ADHD brains typically expect the worst, and stressful times and situations just further encourage and validate this negative thinking.
In times of crisis, your ADHD brain catastrophizes — jumping to the worst-case scenario, which is paralyzing at best. Here, learn strategies for reorienting and recalibrating your ADHD brain on a daily basis to release the anxiety and move forward with your health intact.
We tend to react self-defensively, or worse, angrily. Rejection sensitivity is extremely common in people with ADHD. We get overly excited about things, including good things. Just as we often overreact to minor problems and annoyances, we can also go overboard in the other direction.
ADHD brains ruminate in negative thought patterns, and this is because of our brains' possible lack of emotional regulation.
Why it happens. If you live with ADHD and find that you're more sensitive to criticisms and critiques, then you might be experiencing rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD). RSD is “a near ubiquitous experience for ADHDers,” says Joel Schwartz, PsyD, an ADHD clinical psychologist in San Luis Obispo, California.
People with ADHD can be hypersensitive and overwhelmed by everything that's going in a room. Or, they can seem very cold, very insensitive, or blissfully unaware of the feelings of others. When they disengage — whether due to lack of focus or because they're overwhelmed — they can seem callous or narcissistic.
Children with ADHD are less well-liked than their neurotypical peers [18] and are more likely to be bullied during their school years [19].
With ADHD, that part of the brain is always turned on, which causes the endless look of intrusive thoughts to replay in your head like a bad song. In short, when you have ADHD and your Default Mode Network region is wired neurodivergent, it makes your mind wander on a continuous loop.
Some negative thoughts come from inside you. Anxiety and low self-esteem are common in people with ADHD. You may worry that you aren't good enough or that you'll fail. Negativity also comes from outside -- parents and others who criticize you for behaviors you can't control.
Oftentimes people with ADHD receive so much criticism that they begin to react angrily and aggressively when criticized. Other times, adults with ADHD may become passive to others' actions toward them.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
Many people with ADHD feel very bad when they upset someone. They often have trouble managing emotions. Feelings of remorse can be deep and affect their self-esteem.
This is why people with ADHD can often hold grudges against people, companies and locations; memories of an injustice or disservice can linger for a while, which can cause all sorts of other problems such as low moods and irritability.
Meltdowns are a reaction to overwhelming stimuli and are characterized by an uncontrolled emotional response. They are often the result of sensory overload or too much stress.
If you have ADHD as well, this “shutdown” might sound familiar to you, too. You don't know where to start, there's too much to do, and you feel as though nothing can be done, because even just thinking of doing what you need to do feels like an insurmountable task.
ADHD burnout is often something a little deeper. It refers to the cycle of overcommitting and overextending that leads to fatigue in people with ADHD. It involves taking on too many tasks and commitments, and then the subsequent exhaustion that happens when we're unable to fulfill all of our obligations.
A recent review of findings on ADHD and FFM personality suggests that, in general, ADHD has associations with the FFM traits of Neuroticism (positive), Agreeableness (negative) and Conscientiousness (negative).
ADHD, especially if not managed well, can lead to constant frustration and self-criticism. The cumulative impact of these frustrations, criticisms, real and perceived failures, self-blaming, and guilt turn self-esteem into rubble.
Feeling insecure is a common issue concerning people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Much has been written about ADHD and self-esteem, and, to me, low self-esteem and insecurity go hand-in-hand.
Overthinking can be an all-natural process, it can also be the result if the creative and overly active ADHD brain. While most believe overthinking to be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it' actually relates more to ADHD.
The mind of a person with ADHD is full of the minutiae of life (“Where are my keys?” “Where did I park the car?”), so there is little room left for new thoughts and memories. Something has to be discarded or forgotten to make room for new information. Often the information individuals with ADHD need is in their memory…
While people with neurotypical brains can easily have and sustain a hobby, some adults with ADHD may struggle. They might easily lose interest in the activity or impulsively decide to try another one.
The problem: The social maturity of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) may be a few years behind that of their peers. In addition, they have difficulty reading verbal and physical social cues, misinterpreting remarks, or not getting jokes or games.
Best Occupations for People with ADHD
Because of their unique ability to solve problems and create systems when interested in their work, Roberts says many people with ADHD do well as entrepreneurs, computer programmers, and within creative industries.
Common ADHD-Related Problems
Impulsive spending or overspending. Starting fights or arguing. Trouble maintaining friendships and romantic relationships. Speeding and dangerous driving.