Sometimes I ask myself: am I a good friend? I don’t really know the answer, and that can be both frustrating and exhausting. Social struggles are common for ADHDers. According to Dr. Russell Barkley in his book Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, we consistently report having fewer close friends than our peers. I worry about this because I […]
Tag: communication
When you’re not yourself
During an emotional meltdown, part of us really does disappear. My two-year-old gave me a powerful reminder of this while we were staying with friends for the weekend. R — exhausted from days of fun and social interaction — totally lost it getting ready for nap. We were in full meltdown mode. I just sat in the middle of […]
Use a signal for bad ADHD behavior…and don’t forget to laugh.
Sometimes — maybe even most times — we don’t realize we’re making a scene until it’s too late. Many ADHD adults are plagued by emotional reactivity, impulsive outbursts, and overreactions. Dr. Michele Novotni, author of What does everybody else know that I don’t?: Social skills help for adults with ADHD, describes this behavior as “ready, fire, […]