Causes of mood swings in ADHD If a person with ADHD is feeling hyperactive, they may feel distracted from the task at hand, unable to focus on the person speaking to them, or may feel like they need to resist the urge to talk over the next person consciously. This can build up a sense of anxiety, leading to irritation.
These mood shifts can happen in a variety of situations or under certain circumstances. These changes in mood can be a result of distraction, the presence of other conditions, or a side effect of medication. Other common symptoms of ADHD include: impulsivity.
People with ADHD often have trouble managing their emotions. And they tend to feel emotions more intensely than other people. The result? For some, it can mean mood swings that leave the people around them wondering what caused such a quick change in attitude and behavior.
With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
ADHD symptoms start before age 12, and in some children, they're noticeable as early as 3 years of age.
Part of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an adult is managing the mood swings that may come with it. Emotionally, there may be times when you feel very high or very low. But luckily, there are ways to cope with mood swings.
A few tips include: Be encouraging — one way to hinder progress for someone with ADHD is to be discouraging Be patient Focus on strengths, not challenges Prioritize effective communication Address specific problems and offer solutions Listen Encourage seeking help from a professional.”
Symptoms of Mood Swings in ADHD
Switching from excited one moment to sad, angry, or anxious the next. Fluctuating between having trouble paying attention and hyperfocusing on an activity. Having bursts of energy and fatigue through the day. Feeling emotions intensely and having difficulty regulating them.
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…
Looking for stimulation
Negative emotions cause a release of adrenaline that stimulates the brain. Which means people with ADHD may subconsciously start a row or chase relationship drama. This is because this gives them some of the stimulation and activity they need.
Hormonal changes, life changes, addiction, and high doses of some drugs like steroids can all cause changes in your emotional state. However, some mental health disorders can also cause mood swings and require treatment from a mental health professional.
Too many feelings: Emotional Overwhelm
Because ADHD is, at its heart, an issue with regulation, ADHD brains struggle to feel anything just a little bit. It gets bowled over, flooded, and submerged by the feelings it feels.
I explain that ADHD is a neurological condition which includes symptoms of inattentiveness and hyperactivity. I then go onto listing the key traits that I struggle with such as: difficulties focusing, impulsiveness, procrastination and always feeling like I'm being 'driven by a motor'.
Creativity: Creative problem-solving is instrumental for success at school and work. Research has found that people with ADHD have more creativity and idea generation than people without the disorder. 3 This can lead to outside-the-box thinking that is so important for innovation.
Children with ADHD are less well-liked than their neurotypical peers [18] and are more likely to be bullied during their school years [19].
Thinking outside the box is a common thread among people with ADHD. They are nonconformists and they can generate powerfully imaginative ideas because they do think outside the boundaries that impede others. While this can be a problem in school, it can become a true asset in many different fields of work.
Usually, the most difficult times for persons with ADHD are their years from middle school through the first few years after high school. Those are the years when students are faced with the widest range of tasks to do and the least opportunity to escape from the tasks that they struggle with or find to be boring.
Age of Onset
More severe cases of ADHD in children, as described by parents, were diagnosed earlier. The median age of diagnosis for severe ADHD was 4 years. The median age of diagnosis for moderate ADHD was 6 years. The median age of diagnosis for mild ADHD was 7 years.
You might be overwhelmed by the number of tasks on your to-do list or find it difficult to sit still for long periods. Your mind is always going and racing with thoughts, which can make it hard for you to concentrate on things like schoolwork or conversations with friends or family members.
Is ADHD inherited from Mom or Dad? You can inherit genes that boost risk for ADHD from your mother, from your father or from both parents.