Is ADHD Anger a Thing?

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by difficulties in self-regulation and impulse control. Although anger is not listed as one of its official symptoms in the DSM-5-TR, studies indicate that it is, in fact, inherent to the affliction, and people with ADHD are more prone to experiencing anger and irritability than neurotypical people.

Emotional dysregulation is a major part of living with ADHD for both adults and children. It makes them feel emotions much more intensely than neurotypical people do and become disproportionately overwhelmed by things such as daily responsibilities, time management, sensory overload, having to switch tasks, rejection, or fatigue, all of which can make them feel stressed and frustrated, and trigger angry outbursts or meltdowns.

Effect of emotional dysregulation on ADHD anger

ADHD limits your executive functioning capacity by causing significant deficits in the rational thinking part of your brain located in the prefrontal cortex. This is the area that controls the mental processes that enable you to prioritize what’s important in your surroundings, filter out what might be harmful or distracting, regulate your emotions, control your impulses, and enable you to plan and direct your behavior toward achieving a specific goal.

The amygdala, on the other hand, is the emotional center of your brain that controls your fight-or-flight response. When triggered, it floods your body with stress hormones such as adrenaline, bumping up the intensity of your reactions, overpowering your prefrontal cortex, taking over the running of your brain, and hijacking control of your ability to respond rationally to the situation.

Emotional dysregulation clouds your judgment and causes angry feelings to escalate quickly and intensely. Instead of thinking before you act, you react impulsively, in a way that is disproportionate to the trigger rather than responding in a more socially appropriate way.

Strategies for managing ADHD anger

Strategies for managing ADHD anger start with identifying your triggers so you can be prepared for them with a plan of action in mind that will help you change the way you typically react.

The following are two effective techniques for helping reduce the intensity of your anger and give you more control over how you respond.

STAR method.

STAR is an acronym to remind you to Stop and pause before reacting when you feel triggered. Take a few moments to take some deep breaths and try to center yourself. Think about the situation that just triggered you. Consider it from various perspectives such as whether it warrants an angry outburst, how such an outburst would be received, and what the consequences might be.

Act in an appropriate way that won’t lead to regrets. Take some Recover time to reflect on what you learned from what happened and consider how you can apply it the next time you are triggered.

FOUL method

FOUL is an acronym to remind you to Fact-check. Take a few moments when triggered to reflect on what really happened and whether your anger is appropriate. Instead of impulsively acting on your feelings, try to distinguish between what is fact and what may just be your interpretation of it.

Think of an Opposite Urge to what you normally feel when angry. Leave; walk away and remove yourself from the situation to give yourself a chance to calm down and deal with it more rationally.

If you have questions about this article on ADHD anger or feel you need more help than what it could provide and would like to set up an appointment to meet with one of the faith-based counselors in Plano, Texas, please give us a call at Plano Christian Counseling.