TO 45 years old, Paris Hilton he learned to know and love himself. There American socialite and heiress recently opened with the magazine US Weeklytelling how, over time, she managed to accept and welcome hers attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To the weekly magazine, Paris Hilton explained: «Today I know a lot about my ADHDbut when I was younger no one talked about it, especially when it came to little girls. I was constantly getting into trouble at schoolI couldn’t concentrate, I did poorly on tests, and I always lost my homework. Kids with ADHD came labeled as “difficult children”. Today I consider ADHD to be mine super power», underlined the star, twice a mother.
Female ADHD: when delay in diagnosis hurts
“It is very common for ADHD in women to go unnoticed,” she underlines Dr. Beatrice Casonispecialist in psychiatry at Erreesse Polyclinic of Ferrara. «For years, studies have focused on hyperactive male childrenwhile the girls remained almost invisible. This gender difference can delay diagnosis by 5-10 yearswith a profound impact on self-esteem. Growing up without an explanation it leads many women to feel lazy, different, inadequate» explains Casoni. «Only with a correct diagnosis can we begin to understand and accept that anxiety, depression or burnout they are not a weakness or a flaw, but secondary consequences of the condition not recognized. Finally receiving an explanation may be painful, but it is profoundly restorative in the long term, as the Paris Hilton case teaches us.”
ADHD and overcompensation: Brilliant, but exhausted
«Many girls with ADHD develop perfectionistic strategies to mask difficulties: they study until late at night, try to keep everything under control and seem bright and organized, but everything has a enormous emotional cost. Overcompensation can predispose to disorders such as anxiety and depression» warns Dr. Casoni. «Common signs include difficulty managing time, a constantly racing mind, sudden mood swingschronic fatigue and “collateral” diagnoses such as mood disorders. Furthermore, in women ADHD is often masked by social adaptation and gender expectations. Girls are taught to “behave well” and “be good”, even when ADHD makes them struggle enormously to stay on these lines”, adds the specialist.
From challenge to superpower: Paris Hilton talks about her experience with ADHD (Getty Images)
Do like Paris Hilton and turn ADHD into an asset
As Paris Hilton suggests, «some characteristics of ADHD can become strengths: creativity, intuition and non-linear thinking. Talking about “super power” only makes sense if it doesn’t simplify the condition”, reflects Dr. Casoni. «ADHD is a different neurobiological modalitywith potential that emerges if you know how you work, receive adequate support and you structure the environment around you. The most effective treatments today are multimodal: cognitive-behavioral trainingtranscranial magnetic stimulation and drugs prescribed in a targeted manner. The goal is not to eliminate ADHDbut reduce suffering and allow one to fully express the own potential, transforming awareness into autonomy and well-being”, concludes Dr. Casoni.
