ADHD and anger can be connected, and some kids with ADHD
experience frequent outbursts of anger. Although common, these
intense emotions can make it hard for a child to maintain friendships and
behave in school, and they can put a strain on family life.
Understanding the causes of anger and frustration among kids with
ADHD, along with some strategies for managing these intense emotions,
can help prevent these short bursts of anger from causing long-term
damage.
Children with ADHD often experience emotions with a greater intensity
than their peers without ADHD.
Here are some of the most common reasons why kids with ADHD
may exhibit angry outbursts:
Impulsivity
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 your child feels angry, they communicate it right away. They don't have
a few seconds of lead time that a child without ADHD has, and they
haven’t yet developed strategies that adults with ADHD develop.
More than 50% of preadolescents with ADHD experience impulsive
aggression, which is also known as affective aggression, and is
characterized by strong, unplanned emotions, usually anger, that often
take place in the heat of moment.
Emotional Sensitivity
Kids with ADHD tend to be emotional, sensitive, and feel things very
deeply. They also have a hard time regulating those feelings. This can
cause them to cry easily (which can be very embarrassing for them) or
feel intensely angry.
In fact, up to 50% of children with ADHD experience emotional
dysregulation, or a poor ability to manage emotional responses or to
keep them within an acceptable range of typical emotional reactions.
This can refer to a wide range of emotions including sadness, anger,
irritability, and frustration.
Moodiness and Mood Disorders
Moods change very quickly throughout the day when you have ADHD.
There can be many episodes of happiness, sadness, and frustration—all
in one afternoon.
In addition, to this, kids with ADHD have high rates of disorders,
especially mood disorders that occur in conjunction with ADHD like
anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders and depression.
Frustration
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. Children with ADHD have very low tolerance to frustration,
most often because they don’t know how to process or respond to this
emotion. Low tolerance to frustration can mean that your child feels
frustrated quickly, and this can quickly result in anger outbursts.
Poor Self-Esteem
It's common for children with ADHD to experience low self-esteem.
ADHD symptoms can make it difficult for kids to experience academic
achievement and make it difficult to make and keep friends, which can
lead to a sense of isolation and lowered self-esteem. Low self-esteem
and feeling anxious about a situation they can’t control can also lead to
your child feeling anger.
Medication Side Effects
Sometimes children experience a difficult period when their stimulant
medications are wearing off, resulting in increased meltdowns and
tantrums. This is known as medication rebound, and is a result of the
speed at which your particular child metabolizes the medication.
Excess Energy
Excess energy, or hyperactivity, can present as physical and/or verbal
overactivity. The energy and restlessness that comes along with ADHD
may be too much to handle at times until it finally bubbles over into
angry words or physical reactions.
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