Friendships with ADHD are a wild ride—missed texts, oversharing, and turning up late (but with an epic story why). We can be chaotic, but we’re also the ones who’ll answer your 2 AM call, remember that weird fact you mentioned six months ago, and turn a boring Tuesday into an adventure.
Friendship was our topic at this month’s Healthier Habits Online Peer Support Group. Behold our collected wisdom below.
The ADHD Friendship Struggle is Real
1. Time? What’s That?
We fully intend to meet at 7 PM, but somehow, it’s 7:42, and we’re sprinting down the street with one shoe on. It’s not personal—our brains just struggle with time.
2. Talking? We’re GREAT at It!
We talk fast, interrupt too much, and sometimes share deeply personal stories with strangers in the checkout line. It’s not oversharing—it’s just extreme bonding.
3. The Art of Vanishing
We either text you 47 times a day or disappear for weeks. It’s not that we don’t love you—we just got distracted by life (or a hyperfixation on 17th-century shipwrecks).
4. Rejection Sensitivity™
If you take 30 minutes to reply, we assume you hate us. No, we won’t ask you about it directly; we’ll just spiral, then act totally fine next time we see you.
5. AuDHD? Extra Complexity!
If autism is in the mix, things get even trickier. Despite our struggles with commitments, last-minute cancellations hit hard. It may have taken days to mentally prepare for an event, and if it’s suddenly off, we feel deep rejection and emptiness. We need to know why it was cancelled just to process it.
But Here’s Why We’re Indispensable Friends
We Bring the Energy – Spontaneous midnight road trip? Dramatic retelling of a mundane event? We’re in.
Ride-or-Die Loyalty – Need us? We’ll drop everything (unless we forgot where we put it) to be there.
Expert-Level Fun – Life is an adventure, and we want you in on it.
How to Keep an ADHD Friend (and Stay Sane)
For us ADHD types:
✔ Set alarms for literally everything.
✔ Try—really try—to listen and let others speak.
✔ Tell your friends you appreciate them, even if it’s been a while.
For our patient, wonderful friends:
✔ Nudge us gently when we vanish.
✔ Please don’t take late (or no) replies personally.
✔ Buckle up—it’s a fun ride.
The Bottom Line
Yes, ADHD friendships are messy, but they’re also full of quirkiness, laughter, spontaneity, imagination, and big-hearted love. Stick with us, and we promise it’ll never be boring!
Want to build more friendships? Join our courses or monthly walk—and keep coming back! See you there.
Carol, Co-Director, Procrastination Station