The Experience of Self-Esteem in Women with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study examines the experience of self-esteem in women diagnosed in adulthood with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The seven participants explain in their own words how self and self-worth have been influenced by their families, upbringing, education, peers, work, religion, and social experiences, as well as by the difficulties they have encountered in living with undiagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The participants all reported certain similarities in their life experiences, such as feelings of low self-esteem, poor school performance, associated anxiety and depression, negative family of origin experiences, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms and self-sabotaging tendencies. However, the question of whether Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder was cause or effect of a sense of low self-esteem was complicated by the relationship experiences of the participants. More detailed research is needed to clarify the issues identified in this study.