What ADD and ADHD causes to relationships

By: Melissa C. Orlov

How the partner with ADHD often feels:
Different. The brain is often racing, and people with ADHD experience the world in a way that others don’t easily understand or relate to.
Overwhelmed, secretly or overtly, by the constant stress caused by ADHD symptoms. Keeping daily life under control takes much more work than others realize. Even if it’s not always apparent, ADHD can make someone feel like they’re struggling to keep their head above water.
Subordinate to their spouses. Their partners spend a good deal of time correcting them or running the show. The corrections make them feel incompetent, and often contribute to a parent-child dynamic. Men can describe these interactions as making them feel emasculated.
Shamed. They often hide a large amount of shame, sometimes compensating with bluster or retreat.
Unloved and unwanted. Constant reminders from spouses, bosses, and others that they should “change,” reinforce that they are unloved as they are.
Afraid to fail again. As their relationships worsen, the potential of punishment for failure increases. But their inconsistencies resulting from ADHD mean that this partner will fail at some point. Anticipating failure results in reluctance to try.
Longing to be accepted. One of the strongest emotional desires of those with ADHD is to be loved as they are, in spite of imperfections. By: Melissa C. Orlov How the non-ADHD partner often feels: Unwanted or unloved. The lack of attention is interpreted as lack of interest rather than distraction. One of the most common dreams is to be “cherished,” and to receive the attention from one’s spouse that this implies. Angry and emotionally blocked. Anger and resentment permeate many interactions with the ADHD spouse. Sometimes this anger is expressed as disconnection. In an effort to control angry interactions, some non-ADHD spouses try to block their feelings by bottling them up inside. Incredibly stressed out. Non-ADHD spouses often carry the vast proportion of the family responsibilities and can never let their guard down. Life could fall apart at any time because of the ADHD spouse’s inconsistency. Ignored and offended. To a non-ADHD spouse, it doesn’t make sense that the ADHD spouse doesn’t act on the non-ADHD partner’s experience and advice more often when it’s “clear” what needs to be done. Exhausted and depleted. The non-ADHD spouse carries too many responsibilities and no amount of effort seems to fix the relationship. Frustrated. A non-ADHD spouse might feel as if the same issues keep coming back over and over again (a sort of boomerang effect). By: Melissa C. Orlov  Click here to read: How does ADHD or ADD affect relationships? https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/adult-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder-and-relationships.htm

ADD vs. ADHD. ***ADD is an outdated term***

What’s the Difference Between ADHD and ADD?

By: Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP

Click HERE to read more.




He talks about:

This condition is sometimes called attention deficit disorder (ADD), but this is an outdated term. The term was once used to refer to someone who had trouble focusing but was not hyperactive. The American Psychiatric Association released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in May 2013. The DSM-5 changed the criteria to diagnose someone with ADHD. Keep reading to learn more about the types and symptoms of ADHD.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP






Adult ADHD
Adults with ADHD have typically had the disorder since childhood, but it may not be diagnosed until later in life. An evaluation usually occurs at the prompting of a peer, family member, or co-worker who observes problems at work or in relationships.
Adults can have any of the three subtypes of ADHD. Adult ADHD symptoms can differ from those of children because of the relative maturity of adults, as well as physical differences between adults and children.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP



Severity
The symptoms of ADHD can range from mild to severe, depending on a person’s unique physiology and environment. Some people are mildly inattentive or hyperactive when they perform a task they don’t enjoy, but they have the ability to focus on tasks they like.

Others may experience more severe symptoms. These can affect school, work, and social situations.
Symptoms are often more severe in unstructured group situations than in structured situations with rewards. For example, a playground is a more unstructured group situation. A classroom may represent a structured and rewards-based environment.

Other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or a learning disability may worsen symptoms.
Some people report that symptoms go away with age. An adult with ADHD who was hyperactive as a child may find that they’re now able to remain seated or curb some impulsivity.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP 

Takeaway

Determining your type of ADHD puts you one step closer to finding the right treatment. Be sure to discuss all your symptoms with your doctor so you get an accurate diagnosis.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP

Environmental factors for ADHD:

By: Banerjee TD¹, Middleton F, Faraone SV.However, several biological and environmental factors have also been proposed as risk factors for ADHD, including food additives/diet, lead contamination.

 Talks about:

The majority of studies performed to assess genetic risk factors in ADHD have supported a strong familial nature of this disorder. Family studies have identified a 2- to 8-fold increase in the risk for ADHD in parents and siblings of children with ADHD. Various twin and adoption studies have also highlighted the highly genetic nature of ADHD. In fact the mean heritability of ADHD was shown to be 0.77, which is comparable to other neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.




Although the majority of research shows that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is hereditary, a growing body of research suggests that childhood exposure to certain environmental factors may increase the risk and symptoms of ADHD BY: RD





Toxins in pregnancy:
Pregnant women who are exposed to environmental toxins like tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs may reduce the activity of vital nerve cells (neurons) which produce neurotransmitters in their baby’s brain. This reduction may increase the risk of having a baby born with ADHD. Along with a healthy diet, pregnant women should be mindful of the environmental factors they’re exposed to during pregnancy to give their baby the best start in life.
Food additives:
Kids who eat a wholesome diet may be far less hyperactive than their peers who consume a highly-processed diet. Health professionals have long debated the link between ADHD and diet; but only recently has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to evaluate the theory. In 2010, the European Union placed warning labels on food that contained six food dyes and the Food Standards Agency in Great Britain has asked manufacturers to phase out their use of the dyes. In the United States, the FDA is interested in studying Yellow No. 5, which can be found in processed macaroni-and-cheese mixes, some sports drinks, and high-sugar cereals, among other food additives.

https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/can-environmental-factors-cause-adhd/


















Go to https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/difference-between-add-and-adhd