Carole Goguen, Licensed Psychologist

Women often experience ADHD differently than men. For many years, ADHD was underrecognized in girls and women because their symptoms tend to appear less outwardly disruptive and more internalized?showing up as overwhelm, anxiety, perfectionism, or chronic self-doubt rather than hyperactivity. When a woman is also highly intelligent, the picture becomes even more complex. Strong cognitive abilities can both mask and magnify ADHD traits. Intelligence often enables creative problem-solving, rapid learning, and deep insight, allowing many women to compensate successfully for years. At the same time, the effort required to keep up can be immense and largely invisible to others. Because of this, ADHD may go unrecognized until later in life, when increasing demands or burnout expose the strain of long-standing compensatory strategies. The result is often a painful cycle of perfectionism, exhaustion, and self-criticism?despite clear strengths and capabilities.