About this episode

This episode explores the challenges ADHD individuals face in maintaining friendships and offers insights on improving these relationships.

In this episode, we’re unpacking why friendships can feel so hard for ADHDers, from forgetting to reply & losing track of time, to rejection sensitivity, masking, emotional dysregulation & the dreaded doom spiral. We’ll explore: • Why caring about someone & initiating contact are not the same skill • How ADHD can make small friendship wobbles feel like full-blown rejection • Why your brain might turn one painful moment into “they don’t care about me” • The role of RSD, emotional...

People in this episode

Host: Xena Jones

Topics covered

• ADHD
• friendships
• rejection sensitivity
• emotional dysregulation
• masking
• communication skills

Keywords

• ADHD
• friendship challenges
• emotional regulation
• rejection sensitivity
• communication
• masking
• social skills

More episodes of Navigating Adult ADHD

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• #174 ADHD in the Bedroom: Sex & Intimacy · July 13, 2026 · 36 min
• #173 ADHD & Anxiety: The Relationship Nobody Explained · July 6, 2026 · 37 min
• #172 ADHD & The Manual: The Invisible Expectations Destroying Your relationships · June 29, 2026 · 37 min
• #170 Weird things I do that support my ADHD · June 15, 2026 · 24 min

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