“Being in my Own Skin”: Exploring the Experiences of Indian Women with ADHD

This study aimed to examine the experiences of late-diagnosed Indian women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on gender-specific challenges. Six women, aged 25 to 33, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. The participants’ experiences were conceptualized and thematically organized into three main themes: Theme 1: Not Wrong but Different–The Importance of Diagnosis, Theme 2: Negotiating with Normal–ADHD in Women's Daily Lives, and Theme 3: Embracing Authenticity–Aligned with, Not Against, the Self. The findings reveal how intersectional stigma shapes the struggle of Indian women with ADHD to meet societal expectations of neurotypicality and gender norms. Cultural expectations surrounding femininity heighten the pressure to mask ADHD traits, contributing to emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and burnout. The diagnosis offered a sense of validation and a path to self-acceptance, challenging long-held feelings of inferiority. By centring the intersectional experiences of Indian women, this study highlights an urgent need to understand ADHD not merely as a biomedical condition, but as a lived experience deeply shaped by societal and cultural norms. Lay Abstract This study aimed to examine the experiences of late-diagnosed Indian women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on gender-specific challenges. Six women, aged 25 to 33, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. The participants' experiences were conceptualized and thematically organized into three main themes: Theme 1: Not Wrong but Different — The Importance of Diagnosis, Theme 2: Negotiating with Normal — ADHD in Women's Daily Lives, and Theme 3: Embracing Authenticity — Aligned with, Not Against, the Self. The findings reveal how intersectional stigma shapes the struggle of Indian women with ADHD to meet societal expectations of neurotypicality and gender norms. Cultural expectations surrounding femininity heighten the pressure to mask ADHD traits, contributing to emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and burnout. The diagnosis offered a sense of validation and a path to self-acceptance, challenging long-held feelings of inferiority. By centring the intersectional experiences of Indian women, this study highlights an urgent need to understand ADHD not merely as a biomedical condition, but as a lived experience deeply shaped by societal and cultural norms.