November 15, 2023
Conversations can be both rewarding and challenging for folks with ADHD. Perhaps you get too excited about a topic or feel nervous and overshare? Maybe you lose track of the flow and scramble to catch up on what you missed. Sometimes you might want to talk about a topic that seems relevant to you but tangential to others.
Many neurodivergent people struggle with having effective, authentic conversations. All too often, those with ADHD overfocus on what they believe someone else is thinking about them. This train of thought prevents them from being authentic due to a fear of judgment, criticism or exclusion. Moreover, you may be overly critical of what you are or aren’t doing during the conversation.
Now you are facing two challenges: lacking the practical tools for rewarding exchanges and feeling bad about yourself in the process. Juggling several executive functioning challenges simultaneously makes socializing tough enough without adding layers of anxiety and shame. When you combine all of these issues, your nervousness reduces impulse control and fuels the patterns of interruptions that inadvertently push people away. How can your conversations flow better with fewer interruptions? Here are tips and tools to help.
