Why So Many Women Don't Find Out They Have ADHD Until Their Kids Do

When Busy Philipps started noticing her daughter's symptoms during an ADHD evaluation, something clicked. She recognized herself in the checklist, and went public about her own late diagnosis at 45. Watch the CBS News segment here.

Research presented at the 2025 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress found that women are diagnosed with ADHD an average of five years later than men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age.

And because women are more likely to present with inattention rather than hyperactivity, their symptoms tend to be less noticeable in childhood, meaning they're easier to miss, easier to dismiss, and easier to mislabel as anxiety or just being "spacey."

The path to diagnosis for a lot of women? Watching their kid get evaluated and thinking wait... that's me.

Studies show that for many women, a late diagnosis is revelatory their lives finally making sense, with improved self-esteem and a sense of healing after years of internalizing criticism and self-blame.

If Busy Philipps talking about this on CBS gets even one woman to say "maybe I should look into this" — that's worth the conversation.

Were you diagnosed late? Did your kid's evaluation lead you to your own? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.