Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is a disorder that causes excessive emotional sensitivity and pain due to real or perceived rejection, taunting, or criticism. The link between Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and ADHD is yet unknown to researchers. Some believe it is related to emotional instability, which is the failure to moderate emotional reactions and maintain them within the normal range of reactions. This post will look at the relationship between ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. It should be noted that Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is a contentious issue in psychiatry, and that study is continuing. Some mental health providers may not recognize Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria as a legitimate disorder and, as a result, may refuse to treat it.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is a powerful emotional reaction that a person may have in response to real or potential rejection or criticism. It is a significant disorder that can cause depressed feelings and self-esteem, and that is not caused by an excessively sensitive individual. People with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria may have a bad sensation, such as rejection, as a result of a seemingly innocuous statement, or they may interpret a little dispute as extremely serious.
Internalizing this overpowering emotional sense might result in a bad mood and retreat from the event. Alternatively, they may externalize their sentiments, which might manifest as outbursts of fury or hostility.
While emotional and mood management difficulties are not part of the ADHD diagnosis criteria, persons with ADHD may encounter them. Some ADHD specialists acknowledge the presence of RSD and speculate that it only happens in persons with ADHD. However, because rejection is hard to quantify, some professionals may refuse to recognize RSD. They may also dismiss it since it has symptoms comparable to depression, bipolar illness, borderline personality, and social phobia.
According to researchers, trouble managing emotions may explain the difficulties that some children with ADHD have while socializing. Other studies have found that peer rejection and victimization are common among children with ADHD and may increase the symptoms of RSD. Experts are still working to determine the potential impact of emotional dysregulation in ADHD and how it may reflect the difficulties in processing emotions like rejection.
Moreover, emotional dysregulation is not specific to ADHD, and not all evidence backs up the idea that ADHD raises the likelihood of rejection sensitivity. The relationship between rejection sensitivity and other mental health disorders, including personality disorder, sadness, and anxiety, but not ADHD.
RSD is not a medical ailment, nor is it a formal diagnosis. On the other hand, a therapist may conclude that a patient has RSD symptoms they disclose in treatment. It may be diagnosed as part of another disorder, such as ADHD hypersensitivity, or as a different problem.
Other diseases that may raise the risk of RSD can also be diagnosed by a physician, counselor, or another psychiatric expert.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria therapy choices are comparable to that for ADHD, including medication.
People with RSD, like those with ADHD, may benefit from a combination of therapy modalities. Both RSD and ADHD treatment may include:
See Also: Sighs Of ADHD: Rejection Sensitivity, Emotional Hyperarousal
Rejection may be excruciatingly painful, especially for persons with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. While the study is currently inconclusive, doctors believe that Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is more likely in ADHD patients, potentially due to difficulties understanding and regulating emotions. If a person suspects they possess RSD, ADHD, or another mental health disorder, they should consult with a counselor, psychologist, or primary care practitioner about the next steps.
People with ADHD are more likely to develop drug use problems, and there seems to be a complex correlation between ADHD and substance abuse. A survey reveals that teenagers with drug abuse problems are more likely to have ADHD than the overall population. In one research on cannabis use problems, for example, 38% of individuals had ADHD. According to another study, 23% of young individuals with drug use problems also had the disease. Individuals with ADHD are about twice as likely to have a drug use disorder, and those with ADHD plus a behavior issue are four times as likely.
Experts are unsure of the specific causes for the association between ADHD and substance abuse; however, they do have various ideas that link ADHD and drug use, including:
Furthermore, the brains of people with ADHD and SUD may have comparable anatomical characteristics, such as a reduced frontal cortex and cerebellum.
Cigarette smoking appears to impact the chance of developing drug use problems in ADHD children and adolescents. According to some studies, more than half of teenagers who smoke and have ADHD develop a drug use issue as young adults. According to a scientific study, this could be due to friends who smoke may also use other drugs. The authors also claim that nicotine usage alters the development of the brain. Children who begin ADHD therapy at an earlier age appear to be less likely to develop drug abuse problems than those who begin treatment later. Additionally, addressing mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, which frequently coexist with ADHD, is critical and may reduce an individual’s chances of getting this risk.
The link between ADHD and drug use, on the other hand, is complicated, and more studies would help explain it clearly.
ADHD is associated with the following characteristics, according to experts:
These characteristics, however, do not really explain the fundamental reasons for addiction. The following are some of the most common risk factors for ADHD addiction:
The possibility of abuse and addiction to ADHD medication is considerably low when a healthcare practitioner prescribes therapeutic dosages. Individuals with ADHD may be prescribed drugs by their doctors. These stimulant drugs assist patients in focusing and controlling their emotions. They must not develop an addiction or substance abuse due to ADHD as long as these people use them under the supervision of a doctor. They risk developing an addiction or drug abuse if they take them for nonmedical purposes, such as staying up to study or work.
Furthermore, there is no indication that using stimulant drugs for ADHD increases the risk of developing substance abuse later in life.
