“My professor assigned 50 pages of Plato. And on the fourth reread, I went, ‘Okay. I’m like, really struggling to keep my attention here, and this is a problem because I got my degree in literature.’ So I was like, I need to be able to read this,” said Haylee Melton, writing and learning commons (WaLC) Associate Director.
Melton got the ADHD diagnosis late in her education so she is now giving back by working with a WCU group focused on facilitating better understanding and coping mechanisms for students with ADHD led by Janina DeHart, WCU assistant director of accessibility resources.
Until her graduate years of school, Melton had never been diagnosed with ADHD. Similar to a lot of women, she was unaware that she is struggling with ADHD. This is because of a underdiagnoses in women and young girls.
For female students, undiagnosed ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), may be the reason some women studying at WCU feel they are living their lives on ‘hard mode’, where every day parts of school such as keeping up with work, paying attention in classes, and self disciplining themselves, become excessively more difficult.
ADHD is a disorder with a strong biological basis, impacting brain structure, function, and the activity of neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine, that according to American Psychiatry Association “is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning.”
A neurodevelopmental disorder, ADHD is a disorder commonly associated with noisiness and disruptive behavior, typically within young boys in classrooms. But this type of ADHD is only one of three, (Hyperactive-Impulsive type, Inattentive type, and Combined type) known as the Hyperactive-Impulsive type, and is both easier to be noticed and treated, as well as largely found in boys and men.
Studies on ADHD has shown that proportionally more boys than girls with ADHD annoy or upset their teachers, and that parents see the ‘feminine’ ADHD diagnostic items as less problematic than the ‘masculine’ ones. It is highly likely that these explanations, along with the greater rate of diagnosis in boys, has led to an ADHD stereotype of a ‘disruptive boy’, which may influence how behavior in boys and girls is perceived by individuals key to the referral and diagnostic process.”
The reason women are largely undiagnosed with ADHD, is both due to a previous lack of research focused on how the disorder impacts women, and because of their tendency to have the Inattentive Type of ADHD. This type is much more likely to go unnoticed by others, as common symptoms of Inattentive Type are forgetfulness and trouble paying attention, more internal signs rather than being disruptive in a classroom like people who struggle with Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD.
“I would definitely say there’s an under diagnosis of women, especially, of girls in particular because their symptoms manifest differently,” Melton said. “A lot of females present ADHD symptoms based on more of the inattentive type rather than the hyperactive type. And because of that, it is a lot more common that younger girls do not get diagnosed in the same way that men do.”
Often, due to Inattentive Type symptoms, girls are less likely to be diagnosed earlier, because they often display more symptoms of anxiety.
Organization that supports children and adults with ADHD – Chadd notes that medical providers may only treat a female patient’s anxiety or depression without evaluating for ADHD.
“Hormones, which affect the symptoms of both ADHD and anxiety, can complicate things. The natural fluctuations related to both a girl’s age and menstrual cycle can seem to worsen some symptoms, while at other times symptoms seem to decrease. These changing symptoms can play a role in a delayed diagnosis.”
When left untreated and undiagnosed, adult women with ADHD can experience feelings of low self-esteem, coming to conclusions that something must be wrong with them, if certain things that come so easy for others, are difficult for them. Getting assignments done often becomes substantially harder, and simple tasks such as paying attention in class can make a person feel like crawling out of their own skin.
Living her life undiagnosed until graduate school, Melton reflects on her final straw to getting tested and diagnosed for ADHD.
“I didn’t get a formal diagnosis until I was in graduate school here at WCU. I kind of finally hit a threshold where I was not able to cope in the same way that I had with the same sort of strategies that worked for me in undergrad,” Melton said.
WCU nursing junior, Kayleigh Mcadams realized she had a problem earlier.
“It wasn’t until I got to college where realized that I couldn’t focus for more than 30 minutes at a time. It got to the point where I wasn’t able to really function so I went and got help,” said Mcadams. She was diagnosed with ADHD last year, and said that now she is medicated and able to concentrate a lot better.
“I would definitely say that ADHD is significantly under diagnosed in girls/women. A lot of mental disabilities are understudied in women making it more difficult to diagnose,” Mcadams added.
After women studying at WCU were asked if they had, or thought they might have ADHD, many are just now coming to terms with the fact that they do/may have ADHD.
“I was speaking with one of my friends who was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and she briefed me with the symptoms she’s been experiencing like always getting distracted by noises and movements, always getting pulled into la la land during conversations or class, not being able to keep track of due dates, and not being able to comprehend or concentrate the words when she is reading,” sophomore Marissa Bosland said.
She also thinks she might be struggling with ADHD, due to issues with easily being distracted in class, time management, and daydreaming.
“After she explained, I’d instantly thought ‘this explains a lot’ and thought maybe I should be tested. I am now considering going to CAPs to see if this is the reason I am also experiencing these symptoms and can hopefully be accommodated for.” Bosland said.
Students who think they may be struggling with ADHD, can seek out help on campus by scheduling an appointment with CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), who can then accordingly refer students to Neuropsychiatry attention and memory centers for screening.
