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MrsA
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Member Since: Apr 2019
Location: Nevada
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Default Oct 06, 2019 at 05:14 AM
  #1
Hi. I think a family member's frequent high risk behavior is caused by ADHD and I was wondering if anyone who is familiar with the condition can clarify if it sounds like ADHD.

This person has a lot of disturbing behaviors including a very short fuse and anger when asked to help with chores and stuff, but the scariest thing is their tendency to do things that can be fatal to themselves and others and being unable to see the danger. If you tell them not to do it because it's dangerous they will argue and If they cause an accident after refusing to listen, they get angry and deny their part in the accident. So it's hard to get them to stop doing dangerous things because they can't seem to link the consequences with their actions.

Just a few examples of things they have done between age 20-40:

1. Leaving kitchen knives on top of unstable piles of clutter.

2. Setting knives on the edge of the kitchen counter with the blade sticking out off the counter (they said it was to keep the blade clean so they can use it again).

3. Shoving heavy items like pianos and refrigerators so they nearly tipped over onto other people.

4. Impulsively shoving people down stairs or into roads because they were in their way.

5. Going surfing in dangerous areas when they know they cannot really swim. Once they were nearly swept out to sea but was rescued by an off-duty lifeguard who happened to be on the beach. This person says they are not responsible for being able to swim because my 6th grade class had swimming lessons and theirs did not.

6. Doing things that are likely to make heavy objects fall on top of them without being able to see the danger or heed warnings.

7. Standing downwind of an unstable structure during a storm and having to be told repeatedly not to stand there (they kept wandering back).

8. While waiting for a horse to wake from anaesthesia, deliberately standing between the legs of the horse (horse was lying on his side like a dog) without realizing the horse would knock them down when it woke up.

these are just a few examples. This person causes several accidents per year that keeps me in fear for the safety of everyone around them including myself. I'm trying to decide what to do about it so if anyone has an opinion if it sounds like ADHD I would appreciate any information you can supply. A lot of their behaviors would seem like psychopathy if you didn't see the blank look of confusion they always have during accidents and the way they act as if they are being victimized when you try to address their harmful behaviors. They have a lifelong history of falling down in public, losing shoes on train tracks, leaving personal items on buses or in public bathrooms, etc. I only started suspecting ADHD recently and it seems to explain a lot. Any thoughts?



Thanks for reading my long question.
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MrsA
Member
MrsA has no updates.
 
Member Since: Apr 2019
Location: Nevada
Posts: 308
3 yr Member
398 hugs
given
Default Oct 06, 2019 at 05:36 AM
  #2
I forgot to mention something else. It happened when they were in high school. My family member once chased a much younger boy across a shopping center in broad daylight. When they caught the boy, they grabbed his arm and held onto it while kicking him repeatedly in the stomach. The boy had done something rude that didn't merit this response.

It just occurred to me it could be ODD. They are constantly angry and claim to be mistreated. Their anger grows over time. In teens and twentites they had meltdowns when I said no to them or a teacher or boss rejected their suggestions. In their 30s the meltdowns increased and now they are having 5-6 every day while doing things in their own.
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