“Will you please let me finish?!” If those words and that tone make you cringe due to how often you hear them, you’re not alone. You’ve probably been told on multiple occasions that you interrupt a lot if you have ADHD. Ironically, you also hate being interrupted as well! Oh, the irony!
Rest assured, this doesn’t make you a bad person. It’s a brain-based challenge rooted in how ADHD impacts your attention, working memory, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Understanding why we have this challenge is the first step towards helping ourselves improve without shame or overcorrection.
So, What’s with The Constant Urge to Interrupt?
We’re not trying to be rude or show a lack of interest. In fact, it’s often the opposite.
For many of us ADHDers, we interrupt because:
- Ideas arrive fast and feel urgent. I just thought of something that relates to what you’re saying, and when you hear it, you’ll agree that it was important!
- Working memory is fragile. I just thought of something that relates to what you’re saying, and if I don’t say it now, I’ll forget it!
None of this means you aren’t listening. It means your brain is trying, sometimes too hard, to stay engaged.
How Ways 2 Work Coaching Can Help
Interrupting isn’t a moral issue; it’s a nervous system and executive-function issue.