Between societal pressures and life’s burden, living with ADHD doesn’t get much easier to combat for Black women– but what about women with the condition who aren’t aware they have it? While Black women are least likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, according to research published in 2024 by the National Library Of Medicine, this does not fully equate to the demographic not having cases of it exist more prevalently.
Part of the misstep with Black women not being diagnosed with ADHD is how the condition shows up for them. In comparison to other demographics, Black women may navigate the condition differently because they are subconsciously taught to handle issues or other situations that arise in life. For example, rather than pausing when life gets overwhelming or feeling like they’re at a crossroads, they may dive deeper into keeping themselves busy to the point of overexertion. Another example of this would be a lack of emotional regulation during day-to-day activities or becoming inattentive despite internally feeling anxious.
At an early age, Black girls are often taught to stay quiet or minimally disclose their mental health issues and push through emotional distress to avoid falling behind academically, socially, or professionally. This leaves many feeling detached and not fully aware of the weight their emotions carry because it hasn’t been fully addressed. Into adulthood, this can turn into living in survival mode or actively dissociating from emotions on a larger scale, which can amplify the aforementioned bodily responses.
The adultification of Black girls is another component of why Black women are becoming more and more undiagnosed with ADHD, among other mental health conditions. A lack of empathy for their circumstances can lead to less medical follow-up. As well as misdiagnoses that can be seen as depression or anxiety but may actually be something more. This scenario is what’s helped to make the gap between diagnoses for Black women and other racial groups wider.
Now that the conversation surrounding ADHD continues to grow, it’s important that Black women continue to seek expertise that continues the conversation. From talking with your doctor to more transparency, this can open a path for better understanding and what to do after a diagnosis.
If you or someone you know is believed to have ADHD, it’s important to support that person by encouraging them to not only be physically active and improve their sleep patterns, but it could also be worth looking deeper into therapy or life coaching to aid in affirming care.