Living with adult ADD can be quite a challenge. Not only is it a challenge for the actual person who has ADD but for those around him or her. Much needed understanding and support for adults with ADD has finally begun to surface. But what about the people who have chosen to love, honor and cherish adults with ADD? Where do they go for support and understanding? Who is going to help them cope with the challenges of adult ADD?
Over the past couple of years both online and local support groups have begun to form for spouses and partners of adults with ADD. The Non-ADD Partner Support groups seem like a miracle for spouses and significant others of adults with ADD. They finally have a place to be understood and supported. Well, at least that is what many Non-ADD partners expect when entering and participating in these groups.
Many of these groups do offer personal understanding and camaraderie which are essential parts of support. These same groups point their members towards vital resources about ADD which can help educate their members. Some even try to educate their members directly about ADD. Again these are all great steps in being a support group.
One may actually look at these Non-ADD Partner support groups and think that the group itself has ADD. Many of these groups fail to complete the actual task of being supportive. They tend to leave out some vital steps like offering helpful advice. There is advice given, like make sure your partner is diagnosed and put on medication, which in many circumstances can be very helpful. But, the advice seems to end there.
Many non-ADD partners enter these groups looking for day to day strategies and coping techniques. Some of their spouses and partners are already taking medication and some for their own personal reasons have opted not to take medication. Some of these support group leaders seem to push the use of medication on to the groups' participants. It has even been reported that support group leaders give advice about specific medication from their non-medical backgrounds.
Non-ADD Partner Group participants have reported that some of these groups are very negative. These participants go into the groups expecting people to share problems and have its fair share of negativity but, many leave these groups because the energy is much too negative. Some Non-ADD partners are astonished of how much bad mouthing goes on in these groups and how hateful many of the participants are towards their significant others. Quite a few non-ADD partners feel as though they don't fit into these groups because their issues don't seem as important as other members of the groups.
So where do non-ADD partners who want tips, strategies and a more positive environment turn to? There different options out there. They can start their own Non-ADD Partner Support groups and set specific ground rules. They can speak up if they are already part of a group that does not seem supportive and let the support group leader know how they feel. They can become a member of ADDA which supports Adult ADD issues including non-ADD Partners. They can also hire an ADD Coach who works with ADD couples.
Non-ADD Partners need to know that they are not alone and that there is help and support for them too. There are others out there who are sharing similar experiences as they are. There are ways to find both support and understanding too.
Tara McGillicuddy is an ADD Coach and Activist. She has been educating and supporting people with ADD through her web site http://www.livingwithadd.com for several years. She is also the director of http://www.addclasses.com. You can learn more about Tara by reading her blog at http://livingwithadd.blogs.com.
He hasn't called in hours. You call and get the... Read More
True Friendship - RecognitionHow can we find true friendships in... Read More
Within the next two to three minutes, you will uncover... Read More
1. He Only Pretends Not to Listen.He heard what you... Read More
1. Be predictable.When do seeds of suspicion emerge? When one... Read More
Is it possible that a scent can make you more... Read More
That lover's holiday we know as Valentine's Day is coming... Read More
Have you been plagued by the nagging feeling that your... Read More
Jamie and Kurt are a sweet, successful couple in their... Read More
What is Chemical Romance? It's a scientific approach to seduction... Read More
Emotionally healthy men and women almost always share their lives... Read More
The art of romance and the art of Zen are... Read More
Many guys are just too intimidated and full of anxiety... Read More
When you spy on your suspected cheating spouse, please make... Read More
This is an amazing story. It's about my friend Robert.... Read More
When you were little, you looked up to your parents.... Read More
There are approximately 2 million men in the prison system... Read More
Every person that thinks something is amiss in their relationship... Read More
Do you agree that the best lessons are lessons given... Read More
Whether you've been in a relationship for a long time,... Read More
Domestic violence the catch phrase for the past ten years.... Read More
Extra-marital Affairs?Yes or No!!! (Think and Tell)"Human Relations", a complex... Read More
1. Time together is time during which the complete focus... Read More
I often awake to find Beverly, my older wife, wrapped... Read More
Being a good friend is a skill we can learn... Read More
Knowing her day can be dreadfully tiresome when she mounts... Read More
Hey all, I feel that need to reach out and... Read More
Having a girlfriend can be a dangerous thing. We become... Read More
We may not be aware of it; but the words... Read More
So, tonight's the night. You want to have a Romantic... Read More
There are some men who will never understand the importance... Read More
One of the most commonly asked questions, What is Love?... Read More
Good communication is of fundamental importance in intimate relationships. The... Read More
One of my favorite comic strips growing up was "The... Read More
Finally, after all of the hard work you have done... Read More
One of the great obstacles to maintaining a healthy relationship... Read More
Should coming from the same background be a major issue... Read More
When starting a new relationship, we usually adopt a subconscious... Read More
While not necessarily New Age in nature, Samantha has noticed... Read More
In order to improve relationships, many people have increasingly turned... Read More
Do you know what the definition of love is? This... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 19,... Read More
Have you been plagued by the nagging feeling that your... Read More
Body Language can tell you a lot about what is... Read More
How much energy do you spend trying to get what... Read More
Gag gifts can be very funny. They can also cause... Read More
Men and women think differently about romance.Men are goal-oriented. They... Read More
This is a sizzling hot topic for a lot of... Read More
I was sitting in my sanctuary in my back yard... Read More
Good communication is of fundamental importance in intimate relationships. The... Read More
There is a cool little game for spicing up your... Read More
To the spouse who had the affair, it's time for... Read More
Introduction"It just hit me out of the blue when Mike... Read More
Having a girlfriend can be a dangerous thing. We become... Read More
Any man who has dated Asian ladies who live in... Read More
Living with adult ADD can be quite a challenge. Not... Read More
As a somewhat older gentleman (but still fairly good looking... Read More
How do you let go of someone whom you have... Read More
Families are made up of individuals; men, women, and children.... Read More
You might ask yourself, I have heard this word boundary,... Read More
It starts young, as babies. We learn communication from our... Read More
This quiz is based on key areas of communication and... Read More
When you're searching for your Mr. Right, I want you... Read More
Telling your man that you love him is part of... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 28,... Read More
This is a continuation of part one of this article... Read More
Relationship |