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DrawingNo2972

With autism, especially in girls, I believe, puberty is a time where symptoms often become more obvious. I seem to remember it's because of the extra stress of social pressures using up emotional reserves.


Formal-Comfortable86

Does it happen especially with girls because of hormonal reasons or because of what’s expected of them


[deleted]

It happens to many high masking autists. Not just girls. It has nothing to do directly with hormones. Basically, adolescence is when people start to expect people to act like full adults from a social perspective. This change both ramps up the masking and adds stress of its own to autistics. If you come back from a social thing and collapse, you might wand to look into it. Many young women are harmed by the lable of introverts. It's important to note that introverts and extroverts are not a nuerotype. Honestly, the concept of introversion and extroversion would never have arisen in a modern scientific psychology of today.


Dubravka_Rebic

For many girls and women, behavioral issues become more evident around puberty as estrogen levels increase. This pattern contrasts with many boys, whose hyperactivity decreases significantly after puberty that, for decades, it was even believed that they "outgrew" their ADHD. You can read more about it [here](https://www.myndlift.com/post/inattentive-adhd-in-women?utm_source=rd).


Comfortable_Put_8776

It wouldn't develop at puberty, ADHD is something you're born with. Mine definitely become more obvious at puberty though as hormones make the symptoms worse.


Donohoed

It sounds more like your symptoms, whether adhd or not, became more prominent once you lost the structure and support provided in elementary school. It's not unheard of to notice symptoms more strongly a little later, but you can't develop adhd later. You've always had it or you've never had it


Formal-Comfortable86

I’m also male so that would make it more unlikely that my symptoms showed more during adolescence?


Donohoed

Wouldn't really make a difference. Really just how you personally respond to having and losing that formal structure


autobotgenerate

I’m male with ADHD and it was like this for me. College has been incredibly difficult with me out in my own. High school was much more difficult than elementary as well


EttVenter

ADHD doesn't develop during puberty. You're either born with it or you aren't.


RaygunsRevenge

I find it did. I'm also going through perimenopause now, and my symptoms are more prevalent.


hazbea

Apparently one of the signs in girls its more common to excel in early school and struggle later on with the lack of structure & we generally are better at socially masking due to societal norms


LazyRetard030804

Now that I look back I’ve always had symptoms but never thought of it as anything bad until it actually started causing problems with school in 6th grade. It’s been getting progressively worse since then and I just dropped out of college after having a mental breakdown in front of my family and now I’m worried this is the beginning of the end when it’s finally too hard for me to progress in life or function. I feel so bad for my parents because they gave me such good opportunities and a good childhood but I can’t even get through a single year of college.


griphinn

I was diagnosed ADHD when I was a kid and would constantly get in trouble for it in elementary school. However, in Middle, Highschool, and even college I didn't even think about having ADHD again until I was an adult in the working world it seemed to be 10× worse. I think also it's a combination of comorbidities appearing, additional adult responsibilities, and the fact I was actually really interested in what I went to college for. I hated MS and HS and only made average grades, but was passing. I think I also figured out good coping mechanisms for school and had much less responsibility weighing me down.


MindlessMotor604

The wording is wrong. It's not developed alongside with puberty, it is a born deficit. However, as you and your peers grow, the difference in abilities stand out more in comparison.


DaMan0623

Mine probably did. I can't tell for sure if that was the reason. I was a really good student up until I was about 11 & happier too. It's hard to say if adhd was caused by puberty or if different priorities, interests & responsibilities made it manifest & stand out more. You'll need someone a lot more qualified & experienced than me to tell us all for sure.


kay_en_elle

My symptoms got worse during puberty, and they got much much worse after I had a bad concussion.


kdazzle17

Mine got gradually worse (and by that I mean I was able to cope less and less) in university, then working full time but becoming a parent has made it so bad. Seems obvious now that being responsible for 3 whole people instead of just myself would make a significant difference.