Here’s another video that addresses a very common problem that occurs in most relationships where one of the partners has ADHD – communication difficulties. I share a few more tips about how to have more meaningful and effective communication between you and your ADHD spouse (or you and your non-ADHD spouse). Check out the first …
Read more “Help! I married Someone with ADHD! {Communication #2}”
My wife’s in London for the week & she LOVES it over there. (Getting worried she might not come back!) While she’s gone, I’ve been reminded how important it is to have a supportive spouse who gets ADHD & has the patience for it. Communication is key. What you say is as important as how you say it. Timing is crucial too.
One of the most important things to remember about any conversation is that sometimes what is said by one person and what is heard by the other person, can be completely two different things. Always clarify and never assume that your words have been received the way that you wanted them to come out. It’s better to spend an extra five minutes being redundant, than two hours fighting about the misunderstanding later.
ADHDers are good at juggling multiple stimuli. We can be looking around, texting, humming a song and still hear every word of a conversation. Problem is to the other person, the lack of eye contact and the extra activities make it seem like we’re not listening or don’t care and that can be a turn-off.
Giving your full attention during a conversation shows interest and respect. It’s hard, but very important to make an effort to give people in your life your FULL attention, especially if they don’t understand what ADHD is all about. Once they learn that you can in fact hear what they’re saying while appearing to be engaged in other activities, communication will become easier, but until you cross that bridge, don’t be misjudged as uncaring or flaky – pay attention!