Having ADHD doesn't make you a bad mother! On the contrary, having ADHD gives you the ability to empathize with your children, come up with creative solutions for problems, and create a loving, nurturing and exciting home for you and your family. Learn to appreciate the gifts and minimize the weaknesses of ADHD.
It might take some extra work, but it is possible for dads with ADHD to have a calm, loving relationship with their children with ADHD. A father reads with his two kids in the park. Spending quality time together is one strategy for how to be a better dad.
ADHD makes it harder for kids to develop the skills that control attention, behavior, emotions, and activity. As a result, they often act in ways that are hard for parents manage. For example, because they are inattentive, kids with ADHD may: seem distracted.
For example, children with ADHD create far more demands on parents' time and attention. That can lead to relationship problems, less family togetherness, and more conflict. Research even shows higher rates of divorce and depression among parents of a child with ADHD, compared with other families.
Many women with ADHD say they feel restless all the time. They might have a hard time relaxing or tap their fingers and toes incessantly. Adults with impulsivity problems might spend irresponsibly and are more likely to get into car accidents. They also have higher rates of divorce and addiction.
Most new parents suffer from symptoms that could fall under the general guidelines for a diagnosis of ADHD: lack of focus on directions, forgetfulness, disorganization, losing important items and a general sense of foggy thinking. Simply adding a fully dependent human being to your busy schedule can do some of that.
"They may also struggle with feeling like they are all over the place, and then are down on themselves for maybe not feeling adequate as a mom." These women also tend to have reactive or short-fused emotions. In turn, their frustration tolerance is lower, leading to impatience and outbursts with their children.
You can inherit genes that boost risk for ADHD from your mother, from your father or from both parents. In a recent Norwegian study, inherited risk was somewhat higher when a child's mother had ADHD compared to their father, but researchers weren't certain why that would be. What are the main causes of ADHD?
While the exact causes of ADHD have not been identified, genetic studies show there is a strong hereditary component, with an up to a 91 percent likelihood of passing the disorder to your children.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
Decades of research show that authoritative parenting is the most effective style for raising productive, well-adjusted, functional children with ADHD.
These may include hyperfocus, resilience, creativity, conversational skills, spontaneity, and abundant energy. Many people view these benefits as “superpowers” because those with ADHD can hone them to their advantage.
Adults with ADHD can have successful relationships just like other adults can. For an adult with ADHD to have a successful relationship, they should follow these effective communication strategies: Use, “I feel,” statements to focus on feelings. Avoid blaming your partner.
Ban These Words from Your Vocabulary
Words and phrases like “stupid,” “dumb,” “lazy,” “crazy,” “you're not trying” and “you should be ashamed” all erode self-esteem and lead to a lack of motivation in all children, but particularly those with ADHD because they tend to receive a lot of criticism.
Genetics. ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
Causes of ADHD
In addition to genetics, scientists are studying other possible causes and risk factors including: Brain injury. Exposure to environmental risks (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age. Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy.
Many people think that ADHD is a result of trauma, but is it true? The answer is yes, but more for some people than others. The truth is that 90% of the time ADHD is not caused by trauma, but if the trauma is extreme enough, it can cause severe ADHD-like symptoms.
Genetic screening cannot determine if a person has ADHD. Genetic screening may be helpful to a prescriber in selecting medications to treat ADHD and related conditions. Genetic screening may reveal information about other conditions that will need to be considered.
Is ADHD considered a disability? Yes, ADHD is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). There are several types of disabilities, including but not limited to: learning disability.
“The hardest thing about ADHD is that it's 'invisible' to outsiders. It's not like other conditions that people can clearly see. People just assume that we are not being good parents and that our child is a brat, when they don't have an idea how exhausted we truly are.” —Sara C.
Age itself doesn't necessarily make ADHD worse. The way your symptoms show up depends on several factors. The good news is that most adults are able to manage their lives well with therapy and medications.
People with ADHD tend to experience life more intensely than others. This means that even if you're hyper-focusing on a certain task or assignment in front of you, you can still have many other thoughts and ideas coursing through your brain. It can feel like there's always a lot going on, which may become overwhelming.