I might delete this later but I feel like shit. ADHD / my inability to get it under control to a level that works for my partner is destroying my relationship and I’m trying to work on my issues and find strategies and some things are getting better but it’s like our relationship has already been damaged beyond repair.
One HUGE issue for us is me again and again forgetting something that’s important for my partner and them feeling deeply hurt as a result because they feel their needs don’t matter. But they do matter and I try to care for them as best as I can but I also keep forgetting things. And I also understand that this is extremely hurtful regardless of whether or not I’m doing it on purpose (which I’m not).
My partner also suffers from strong migraines, so sleep is important to them. I know this. Bedtime is 10pm and when I’m out and have to be home by a certain time I will be (unless there’s something outside of my control).
Last night I was an ADHD group for the first time. My partner asked me how long it would go. I told them it’s from 6 to 8pm. So - naturally - they assumed I would be home by around 8:40. They also insist that I said so, but I can’t remember that.
When the meeting ended one of the other people walked up to me about something I said in the group because she has very similar experiences in her relationship, asked if we could stay in touch, and we chatted a bit. When I realized it was already 8:20 I told her I had to go and said good-bye. I then texted my partner that I unexpectedly ended up chatting with someone from the group and would be home by 9:15. To me that was okay because there would still be enough time to be in bed by 10.
My partner however had wanted to go to bed at 9:30 because they’d already been up since 5:30 that day. I knew they had been up early and I knew they had an exhausting day the next but I did not put these things together and make the conclusion that getting up early could mean they’d also want to sleep earlier. If I had known that I wouldn’t have chatted with that other person. My partner insists that we agreed that I would be on my way home right away but from my perspective it wasn’t a definitive agreement.
My partner then texted me back, telling me that they thought it was shitty of me to be late, that I still needed to do the dishes and that they had wanted to go to bed at 9:30 because they’d been up since 5:30. Perfectly understandable but I wasn’t aware of that because I have problems putting 1 and 1 together. I apologized but my partner remained angry.
When I came home they told me they were going to lie down now (which in our area often also means going to sleep). I went outside quickly with the dog so she could pee and when I came back and saw there was still light in my partner’s room I started doing the dishes. They came outside super mad and asking me basically if I had lost my mind, why was I doing the dishes when they’d told me they’d wanted to sleep. I get that I should have asked if they’re going to sleep now right away or if I could still do the dishes and I tried to explain myself but they didn’t care.
We ended up having a huge ugly fight where I also belittled their feelings (which I understand is a shitty thing to do) because to me talking for 20 minutes and thus running late isn’t a big issue in the light of me not being aware that they’d wanted to go to bed earlier. If I had known I would have made sure to be home earlier.
I understand my partner being hurt again and again by my inability to perceive and remember their needs. I’m trying, I’m really trying to be considerate but I keep fucking up and I keep hurting them and I feel so fucking frustrated and deeply sad.
PS: I really know belittling someone’s feelings is a shitty thing to do but from my perspective it was them being super mad about me talking to someone for a bit and therefore running late but in what was still an acceptable time frame for me. Because I didn’t know they 100% definitely wanted me home right away so they could go to bed earlier than usual. They told me I should have asked in advance when they wanted to go to sleep and yeah I will try to remember that from now on but I didn’t think of it.
!!!PPS: Irregular / not enough sleep can cause severe migraine attacks for them, so I am aware of this. It’s not just about being late - it’s about what lack of sleep can do to them. But I didn’t know or didn’t anticipate that they’d wanted to go to sleep earlier.!!!
I know this post probably isn’t the full story, but from what you’ve written, it your partner seems narcissistic and controlling. It sounds like they’re unwilling or unable to extend you grace, or see things your way, but they expect you to conform to their needs.
I think it’s pretty unreasonable for them to have a curfew for you, and even more unreasonable that they’re angry about you being a half hour later than they assumed. (not to mention that you were literally at a group that you chose to go to specifically to be a better partner)
Also they get angry at you when you do the dishes, right after they told you to, even though they weren’t sleeping? That’s not normal behavior. A mature person would simply talk to you in the morning, not start a fight (I’m sure a fight has 10x the effect on sleep compared to distant sounds of running water for 5 mins) Even if sleep is really that important to them, it’s unfair to expect you to tiptoe around them. Have they even tried white noise, or earplugs?
Yeah, my takeaway from this post wasn’t “ADHD is tough”, it was “this makes me appreciate being single”. To me, going to bed early because your partner needs to get up early the next morning is a huge favour for them, not something they should feel entitled to fight about.
They texted me back about the dishes but then when I got home said they were gonna lie down (= go to sleep) now, which I did at first interpret as “don’t do the dishes now anymore” but since I saw they still light on when I came back with the dog ten minutes later I thought maybe I could do some of the dishes seeing as they were still awake. But then they got super mad “why are you doing the dishes now when I just now said I was going to sleep?”
Like I said, that’s not reasonable behavior. They didn’t clearly communicate what they expected from you, and then got angry about it. Also, if you didn’t do the dishes, I wonder if they would have been angry about that instead. From what you’re describing, it sounds like you made a very reasonable decision. But even if you were in the wrong (I don’t think you were), it’s still partly on them– ND people tend to need more concrete, direct communication, and it doesn’t sound like your partner is making an effort to communicate with you effectively
Really though, I can’t imagine getting angry at someone for doing chores, unless it was super loud like vacuuming. It’s not like doing dishes makes much noise.
Why does your partner expect you to bend over backward for them, when they are unwilling to do the same for you? Why are they expecting you to structure your whole life around them, when they aren’t taking any steps to coexist with you? (If something as quiet as you doing dishes in the other room keeps them up, why aren’t they using white noise and earplugs? You shouldn’t be expected to try to match their sleep schedule)
Also, I still think it’s a bit crazy that they expect you home by 9:00, and 30min late is inexcusable. I assume that I’m younger than you, but with my friends it’s not uncommon to show up an hour late, and stay out until 1.
Your not making it sound any better. It almost seems like you’re held hostage. This kind of behavior would piss me off like crazy, especially since I need the night time to myself. Its the only time of the day when I can finally relax and just do me-things.
Talk to your partner. If that doesn’t help, maybe suggest couple’s therapy. If they don’t comply, then it is a very one-sided thing and that’s not going to end well. I don’t know the whole story, so this may come off as harsh, but it is the information you’re giving us, which at the very least indicates that you’re not happy with the situation.
It’s not your fault that you have ADHD. Having ADHD doesn’t make you a bad person. All of my favorite people in my life have ADHD, except for my wife. But she is very understanding and helps me out a great deal. I try my best to repay that. Of course there are occasions where she’s fed up with my forgetfulness and whatnot, but that’s normal.
All the best to you, I hope you’ll work things out together!