Understanding ADHD Rage
If you’ve read up on ADHD, you might already recognize some of the common symptoms, like forgetfulness, restlessness, or trouble paying attention. But there’s another potential ADHD symptom that often goes overlooked. That symptom is anger, and, left unchecked, it can lead to problems in daily life.
People with ADHD can learnIt’s possible for people with ADHD to learn to manage their anger in a healthier way. That starts with understanding what causes it, and what steps you can take—from exercise to therapy—to gain more control over it.
What is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
ADHD (short for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that can cause challenges with motivation, attention, and behavior. It is often diagnosed in childhood, although people may also be diagnosed with adult ADHD.
People with ADHD often have trouble focusing, especially on boring or mentally demanding tasks, due to issues producing certain chemicals in the braintasks that are mentally demanding. They may also be prone to daydreaming, have trouble staying organized, lose track of time, or find it hard to sit still.
It’s not clear what exactly causes ADHD, but researchers have found that the ADHD brain may be different in areas responsible for behavior, motivation, attention, and concentration. People with ADHD may also have lower levels of dopamine, a chemical related to pleasure, emotions, and motivation.
Symptoms of ADHD tend to fall into two categories: inattentiveness and impulsivity or /hyperactivity. People may have symptoms that are mainly inattentive, mainly impulsive/hyperactive, or a combination of both.
Some examples of inattentiveness include:
- Struggling to pay attention
- Having trouble following directions
- Getting sidetracked often
- “Zoning out” or appearing not to listen when spoken to
- Frequently losing things
Meanwhile, signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness may include:
- Fidgeting
- Trouble controlling impulses
- Interrupting others
- Struggling to be patient
- Taking needless risks
While anger is not an official symptom according to the DSM-5, it is often a challenge among people with ADHD. This can range from low-level irritability to sudden, intense bursts of rage.
The relationship between ADHD and anger
It can be common for people with ADHD to have trouble managing their emotions. Typically, people learn to control their emotions at a young age, which may make it easier to react appropriately when upset or angry. But not everyone may develop this “emotional filter.”
Emotional dysregulation
This is known as “emotional dysregulation,” which can also be a symptom of conditions like:
- PTSD
- Borderline personality disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
People with ADHD may often get impatient or be easily provoked. Because ADHD may also cause challenges with impulse control, this may lead to conflicts at school or work, trouble in relationships, and low self-esteem.
Tips for managing ADHD rage
Emotion dysregulation, especially anger, can be a distressing symptom. However, it may be possible for both children and adults with ADHD to learn to manage anger and build more awareness of their emotions. Over time, this may contribute to a better quality of life. Some strategies to start this process may include the following.:
Understand your triggers
Although people with ADHD may be more prone to anger, what triggers that anger can depend on the person. Some common triggers include:
- Being tired
- Being stressed or anxious
- Losing track of time or struggling to manage it
- Being interrupted while focusing
- Sensory overload
Getting familiar with the situations that make you angry may help you take proactive steps to avoid them. For example, if you notice that you often get irritable when you’re tired, you could try making adjustments to your bedtime routine toin order to get more sleep each night.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is the act of observing your thoughts and feelings as they happen, without passing judgment on them or trying to change them. Over time, this may help you become more aware of your triggers and notice your emotions building before they get out of control.
Consider taking a few minutes each day to be mindful, either using a guided meditation or simply sitting and watching your thoughts play out. If you often get restless, you could also try meditating while walking, doing chores, or exercising.
Get plenty of exercise
Getting regular exercise can help boost your mood and reduce your stress levels, which may make you less likely to lose your temper. It can also be a useful way to calm down from strong emotions. The next time you find yourself getting angry, try going for a quick jog, climbing some stairs, or doing a few minutes of push-ups. This can encourage your body to release feel-good chemicals like endorphins while also giving you something physical (rather than emotional) to focus on.
Talk to your doctor about medication
Whether you’re already being treated, or you’d like to explore your options, it can be a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about ADHD medication. When properly used and prescribed, medications can play an important role in reducing symptoms, although certain ADHD medications, like stimulants, may not target anger specifically. That’s why your doctor might recommend other medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to help you manage ADHD anger.
