ADHD and Emotions

Dillon, my son, seems to be very emotional at times. He will get overwhelmed really easily such as extreme frustration over homework or being really upset easily, etc. I was wondering if this was at all connected to his ADHD. I researched and found some interested information in various places. More than half ADHD people also have troubles regulating their emotions.

Anybody with ADHD can have excessive emotions or hyper-responsiveness, but, they're responses are appropriate to what they are feeling. So, when you see your child "overreacting" it is actually that they are over-feeling.This is probably more noticeable in children because as you grow you learn to manage it more and more.

Some of the most common emotions with ADHD are:

Frustration because of the struggle with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

Stress and Worry from their issues trying to meet goals and fulfill their responsibilities. Children constantly stress and worry about making friends, and doing well/failing in school.

Depression and Anxiety sometimes can coexist with ADHD. Some can develop depression from the emotional toll all together of ADHD, others can develop an anxiety disorder from the general pressures and stress of ADHD. 

It seems to me that ADHD and hyper-responsiveness go together in a way. All the stress that your child or anyone with ADHD goes through and faces everyday is very emotional. So, try to help your child to eliminate as much of the stress and frustration of ADHD as possible. Try using some helpful tips from my page Success in School to help.

~S Overly