ADHD AND EXTREME SENSITIVITY
It’s a brain thing
Those with ADHD have more difficulty with low frustration tolerance, impatience, hot temper and excitability. Challenges with emotions start in the brain itself. “ADHD is not a mood disorder, but a failure-to-regulate-mood disorder. It impairs our ability to express our emotions in a controlled way” (Russell Barkeley). Neuropsychologically, it’s about processing and connectivity.
What happens?
The limbic system generates emotions i.e. anger, fear, pleasure and is connected to the prefrontal cortex that manages emotion. Working memory impairment can allow emotions to go “unchecked” and become too strong. The frontal cortex acts like a security checkpoint. In the ADHD brain, the neurochemical connectivity that is needed to guard that checkpoint is weak. This allows our emotions to stampede past the security gate and cause havoc. Our emotional reactions are not assessed. Not calculated. Not suppressed. Not always in our best interest.
Carried away with emotions
Minor problems or irritations become DEFCON level 1 threats – you hit panic mode or get super stressed out about small stuff that do not warrant such ‘catastrophizing’ or ‘over-reaction’. It’s difficult to calm down – you can stew for hours or days over an emotional event. This can impair your ability to get back to work or to move your priorities forward. When you get overly excited, it is not necessarily a bad thing. However, your driving emotion is stronger than the ability to think things through. For example, diving headlong into a new hobby only to realize after spending lots of money, that you should rather have ‘eased into it’.
Is it me, you or ADHD?
An extreme sensitivity to disapproval, rejection, criticism or the perception that somehow you have failed. Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) is very common in people with ADHD. Social anxiety involves exaggerated fears of being seen as incompetent, unappealing or ‘not cool’. Perceived criticism or withdrawal of love and respect is just as devastating as the real thing. The term “dysphoria” means “difficult to bear” and disapproval hurts much more than it does for neurotypical people.
What about the longterm implication?
There is a broad spectrum of mood disorders i.e. anxiety, depression, bipolar; substance use disorders i.e. alcohol, illicit drugs and personality disorders i.e. borderline personality, which can co-exist with ADHD etc. They all have strong emotional behaviours that overlap with ADHD. During a professional assessment, one has to be mindful of the complexity and degrees of severity here.
Does ADHD Medication numb your emotions?
When on the right medication, you do have a chance to think twice before bursting into tears or losing your head. In cases where your anxiety is primary to your ADHD, stimulant medication may exacerbate the anxiety until it is under control. However, medication should always be taken in consideration with your physician, and tailored to your unique situation.
What can I do?
- Do mental Taekwondo. Flip your anger into constructive action. Get busy on a tough task.
- Name your emotions. Describe in detail what you feel or write it down in a journal.
- Check your lifestyle and listen to your body. Are you getting enough sleep, eating healthy, correcting bad habits?
Sources:
Barkley, Russell, A. Taking charge of ADHD: The complete, authoritative guide for parents. 2020. New York: Guildford Press.
15 Ways to disarm and understand explosive ADHD emotions, 2016. ADDitudeMagazine. New York: New Hope Media.
Roché Herbst
M.A.R. Psych
