Breaking the ADHD Stigma: ADHD Counselling for Women

In a world that is faster and busier than ever before, traits like promptness, accuracy, and focus are praised as necessary for getting ahead. These can be difficult for people living with ADHD, which can have a profound effect on one's executive functioning, including planning, organizing, prioritizing tasks, and managing time. Society's emphasis on speed and precision can worsen feelings of inadequacy, creating a cycle of negative self-perception and low self-esteem.

It can be difficult to keep up in today's fast paced world.

Our understanding of ADHD has changed significantly in just the last few decades. For a long time, the most easily recognized symptom of ADHD was hyperactivity in children -- think of the typical stereotype of a young hyper boy with ADHD. The result of this stereotype was that far more men were diagnosed with ADHD than women, the rate even reaching twice the amount. It's not that women don't have ADHD, but there are a variety of factors that contribute to this disparity in diagnosis.

Because ADHD inattentive symptoms tend to not be as noticeable as hyperactivity, there is a higher chance of a misdiagnosis or no diagnosis altogether for women with ADHD. Common diagnoses for women include anxiety and depression, and this is also complicated by the fact that 85 percent of adults with ADHD have at least one co-occurring mental health condition (including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and others). Complicating this, studies show that women are highly motivated to hide their ADHD symptoms through a process called ‘masking,’ which involves suppressing traits associated with the disorder in order to fit into society's expectations.

Sometimes it feels easier to put on a mask rather than let others see how we are struggling.

So how do we break the stigma? Meeting with a therapist who is experienced in working with women with ADHD is a great place to start. Mia can help you understand and accept parts of you that may have been dismissed or ignored by society at large, or even other professionals or healthcare providers. Mia Tamlin Counselling has extensive experience in working with women with ADHD and can provide a safe environment where you can explore ADHD and what it means to you.

References:

Brain Sciences: A Review of Canadian Diagnosed ADHD Prevalence and Incidence Estimates Published in the Past Decade

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406225/