Why Its Tough to Keep Friends When You Have ADHD

Why It's Tough to Keep Friends When You Have ADHD ADHD Adult ADD/ADHD Print Reasons Why Its Tough to Keep Friends When You Have ADHD By Keath Low Keath Low, MA, is a therapist and clinical scientist with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina. She specializes in treatment of ADD/ADHD. Learn about our editorial policy Keath Low Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on June 19, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on July 31, 2019 ADHD Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Living With In Children Thomas Barwick / Getty Images Making friends and maintaining friendships can be a struggle for adults with ADHD. Cynthia Hammer, MSW and ADHD coach, provides some insight into social relationships and ADHD, along with tips to help you improve them. Why Friendships Are Hard When You Have ADHD One of the best ways to find happiness in your life is through close friendships. But if you have ADHD, you already know that finding and maintaining these friendships can be a lot harder than it sounds. Hammer says we often get so caught up in our own lives, combined with trying to manage all thats happening, that we often fail to think about others and what we can do for them. Here are some reasons Hammer says ADHD can cause trouble keeping friends: You feel overwhelmed. When were overwhelmed, even thinking about doing just one more thing is one thing too many. If this one more thing is for someone else, it can easily never make it onto our personal radars. You think its not important. We convince ourselves friendships just arent important, or we believe that the opportunity to show a friend that we care about them and that they are important to us comes and goes so often, it doesnt matter if you miss some of them. But friends that dont feel acknowledged and appreciated on a regular basis can often fall to the wayside as they ask themselves, What is there in this relationship for me? You get bored. Some people with ADHD enjoy having friends  but often get bored with them, feeling the need for a break. They find it hard to be consistent in regularly enjoying their company, regularly paying them attention, and providing them with goodwill. You choose interests over people. Sometimes, we allow something else to take precedence over how we spend our time. For example, you might choose to learn to use a new video game over going to a movie with a friend, if that interests you more. Youre inconsistent. Erratic, fickle behavior, such as acting like you want to be with someone one day but then not wanting to see them again for several months is not the way to handle friendships. The person on the receiving end of this kind of friendship might feel used and think you only contact him or her when you have nothing better to do. You have a poor memory. An additional challenge for many with ADHD is a poor memory. What are the names of your best friends three children? Who is due to have a baby? Being told these kinds of personal details and then not referring to them in future conversations presents a huge stumbling block to creating long-term relationships. People want to feel that theyre importantâ€"that their activities and successes and failures are shared and valued by their friends. Friends who consistently say, I dont remember that or I forgot you told me that give the impression that they didnt care enough to remember. You avoid topics that are important to your friends. If you  avoid certain topics because you dont remember key information, youre going to find it hard to build a long-term relationship. When youre unable to share memories and details of your time together, you give the impression that youre not truly interested in your friends and dont value their friendship. 7 Ways to Improve Your Social Relationships According to Hammer, these are steps you can take to improve your friendships: Be aware.  The first step to improved social interactions is to become aware of what youre doing thats harmful. Monitor yourself. Are you actively listening or are you only waiting until you can put in your own two cents? If so, make a commitment, that for the next month, you will focus completely on  being a good listenerâ€"you will  hyperfocus  on this. If you say anything at all, it will be only to ask a simple, short question to clarify or expand what the speaker is saying.Repeat it back.  If youre listening to just one other person, occasionally ask them if you can say back what you heard them say, and then just do it, simply and concisely. Dont add anything. Give them a chance to tell you if youve correctly understood what they said and then let them proceed while you return to your role as the good listener. Practice, practice, practice these skills.Dont interrupt.  Are you interrupting others? Again, awareness is the key. Become aware of yourself in your interactions. If your e interrupting, take steps to stop it. When you feel the urge coming on, take a sip of water, make a note, take a deep breath and hold it for a second, or think, relax. Dont interrupt, and if you do, immediately recognize it, apologize for interrupting, and encourage the speaker to go on.Stick to the topic at hand.  If you have a tendency to change the subject and go off on an unrelated tangent, become aware and stop yourself. People dont appreciate it and wont view you kindly.Decide how much you value your friendships.  For the bigger problemsâ€"not paying enough attention and consistent attention to your friendsâ€"reflect on how much you want to improve your relationships. How much do you value having good friendships and what are you willing to do to get and maintain them? Good friendships dont just happen. They take nurturing and care. Are you willing to do what is necessary? Will you make good friendships and relationships a priority? When you have the choice between learning a bout your new computer and going to a movie with a friend, will you put a higher value on going to the movie because of the long-term payoff? The choice is yours.Put the pieces in  place for nurturing your relationships. When youre talking with a friend, make your plans for the next time youll get together, commit to it, and get it on your calendar. Learn to use a computer-based program that will remind you of important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Get all the contact information for each of your friends recorded. Buy assorted cards and stamps to have on hand so you can easily remember birthdays and anniversaries. When shopping, pick up some items you can use as unexpected gifts for your friends. Or buy tickets to some activity and ask them to go with you.Let your friends know how much they mean to you.  Purposely tell them how much you appreciate their friendship, how much you enjoy the time you spend together, and how much you look forward to getting together in the f uture. Dont let too much time go by without being in touch with those whose friendship you value the most. Tips for Dealing With Poor Memory Its one of the hardest challenges listed here, and unfortunately, poor memory isnt going to go away, says Hammer. Here are her strategies to minimize the impact: Make notes on your friendsâ€"including their likes and dislikes, their interests, their important relationships, and activitiesâ€"and review them before your next get-together.Subscribe to a service that will send birthday cards and other important events for you. You can set it up for the whole year at one time.Write down names of anyone new you meet and review them occasionally.Prepare before meeting with someone you havent seen for a while. Ask about what you know is important to them and whats going on in their lives. Demonstrate that you remember important details of things they have told you. A Word From Verywell People with ADHD have so much to contribute to relationshipsâ€"enthusiasm, creativity, energy, humor, and more. Dont keep those amazing traits from others by not giving them the chance to know you better. By learning and practicing simple techniques for healthy social interactions, you will be on your way to a bounty of good relationships and an ever-ready supply of meaningful friendships.