Attention deficit hyperactivity Disorder or simply known as ADHD is a sickness that is known to affect both children and adults. It is a disease that manifests itself in the behavior of those suffering from it. The main thing that helps to easily identify people with this disorder is hyperactivity. Children suffering from this disorder are excessively active; they cannot sit peacefully for a short period of time. There are other symptoms such as inattention and impulsivity. Divorce plays various roles in various aspects of this disorder. We want to look at these roles in the ensuing paragraphs.
Parents divorce over ADHD children
In one research by the Pittsburg ADHD Longitudinal Study, it was discovered that parents of children with ADHD are more likely to divorce before the child turns 8. The study was conducted using parents with ADHD children and those without ADHD children. The result of the study is that as much as twice the number of parents who divorced before their children turn 8 were those with ADHD children as compared to parents with no ADHD children. A lot of reasons were given for this.
The first one is that parents of ADHD children ague about whether their children have the disease or not. Usually one parent will accept that the child is suffering from the disorder and the other will refuse to accept. For example if a boy is reported by his teachers as showing signs of the disease, a mother may show concern and will want the problem to be further investigated or treated. A father may however dismiss these concerns by saying that boys are normally very active. This leads to a problem in the marriage which breaks up eventually.
The second thing is how the child should be treated. Even when both parents accept that their child is suffering from the disorder, they are constantly in disagreement about how the disorder should be managed. Whiles one parent may not see it a case that should be sent to the doctor, the other will insist that a doctor should be consulted. There are various modes of managing the disorder. The choice of a method of managing the disease may also become a heated argument. For example one parent may want the problem solved by medication while the other will want it handled through therapy.
Adult with ADHD are involved in divorce
Apart from parents divorcing over children having ADHD, it is more likely for the people suffering from ADHD to be involved in divorce themselves. This is because marital problems are some of the consequences of adult ADHD. This may result from the following.
1. Denials
The individual partner suffering from the disorder will refuse to accept that s/he has a problem. This might cause a lot of conflicts between them and their partners leading finally to divorce. People with adult ADHD will always insist that they are not being understood by their partners, while their partners will constantly see a lot of annoying behavior from them.
2. Performance of obligations
One symptom of adult ADHD is disorganization. People with ADHD are not able to organize their lives. They therefore default in the normal responsibilities such as paying bills, keeping promises, and meeting deadlines. These are all recipes for conflict in a marriage. When such conflicts continue, one party may give up and seek a divorce.