ADHD, social awkwardness, and ghosting (Allison’s story)

Allison O’Keefe, a UX designer in Detroit, always felt she rubbed people the wrong way. Then, in her early teen years, one of her friends confirmed it when she called Allison “the annoying friend” behind her back. This made Allison more cautious in social situations, which often overwhelmed her. Worse, she also found herself accidentally “ghosting” people, forgetting to respond to their messages.

Eventually, a therapist asked her if she’d ever been diagnosed with ADHD, and the diagnosis started to make a lot of sense. She now feels less isolated — even as she still grapples with how open she wants to be about her ADHD.

How do folks with ADHD navigate these choppy social waters? Listen in as Laura and Allison sort through these questions and more.

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

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Related resources

• 5 ways ADHD can affect social skills
• ADHD and oversharing
• ADHD and feeling guilty or remorseful

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