ADHD In Women & Girls with Dr. Jennifer Gierisch & Dr. Julia Schechter
Mar 4, 2025
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Dr. Jennifer Gierisch, a behavioral scientist, and Dr. Julia Schechter, a child and family psychologist, dive deep into the often-overlooked world of ADHD in women and girls. They discuss the critical need for research on how ADHD differently manifests in females, addressing the stigma and underdiagnosis surrounding the condition. The duo underscores the importance of support systems and accessible therapy for mental health. Through personal stories, they celebrate the unique strengths and challenges of those affected, advocating for awareness and better resources.
The lack of research on how ADHD presents in women and girls has resulted in many being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.
The Duke Center for Girls and Women with ADHD aims to enhance understanding and resources for women experiencing unique ADHD challenges.
Emotional and social challenges related to ADHD often affect women's self-esteem and identity, necessitating a supportive environment.
Deep dives
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The Importance of ADHD Awareness
Discussion centers on the often overlooked differences in how ADHD presents in women and girls compared to men and boys. Many women remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to symptoms that do not fit typical ADHD presentations, such as inattentiveness rather than hyperactivity. The podcast highlights personal stories revealing that many women realized they had ADHD later in life, with diagnosis often helping them understand their experiences better. This conversation stresses the need for more research and awareness around ADHD, particularly in females.
Educational Outreach and Resources
The podcast introduces the Duke Center for Girls and Women with ADHD, which focuses on education and outreach to inform both the public and healthcare providers about the unique experiences of women with ADHD. The center aims to bridge the gap between expansive research and practical applications for those affected. It offers various resources, including tools for collecting personal data to facilitate discussions with healthcare providers about potential ADHD diagnoses. This proactive approach encourages women to seek help and break the stigma surrounding ADHD.
Emotional and Social Implications of ADHD
ADHD in women often manifests in emotional and social challenges that are less recognized than typical symptoms, impacting self-esteem and identity. Many women report feelings of shame linked to their ADHD, particularly regarding societal expectations for organizational skills and social behavior. Internalized struggles due to inattention can lead to anxiety and depression, often masking the underlying ADHD. The podcast discusses the significance of acknowledging these emotional challenges to foster a supportive environment for women and girls with ADHD.
Call to Action for Better Understanding and Research
The conversation concludes with a call for more comprehensive research on ADHD, especially concerning its impact on women and aging, including how hormonal changes like menopause can affect ADHD symptoms. Experts express the need for better clinical questions to help identify ADHD effectively in females, stressing that current diagnostic tools often fall short. This highlights the urgency for additional funding and resources dedicated to studying ADHD in women, emphasizing that understanding this difference is crucial for improving healthcare outcomes. Stakeholders are encouraged to advocate for more research efforts and support services.
When we wrote our book, ADHD Is Awesome, we got to meet a lot of you on tour. Many of you felt seen for the first time and many of you had no idea you had ADHD until you read it and got diagnosed. The majority of you were women. If we had one regret in writing our book, it was that we did not include more about how different ADHD presents in girls and women. But a big reason for that, is that it doesn't exist.
There is very little research on how differently ADHD presents in girls and women. So we invited Dr. Jennifer Gierisch and Dr. Julia Schechter from the Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD to help us understand why that is and what is being done about it. This week's episode is longer than usual, but so important. Learn more about their work here: https://adhdgirlsandwomen.org/
Kim and Penn are award-winning content creators known for their online videos, including original music, song parodies, and comedy sketches. Their videos have resulted in over 2 billion views and 9 million followers across their social media platforms since they (accidentally) went viral in 2013. They have a New York Times bestselling book on ADHD, best-selling book on marriage communication, a top-rated podcast, a fun-filled family card game, and most recently, they were the winners on Season 33 of The Amazing Race.
The Holderness Family Podcast is produced by Ann Marie Taepke and edited and engineered by Max Trujillo of Trujillo Media and Sam Allen.
