What if the people you love don’t ‘believe’ in ADHD?
ADDitude magazine asked me to answer a reader’s question, ‘Why won’t my parents accept my ADHD diagnosis?”
ADDitude is the go-to website and magazine for all things ADHD.
From children to adults, medication to natural ways to treat and manage ADHD symptoms, ADDitude magazine is a treasure trove of helpful information.
The question I answered was from a 20-year-old who had recently been diagnosed with ADHD.
When the young reader was officially diagnosed with ADHD, he felt happy to have discovered the 
root of his problems. He thought his parents would be happy too, particularly because the parents had expressed frustration for many years about their young adult child’s behaviour. All classic ADHD traits – being late, etc.
Sadly, this wasn’t the case. The parents didn’t believe in ADHD. That left the reader feeling hurt and confused.
Even if your circumstances are different [perhaps you are older than 20 :)], this article will still have some helpful insights for you.
When the people you love (partner, parents, sibling) reject ADHD, they are also rejecting part of you. This is because ADHD is such an integral part of you and your personality, their reaction can feel hurtful and frustrating.
It can also feel maddening that no matter how much you explain that ADHD is real and cite research, etc., they aren’t willing to change their minds.
In this article I explain…
- A helpful strategy to use with people who don’t believe in ADHD.
- Why it’s important to meet other people who have also been diagnosed with ADHD.
- How to make one positive change at a time to manage your ADHD symptoms.
- Why it’s so empowering to learn about ADHD and how it affects you.
Click here to read the full article on ADDitude Magazine
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