Denton County Living Well Magazine July/August 2020 | Page 26

WOMEN
AND ADD:
THE
HIDDEN
DISABILITY
By Kimberly Blaker
According to Sari Solden, in her book Women
with Attention Deficit Disorder, “Almost all
women find that life today is complex, upsetting
or frustrating, but they are still able to meet
most of [life’s] demands reasonably well…. For
women with untreated Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD),
however, the demands of daily life can be crippling. It cripples
their self-esteem, their families, their lives, their work
and their relationships.”
ADD, also known as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(AD/HD), affects between three and five percent of the
population. However, adult ADD, especially as it appears
in women, often goes unrecognized.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ADD IN WOMEN
The symptoms of ADD are many. Some are more commonly
seen in women and opposite the more recognized
symptoms seen in men. This makes detection unlikely and
diagnosis difficult. Each person’s experience with ADD is
unique. While there is a multitude of characteristics, most
women with the disorder don’t have every symptom. Instead,
each woman has a mixture severe enough to impair
some areas of life.
Mental vs. physical disorganization
Disorganization is typical and often a severe problem for
women struggling with ADD. They may be unable to organize
their homes, offices, or lives. To outsiders, the disorganization
isn’t always visible. That’s because women who lead professional
lives may have assistants, secretaries, and cleaning services
to assist them. Some ADD women have a partner who
compensates for their organizational dysfunction, as well.
Other women with ADD find clutter and disorganization
an incredible distraction. These distractions, coupled with
the responsibilities of everyday life, lead to mental disorganization.
The disorganized brain struggles to store, weed
out, and organize logically. For these women, being tidy
and organized equals survival.
Hyperactivity vs. hypoactivity
Women with ADD can be at either end of the spectrum,
either hyperactive or hypoactive (underactive). Hyperactive
women may go at full speed until they crash from the overload.
Family life can also suffer from a hyperactive mother.
She may be unable to sit and play games or read to her
children unless she finds the activities stimulating. Many
women with ADD are at the other extreme. They’re hypoactive,
unable to muster the energy to do much of anything.
These women are often unable to keep up with life’s many
demands. Maintaining a home, participating in family activities,
staying in touch with friends, even holding down a
job can be a significant challenge.
Inattention vs. hyperfocusing
The problem is women with ADD struggle with the inability
to regulate attention. So it doesn’t mean they can never
maintain attention. Instead, their ability to focus is based on
interest and whether the activity is stimulating. Many women
daydreamed through school when they were younger.
Yet the subjects or activities they found fun, interesting, or
exciting didn’t pose such a problem. Adult life with ADD is
often the same.
Hyperfocusing, which is the opposite of inattention, also
poses problems and can coexist with symptoms of inattention.
While it may be challenging to focus on some things,
a woman may hyperfocus on that which interests her and
be unable to shift her attention. Hyperfocusing can last for
hours, days, and longer and makes it difficult to break for
important matters. Meals may be forgotten, and family
24 DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2020