Condition
ADHD in Women
ADHD in women is widely underdiagnosed. Where men more often show hyperactive and impulsive symptoms, which are easier to spot, women tend to present with inattention, internalised symptoms, and a learned ability to mask.
ADHD in women is treatable. The first step is seeking help.
Your path at IASO
How we treat ADHD in women at IASO
- 1
We listen
Your history and symptoms, heard in full.
- 2
Consultation
A thorough clinical consultation and neuropsychological assessment.
- 3
Your plan
A treatment plan agreed together, built around you.
- 4
Treatment
Psychotherapy, medication, or both. Nothing without a clear reason.
- 5
Follow-up
Reviewed and adjusted as you progress.
Treatment begins with a thorough psychiatric consultation to understand the full picture, your development history, your reported symptoms from childhood through to adulthood, and what you actually need.
Care may include screening and a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Everything is discussed openly, and all treatment options are explored together to reach a mutually agreed treatment plan.
Why it gets missed
Many women only find out in adulthood that lifelong difficulties may be ADHD. Four patterns come up again and again.
Research was built around boys
Early ADHD research focused on restless, disruptive boys, and they were the children referred for assessment. Quiet or dreamy girls did not fit that picture, so their difficulties were overlooked.
Masking
Many girls learn early to look organised and attentive, over-preparing and double-checking to keep up. It works, at the cost of chronic stress and exhaustion, and it hides the ADHD.
Hormonal changes
Oestrogen affects attention, memory and mood, so symptoms can intensify around puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, the postpartum period and perimenopause. That shift is often what prompts an assessment.
High achievement
Doing well at school or work does not rule out ADHD. The effort behind it, the procrastination, perfectionism and mental exhaustion, is rarely visible, so the struggle gets dismissed.
What an assessment looks like
A proper assessment takes time and cannot be completed in one session. We use structured clinical interviews, validated tools and a review of your life history to build a complete picture. For many women the diagnosis is a relief, because it finally explains what never made sense.