"My ADHD husband gets angry when I try to discuss our relationship problems. He won't respond to my feelings unless I am praising him."
by Melissa Orlov
I suspect your husband is interested in your feelings, but finds it difficult to deal with problems for which he feels you blame him. Attention deficit adults often have difficulty responding to anger or criticism because of years of negative feedback from teachers, parents, friends, and loved ones. When you praise him, he feels that he is OK.
In addition, for some with ADHD, conflict causes the pre-frontal cortex to shut down. When this happens, they are unable to work through their thoughts or comprehend what you are trying to say. That may be why your husband walks out of the house.
Work on creating a structure for better communication, so that your conversations are less stressful. One option is to work with a marriage therapist who has a solid understanding of ADHD. Another is to try the “speaker/listener” system outlined in Fighting for Your Marriage (Jossey-Bass). One person speaks while the other listens. The speaker briefly states what she is thinking, and the listener interprets what he has heard. They go back and forth until a clear understanding is reached. Then the listener becomes the speaker, and the cycle is repeated. It’s an excellent method for ensuring calm communication -- and shouldn’t send him running for the door.