy sarcasm lol.] There are several big factors, all contributing in a way that is a big shit sandwich for all of us ladies who have spent decades undiagnosed/misdiagnosed.

Stereotypes & Gender Biases

You know those stereotypical ADHD traits–the hyperactive kid (boy) bouncing off the walls, struggling to sit still? 

That's the kind of kid that's easy to spot for ADHD. In fact, if you brought up ADHD to your own child’s teacher or doctor (or if your parents brought it up to your teachers or doctors), they likely dismissed you on the spot if these stereotypical ADHD traits were absent.

Enter gender biases. Girls and women with ADHD might not always display the classic symptoms— instead, they might be daydreaming, lost in thought, or struggling with disorganization. And guess what? Society often dismisses these signals as mere quirks.

To make matters worse, many of you highly intelligent women with ADHD got good grades in school, so your teachers and parents never had a reason to worry about you. 

They probably didn’t know that your procrastination was eating you up inside and that your days and nights were filled with overwhelm and anxiety.

It hasn’t been until very recently that practitioners and teachers are becoming more aware of how ADHD presents in girls and women. 

Sooooooo, if you’ve been an adult for a few decades like me, ADHD definitely would have been missed in childhood. Which is a shitty pill to swallow, I know.  But late is better than never. 

Stereotypes & Age

The gender biases about ADHD in education and medicine might explain why you never got diagnosed as a young girl, but what about in adulthood? Surely you had better language to explain your symptoms and struggles as an adult that someone should have picked up on it.

Well, an article from CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) explains,

“If you’re going to an adult practitioner, they may not have had specialized training in what are considered the childhood disorders…Thus, ADHD might not even be on doctors’ radars when they are conducting an evaluation, because it was initially considered a child’s diagnosis. It wasn’t even included in the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”

And while the DSM is on its 5th edition, old-school practitioners are WAYYYY more likely to diagnose adults with the “adult” diagnoses of anxiety or depression.

Did anyone ever stop to think that JUST MAYBE your anxiety or depression were brought on by the challenges of coping with undiagnosed ADHD?? <<<<<This happens aaaaaaall the time btw. 

If you’ve made it to adulthood coping with undiagnosed ADHD, the depression and/or anxiety of that coping is likely the straw that breaks the camel’s back that will get you to seek help–not suspicion that you have ADHD. 

So unless you have a savvy practitioner, you can still spend decades on anxiety meds without getting a proper diagnosis or significant relief from your symptoms. Sounding familiar??

Hormones & Societal Norms

Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em. Hormones and the stereotypes about how hormones make women moody is another reason for the misdiagnosis epidemic. Puberty, pregnancy, our monthly cycles, and menopause all stir our emotions, making it even trickier for women to identify their underlying ADHD. A lot of legit feelings about your struggles with ADHD get pegged on hormones, end of story.

And don't even get me started on societal expectations! There's this absurd idea that women should be naturally organized, attentive, and focused. 

This completely unfair expectation leads women who cope with ADHD to create color-coded schedules or write endless sticky notes, just to keep up. 

Most people don’t realize we’re wearing a mask, painting on a smile while navigating a sea of thoughts. The world sees us gliding gracefully on the surface, unaware of the whirlpool beneath.

Hope for the Future

Here’s the thing, we won’t get very far if we only dwell on the injustice of our missed diagnoses and ruminate on the what-ifs. 

But the tide is turning, my lovelies. More and more badasses like you and I are breaking the silence surrounding late ADHD diagnoses. We're sharing our stories, raising awareness, and empowering other women to have their own journeys of self-discovery. 

And it's not just us women with ADHD speaking up—healthcare professionals, educators, and researchers are joining forces to create change, ensuring that no woman gets left behind. 

Can I get a “hell ya!”?

What Can You Do?

As the late ADHD diagnosis epidemic gains attention, SPEAK OUT as you’re willing. Women need your stories. We need to challenge the stereotypes, demand better education for healthcare providers, and ensure that girls and women receive the support they need from an early age. 

Our collective efforts can illuminate the path forward for girls and women in the future! Embrace the real, the raw, and the radical!

That’s what we’re doing here at Women Out Loud! Hop on my email list by filling out the Contact Form on my website, and make sure you follow me on IG at @karrieoutloud for serious education on ADHD (while keeping an effing sense of humor about it!)

Plus, check my IG for info on a beta Spicy Brains Mastermind that I’m getting really excited about! (Starts September 6th, 2023!!)