The Women Saying No to Motherhood
Alex Taylor* decided early on not to have children—even before she was diagnosed with ADHD at age 27. The licensed mental health therapist says she spent years masking, which sapped “every ounce of energy,” and still felt like she was treading water. “I spent many years acting a part for others, and now I want the rest of my years to be about me,” she says. “I’m at peace with my decision.”In generations past, society expected women in their 20s and 30s to start a family, even if they felt unready or preferred not to have children at all.
As those pressures begin to recede, younger women today feel freer to shun the traditional notions of motherhood and marriage, and increasingly, are opting out.
This may be especially true for women with ADHD who find that living in a neurotypical world is challenging enough without the unrelenting responsibilities of raising a child.“Today’s younger women with ADHD are, in many cases, wisely deciding not to have children.
Read more on additudemag.com
