Women being diagnosed with ADHD later in life: ‘First there was relief, then came the grief’
Scientific and medical communities used to think that only boys could be afflicted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD . The assumption – fuelled by the fact that symptoms often present in girls in less obvious ways – left an untold number of women undiagnosed for years. Many have suffered in silence as they have dealt with everything from being unable to…
Women have been historically underdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), despite symptoms often manifesting differently in girls than in boys. Recent data shows that the incidence of ADHD diagnosis in women aged 23 to 49 nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022. However, despite the rising numbers, women still lag significantly behind men in diagnosis rates.
One woman who recently received an ADHD diagnosis is Dani Hakim, now 43. She had previously been diagnosed with depression and anxiety but only after a lifetime of struggling with her mental health. Many of her symptoms resonated with those of ADHD, which she experienced as internal hyperactivity. Lorna King, a workplace culture consultant at 38, also shared a similar experience, describing her hyperactivity as internal and exhausting due to constant brain activity.
Diagnosing women with ADHD later in life can evoke a range of emotions, including relief, confusion, anger, sadness, and frustration. Experts suggest that a late diagnosis can provide validation and help explain long-standing struggles, but it may also lead to grief over missed opportunities or the impact of unmanaged symptoms. Many women report feeling relieved to finally understand their experiences and develop self-compassion, acknowledging that ADHD is a part of their identity rather than separate from it.
Common themes among women with a late diagnosis include reflecting on their life experiences and questioning which behaviors were innate versus ADHD-related. While some find the diagnosis to be a revelation, others continue to grapple with understanding how ADHD influences their lives. For some, the diagnosis marks a significant shift in how they perceive themselves and their strengths, while others still work to integrate their ADHD diagnosis into their self-identity.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.
