Friendship is a skill you can learn—it's not inherent knowledge you missed out on.

If making friends has been hard, know this: You're not broken; your brain simply works differently.

Making friends as an adult with ADHD requires knowing how your version of ADHD affects you specifically.

If you are an adult with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and find that your friendships feel confusing, inconsistent, or exhausting, you are not alone. As both an adult with ADHD and a coach, I often hear clients share different perspectives around the challenges of creating a genuine friendship. The pain often sounds like this:

"Why is it that I can talk to people easily, but I can’t turn that into a real friendship?”

"Why is it that I can talk to people easily, but I can’t turn that into a real friendship?”

“I get really excited about someone new, and then the connection fades.”

“I get really excited about someone new, and then the connection fades.”

“I forget to follow up, and then I feel embarrassed reaching out again.”

“I forget to follow up, and then I feel embarrassed reaching out again.”

“I always feel like I’m either too intense or not enough for my friends.”

“I always feel like I’m either too intense or not enough for my friends.”

If this sounds familiar, I want you to know something important—there are real neurological reasons why friendship can feel harder with ADHD. That doesn’t mean it’s not stressful or challenging. But it’s important to realize that the difficulties you have faced are not because you’re not likable, trying too hard, or “too much.” On the contrary, making friends as an adult with ADHD is all about understanding how your version of ADHD affects you specifically.

6 Reasons Why........

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