Living with ADHD comes with unique challenges that can affect not only how you manage daily tasks but also how you connect with others. While much focus is placed on the more visible aspects of ADHD, an important but less discussed issue is loneliness. Recent data insights, coupled with the perspective from Dr. Barry Herman, Chief Medical Officer at Mentavi Health, reveal that individuals with ADHD often experience higher levels of loneliness compared to the general population.

Understanding the Link

The Surgeon General has identified loneliness as a national crisis, emphasizing its widespread impact on health and well-being. The Surgeon General’s report revealed that 39% of US adults report feeling very connected to others, and approximately half of all adults report experiencing some level of loneliness. This declaration brings to light the critical intersection of loneliness with various health conditions, including ADHD.

Recent aggregate data research by Mentavi Health has uncovered that 35.7% of ADHD patients treated by the company scored moderately high to high levels of loneliness based on the standard UCLA loneliness screener. This is a rate significantly higher than that observed in the general population. This statistic is more than just a number; it signals a deeper issue that warrants attention.

The Impact of Loneliness

For those living with ADHD, loneliness can exacerbate existing challenges, creating a cycle that’s hard to break. Social interactions and maintaining relationships can be more difficult, leading to a sense of isolation. Recognizing the link between ADHD and loneliness is crucial for developing effective interventions and support systems.

Addressing Loneliness: Steps Forward

Recognizing the issue is the first step. Here is the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recommendation for building and strengthening your relationships with a 5-for-5 Connection Challenge:

Step 1: Commit to connect

Pick 5 actions and 5 days in a row to connect with people in your life.

Step 2: Connect each day for 5 days

Each day, take 1 simple action of your choice to express gratitude, offer support, or ask for help. For more ideas, see the card deck below.

Step 3: Reflect and share.

Take a moment. How did connecting make you feel?

Integrating Solutions: The Role of Screening

Mentavi Health has enhanced its ADHD care approach by adopting the UCLA Loneliness Scale in all ADHD assessments, acknowledging the significant link between ADHD and loneliness. This alignment with the Surgeon General’s concerns over loneliness as a national crisis ensures early detection of loneliness, facilitating prompt and precise support.  The insights from this screener are essential to both the patients and the clinicians treating them. Dr. Barry Herman underscores the value of this integration, viewing it as a crucial component of comprehensive healthcare for ADHD patients. 

By prioritizing the identification and management of loneliness, Mentavi Health is advancing ADHD treatment towards a more inclusive, effective model that promises improved quality of life for those affected.

Mentavi Health, a pioneer in telehealth services through ADHD Online (adhdonline.com), announces its latest innovation dedicated to addressing the pervasive and often overlooked issue of loneliness and its health risks. Committed to providing accessible and affordable mental health solutions, Mentavi Health has added a loneliness screening to its comprehensive “Mentavi Diagnostic Evaluation” available at ADHD Online.com. 

Health experts have linked loneliness to a multitude of serious health issues, including an increased risk of depression, anxiety, dementia, heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. Loneliness has a far more significant impact on a person’s mental and physical health than is commonly acknowledged.

Earlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a public health advisory in response to a public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection. About half of U.S. adults say they experience measurable levels of loneliness in a survey carried out prior to the pandemic. The advisory found that disconnection impacts mental, physical, and societal health. 

ADHD Online recognizes that isolation can pose a risk to mental and physical health of patients given the social orientation of human beings and the research around it. People with ADHD are even more susceptible to being lonely, in part because of how they may relate differently to others. Loneliness and related events such as a move or retirement can contribute to worsening ADHD symptoms.

“Mentavi Health, which started with ADHD Online, continues its commitment to be a leading source of meaningful mental health insights for patients,” said Keith Brophy, CEO. “ADHD is rarely a solo condition. When a patient comes to Mentavi Health for our online Diagnostic Evaluation, they are prompted for information based on a number of the leading clinical frameworks, scoring systems, and screeners.  Our data indicates that over 80% of patients with ADHD are impacted by other conditions as well. ”

“Our Mentavi network of licensed psychologists subsequently use this information to render a comprehensive diagnosis in a consistent, clinically sound manner that may include a diagnosis for ADHD, anxiety, depression, and indications of binge eating, problematic social media, loneliness, or combinations of those,” added Brophy. “Mentavi’s commitment is to provide patients with the optimum insights for the mental wellness journey.”

