1. ADHD Symptoms Look Different in Men and Women
But Ellen Littman, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Mount Kisco, New York, says both sexes experience inattention and hyperactivity to some degree; they just look different for each. “For girls and women, hyperactivity usually manifests as things like daydreaming, picking your cuticles, or messing with your split ends, as opposed to jumping out of your seat and yelling,” she says.
Dr. Littman explains that women tend to internalize their symptoms, while men externalize theirs.
“With women, there’s a cognitive, emotional, and physical restlessness, but it’s just more controlled,” she says. “Boys may have symptoms that are more obvious and easy to recognize.”
Littman also says that girls and women tend to mask their symptoms. “So they have more subtle symptoms, and on top of that, they attempt to hide their symptoms and [can] come across as if they’re fine,” she says.
