ADHD for Smart Ass Women

Women with ADHD face a variety of challenges, including a lack of medical understanding of its presentation in women and gendered biases.

A typical morning for author Tracy Otsuka begins with a workout plan that quickly becomes derailed by various distractions: a pet demanding treats pulls focus from her search for her fitness watch; on the way to get the treat, she notices a fly and wonders, “Where’s the swatter?” Then she starts searching for the swatter. Each new distraction leads to another, and before she knows it, nearly an hour has passed, and she still hasn’t done her workout. It’s a story of scattered attention that’s all too common to people with ADHD — mixed with periods of hyperfocus when it becomes difficult to stop concentrating on a task or line of thought, even if it’s detrimental to well-being.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting those brain areas responsible for executive function. Thus, those with ADHD often struggle with tasks related to that functioning, including starting tasks, regulating emotions, focusing, self-motivating, and managing time. ADHD exists on a spectrum and manifests in three main...