Know someone suffering from A.D.H.D?

The following article was published in the NY Times on July 19, 2010 and forwarded to me by Coach Rudy in Asheville, NC who specializes in helping people with ADHD. The toll of ADHD on marriage and relationships can be overwhelming. Does this sound familiar? Another reason to have a professional organizer who understand ADHD help you in the home and office!
 
Attention Disorders Can Take a Toll on Marriage
by Tara Parker-Pope
Does your husband or wife constantly forget chores and lose track of the calendar? Do you sometimes feel that instead of living with a spouse, you’re raising another child?
Your marriage may be suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
An A.D.H.D. marriage? It may sound like a punch line, but the idea that attention problems can take a toll on adult relationships is getting more attention from mental health experts. In a marriage, the common symptoms of the disorder — distraction, disorganization, forgetfulness — can easily be misinterpreted as laziness, selfishness, and a lack of love and concern.
Experts suggest that at least 4 percent of adults have the disorder, that as many as half of all children with A.D.H.D. do not fully outgrow it and continue to struggle with symptoms as adults, and that many adults with the disorder never received the diagnosis as children.
Adults with attention disorders often learn coping skills to help them stay organized and focused at work, but experts say many of them struggle at home, where their tendency to become distracted is a constant source of conflict. Some research suggests that these adults are twice as likely to be divorced; another study found high levels of distress in 60 percent of marriages where one spouse had the disorder.

The main thing to remember is there is help available. There are many ways to address ADHD and improve your situation.