Coping with Heightened Emotions When You Have ADHD

People with ADHD tend to have a hard time regulating their emotions. For instance, they report going from zero to 100 in just several seconds, according to Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and clinical instructor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “They report being emotionally hypersensitive, as long as they can remember.” Their feelings also may be more intense. “[W]atching a sad movie can push them into an episode of depression or crying. A happy event can bring on almost a manic type of excitement,” said Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW, a psychotherapist and ADHD coach. In another example, if a driver cuts them off, a person with ADHD might become enraged, whereas someone without the disorder may get irritated, she said. People with ADHD have difficulty censoring strong reactions. “They have problems inhibiting inappropriate behavior related to strong positive or negative emotion,” Olivardia said. He gave the example of insulting your boss when he angers you. And it can take longer to relax. “What might take an hour for a non-ADHD-er to calm down from, could take someone with ADHD the whole day. Part of this is due to difficulty refocusing attention away from the strong emotion.” On the other hand, he said, other people with ADHD don’t give themselves enough time or space to process their emotions. If you’re finding it difficult to regulate your emotions, here are eight tips to help. 1. Avoid criticizing yourself. “...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: ADHD and ADD Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Self-Help Stress Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Emotion Emotion Regulation Emotions Feeling heightened emotions Mood Roberto Olivardia Terry Matlen Source Type: blogs