Dr. Kieran Kennedy

So for a lot of adults with ADHD, if they were really quite hyperactive or more physically restless and things as a child, that often gets better.

better as we get older for adults it sort of tempers itself a bit but also understandably as we get older we get a little bit better hopefully at containing some of that energy or impulsivity so adults are more likely to have the more focus attention time management memory side of symptoms because the hyperactive side often changes so it can definitely change over time um

Something else I want to let people know is that it can sort of change as well across your life depending on what's on your plate.

So I often meet people for the first time who have always struggled a little bit, but maybe then they've had their first child.

And so for women, often ADHD can really start to ramp up and impact things more when they're just juggling more.

They're juggling a toddler now as well as trying to go back to work.

Or I might meet someone who's had a promotion at work.

And suddenly the increased demands of their new job makes focus and memory and attention really, really start to ramp up and impact their ability to work.

So symptoms can definitely change and flux depending on what's going on in our life, how much pressure is on our brain.

Also, even other mental health struggles, it can worsen if we're depressed or anxious too.

Can do, yeah.

So women, especially as adults, are more likely to have more internal or inattentive symptoms.

So women are more likely to struggle with focus, memory, time management, that side of things.

They're also more likely to feel hyperactivity in terms of restlessness and fidgeting or wanting to talk or interrupt others.

But women are far more likely to contain those symptoms.

And so a lot here is also to do with that

socialization of girls and women in terms of well if you're a good girl then you are quiet and you behave and you sit still in class whereas for boys and men in terms of the boys will be boys and now he's just a young lad

boys are more able to express hyperactivity and energy and loudness.

So I actually meet a lot of women who have always kind of sat holding in this kind of sense of restlessness and fidgeting and impulsivity because for various reasons, you know, girls and women are kind of taught from a young age that they really just need to be quiet and polite and behave and they need to contain those symptoms.

So it definitely can look a lot different for men and women