A unique collaboration between an ADHD psychiatrist and an author-illustrator and coach, this book brings ADHD in women to life through vivid stories, sound medical information, nuanced insights and humorous illustrations.
Discussion around ADHD has exploded in recent years. Yet its symptoms are still too often missed, minimised,or misunderstood – especially in girls and women.
The gap between the public face and the private reality is where many women with ADHD live, sometimes for decades. Symptoms shift. The same woman who appears impressively steady from the outside can feel perpetually on edge – one missed step away from losing her footing. The fallout can be chronic self-doubt, anxiety, burnout, underachievement and a quiet, corrosive sense of shame.
The good news is that ADHD is treatable. With clarity, compassion and evidence-based guidance, this book offers an anchor for women who want to understand what’s really going on, make informed choices about support – from lifestyle change to medication – and move forward with less self-blame and more self-trust.
Told through seven unforgettable case studies, this readable, humane exploration of ADHD in women, reframes ‘too much,’ ‘too sensitive,’ and ‘too disorganised’ as signs of a differently wired brain. It is both a validation and practical roadmap – a go-to survival guide for all women with high-wire brains.
Discussion around ADHD has exploded in recent years. Yet its symptoms are still too often missed, minimised,or misunderstood – especially in girls and women.
The gap between the public face and the private reality is where many women with ADHD live, sometimes for decades. Symptoms shift. The same woman who appears impressively steady from the outside can feel perpetually on edge – one missed step away from losing her footing. The fallout can be chronic self-doubt, anxiety, burnout, underachievement and a quiet, corrosive sense of shame.
The good news is that ADHD is treatable. With clarity, compassion and evidence-based guidance, this book offers an anchor for women who want to understand what’s really going on, make informed choices about support – from lifestyle change to medication – and move forward with less self-blame and more self-trust.
Told through seven unforgettable case studies, this readable, humane exploration of ADHD in women, reframes ‘too much,’ ‘too sensitive,’ and ‘too disorganised’ as signs of a differently wired brain. It is both a validation and practical roadmap – a go-to survival guide for all women with high-wire brains.
Reviews
This is such an informative and needed book! The association of ADHD and hormones is important and can no longer be ignored
I highly recommend the book Women and ADHD by Dr Sally Cubbin and Gillian Johnson Shakespeare. Their book is a comprehensive guide for women with ADHD that strikes an unusual balance of deep empathy and solid expertise. It's infused with understanding and compassion and is completely accessible through illustrations, composite characters, and explanations that are simple, direct and nuanced - clearly grounded in both personal and professional experience. Difficult to understand complex systems are broken down into real-life terms, showing how ADHD actually appears in the day-to-day realities and in a wide variety of women's lives. This book fills much-needed gaps with up-to-date information on hormones, the brain, and gender bias in diagnosis, as well as masking and the neurobiology of ADHD
An authoritative yet remarkably readable guide to ADHD in women. This book succeeds in making complex science understandable without losing clinical accuracy. The vivid clinical stories and thoughtful explanations will resonate with countless women who have spent years wondering why life has always seemed harder than it should. Compassionate, practical and scientifically balanced, this is a book I would happily recommend to my own patients
A valuable and validating resource for women and girls. I believe this book must land in the hands of all healthcare and educational professionals who are invested in the wellbeing and support of women and girls to truly understand the impact of undiagnosed ADHD and why early diagnosis is key to better health outcomes for neurodivergent women
One of the most comprehensive and compassionate books I've read on ADHD in women. It combines scientific depth with practical guidance in a way that makes complex topics genuinely accessible. An essential read for women with ADHD, and for anyone who wants to understand them better
Women and ADHD is an outstanding resource that goes far beyond the core symptoms of ADHD to explore the many physical and neurological conditions that commonly coexist with it. It offers women and their clinicians a much-needed understanding of the interplay between ADHD, migraine, sleep, fatigue, pain and hormonal influences. Compassionate, practical and highly accessible, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to women with ADHD and to the healthcare professionals who support them
Combining lived experience, clinical practice and evidence-based medical information, this is a fantastic resource. It provides information and practical coping strategies on a wide-range of topics that affect women with ADHD across different stages of their lives. Warm, clear writing, personal stories and wonderful illustrations make it accessible and engaging. I highly recommend
Warm, wise and wonderfully practical, this is the book so many women have been waiting for. Combining rigorous science, clinical wisdom and lived experience, it speaks directly to the reader: "I see you. I understand you. You are not broken." Essential reading - and a book I will be recommending without hesitation
This is THE BOOK on ADHD in women. There are many wonderful books on this topic, but Cubbin and Johnson Shakespeare's book is pithy, warm, full of practical tips you can use today, as well as the wisdom that wanders through eternity. You will grow not only in knowledge of ADHD but also in your depth as a human being
We often think of ADHD afflicting children but less frequently adult women. This incredibly helpful book demonstrates how many women might have this condition and offered useful advice and deep understanding. Told from both personal and medical standpoints it's an invaluable tool
Finally! Since the very existence of women with ADHD was finally acknowledged nearly thirty years ago, I have been waiting for someone to pull together the special experience women have with ADHD in a way that is both authoritative and accessible. Women and ADHD is that book and captures the experiences of women like no book before. It does not talk down to anyone but rather brings clarity to different experiences, hormone fluctuations, societal role expectations, and the historical neglect by medical research of all things female. While this book is destined to become the standard text on the subject, it is also beautifully written, engaging and deeply empathic
Women and ADHD is a remarkable and deeply moving book. With warmth, wisdom and compassion, Sally Cubbin and Gillian Johnson Shakespeare illuminate the often-overlooked experiences of women with ADHD, helping readers replace self-blame with understanding. This is a book that informs, reassures and inspires, while reminding us that it is never too late to rewrite our story