How to Make Being Social Less Boring

How to Make Being Social Less Boring

Why is it so hard for people with ADHD to socialize? Do you find that getting together with friends and family is rewarding, yet you put it at the end of your to-do pile? Do you gladly accept invitations, yet rarely organize social situations? Do you regret losing relationships by not reaching out, not replying,…

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Join the “Three Micro-Connections a Day” Challenge

Three Micro-Connections a Day

Being “social” can be hard for those of us with ADHD, regardless of our age. We often feel like ghosts, lonely and left out. Trying to be social can feel like an epic quest as we cloak ourselves in armor and draft battle plans to defend against the “just in case” instances that might come…

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Maintaining Friendships

Social Guidance for Adults with ADHD Maintaining friendships can be a struggle for those with ADHD, but positive relationships are important. Without them, we can feel isolated and alone. With them, we feel connected and valued. How can ADHD negatively affect social relationships? Recently, the headline on a news site listed the five best ways…

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When Your Teen Lacks Self-Confidence

You overhear YOUR TEEN’S FRIEND TREAT HER BADLY, yet when you inquire about the friendship, she retaliates against you. You are her cheerleader, advocate, and role model, yet she rarely listens to you, even after she admits her dismay. Often, as parents, we witness our teenager being treated badly, choosing the wrong friends, or trying so…

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Eight Ways to Stop Taking Things So Personally

Eight Ways to Stop Taking Things So Personally

It’s hard not to take things personally. When someone shouts at you on the road, you feel the sting of their anger. When scrolling through social media, you see a picture of a friend out with your other friends—and wonder why you were not invited. When you write a friend or relative to get together,…

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How to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time

How to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time

Often people with ADHD have a history of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Maybe we make a cringe-worthy comment we wish we could immediately take back. Other times we don’t know what to say and we just fumble along. Or we monologue and stumble into inappropriate comments. This history makes us afraid…

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Bomb-Proof Your Jokes

Humor can be tricky. With ADHD, it can be even trickier. If your joke won’t land or you can’t hit the punch line, the awkward silence that follows can be deafening. Jokes change depending on the group, the situation, and the people. Humor is largely about timing, intention, and reading the room. Is your joke…

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Friendship Problems? How Parents Can Help

“Your son is getting better at turning in his homework,” said Spencer’s fourth grade teacher. “However, the other students don’t want to sit at his table. I notice that at recess he is often alone, and I worry about him socially.” Spencer’s parents reflect on this statement. Indeed, they have noticed that invitations to birthday…

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Pre-Game Your Social Strategy

Want to improve your social network? “Just showing up” is rarely a good plan, especially for adults with ADHD in social situations. Bombarded by stimulation, swamped with anticipatory anxiety, flooded with emotions, and feeling you have lost the ability to self-regulate can make socializing both draining and overwhelming for people with ADHD. For many of…

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