It was thought for a long time that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) did not present in girls. That was in the days when it was also thought that once a child reached adulthood, ADHD just disappeared. For a number of years now, we know that both of these assumptions are false.

Assessment for – and diagnosis of – ADHD in girls is more complicated than in boys because of its later onset, more subtle clinical manifestations and the gender bias in the more popular ADHD Rating Scales, which emphasize behaviours seen more commonly in boys.

As a result, many girls reached adulthood without any idea why their lives seemed to be more complicated than their peers. 

If they are high functioning, having compensated during school and university for their difficulties with their many strengths, it is more difficult for them to realize that they have ADHD. In the case of these women, very often it is when they suffer from Burnout at work that they are forced to analyse why they manage stress so badly. Even then, there are quite a lot of women who are treated for anxiety and depression, eating and/or sleeping disorders, addiction, etc. without their psychiatrists noticing that the underlying cause of their difficulties is ADHD.