ADHD Emotions: Exploring Emotional Dysregulation
If you’re familiar with ADHD, then you may already know about its three core symptom types: inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. What you might not know is that there’s another possible ADHD symptom that often goes undiscussed. This symptom is called emotional dysregulation, which can refer to difficulty managing emotions. In people with ADHD, this symptom can make it harder to calm down and react appropriately to various situations. By being proactive and seeking professional help, it’s often possible to find relief.
An overview of ADHD
ADHD stands for “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” Although signs of ADHD usually emerge during childhood, many people aren’t diagnosed until later in life, and symptoms often persist into adulthood. In fact, according to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, it’s been estimated that as many as 360 million people may be living with adult ADHD.
ADHD can be classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder, or a disorder that affects the way people’s brains develop. Research has found that the brains of people with ADHD usually have differences in key areas responsible for impulse control, planning, working memory, and more. These are typically called the brain’s “executive functions.”
Although ADHD can look different for different people, it generally takes one of three forms: mainly inattentive, mainly hyperactive-impulsive, or combined.
Inattentive form of adult ADHD and its symptoms
The inattentive form of ADHD can cause symptoms like the following:
- Forgetfulness
- A tendency to lose or overlook things
- Distractibility
- Daydreaming
- Trouble starting and finishing tasks
- Trouble maintaining focus for long periods
Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms and emotion dysregulation
The hyperactive-impulsive form of ADHD can cause symptoms like those listed below:
- Restlessness
- Excessive talking
- Trouble relaxing
- High-risk behaviors like gambling or unsafe sex
- Trouble picking up on social cues
- A constant need for stimulation
Symptoms like these can create challenges in everyday life. Adults with ADHD may experience problems at work or in relationships, while children with ADHD might struggle with academics or behavior issues. Over time, this may contribute to other mental health concerns, like depression, anxiety, and stress.
Understanding emotional dysregulation
If you struggle with emotional regulation, you might notice that your emotional responses often seem out of proportion to the situation. For example, you might explode with anger when you spill your coffee or burst into tears when you misplace your keys. You might also experience intense mood swings or find it hard to cope with setbacks. Even though you may experience the same emotions as other people, emotional dysregulation can make them harder to control.
Below are some other examples of emotional dysregulation:
- Struggling to move past negative emotions
- Struggling to calm down
- Becoming easily frustrated or overwhelmed
- Being highly sensitive to rejection
- Struggling to manage boredom
Emotional dysregulation can also be a symptom of mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. In people with ADHD, emotional dysregulation may be caused by differences in the amygdala, an area of the brain that’s generally responsible for processing emotions.
Tips for managing ADHD emotions
Emotion dysregulation can be a challenging aspect of living with ADHD. However, there may be ways to counteract it for better interactions and a higher quality of life. If you want to improve your ability to manage emotions, the following strategies may be helpful.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness can be defined as the act of noticing your thoughts and feelings without judging them. Various meditation styles incorporate aspects of mindfulness, but you don’t have to meditate to be mindful. Consider taking five minutes each day to sit quietly with your thoughts and feelings, observing each one and then letting it pass. (If ADHD makes it hard to sit still, you can also do this while walking.) With consistent practice, you may find that you’re better able to identify your emotions, make space between your thoughts and your reactions, and experience your feelings without getting carried away by them.
Make a game plan for managing ADHD emotions
Managing your emotional reactions is often easier when you have a plan ready. Consider making a list of go-to strategies you can use when you notice your emotions getting overwhelming. Here are a few examples:
- Using deep breathing exercises like box breathing to calm your nervous system
- Using progressive muscle relaxation to relieve tension
- Doing a burst of physical activity, like jumping jacks, burpees, or push-ups
- Removing yourself from the situation for a few minutes to give your brain a chance to reset
- Going for a brief walk
- Letting others know that you’re feeling overwhelmed
Having strategies like these handy may help you regain a sense of control over your emotions.
Manage your stress levels
Reducing your overall stress may decrease mood swings and make emotionally charged situations easier to manage. This often starts with making lifestyle changes that support your well-being. For example, getting regular exercise can produce mood-boosting endorphins.
In addition, prioritizing balanced eating habits may make stressful situations easier. Mindfulness and meditation may also be helpful. Some other stress-reduction strategies can include the following:
- Practicing healthy sleep habits, like avoiding screens before bed and sleeping in a cool, dark environment
- Journaling about your thoughts, feelings, and day-to-day challenges
- Taking care of your hygiene
- Making time for hobbies you enjoy
- Getting regular social interaction
By managing your overall stress levels, you may find that you’re better able to control your emotions and responses.
