Ann-Louise T. Adults with ADHD may also experience anger and irritability as well. Although common, these intense emotions affect behavior, impact relationships, and strain family life. Understanding the causes of anger and frustration with ADHD, along with some strategies for managing these intense emotions, can help prevent these short bursts of anger from causing long-term damage.
This is known as emotional dysregulation , or a poor ability to manage emotional responses or to keep them within an acceptable range of typical emotional reactions. It can be characterized by:.
Research suggests that emotional dysregulation is common in people with ADHD. In children, comorbid conditions such as impulsive aggression and oppositional defiant disorder ODD , as well as medication side effects, may make it more likely that your child will feel bad-tempered, aggressive, impatient, and angry.
Below are some of the most common reasons why kids and adults with ADHD may exhibit angry outbursts:. Impulsivity is a symptom of ADHD that is often caused by an inability to focus and control behaviors. The impulsive nature of ADHD means that if someone feels angry, they communicate it right away. Moods change very quickly throughout the day when you have ADHD. There can be many episodes of happiness, sadness, and frustrationβall in one afternoon.
In addition, people with ADHD experience high rates of comorbid mood disorders that can cause irritability and fuel mood changes and flashes of anger, including:. In adults with ADHD, the most common comorbid conditions include mood, anxiety, substance use, and personality disorders. Frustration is an emotion that stems from challenges that stand in the way of goals. The ability to deal with frustration is known as frustration tolerance.
