Abstract

This study identifies how not being diagnosed and treated at a young age has affected women who have Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Current ADHD research that is based on the experiences of men and boys produce our common knowledge on how ADHD manifests and is accordingly treated. It was not until the late 1990s that women were finally acknowledged as having ADHD, something previously thought to be a male disorder only. This results in under and misdiagnosis in women which produce major long term effects on their self-perception, daily lives, and social interactions. Personal stories were used in terms of comparing those who were diagnosed and treated at a young age to those who went into their adulthood with no diagnosis. The results will allow for a better understanding of what under and misdiagnosis of females have done to their long term self and if communicating about this will help lower this disparity in diagnosis.