More threads by Diana

Diana

Member
Hi! I've never posted in this section before, because I know nothing about ADHD. However, a girlfriend of mine is wondering if her boyfriend may have slight ADHD. I know that nobody here can tell me for sure, but I'd just like some feedback.
This is what she described to me and what I've also noticed in him before. When he sits down he often bounces his foot/leg up and down. He seems to be really impulsive. Sometimes he just does things without thinking. Like one time he just put my girlfriend's friend's dog down in front of her parents' cat. He's 32 years old. She asked him why he would do something like that and she believes he just wasn't thinking. He seems to have trouble sitting quietly in social settings. He's always doing something. However, he has no trouble sitting quietly through a movie, being on the computer, reading or fixing or making things with his hands. It's strange because he's very social, but at the same time he's dissocial. He's Korean and education and jobs are seen as highly important here. He never went to college or university and he can't hold down a job. She said he went to some kind of school for mechanics or something, but he didn't finish it. She thinks he has a problem with authority. If someone gets angry at him at work he'll just walk out and quit. He's always working, then not working, then kind of working...
She also said that a few times he stole something (small) at a department store. I think he just put something into another box so it looked like it was a freebee or something like that.
Anyway, she said on the other hand he can be very focused on some things - for even longer than she could be. One thing I've noticed is that when we're all out he usually has to be the one to start doing "magic tricks" at the table or tell something funny.
She thinks if he does have ADHD it's probably very slight. Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks. Oh one more thing. This is weird, but she told me that he is unusually vocal in his sleep, expecially in the mornings. She said everyday he tells her something in the morning and then has no recollection of it. Also right when he's falling asleep.
 

David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
I don't know about the sleep thing - that's something else. But the other behaviors you describe would certainly be consistent with adult ADHD.
 

Diana

Member
Thanks. I also did some reading up on it and I'll have to ask my friend if she knows if he's been like this as a child. Before the age of 7 I guess? But, I don't know if she'll ask him.
 

Diana

Member
Well, I talked to my girlfriend and she said that she actually brought the subject up to him. He didn't get angry and she said he didn't even completely dismiss the idea. But, he didn't give her any feedback on his behaviour as a child. She also didn't ask him about his family members (yet). But, she said that she's met many of them numerous times and they don't appear to have symptoms. She told me a few more things though, after she did more research. She said that he's obviously not depressed. I guess he's very punctual when it comes to social gatherings, but just not for work. He doesn't get into fights. He finishes tasks. We're both not sure if not holding a job is considered not following through on a "task" or not. He's adventurous in many ways and has a good sense of humour (she said these are 2 positive qualities she found to be consistant with ADHD). She said that he'll suddenly put all of his energy into something - cooking for guests, fixing/making things (he's very creative), cleaning etc but it's strange how he doesn't excell when it comes to work.
 
Replying is not possible. This forum is only available as an archive.
Top