Loneliness has a significant impact on a person’s health including:

Higher Rates of Mental Health Issues: Loneliness is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety which can lead to feelings of isolation and a sense of not belonging. There are also correlations with increased suicide risk.

Increased Risk of Dementia: Social isolation, which often accompanies loneliness, has been linked to a 50% increased risk of dementia, a concern for older adults who may already be at risk due to age-related cognitive decline. 

Increased Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke: Loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease by 29% and the risk of stroke by 32%, which are among the leading causes of death worldwide. 

Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Loneliness can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes for a variety of factors, including stress and poor lifestyle choices that can accompany feelings of loneliness. 

Increased Mortality: Loneliness is associated with increased mortality, with one meta-analysis finding that lonely individuals had 26% greater odds of early mortality with the physical and mental health risks associated with loneliness. 

“Loneliness has become a widespread problem in the United States, posing a serious threat to our mental and physical health,” said Barry Herman, Chief Medical Officer of Mentavi Health. “ It is critically important to recognize loneliness as a significant risk factor contributing to or exacerbating mental illness.”

“Mentavi Health can help identify, address, and manage these conditions, giving patients the tools to take control of their mental well-being. The screening for loneliness allows patients to receive an evaluation for an impactful condition that can negatively impact their health. In battling loneliness, people can learn healthy coping skills, write a journal, find ways to spend more time with loved ones, and ask for help.”

The new loneliness assessment is the latest in an already comprehensive list of screenings in the Mentavi Diagnostic Evaluation that include ADHD, anxiety, depression, binge eating disorder, and problematic social media usage, supporting Mentavi Health’s goal to be a leading comprehensive mental health evaluation provider in the U.S. 

For more information, visit https://mentavi.com/.

About Mentavi Health and ADHD Online 

Mentavi Health was launched as ADHD Online (adhdonline.com) in 2018 with the mission that everyone should have access to quality ADHD assessments from a licensed psychologist regardless of who and where they are.  ADHD Online is now a brand under Mentavi Health as its reach has expanded to address diagnosis and in some cases treatment, of ADHD and adjacent mental health conditions. The Mentavi Diagnostic Evaluation is offered nationwide, with treatment options available in 40 states.

By Maria Romaszkan

Our modern society seems to be a lonely one. But that can be a problem.

People are social creatures — we need others to thrive. So much, in fact, that isolation can pose an actual risk to your physical and mental health.

“Loneliness reminds us how much we value relationships,” says Vassia Sarantopoulou, psychologist and the founder of the AntiLoneliness project. “It’s the message our body sends us that we are important and need to become friends with ourselves again.”

Why ADHD can make you lonely

Anyone can feel lonely, of course. But some people can be more susceptible to loneliness — due to discrimination, lack of understanding or how they relate to the world. That includes people with ADHD, who sometimes relate to the world differently than others.

Here are ways that ADHD can contribute to loneliness:

• You feel like you don’t belong

People with ADHD often struggle with challenges that others don’t. Impulsivity, forgetfulness or problems with focus are only some of those challenges. They can all contribute to you feeling like you’re somehow different from others or you don’t belong.

• Rejection sensitive dysphoria

Those with ADHD can be especially sensitive to rejection, which can mean great pain and grief.

The problem is so widespread that it has its own name — rejection sensitive dysphoria, or RSD. You can learn more in our article about RSD.

If you have some symptoms of RSD, you may subconsciously try to avoid situations where rejection can happen — like meeting new people. That often leads to isolating yourself.

• Trouble with social skills

Another hurdle in being more sociable is social norms. You may struggle with small talk or break social rules, for example, by frequently interrupting others.

Difficulties with concentration, zoning out of conversations and even auditory processing difficulties that can coexist with ADHD may pose yet another barrier to proper communication and catching social cues.

We learn social skills from interacting with others. But as a person with ADHD, you may have struggled to connect with other children or even experienced bullying. Such experiences may heavily limit your opportunities to acquire social skills.