Seek professional mental health support
If you struggle with managing your emotions due to ADHD, a mental health professional can help. If you haven’t already, consider talking to your doctor about starting ADHD treatment. Consulting with a mental health expert can offer tailored strategies to help you navigate emotional difficulties more effectively. They may be able to recommend solutions that are designed to improve your emotional regulation skills.
Therapy options for adults with adhd and emotional dysregulation
Therapy is often a useful treatment for ADHD-related emotional dysregulation. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may be especially helpful. These therapies generally aim to help you change negative thought patterns and learn skills to help you manage your emotions. For adults with ADHD, these therapy options can help improve emotional regulation and daily functioning.
However, if ADHD also makes it hard for you to make plans or manage your schedule, commuting to weekly therapy appointments might be a challenge. If so, you may benefit from online therapy. Internet-based platforms typically enable you to attend therapy sessions from your own home in a variety of formats. This may be a more convenient option if you have ADHD.
A growing body of research shows that online therapy may be an effective treatment for ADHD symptoms. In a 2022 analysis, researchers reviewed data from six studies of internet-based ADHD treatments. They found that online interventions frequently led to improvements in social function and attention in people with ADHD.
Takeaway
ADHD is a disorder that can cause challenges with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulse control. Another symptom that can be common in ADHD is emotional dysregulation. This usually refers to having trouble managing emotions. Emotional dysregulation can cause intense emotional reactions and make it hard to let go of negative feelings. However, it may be possible to improve emotional control by managing stress, planning ahead, practicing mindfulness, and seeking professional help through online or in-office therapy.
How do ADHD emotions affect the daily lives of people with ADHD?
ADHD emotions can lead to intense reactions, impulsivity, and difficulties in managing frustration, which can impact relationships, work, and overall daily functioning.
What are some common mental health challenges faced by adults with ADHD?
Adults with ADHD often face mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and difficulties with organization and time management.
How can adults with ADHD manage emotion dysregulation effectively?
Adults with ADHD can manage emotion dysregulation through mindfulness practices, cognitive-behavioral strategies, therapy, and sometimes medication, depending on individual needs.
What strategies can help with improving emotional regulation in adult ADHD?
Strategies like practicing mindfulness, using organizational tools, seeking therapy, and building strong support systems can help improve emotional regulation in adult ADHD.
Does ADHD affect your emotions?
Yes, attention disorders often affect emotions. People with ADHD report feeling strong emotions. With ADHD, differences in the brain’s prefrontal cortex and other regions can affect how a person with ADHD experiences and expresses emotions. They might feel overwhelming emotions and exhibit emotional impulsivity. It’s possible for people with ADHD to learn strategies to understand and better regulate their own emotions. For instance, they can learn to step back and breathe for a few seconds to regain control of their emotions.
Why do I cry so easily with ADHD?
Some people with ADHD find that they cry often and easily. This may be because the ADHD brain has differences in the frontal cortex and other regions that cause people to process emotions more intensely and have difficulty with emotion regulation. If you find that you are crying so often that it interferes with your normal functioning, consider reaching out to a mental health provider, as the crying may be an indication of other mental health problems.
What does an ADHD meltdown look like?
An ADHD meltdown is an episode in which a person’s emotions are out of control and their behavior also becomes out of control as a result. It can include behaviors such as yelling, crying, stomping feet, breaking things, running away, and swearing. The nature of the meltdown will differ, depending on the age, experiences, and personality of the person experiencing it. If a person exhibits this kind of behavior often, it could indicate that one of a few mental health conditions involving anger or defiance could also be present.
A clinical psychology review found that ADHD emotions are connected to both physical and psychological elements.
Do people with ADHD get upset easily?
Yes, people with ADHD struggle with strong emotions in many cases. A person with ADHD is likely to experience intense feelings and may not have the capacity to regulate emotions. Some people with ADHD also experience rejection sensitive dysphoria, in which low tolerance for perceived rejection causes them to be highly emotional when feeling rejected by others. This can lead to emotional outbursts and create difficulties for interpersonal relationships. It is important for loved ones to be educated about ADHD in order to understand the person’s perspective and to ensure the disability makes sense to them.
Are people with ADHD more emotionally sensitive?
People with ADHD experience intense emotions, both positive (joy) and negative (sadness or fear), so they are sometimes considered to be more emotionally sensitive. According to a meta analysis, research suggests that children with ADHD are more likely to have strong emotions.
What does an ADHD episode look like?
An episode for someone with ADHD might involve hyperactive behavior, impulsive behavior, difficulty focusing, and/or emotional reactivity. This can happen with children, teens and young adults, and adults, although it will often look different depending on the person’s age and personality.
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