How Do ADHD Affect Relationships

ADHD is a long-term disorder that starts before the age of seven and can continue to show its effects through symptoms even in the teenage years. As ADHD leads to bad behavior, low attention span, hyperactiveness, and impulsivity; it has a critical impact on the relationships with your parents, siblings, family members, friends, and partner. At this point of time, the person suffering from ADHD actually needs care and support from these relationships, instead of hatred and ignorance. Otherwise, the relationships would be strained, which is more likely to result in comparatively intensified symptoms of ADHD.

Impact on the Relationship with Parents

When children grow up and enter their teenage years, they are of the opinion that they are now capable of doing any task due to the feeling of been grown up. On the other side, the parents feel that this point of time is such as that they still need guidance and are yet not that grown up to take up any task.

It is even more difficult to deal with ADHD teens and give them more freedom, as they feel that they are two to three years younger than what they are and so is reflected in their behavior. Further, there are always high chances of difference of opinions.

Methods of Dealing

Listed below are some tips to deal with the ADHD teens.

• Both parents and the teen must work together as partners. Both the party must respect each other.
• Discuss mutually about any problem, listen to each other’s concerns, and probably arrive at an agreed solution. Doing this will help you to set home rules for everyone with their own consent, which is likely to reduce the chances the breaking them.
• Discuss about the consequences that follow immediately if the rules are broken.
• Make your teen responsible for his/her actions and tell them that you expect them to perform well. If you treat him/her as if he will do wrong or expect to behave badly, there are high chances of the teen doing so.
• Communicate with each other frequently.
• Deal with difficult situation by being calm.

Impact on Relationship with Siblings and Other Family Members

Siblings of an ADHD child/teen always have a feeling of getting low attention comparatively. Further, it becomes difficult for them accept the different rules for the ADHD child/teen, as they feel being discriminated. However, they fail to understand how critical the condition of ADHD child/teen is. The situation is further aggravated when the teen with ADHD:

• Do not respect their siblings.
• Bicker beyond a toleration limit.
• Makes it difficult to go for outings or family trips due to bad behavior.

Family members who do not stay with you might reject the presence of medical condition of ADHD in your teen and never accepts him/her as he/she is.

Methods of Dealing

Listed below are some tips to tackle this relationship.

• Specify fixed rules for belongings of all your children. For example, any damage to the property of any child will be compensated from the pocket money of the one who is responsible for the damage.
• Try to explain the reason behind different rules to all the siblings.
• On arguments, separate the two so that they can cool down.
• Give time to all your children. For example, attend the sports day in the school of other sibling not suffering from ADHD.
• Try to explain the medical condition of ADHD to family members. Even after this if they still do not accept, do not worry, as it is their problem; not yours.

Impact on Relationship with Friends

Teenagers with ADHD might be ignored or feel isolated, as they are completely different from their friends. One more reason behind this is that the parents of friends feel that such teens are problem inviters. Further, such teens might argue a lot with their friends, as they tend to speak a lot without thinking.

Methods of Dealing

Listed below are some tips to tackle this relationship.

• Ask your teen to invite friends at home frequently to boost friendship with understanding.
• Talk to the parents of your teens’ friends regarding the problems and ask them to provide as much care and support to see faster improvement in your teen.
• Train your teen in social skills. For example, teach him/her on reading the body language to detect what is going on in their minds and subsequently ask them the reason for doing so.
• Ask your teen to think how he/she would feel when other person would say the same to him/her or act in the same manner with him/her. This would inspire your teen to think before speaking or acting.

Effect on Personal Relationships

Teenagers suffering from ADHD tend to hurt their partners frequently and often seem to forget things. They also face difficulties in managing a relationship when undergoing stress.

Talking about dates, especially the first one, a teen suffering from ADHD might be highly excited such that he/she talks excessively and might not be able to converse well. Not only this, you might become too impulsive.

Methods of Dealing

Listed below are some tips to tackle this relationship.

• If talking excessively creates problems, remind yourself of not doing so. For example, putting your mobile phone on vibration mode with an alarm can help you tackle this problem.
• Do a little homework wherein just think of few questions that you can ask your date that would make the date interesting.
• It is good to ask before you holding hands or hugging.
• Allow the date to set the distance and pace.

If the teen is feeling too difficult to manage the relationship, he/she should discuss the same with his girlfriend/boyfriend and must express all the feelings. This is because there are more chances of them to understand the situation and help coming out of this.

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