• Difficulties with making friends

All of these challenges mean that creating and maintaining friendships or romantic relationships can be complicated and overwhelming.

You might regularly arrive late to meetings, forget important dates, reply to messages days or even weeks later and look like you’re not listening to what the other person is saying. All of these behaviors can give people the wrong impression that you don’t care. They may distance themselves without understanding how you function.

After several rejections, it’s possible to start isolating yourself to avoid further pain and disappointment. Fear of rejection and abandonment may creep in.

Your self-esteem also plays a significant role in whether you reach out to others and in maintaining your current relationships.

• Low self-esteem

People with ADHD often struggle with low self-esteem. That can be exacerbated by trauma — especially childhood trauma — or serious mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.

You may think you don’t deserve love and support. “We’re afraid of imposing on someone by sharing our struggle and that they won’t have the space to support us,” says Sarantopoulou. “But when we hide our challenges, our loneliness peaks even more.”

Remember: You have inherent self-worth and deserve love, respect and support.

• Coexisting conditions

Finally, if you have any coexisting mental health conditions along with your ADHD, they can result in a loss of energy and motivation or make the prospect of social interaction extremely stressful. As mentioned above, that can heavily impact your self-esteem.

Depression, anxiety, trauma — all these conditions increase the urge to isolate and make you even lonelier.

How to deal with loneliness?

Experts say there are ways you can fight against loneliness:

• Learn healthy coping skills

While this won’t eliminate loneliness, it can help you better deal with it.

Feeling lonely and isolated can be devastating. You may feel the urge to reach for unhealthy coping strategies to suppress these feelings, like binge-watching tv shows, impulsive buying or using alcohol or drugs.

Instead, try to stay with this discomfort, says Sarantopoulou.

Find healthy ways to cope and allow yourself to experience this emotion. They will help you stay present and better manage your reactions. Try exercising, taking a walk in a park or forest, listening to music, meditating, painting or writing.

• Try journaling

Writing down your emotions and thoughts is a great way to understand what you want and are afraid of. You can try to define your fears and barriers when it comes to meeting other people.

Putting all these feelings into words can also help you figure out your next steps.

• Ask for help

Reach out to people you trust and ask them to identify which social skills you could improve. Maybe you could work on your active listening skills, ask more questions or initiate contact more often.

Try not to take these suggestions as criticism but as an opportunity to grow.

You could also brainstorm together ways to train those skills. “Practice empathetic listening and getting into other people’s shoes,” suggests Sarantopoulou.

You can also try role-playing or creating a plan of action for different situations.

• Let people understand you better

Explain to your friends and loved ones how forgetfulness or poor focus are elements of your ADHD, not your lack of care or affection. This is not about finding excuses or making things harder for others. You’re helping them understand you better. And being understood is something you absolutely deserve.

• Find ways to spend more time with your loved ones

Think of ways you could spend more time with people important to you. You don’t need to schedule an outing in advance. Quick meetings or doing mundane things together are also fantastic ways to stay in touch and nurture your relationships.

If your friends live close by, how about inviting them on short walks? Or maybe you could tag along as they run errands?

• Find new ways to connect with people

There are many ways to meet new people while doing something fun or fulfilling. You can check out your local community center or upcoming events in your area. Look for group activities or workshops connected to your interests or that may be an opportunity to try something new.

Consider volunteering. You meet new people, but it can also give you a sense of purpose.

You could also try attending a support group for people with ADHD. Meeting those with similar experiences can make you feel like you belong.

• Organize your time

If you struggle with maintaining your friendships or finding time to meet, you can try to come up with a regular meetup, like monthly coffee dates or hiking trips.

Don’t hesitate to set reminders to contact people if you feel you could talk to them more often but often forget to do that.

An ADHD coach can help you develop strategies for better time management and prioritizing to make nurturing your social connections easier.

• Consider therapy

A therapist can help you work through issues impacting your ability to connect with others and maintain relationships with people. A therapist can help with rejection sensitivity, low self-esteem, unresolved trauma and many other issues.

You can learn to be authentic and honest around others, says Sarantopoulou. It’s an invaluable skill that allows you to go out and meet others without self-criticism or fear of rejection.