Always interrupting others and not understanding social boundaries? ——Social dilemmas and improvement methods for ADHD patients
1. Social challenges of ADHD patients: impulsiveness and poor observation of others’ expressions
1.1 Why do people with ADHD always interrupt others?
People with ADHD often have difficulty inhibiting their impulses and controlling their words and actions in social situations, especially:
• Difficulty waiting for a turn to speak : When talking to others, it is easy to interrupt or even speak before the other person has finished speaking.
• Unable to control the desire to express : The brain reacts too quickly to stimuli and the topic jumps, resulting in " hearing but not listening " , making the conversation one-sided.
• Impatience and easy distraction : Difficulty concentrating, causing conversations to become disjointed and unable to sustain meaningful interactions.
Studies have shown that people with ADHD have lower activity in the prefrontal cortex , a brain region responsible for self-control and social behavior management ( Barkley, 2010 ). As a result, they have a harder time suppressing their impulses than the average person, leading to interrupting others, excessive interjection, and even inappropriate speech.
1.2 Social boundary issues in ADHD patients
Many people with ADHD do not intentionally ignore the feelings of others or offend others , but because their nervous system is highly sensitive to environmental stimuli, they are prone to the following behaviors:
• Being too close or having inappropriate distance : You may suddenly get too close to others in social situations or touch others in inappropriate situations.
• Switching topics too quickly makes it difficult to perceive other people's reactions : It is easy to focus on your own thoughts and ignore the other person's emotional feedback.
• Over-expression and neglect of listening : Continuing to explain your point of view even when the other party has shown that they are not interested.
In school and the workplace, these behaviors can easily be misinterpreted as a lack of courtesy or disrespect for others , causing people with ADHD to feel excluded in groups or experience increased social anxiety.
2. How to improve the social skills of ADHD patients?
Although people with ADHD face many challenges in social interactions, interpersonal relationships can be improved through behavioral training, psychological intervention, and environmental optimization .
2.1 Improve social awareness: learn to “ pause ”
• Use the " three-second rule " : When you want to interrupt, force yourself to pause for 3 seconds to confirm whether the other person has finished speaking.
• Practice “ mirror dialogue ” : paraphrase the other person’s point of view during an interaction to make sure you are listening rather than just thinking about your own response.
• Get regular social feedback : Ask trusted friends or family to remind you of behaviors that may be uncomfortable for others and make adjustments.
2.2 Training situational awareness
• Role-playing exercises : Learning appropriate social responses through simulated situations at home or in social training sessions.
• Observe other people’s interactions : Learn appropriate expressions and body language by observing how your friends or colleagues communicate.
• Use social reminder tools : Record common social mistakes and quickly review them before a conversation to help you maintain good interaction habits.
2.3 Combining psychological and behavioral interventions
• Cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) : Multiple studies have shown that CBT can help ADHD patients enhance social awareness and improve impulse control ( Young et al., 2016 ).
• Mindfulness training : Improve self-control through meditation, deep breathing and other methods, so that you can be calmer in social situations and not speak impulsively.
• Develop a social buffer strategy : Set an " exit strategy " when communicating, and when you find yourself in a situation where you may be losing control, proactively adjust the conversation or temporarily leave.
3. Improving social difficulties starts with understanding and training
ADHD patients are prone to social challenges due to impulsive words and actions and lack of boundaries, but this does not mean that they cannot establish good interpersonal relationships. By improving social awareness, training situational awareness, and combining psychological and behavioral interventions , they can effectively improve social interactions and reduce misunderstandings and conflicts. For parents, teachers and friends, understanding the social difficulties of ADHD patients and providing appropriate guidance and patience are the key to helping them integrate into society and establish stable interpersonal relationships.
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