When to consider therapy for ADHD rage
While the other strategies we’ve discussed can be a good starting point, they may not always be enough. ADHD symptoms like anger can cause challenges, and sometimes it can be worth talking to a mental health professional. A trained therapist may be able to offer advice, help you identify triggers, and give you more personalized tools to improve your emotional regulation.
Benefits of online therapy for managing ADHD symptoms
Because uncontrolled anger can disrupt daily life, a single therapy session may not always be enough support for people who want to get their anger under control. With online therapy, you can contact your therapist at any time using in-app messaging, and they will respond as soon as they can. This may make it a useful resource if you run into challenges between sessions.
Effectiveness of online therapy in managing ADHD anger
According to studies, online therapy may be an effective tool for managing anger. In 2023, researchers studied 234 people with problematic anger levels. Participants received a series of online, therapist-supported emotional regulation treatments. Researchers found that the online interventions effectively reduced anger expression.
Takeaway
Managing anger may involve exercising regularly, considering medication, identifying triggers, and practicing mindfulness. If desired, therapy can be another way to understand anger and learn healthy ways of responding to it.
What is ADHD rage like?
ADHD brains may feel emotions just like a neurotypical brain does, but a person with ADHD often has less emotional control because of problems with executive dysfunction, so they experience anger and don’t necessarily have the ability to regulate their behavior and give in to their first impulse in that moment. This can lead to outburst of rage. Anger is actually a secondary emotion, usually masking another emotion such as grief, fear, or shame.
How to get out of ADHD rage?
If you find yourself or someone you love lashing out at others, saying or doing things you will surely regret, or reacting with negative emotional responses, various coping tools such as deep breathing, naming objects in the room, engaging your sense of smell or hearing, or counting can help calm you and get you in touch with the other emotions you may be feeling. Lifestyle changes such as good nutrition, adequate sleep, and exercise, along with mindfulness practices can help in the long run.
What do ADHD outbursts look like?
An ADHD outburst is a sudden outburst of intense emotions. Each person will react differently. It can look like verbal outbursts, physical signs of emotional reactivity, withdrawal, or loss of self control with binge eating.
Why do people with ADHD get frustrated so easily?
Self regulation is more difficult for people who have ADHD than for people with neurotypical brains. They sometimes don’t know how to cope well with stressful situations, and they experience amygdala takeover, leading to expressions of frustration.
Do people with ADHD cry easily?
While it depends on the person and their personality, people with ADHD do often cry easily as part of the emotional dysregulation that is often accompanied by ADHD.
Is ADHD a type of autism?
No, ADHD is not related to autism, although both disorders are based on neurodivergent brain functions related to the prefrontal cortex and other brain areas.
Can ADHD get worse with age?
Yes, ADHD can get worse with age, but typically that happens if it’s not treated. In some cases, adults with untreated ADHD develop further mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Research published in BMC Psychiatry claims that mis- or under-diagnoses of ADHD in adults can lead to complications from untreated ADHD. It is important to seek treatment with therapy and stimulant medications so that ADHD symptoms are managed and don’t get worse with age.
How to calm someone with ADHD?
Calming a person with ADHD down if they are experiencing emotional dysregulation can be challenging, but there are strategies you can use to help such as deep breathing with them, repeating a calming phrase, or going outside or changing the immediate environment. If the person doesn’t want company, you can give them some space. With kids, explain what is happening in their brains later, once they’ve calmed down, to increase their self-awareness, and with adults, offer to process with them (in a non-judgemental way) once they feel calm again and if they are willing.
What are the 5 levels of ADHD?
As clinical counselor William Pedegrini writes in a blog post, there are five stages a person diagnosed with ADHD often goes through. These are excitement/relief, investigation, frustration, acceptance, and application. The frustration level might yield some negative emotions or expressions of rage.
Do people with ADHD yell?
Some people with ADHD will yell when they become angry or frustrated. If a person has periods of extremely angry, violent, or aggressive outbursts that don’t match the situation, they may have intermittent explosive disorder. If a child or teen in your life experiences frequent periods of exaggerated rage, it is important to reach out to their pediatrician or a mental health care practitioner in an adolescent psychiatry or child psychology clinic.
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