Why do Individuals with ADD and ADHD act Entitled?

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the biggest complaints I hear from the families of perspective clients is the notion that his or her child acts entitled. He or she feels that they are owed something. This does not only apply to my younger clients, but the adults as well. So it leads to the question, do individuals with ADD and ADHD feel entitled, or is there something else at play?

Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question (sorry if you were hoping for one). But there’s validity to the notion that individuals with ADD/ADHD are entitled just as there’s validity to the idea that there’s something else at play. Allow me to further explain…

In the case of being entitled for entitled’s sake, individuals with ADD/ADHD can be manipulative. We’re not afraid to ask for the same thing over and over again until we get the things we want. This leads to an attitude (or learned behavior) that the world will just give us our way if we continually ask for it.

On the other hand (something else at play), us folks with ADD/ADHD have a tendency to get very fixated on an idea/concept. If we do not get the things that we want, will can make it very uncomfortable for those around us.

So let’s say there’s a bit of a split between acting entitled and ADD/ADHD playing a role in this behavior. With this being said, how can we help make things more manageable? The best place to start is to set the expectation immediately. Clearly define what is expected and what will and will not be tolerated. Often times I see too much give-and-take in rules and expectations. A perimeter must be strongly defined and offer little-to-no variance. Allowing even the littlest of change can cause the whole situation to become out-of-hand. Trust me when I say sticking to your guns is the best medicine.

For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdefcoach.com. In addition to working with clients in-person, I also work with clients all over the United States and World online, please visit www.onlineadhdcoach.com for more information. To learn more about my other services, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com & www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDGuru. You can also find me on Facebook, Google Plus and Tumblr. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call 877.398.ADHD (2343) with any additional questions.

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