ADHD Communication

Making decisions in the moment can be challenging for many with ADD. For some types of decisions you may only need a few moments to assess a situation, and determine what would work best for you. How often do you make decisions too quickly? What if you took extra breath?

No, I am not referring to dating. Though, if that is what you are looking for, by all means, go for it! Rather, I am asking you, if you want to make positive connections with people who through their actions or just their presence in your life provide you with support. It is all too easy in the hurriedness of our daily life to forget the value of nurturing our important relationships with family and friends. Though we may say that these people are important to us, the “task” of maintaining these relationships is often the first that goes by the wayside. Hmm… The last few weeks I have mentioned the tendency of those with AD/HD to get caught up in “the here and now”…

Can you remember a situation where you believe that you have been clear in your communication, and listened carefully to the other person? Yet, you still left the encounter feeling frustrated, angry, sad or demoralized? In typical AD/HD fashion, you may start ruminating about the incident to the extent that it takes up so much of your “head space” that you have little time to think of anything else. It may even end up affecting how you operate in your day to day life. You may find that you: are unable to concentrate on other tasks. have problems sleeping and eating. become “edgy” with friends, family members colleagues and, even strangers you encounter during your day. and, perhaps, stop doing your self-care routines, like exercising….

Many of us with AD/HD have bouts of miscommunication, which may be attributed to how our AD/HD symptoms, like impulsiveness, inattention and being sensitive, may manifest themselves.While we may work hard to ensure that we are understood, we can end up feeling misunderstood at times. It can be quite a quandary, and may take some time to unravel. In fact, it may seem almost like a chicken and egg scenario. In this post I am focusing on an area where we have the most control, ourselves. While it can be quite challenging to work on ourselves, it can also be easier than trying to change those things that are external to us. We may have adopted counterproductive patterns of communication that have persisted, though they…