ADHD, social awkwardness, and ghosting (Allison’s story)

Allison O’Keefe, a UX designer in Detroit, always felt she rubbed
people the wrong way. Then, in her early teen years, one of her
friends confirmed it when she called Allison “the annoying
friend” behind her back. This made Allison more cautious in
social situations, which often overwhelmed her. Worse, she also
found herself accidentally “ghosting” people, forgetting to
respond to their messages.  


Eventually, a therapist asked her if she’d ever been diagnosed
with ADHD, and the diagnosis started to make a lot of sense. She
now feels less isolated — even as she still grapples with how
open she wants to be about her ADHD.  


How do folks with ADHD navigate these choppy social waters?
Listen in as Laura and Allison sort through these questions and
more.  


To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit
the episode page on Understood.org.  


We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at
ADHDAha@understood.org.  
Related resources

5 ways ADHD can affect social skills

ADHD and oversharing

ADHD and feeling guilty or remorseful



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empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like
ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work,
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