Adult ADHD
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Studies have shown that children and adults with ADHD often don’t handle their emotions well.
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Children with ADHD can have difficulties with irritability and anger. Adults have difficulties with mood swings and emotional control.
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The parts of your brain responsible for maintaining attention and emotional control are often impacted by ADHD.
Challenges in Handling Emotions in ADHD
ADHD has been linked with difficulties in controlling and managing emotions. It has been linked to intense mood swings and a higher risk of bipolar disorder:
While your ability to handle emotions isn’t measured when diagnosing ADHD, evidence shows a close link between poor handling of emotions and ADHD.
One study found that those with the strongest ADHD symptoms also had the most difficulty handling their emotions:
Researchers found a significant link between emotional dysregulation and ADHD severity.
The link between handling emotions and ADHD is so strong that some experts have proposed that poor handling of emotions should be considered a core part of ADHD:
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However, it has been argued that emotional lability in adults with ADHD is not related to comorbid conditions, but is a core feature of the disorder. This is supported by multiple lines of evidence: emotional lability is present in adults with ADHD without psychiatric comorbidities, it responds well to ADHD medication and is related to functional impairment beyond other symptoms of ADHD.
Why those with ADHD struggle with handling emotion
Your ability to pay attention and your ability to manage emotions all come from the same group of functions in your brain.
Scientists call this your executive function, the part of your brain responsible for higher-level thinking and decision-making, just like a company executive.
What is executive function?
Anger issues in ADHD
Difficulties in controlling emotions often start showing up in children with ADHD.
One study found that nearly 1/3rd of children with ADHD had so much difficulty handling their anger that they qualified for a mental health diagnosis.
A study on children with ADHD found that most had experienced irritability symptoms. 31% met the criteria for an irritability mood disorder.
Experts in child psychiatry have suggested that this should be considered a common feature of ADHD in children.
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Irritability is common in ADHD, even though it is not a defining diagnostic feature. Irritability can be described as a propensity to react with anger, grouchiness, or tantrums disproportionate to the situation and when included in the broader definition of emotional dysregulation, it is present in around 25–45% of children with ADHD.
Medications and handling emotions in ADHD
Medications can make it easier to handle emotions for those with ADHD.
Studies have shown that common medications used to treat ADHD can improve emotional stability and control for those with ADHD.
A meta-analysis found that stimulants may be more effective in improving emotional symptoms in ADHD.