Because it often looks differently than it does in boys, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be overlooked in the lives of women, though an increase in knowledge is helping them confront it.

“Before, it was like trying to box a ghost,” said Kelly Cavanagh, Coordinator of Chester County/Main Line Children and Adults with ADHD, in a Philadelphia Inquirer report by Rita Giordano. “It’s exhausting because you’re swinging, but you can’t land a punch.”

The Malvern nurse recognized the telltale signs of ADHD only when her first child was suspected of it at age 7.

And she’s not alone in struggling with things like “nearly missed deadlines, the mental disarray, the effort needed to achieve … anything,” the article explained.

Lisa Tuttle of Wynnewood wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until just before age 50.

“I always felt a lot of stress,” she said. “I had to work hard to keep up.”

Read more about the signs and struggles of living with ADHD in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.