There are three million people living with ADHD in the UK, but studies say women are severely underdiagnosed. Here’s why
You’ve likely heard more about ADHD in recent years than ever before. That’s because, while the disorder has likely been around for as long as humans have, diagnoses have only become prevalent over the last decade. In fact, according to ADHD UK, three million people in the UK have been diagnosed and are living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder right now. While this is a massive figure in its own right, research indicates that it should be much, much higher.
Why? According to experts, women and girls aren’t being properly accounted for. So much so that the male to female ratio of people with ADHD is three to one — a clear disparity.
If you’re wondering why the gap is so extreme, the evidence points to one thing: symptoms. Women, it seems, are much better at camouflaging their struggles. I know, shocking.
Here, we speak to the women who received diagnoses as adults, and also talk to experts about the symptoms to look out for in women.
Why women are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD
While experts admit that both sexes are being underdiagnosed, it seems to be much more prevalent among women. Lisa Collins, deputy clinical director at ADHD360, explains that “ADHD was first defined based on the behaviours of hyperactive boys.”
This means that the symptoms doctors first used to define ADHD was — and still is — based on the symptoms of men. What’s sadder is that this phenomenon isn’t unique to ADHD. There’s a huge lack of healthcare research focused on women, usually attributed to the fact that women are harder to use in trials due to hormonal changes.
In many cases, women with ADHD often don’t suspect they have it, and so don’t seek a diagnosis. Instead, they attribute whatever symptoms they may be experiencing — which range from emotional outbursts and rejection sensitivity to racing thoughts and anxiety — to hormonal side effects.
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Emma Walsh on her ADHD diagnosis
“I’d always felt like I was struggling just a little bit more than everyone else,” explains Emma. “As if there was something different about the way my mind worked.”
After being diagnosed at 42, the presenter admits that her journey was an emotional one that caused her to revisit moments of her childhood and acknowledge how difficult she found things back then.
“I actually cried when the results came through. It was a bit of a relief, mixed with feeling a little sad for the younger me that I didn’t know sooner.”
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Lucy Cooke, fitness coach, diagnosed at 25
Having always had a passion for fitness and exercise, Lucy had never suspected that she struggled with the disorder. It wasn’t until one of her coaches mentioned that her food patterns looked “very ADHD” that she was first introduced to the idea.
“My relationship with food, which looked like cycles of binge eating and ‘all or nothing’ perfectionism was my biggest wake up call.”
Another of Lucy’s symptoms — which many professionals experience — was cycles of burnout. She would flitter between being hyper productive and then crashing out, and was unable to explain these tendencies until her diagnosis.
How is ADHD treated?
The truth is that getting an ADHD diagnosis is only the first step.
Managing symptoms can look different for everyone, and it can take a lot of trial and error before reaching a sustainable treatment plan.
“I thought I’d get the diagnoses, get the meds and then boom, it’d all be fixed,” says Emma. “But it doesn’t work like that.”
Many ADHD patients make wider life changes, such as starting counselling, sticking to a healthy diet, and practising good sleep hygiene and relaxing techniques, alongside taking their medication.
“These changes can improve focus, reduce hyperactivity and boost overall wellbeing, and are often most effective when combined with each other and other treatments,” Lisa explains.
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How does ADHD affect mental health?
The nature of ADHD symptoms, paired with the difficulty of diagnosis in women, can mean that those with ADHD often internalise or hesitate to share their symptoms.
Like in Lucy’s case with disordered eating, an ADHD diagnosis can help with understanding other struggles and conditions.
“Now I understand why my brain works the way it does, I meet myself with compassion instead of criticism and rumination,” Lucy explains.
Despite being less than a year into her ADHD diagnosis, Emma is learning more about how she can feel supported. “I appreciate what supports me, rather than working against myself all the time. However, it’s only been a few months — you’ll have to check back in with me down the line.”
Feature image: Pexels
