Why don’t we hear more about them?
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This is my attempt at guessing part of the reason:
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I do not entirely know the answer. However, I do know that for a long time it was thought that ADHD was only an issue for males, but we now know that is simply not the case. Women have ADHD, too! And, I am certain there are many who have overcome, succeeded and who are thriving with ADHD.
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But why don’t we hear more about them?
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Two of the most successful movie franchises at the moment have women in the lead, doing action flicks as used to be only done by men (Underworld / Resident Evil). Some highly successful women are also becoming self-made millionaires and billionaires, leaving most men in the dust (J. K. Rowling / Sheryl Sandberg).
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So what’s notable about these women and their success stories? They are women!
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Those are stories about ‘women’ succeeding. Any issues, conditions or disorders might be far less important than the fact that a ‘woman’ has ‘succeeded’ or ‘overcome’ the odds for, well, being a women. Credit they rightly deserve! The world hasn’t been exactly fair to women, but they are taking control of their destinies and they are making it, some are far out pacing their male counterparts!
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Kate Beckinsale, the star of the highly successful movie franchise ‘Underworld’, even with her success, recently was quoted as saying in an interview:
“There’s part of me that goes ‘Blimey, I can’t imagine playing the same role four times. That seems insane.’ But the slightly feminist part in me says ‘Well, if Bruce Willis can do it, so can I.’
And she’s right, so can she! (Examples of successful women, not to indicate these famous women have ADHD. A list of famous women with ADHD is below.)
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The point is that many women are still fighting the gender battle and ADHD takes a backseat, if they have it. Although many tend to think woman have won the gender battle, there are still areas where they are striving to prove themselves.
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So I am guessing that the gender issue might play a major role in why we don’t hear too many famous women talking about ADHD, if they have it, because there is a more important issue that has been more significant for a longer time. In other words women have had more to overcome for just being a woman. But that doesn’t mean that ADHD does not impair the women who have it or disrupt their life and cause them more hardships, because I am willing to bet that it does.
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Ultimately though, the focal point for ADHD has been on hyperactive young boys and the type of symptoms associated with them. It’s only within the last two decades that ADHD has been seriously researched in adults and an even shorter period of time that ADHD has been researched in women. I believe that most women with ADHD, famous or not, do not know they have it. And, unfortunately, most women with ADHD are suffering in silence, believing they are not good enough and I think they are more likely to be depressed and many may have symptoms of PTSD from childhood trauma.
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It’s kind of a paradox, but even though women have been battling the gender issue they are often considered more capable at academics, so when they struggle and fail in school I believe it is more likely they are treated harshly, punished, ridiculed and much better is expected of them, too often without consideration of any difficulties or challenges they might have.
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I’d also like to mention something interesting from my own experience with publishing One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir: women relate very closely to my story. I grew up with undiagnosed ADD (ADHD inattentive) and over the last few years I have literally had hundreds of women write me messages, letting me know that I had somehow written their story! It seems to me that women are more likely to have inattentive ADHD than the hyperactive type and many others, like me, have had any hyperactivity traits subdued psychologically and/or perhaps physically.
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When creating the cover for my latest eBook, How to be Happy Every Day – Even if you have ADHD, Joan and I decided it was very important to bring awareness to the fact that women have ADHD, too! That’s why there is a woman on the cover and the majority of the pictures inside the book are of a woman (with ADHD). The book is of course for both genders of all ages; however, it is still important to let any women who come across the book, who suspect they might have ADHD, know that it is okay to seek help. And YES, women can, and many do, have ADHD, too! I know of a lot of readers who have sent the free eBook to their female friends and relatives. So I think, in a very small way, the eBook is helping spread the word.
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Here is a list of famous women who have spoken up about their ADHD:
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(Hopefully this list will grow!)
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– Karina Smirnoff
– Mary-Kate Olsen
– Paris Hilton
– Roxy Olin
– Solange Knowles
– Katherine Ellison (Pulitzer Prize Winner at age 27!! Also, author of an outstanding book about her son with ADHD: Buzz)
– Michelle Rodriguez
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I am sure there are more to add to this list and you can do so in the comments, if you like.
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It is absolutely fantastic that people want to hear and read more about famous, successful women with ADHD, but in order to do that I think it is just as important, or even more so, to spread awareness that ADHD is not just an issue for young, hyperactive boys – it’s an issue for people of all ages, including women!
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