The Impact of ADHD on Marriage

The deficits in executive functioning, inhibitory control, and attentional processes that are the core characteristics of ADHD can have profound effects on intimate relationships such as marriage. Spouses with ADHD may be forgetful, disorganized, and distracted—failing to meet their responsibilities or obligations to their partners. They may not attend to or communicate effectively with their partners, and may overreact emotionally, losing their tempers and impulsively saying or doing things very damaging to their relationships. Over time, the non–ADHD partner may interpret the ADHD partner ’s failure to carry out commitments, poor communication, and emotional outbursts as evidence that the ADHD partner does not care or love the partner. Attempts to resolve the issues may fail because the ADHD partner “keeps making the same mistakes.” Eventually, the partners may burn out and the marriage may fail.