Family Relationships and ADHD

Relationship issues are often a concern for people with ADHD (ADD). Parent-child conflicts are common and failed adult relationships more frequent in families dealing with ADHD (ADD). There are a number of ADHD (ADD) traits that can contribute to relationship problems between family members including:

Disorganization
Messiness
Forgetfulness
Chronic lateness
Impatience
Poor Anger Control
Impulsivity
Poor listening skills

At the same time, individuals with ADHD (ADD) can be engaging, stimulating, creative, and loveable. The challenge is to find ways to minimize daily problems related to ADHD (ADD) and to reduce conflicts in the family so that there is more opportunity to enjoy the positive side of ADHD (ADD).

ADHD (ADD) doesn’t only affect an individual, but also everyone in close relationship to them. Conflicts can be frequent between adult partners and between parent and child. The key to reducing the destructive impact that ADHD (ADD) can have on family relationships is to help family members change their communication patterns so that they can listen to and better understand one another. Better communication, with increased understanding is the first and most important step toward constructive problem solving at home.

If you are interested in couple therapy or would like to find out more, contact the Chesapeake ADHD Center at (301) 562-8448