The Overlooked Minds

The Reality of Women with ADHD

Wearing sunglasses and singing into a toy microphone

Childhood photo of Aria Ipe

Break dancing in white shirt and black jeans

Childhood photo of Aria Ipe

Yellow cartoon duck photo stand-in board with face cutout

Childhood photo of Aria Ipe

Wearing sunglasses and singing into a toy microphone

Childhood photo of Aria Ipe

1/3

Studies show that women are often overlooked in ADHD diagnoses, leading to years of self-doubt, confusion, and mental health struggles. I was 23 when I finally received my diagnosis after years of wondering what was wrong with me.

This story is about why women are often ignored in the ADHD diagnostic process. We’ll look at the challenges faced by those who were overlooked for so long and explore the impact this has on their self-esteem, relationships, and more.

You’re 8 years old, watching your male classmate squirm in his seat, barely able to sit still. He calls out during lessons and ignores the teacher, and someone suggests he might have ADHD.

But you? You learn to sit still, to smile and nod even when the lesson bores you. Maybe you talk to your friends too much, but that's nothing unusual.

I never thought I had ADHD because I wasn’t disruptive as a child. I daydreamed a lot, sure, but I got by. It wasn’t until much later I realized I was hiding a part of myself, a part many women, like me, quietly struggle with for years.