Recent forum posts (all topics)

Ugh I went back and it didn't go well

Last night I ended it after reconciling for 3-4 months.  He had broken up with me impulsively because I raised a continuing concern in the relationship.  I've always attributed his conflict behaviors (gaslighting, blame shifting, defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling) to RSD but have never been clear on if that's what it is or he just a narcissistic person.

Anyway, he was stonewalling after a blowout and I texted him that our relationship is toxic and I want to release us both.  He read some of it and then I'm pretty sure blocked me.

The ADHD Effect on Marriage in other languages

Forum: 

Hello all,

I am looking for The ADHD Effect on Marriage in the Chinese language to give to my wife.  Where can I find it in other languages?  

Whilst it is too late to save the marriage itself, (truthfully I think the right time for me to have known my ADHD diagnosis, read this book, and begun working hard on changing myself was around 2016/17 so about 7 years too late) the book covers a lot of areas that will be helpful regarding ADHD relationships which other co-parenting manuals do not; communication, empathy, treatment, boundaries.  We need to co-parent our daughter amicably and if we are constantly at odds with each other that is not going to be good for our child.  

(Hint: maybe Melissa Orlov could work on a version of this book specifically on co-parenting with ADHD in the future?)

The nagging cycle

My wife has gotten a lot better in the last year or so with some of the aspects of her ADHD that were most problematic in our relationship, mainly since she got back on regular medication and we finally were able to have some (albeit very defensive) conversations about how ADHD was affecting things between us. But one thing that has not really budged at all is the nagging cycle we fall into. Here's how it goes..

Why is he so bad when everything else is?







Guess what happened. After years of begging him to get a new job that would pay him better (and let's face it, he has ADHD - he's probably gotten bored and complacent at that job and it's not going to get better.  He should be switching jobs more often, but instead he overstays his welcome and gets laid off.)   For the first time in our 27 years together, he updated his resume when he still had a job.   We will see if he actually applies to something.   I should be happy, but I'm kind of annoyed that I decided he would never change and I had to go and he changed.  And that's why we've been together for so long.  I decide that I've had enough and he switches gears.  But he never does it before it's too late.   We are now not putting groceries on credit cards and NOW he decides to get a new job? 

Why can't he do the right thing when things are bad?  Why?

Rejection Sensitivity and Codependence, Oh My

20+ years of marriage to an ADHD spouse who was just diagnosed about 3 years ago. We have 3 kids who are all teenagers now and still at home. My husband was unemployed for about 6 years and has been employed in a good job for a few years now. He is very smart, creative and talented, and his contributions at work are really appreciated. We have a lot of very typical dynamics in play in our marriage, most notably what I have seen termed the "pursuit-retreat" pattern. This pattern is typical for *anything* that is asked of him outside of his job.

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