More than 50% of preadolescents with ADHD experience impulsive aggression,4 which is also known as affective aggression, and is characterized by strong, unplanned emotions, usually anger, that often takes place in the heat of the moment.
If your child is one of the many who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, it's likely you've seen a myriad of difficult-to-manage behaviors, including anger. Emotional regulation can be challenging for children with ADHD, and bouts of anger are common.
Physical aggression affects up to 45 percent of kids with ADHD.
Although not everyone who lives with ADHD experiences anger, the two can be connected. ADHD symptoms and emotional dysregulation can prompt angry outbursts in some people. Coexisting conditions that may accompany ADHD can also increase the chance of ADHD anger outbursts.
ADHD kids can be so much more irritable. They are hyper sensitive to all 5 senses which increases anger, frustration, and can cause less stable moods throughout the day! Sometimes it might feel that they don't try at all.
Kids with ADHD may argue or throw tantrums to get out of boring things. It can be tempting to give them their way, but that can teach them that misbehaving works.
“It's really about poor frustration tolerance and the inability to control their emotions. This is often why they lash out,” says Vinay Saranga, M.D., of Saranga Psychiatry in North Carolina.
That's a classic executive function and impulse-control problem. “Rude” behavior can also stem from misinterpretation of social cues and interactions. Inattention causes people with ADHD to miss parts of social interactions.
Trauma, family dysfunction and certain parenting styles (such as harsh and inconsistent punishment) also make it more likely that a child will exhibit anger and/or aggression that interferes with his or her daily life.
Kids with ADHD can also have tantrums or meltdowns. These meltdowns can be extreme and often involve crying, yelling, and fits of anger.
Because the underlying brain mechanisms that help manage emotions are affected by ADHD, emotional regulation development is delayed. Emotion hits them more quickly and it more easily overwhelms them. The result? Big, exaggerated overreactions.
Tragically such miscommunications and misunderstandings can make the speakers be quite unfairly labeled as lying, untrustworthy, or manipulative, or in other ways as negative throughout their lives. Yes, those with ADHD, like anyone else, can indeed be untruthful, manipulative, and intentionally misleading.
Parents who have children at high risk of ADHD mostly applied authoritarian parenting. Lack of parental attention through parenting can increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels in children, which is one of the causes of hyperactivity and will increase the risk of ADHD in children.
ADHD Persists Into Adulthood
Research suggests that while symptoms may change as people grow older, people who have ADHD in childhood are often still affected by the condition in adulthood. However, estimates vary as to how many people still have persistent symptoms and impairment in adulthood.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
In one study, researchers found that people with self-reported ADHD symptoms earned lower scores for affective empathy compared to other participants. However, they were still within the range of what's considered typical for empathy levels overall.
Go outside and go for a walk and take in some deep breaths. Some kids find drawing or painting to be soothing. Drawing or writing about their thoughts and feelings can be very helpful in the moment and later for problem solving. Many people find that listening to music is calming.
These symptoms are usually seen by the time a child is four years old and typically increase over the next three to four years. The symptoms may peak in severity when the child is seven to eight years of age, after which they often begin to decline.
Growing old with ADHD is the ultimate neurodiverse experience. It may seem like ADHD symptoms get worse with age because adults have more responsibilities than children. As you get older, you may find that the challenges of life can worsen your ADHD.
The brain's frontal lobes, which are involved in ADHD, continue to mature until we reach age 35. In practical terms, this means that people with ADHD can expect some lessening of their symptoms over time. Many will not match the emotional maturity of a 21-year-old until their late 30's.