Kids with ADHD have friendship trouble for all sorts of reasons. Some simply aren't good listeners. Others drive away potential friends by their impulsivity — blurting out unkind comments, for example. A mom in Hawaii says her “mother hen” daughter alienates other children by trying to micromanage their lives.
Feeling Overwhelmed
You might have a lot of other things going on, and you find it difficult to pay attention to your friends and keep the commitments you make to them at the same time. Over time, your friends might become frustrated. They might think you don't care or that they are simply unimportant to you.
They may find it challenging to make and keep friends because of their brain's executive functioning impairment. The brain's executive control manages their ability to wait their turn, avoid getting distracted, direct their actions, control their emotions, and use their working memory to respond in social settings.
It can feel like everyone intuitively understands how to interact with others as if you're unaware of some sort of secret code, but many people think this way. Research has shown that children with ADHD have fewer friends and less satisfying friendships than neurotypical children2, which can carry over into adulthood.
Symptoms such as impulsivity, distractedness, and having a lot of energy can be draining on the friends, family, and spouse of a person with ADHD. This is especially true if the person hasn't yet been diagnosed with the condition.
Making friends can be particularly difficult for girls with ADHD. Hyperactive and impulsive girls sometimes have trouble taking turns or not getting their way. They might be too loud and aggressive, or just seem immature to other girls their age.
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It's caused by brain differences that affect attention and behavior in set ways. For example, people with ADHD are more easily distracted than people who don't have it. ADHD can make it harder to focus, listen well, wait, or take your time.
ADHD may result in some symptoms that can make a person “socially clumsy.” If you often find yourself saying and doing inappropriate things during conversations, you might be experiencing social awkwardness.
It's a common ADHD experience that I call 'involuntary ghosting' - a phenomenon that describes the disappearing act that happens when ADHDers forget to respond to texts.
It's not an exaggeration to say that ADHD worsens and prolongs the pain of a breakup, even leading to depression and low self-esteem. Getting over a breakup is way more difficult for us than it is for most neurotypical people.
The problem: The social maturity of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) may be a few years behind that of their peers. In addition, they have difficulty reading verbal and physical social cues, misinterpreting remarks, or not getting jokes or games.
Excessive talking is a common symptom for kids with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), who often have trouble inhibiting and controlling their responses. 1 They may blurt out whatever first comes to mind, whether appropriate or not, without thinking through how their words may be received.
During the early stages of a relationship, the partner affected by ADHD can focus intensely on the romance and the new partner. This sends the message that the new partner is the center of the person's world. It typically generates feelings of connection, love and validation, and the relationship seems to grow quickly.
A lack of organizational skills
Takeaway: If you're dating someone with ADHD, you might end up taking on some, most, or even all of the household duties. It can be stressful and frustrating to feel like you have to pick up after yourself and someone else — it's totally understandable.
However, it can also lead to potential misinterpretation of symptoms. Take, for example, ADHD. While most people associate ADHD with hyperactivity and impulsivity, it can also manifest in more subtle ways, such as through intrusive thoughts and overthinking.
Social Skills in Adults with ADHD. Individuals with ADHD often experience social difficulties, social rejection, and interpersonal relationship problems as a result of their inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Such negative interpersonal outcomes cause emotional pain and suffering.
Symptoms are divided into two categories of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Adults with ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive Presentation may talk excessively, exhibit restlessness, have difficulty waiting in line, and frequently interrupt others.
During conversations or presentations, a person with ADHD might blurt out things inappropriately. While this seems rude, experts say it's actually part of their symptoms.
People with ADHD live in a permanent present and have a hard time learning from the past or looking into the future to see the inescapable consequences of their actions. “Acting without thinking” is the definition of impulsivity, and one of the reasons that individuals with ADHD have trouble learning from experience.
The ADHD thought process is not so completely unfamiliar as to be unrecognizable, but people with ADHD might encounter some complications in their thinking. For example, someone with ADHD can be aware of some task, like a research paper. If you ask them when it's due, they may even know the calendar date.
A girl with ADHD may have impulsivity and be hyper-talkative. She may be verbally impulsive, interrupt others, talk excessively, or change topics repeatedly during conversations. She might even blurt out words without thinking about their impact on others. Girls with ADHD can also be overly sensitive.
People with ADHD tend to talk — a lot. We talk because we're excited or nervous, or because we just want to be a part of the conversation. Sometimes we talk simply to fill the silence because silence is hard for us.
Interpersonal Relationships
Individuals with adult ADHD may appear as one of two extremes: withdrawn and antisocial, preferring to spend their time alone; or overly social and unable to easily endure even brief periods of solitude.