ADHD and Adult Relationships

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) is a brain disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Adults who have ADHD often have problems with paying attention for an extended period of time. ADHD can affect relationships by leading to feelings of rejection and indifference. The person who has ADHD may feel criticized and sometimes, they even feel like they cannot do anything right. These feelings may lead to getting away from the partner without any particular reason. People who suffer from ADHD are often unable to focus long on a work task. They tend to move continuously and are known to be impulsive. Sometimes the restlessness is without any particular cause and can lead to the person losing focus for a task they were previously doing. Both children and adults can be diagnosed with ADHD.

The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but there are three factors related to its occurrence. They are heredity, children with parents having ADD or ADHD have increased chances of getting ADD or ADHD, a neurobiological disorder in the brain that is caused by chemical imbalance inside the brain (with neurotransmission) and environmental influences.

Causes

  • Heredity
  • Neurobiology Disorder
  • Environmental Influences
  • Society
  • ADHD affects a relationship, because it may lead to strong negative feelings when the partner does not have enough information about the indication.

Symptoms of ADHD

Generally, symptoms of ADHD are:

  • Inattention
  • Hyperactivity
  • Impulsivity
  • High Mental Sensitivity
  • Chronic Forgetfulness
  • Anxiety
  • Low self-esteem
  • Anger management issues
  • Risk of Addiction (Smoking, drugs, alcohol, and gambling)
  • Procrastination
  • Mood Swings
  • Depression

Symptoms of ADHD may decrease with increasing age.

ADHD also entails positive traits.

Positive Qualities

  • High Social intelligence
  • Great empathy and sensitivity
  • Exceptional ability (to see certain things in detail)
  • Very caring (towards others)
  • Talent (they often excel in a certain field such as music)

Treatment

Recognize the behavior of your partner. If your partner is suffering from ADHD, it’s very important to know about your partner’s behavior. There is no cure for ADHD. However, treatment can help a person feel less affected by the symptoms of ADHD. The symptoms of ADHD can be controlled by medication, behavior management therapy and involvement in your partner’s care. Medication (stimulants) are used to control hyperactivity, impulsivity and to increase the attention span.

One of the most important things is open communication. If you are emotionally upset talk with your partner about your feelings. Ask them to communicate with you, or just take some time alone to process the things. Another really important thing is to educate yourself about this condition.

Here are some things you can do in order to help yourself and your partner:

  • Improve Communication
  • Don’t bottle your emotions
  • Watch what you say and how you say it
  • Find and Use humor in the situation
  • Listen and understand your Partner

In order TO help your partner you should learn about this condition as much as possible