ADHD Psychiatrist for Orange, CT — Why ADHD in Women Gets Missed for So Long

For decades, ADHD was studied mostly in boys. The image of ADHD that became embedded in clinical practice — the hyperactive, impulsive, disruptive child who can't sit still — is overwhelmingly a male presentation. Girls with ADHD, who more often show inattentive symptoms, daydream instead of disrupt, internalize instead of act out — got missed. And those girls grew into women who spent their adult lives being told they were scattered, disorganized, emotional, or not living up to their potential. If you're a woman in Orange, CT and you've spent years quietly struggling — managing everything with enormous effort, exhausted by the maintenance of appearing capable — and wondering why it all feels harder than it seems to for other people: that's worth looking into. Sindhia Shyras, APRN is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with nine years of experience. She sees patients across Connecticut via telehealth and in-person at 1 Liberty Sq, Ste 301, New Britain, CT 06051.

How ADHD Presents Differently in Women

Women with ADHD are more likely to show the inattentive type — no hyperactivity visible from the outside, just a brain that's perpetually pulled somewhere else. They're more likely to have developed elaborate coping strategies: meticulous lists, rigid routines, social scripts to compensate for forgetting things people told them. They're more likely to be told they're anxious or depressed — which they often are, as a secondary response to struggling with undiagnosed ADHD for years. And they're more likely to mask. To perform competence in social situations while privately spending enormous energy managing what feels like chaos just below the surface. That exhausting performance has a name. And it doesn't have to go on forever.

The Emotional Side That Often Gets Ignored

Women with ADHD frequently describe emotional experiences that aren't on most standard ADHD checklists: overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, intense shame around things they forgot or failed to do, difficulty regulating emotions in relationships, a sense that they're fundamentally behind in a way other people aren't. Some describe a feeling of constantly running to catch up — even when their life looks fine from the outside. These aren't character flaws or just anxiety. Emotional dysregulation is a real feature of ADHD, and it tends to be more pronounced in women. Getting that recognized and treated changes a lot — not just productivity, but how you feel about yourself.

What Sindhia Looks for in the Evaluation

The first appointment is a full hour. Sindhia specifically looks at how symptoms have shown up across your life, including in school — where girls with ADHD often flew under the radar by being quiet and well-behaved even while struggling internally. She screens for anxiety and depression alongside ADHD, because they're so frequently co-occurring in women with the condition. She asks about your current demands: work, parenting, relationships — because ADHD tends to become more apparent when external demands increase. And she builds a treatment plan around what you actually need, not a generic protocol. We accept Aetna, Cigna, Husky Health, Medicaid, United Healthcare, Anthem, ConnectiCare, and self-pay.

Frequently Asked Questions