How to Make Adult Friendships: Tips from a Maryland Therapist
How do you make friends as an adult with ADHD or anxiety?
Making friends in adulthood can be extra difficult if you have ADHD or anxiety. Social anxiety flares up and you don’t follow through on your plans. Or ADHD interferes and you forget your plans or forego them for the thing of the moment.
Why is it important to know how to make friends as an anxious or neurodivergent adult?
1) Your social circle might change
Maybe you might move to a new city. All your friends are back in Texas, and you’d love to make some in the DMV area.
2) You may want to expand your friendship network
It’s nice to know a lot of people, especially for your more niche hobbies (bouldering, anyone?).
3) You’d like to connect with others in any setting
Sometimes you’re at a party your coworker invited you to and you know absolutely no one else there. Knowing how to make adult friendships in this setting is a highly effective (and fun!) skill set. For more information about how to connect with others, click here.
3 Ways to Get Friendships Started with ADHD or anxiety
1) Use social media sites
Meetup is a great way to find new, adult friends. Love reading? There’s a meetup group for that. Board games? There’s one for that too.
But I’m neurodivergent or socially anxious. I don’t like social media.
Don’t see any that fit your specific interests or personality? You and your friends could splurge to create one — make an event virtually or in person and see how it goes.
2) Join a group activity
Take the plunge and find your tribe. Scour the local events in the area and find a group activity (i.e. pick up soccer) to go to regularly. It may be nerve-wracking at first, but you’ll enjoy engaging in a fun activity you like and find more people to hang out with outside of that activity. It’s a win-win.
3) Networking events
This one sounds boring, especially if you hate small talk! But getting a bunch of adults together is a hard feat. Using networking events as a way to truly engage people — to meet people and to connect both inside and outside your professional life — can be a great way to make friends who love talking about what you talk about. Having one thing in common can transform acquaintances into a friendship.
But how do you…like, make friendships? Social rules are confusing!
Here are some friendly tips to help guide you along the way:
1) Take the initiative
Allow yourself to take a risk and approach people, rather than being approached yourself.
2) Talk about experiences
Share your experiences with others. Don’t forget to ask questions. This is one of those tricky hidden social rules.
3) Be open and honest
Be curious and open in the moment. Whether the interaction turns into an acquaintance, a friendship, or something more, knowing that you were at ease in the moment and knowing that you communicated what you felt is important.
Want more guidance on how to practice making adult friendships? Connect with us online.
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