The ADHD & Anxiety Friendship Files
Manage episode 521105183 series 3693398
Ever feel like you’re really good at making friends but accidentally terrible at keeping up with them? One minute it’s instant connection, the next you’ve slipped into silence without meaning to. If that sounds familiar, you’re not the only one.
In this episode, I’m talking about what friendship looks like when you’ve got ADHD and anxiety in the mix. The fast bonding, the overthinking, the unintentional disappearing acts, and the kind of loyalty that stays even when your messages don’t.
✨ What I cover:
- How ADHD makes friendships feel easy and intense at the start
- How anxiety turns small moments into big worries
- The reality of typing a message and never pressing send
- Hyper-empathy and why it can be draining
- Parallel play as a calm, comfortable way to connect
- Friendship gaps and why they’re not personal failings
- Finding people who understand your rhythm
- Why connection doesn’t require perfect communication
💬 Quotes to remember:
'Think like detective board, red strings everywhere, me in the middle connecting the dots that probably do not need to be connected.'
'ADHD friendship energy is honestly unmatched.'
'You meet someone and your brain is like yes, this is my person, soulmate, done, we ride at dawn.'
'You overshare, you laugh, you message twenty voice notes, you plan a holiday, you’re ready to adopt a houseplant together.'
'Then your executive function evaporates in broad daylight.'
'You see their message, you feel the love, and you think I’ll reply… later. And later becomes never.'
'Typed the message. Laughed at it. Forgot to send it. Classic ADHD friendship behaviour.'
🧠 Takeaway: Friendships with ADHD and anxiety aren’t broken, they’re just a different rhythm. Once you understand how your brain works, the guilt softens and the connections feel easier. The right people won’t be thrown off by the gaps. They’ll know you always come back.
#ADHD #ADHDFriendship #Anxiety #Neurodivergent #ADHDPodcast #FriendshipEnergy #MentalHealth #ADHDLife
Chapters
1. The Fast Bond and the Sudden Vanish (00:00:00)
2. When Anxiety Joins the Chat (00:01:40)
3. Object Permanence and the Lost Friendship Tab (00:02:35)
4. The ADHD Friendship Gap (00:03:45)
5. Emotional Sponges and Parallel Play (00:04:40)
6. Eras and Evolving Friendships (00:06:20)
7. Love Note to Past You (00:07:10)
13 episodes