‘A full head’ occurs in both men and women and regularly leads to problems in daily functioning. In the Netherlands, approximately 5% of children and 3 to 4% of adults have ADHD or ADD. The ADD variant is relatively more common in women, the symptoms are not always recognized. In ADD, concentration and attention disorders are prominent, making the person appear somewhat dreamy and chaotic. Because it concerns desirable and unobtrusive behavior, the outside world does not notice how much is going on in the woman’s head with ADD. Appropriate guidance or treatment is therefore often initiated late or not at all.
- What is ADD and ADHD
- ADD in women
- Causes
- Symptoms of ADD
- Therapy
What is ADD and ADHD
ADD is the abbreviation of Attention Deficit Disorder, a disorder in which there are problems with attention. It is a variant of the well-known ADHD disorder, where the letter H stands for hyperactivity. ADD people are often described by those around them as ‘quiet, somewhat shy, thoughtful, dreamy people’. ADD begins in childhood and causes complaints and dysfunction throughout life. It has only been known for a relatively short time that adults can also have ADD or ADHD complaints. For a long time it was thought that people would grow out of it after childhood. ADD people regularly encounter misunderstandings from those around them because many symptoms are recognizable to everyone. Many therefore do not see it as a disorder and underestimate the consequences for those who have ADD. It is often stated that ADD and ADHD is a hype, which ignores the severity of the symptoms and complaints that are experienced. In a diagnosed ADD person, the disorder often leads to a lower performance and education level than you would expect based on intelligence. There are also problems in various areas of life: such as at school, at work and in maintaining social contacts.
ADD in women
Less diagnostics
Various studies have shown that more men than women are diagnosed with ADD, even though the condition occurs equally often in both groups. However, hyperactive behavior is more common in men and is experienced as abnormal and disturbing, which means that diagnosis and treatment will take place sooner. Society is designed for women to exhibit calm, caring and appropriate behavior. Busy and explosive behavior by girls and women is not accepted, which is why girls born with ADHD adapt to prevailing expectations from an early age. They suppress impulsive behavior and exhibit the desired calm behavior. Some girls naturally exhibit dreamy and inward-looking behavior. Because this is considered desirable behavior, outsiders do not notice that there are concentration and attention problems that have a major influence on functioning.
Social problems
Due to the high degree of adjustment, women with ADD always feel like they are walking on tiptoes to function within the family, at work and in social relationships. Women are often expected to take on multiple roles: keeping the household running smoothly, raising children, being informal caregivers for parents and also performing paid work. For women without ADD this is already a major challenge, for women with ADD coordinating and organizing all these activities is very complex. It is not visible on the outside how much is going on in the head, the hyperactivity mainly takes place inside. Women with ADD can often hide their lack of attention and concentration for a long time through their intelligence, creativity and perseverance. This causes stress and symptoms of exhaustion, which can cause both psychological and physical complaints. A life event such as the birth of a child, a change of job or an expansion of tasks can cause the already unstable capacity to be exceeded. Due to the continuous overload, various complaints can occur or increase, such as stress, depression, anxiety disorders, addiction problems, sleep disorders or burn-out complaints. It happens that only these complaints are treated, while the underlying cause is not noticed.
Hormonal influences
Female hormonal processes influence ADD symptoms. More concentration problems may occur around menstruation and puberty. Sometimes the complaints temporarily decrease during pregnancy. Menopause can also cause a change in ADD symptoms.
Causes
Heredity
A number of studies into ADD and heredity have shown that there is a clear hereditary component. Researchers have tracked down a gene responsible for the presence of ADD. On average, AD(H)D occurs in 2 to 5% of the population. In children of adults with ADD, approximately 75% of the children also have ADD. In some cases, the child’s diagnostic process is the reason for the adult parent to also be examined for ADD because many of the complaints and symptoms are recognized in themselves.
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Brain functioning
It is assumed that the brains of ADDers function in a different way. ADD includes a deficiency of dopamine, which stimulates certain areas in the brain. As a result, the filter function functions less well and it is difficult to initiate action. A large stream of thoughts makes ADDers appear dreamy and makes it more difficult for them to concentrate on what is happening at that moment. ADDers have difficulty zooming in on what is really important, causing them to become overwhelmed by thoughts, impressions and stimuli. On the other hand, ADDers are capable of a certain way of focusing, called hyperfocus. During this focus, they can concentrate very strongly on a specific subject due to an increased influx of dopamine in the brain. It can be confusing for those around you that the ADD person has very variable concentration. This sometimes gives the wrong impression that the person is lazy or does not want to perform certain tasks.
Symptoms of ADD
Some symptoms experienced by people with ADD are:
- Difficulty organizing
- Forgetfulness/chaotic
- Slowed information processing, causing slow response to unexpected events
- Perfectionism
- Regularly arriving late
- Problems with filtering information, everything is important
- Tendency to procrastinate
- Difficulty completing tasks, including household tasks
- Being easily distracted
- Having a different sense of time
- Prefers to follow his own path rather than the beaten path
- Impatient
- Tendency to worry a lot
- Mood swings, tendency to be sad or depressed
- Restlessness
- Predisposition to addiction
- Negative self image
- Feeling of being different from others
Positive sides of ADD:
- Creativity
- Be analytically minded
- Intelligent
- Hyper focus
Additional conditions/characteristics
In addition to the ADD complaints, one often also sees dyslexia, ambidextry (two-handedness) and/or an autistic spectrum disorder. Research has shown that ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) and AD(H)D occur relatively often together because they originate in the same brain region.
Therapy
The treatment of ADD often involves a combination of several treatment methods. In addition to the regular methods in which guidance and medication play a major role, many ADD people seek support from alternative methods to reduce their complaints.
Medication
Ritalin or methylphenidate in short- or long-acting form are often prescribed for the treatment of ADD. Sometimes an antidepressant with a stimulant effect is chosen, so that both ADD and existing mood disorders are treated simultaneously. Another type of medication is the methylphenidate-related dextroamphetamine. While using the medication, blood pressure and increase in psychological complaints must be closely monitored.
If there is ADD and depression, the choice is often to prescribe the drug Wellbutrin (Bupropion) because this drug has an effect on both complaints. .
Accompaniment
Guidance can take place on an individual basis, for example in the form of behavioral therapy, psychotherapy or coaching. The guidance generally focuses on organizing and structuring activities, providing insight into ADD and recognizing and indicating boundaries. Guidance can also take place in groups with other ADD people.
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Alternative treatment
Neurofeedback is regularly used because this training is believed to stimulate new connections related to hormone production in the brain. Additional research is still necessary to assess whether demonstrable changes occur in the brain due to the application of neurofeedback.
Another alternative therapy is a diet that excludes various foods. Common foods that should not be consumed are gluten, sugar and dairy. Nutritional preparations such as Omega-3 and fish oil could promote the transmission of stimuli in the brain.
Natural ways to influence ADD
Exercise ensures the natural production of stimulating hormones and better blood flow to the brain, which can reduce ADD complaints. Presence in nature has a soothing influence on the stimulus experience, a similar effect is experienced through mindfulness and yoga practice. Many people with ADD have a vitamin D deficiency, so supplementing with vitamin D (especially in the winter months) may be useful.
LED screens and ADD
The frequent use of smartphones, tablets, computers and other media provides a huge flow of information and stimuli. Because the use of internet applications has a stimulating effect on the brain in people with ADD, it is often difficult in practice to limit the use of these media. Using LED screens in the evenings increases the risk of sleep problems. Because sleeping is often a problem for an ADD person, caution is recommended when using this.