Individuals who abuse substances have the most chance of preventing addiction or a drug use disorder if they get assistance as soon as possible. If a person has difficulty regulating their substance usage, they should consult their doctor. A doctor might propose therapy or send the patient to a specialist. Experts can now successfully treat drug use problems with minimal recurrence rates, and recovery is feasible with thorough and continuing treatment.
Living with ADHD may make day-to-day living difficult, but there are certain practices that might help. Support is provided if people are experiencing difficulty controlling their ADHD signs or are prone to ADHD addiction. They would benefit from communicating with others going through the same thing.
People can get in touch with Children and Adults with ADHD to help more with their remote and in-person assistance and information. Improving ADHD awareness is crucial to your knowledge of the disorder.
See Also: What Could Cause Rapid ADHD Mood Swings In Adults
ADHD and drug abuse appear to have a strong relationship. While specialists are unsure of the actual cause of the relationship, various possibilities exist. These include genetics, certain personality traits, and the use of substances to self-treat persistent ADHD symptoms. Doctors have a variety of therapies available to aid patients addicted to drugs or alcohol abuse linked with ADHD. Many people, for example, might benefit from a customized regimen that combines medicine and counseling.
Medications can help with addictions, start reducing withdrawal symptoms and keep people from relapsing into substance abuse. In addition, therapy can help people understand why they use substances, boost their self-esteem, and gain knowledge about healthy coping strategies.
People planning to raise their substance usage or feel they fulfill the requirements for substance abuse problems should see a doctor immediately as feasible. Early intervention can help people avoid substance use disorders, and with the right treatment, they can recover.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is distinguished by problems paying focus and, in certain cases, severe hyperactivity. Someone with ADHD may be more prone to either attention deficiency or hyperactivity. ADHD is often diagnosed in childhood, although it can even be discovered in maturity. Other signs and symptoms include:
The exact etiology of ADHD brain is unknown. Genes are considered to play a significant role. Other elements that might have a role include:
The brain is by far the most complex organ in the human body. As a result, it stands to reason that understanding the relationship between ADHD brain and non-ADHD brain shape and function is difficult. Several studies have been conducted to determine whether there are anatomical differences between children with ADHD brain and those who do not have the disease. Over a 10-year period, one research used MRIs to examine children with ADHD brain and without ADHD. They discovered that brain size varied in both groups. Those children having ADHD brains had smaller brains by roughly 3% versus normal brains, although it is crucial to note that brain size has no effect on the intellect. The researchers also discovered that brain growth in children with and without ADHD brain was the same.
The study also discovered that some parts of the brain in children with much more extreme ADHD symptoms were smaller. These regions, like the frontal lobes, are engaged in the following activities:
Researchers also compared grey and white matter variations in kids with and without ADHD brain. Axons, or nerve fibers, make up the white matter. Grey matter is the brain’s outer layer. Researchers discovered that patients with ADHD brain might also have different neural connections in brain regions involved in the following:
These several paths may help to explain why persons with ADHD frequently experience behavioral disorders and learning challenges.
According to some scientific sources, there may be gender variations in ADHD. Gender was shown to be reflected in the outcomes of performance assessments evaluating inattention and impulsivity in one study. The findings of the testing revealed that guys are more impulsive than girls. There has been no difference in signs of inattention between males and girls. Girls with ADHD brain, on the other hand, may have more internal concerns, like anxiety and despair, as they become older. However, further study is needed to determine the gender differences in ADHD.
Treatment is required to enhance the quality of life in people with ADHD brain. The medical sources suggest behavioral treatment initially for children under five. Early intervention can help to:
Medication is usually regarded as the first step of ADHD brain therapy for children ages five. Some lifestyle changes may also be beneficial. According to research, in individuals with ADHD, certain brain areas become “hyperactive,” while others become “hypoactive.” This shows that there may be an issue with the brain’s computational capacity to satisfy the cognitive requirement of the task correctly.
Prescription drugs remain the primary line of therapy for most children with respect to appropriate ADHD control. While it may appear that prescribing stimulants to somebody who is habitually hyperactive is counterproductive, these medicines really have the opposite impact on ADHD patients.
The issue with stimulants is that they’ll have adverse consequences in some people, including:
According to scientific sources, over 60% of people respond well to the first stimulant recommended to them. If a stimulant drug does not work for you, a non-stimulant medicine is another alternative for the ADHD brain.
Lifestyle changes might also aid in the management of ADHD symptoms. This is especially beneficial for young kids who are still developing habits. You might try:
See Also: What Could Cause Rapid ADHD Mood Swings In Adults
As there is no cure for ADHD, medication is required to improve one’s quality of life. Therapy can also help children perform better in school. Despite some difficulties common in childhood, certain symptoms improve with maturity. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) indicates that an ADHD patient’s brain achieves a “normal” condition but is only delayed. Furthermore, despite gender variations in the structural and functional brain in ADHD, males and females receive the same therapies.
Discuss with the doctor if your child’s treatment regimen needs to be reviewed. You should also talk to your child’s school specialists about possible extra assistance. It is necessary to keep in mind that with the proper care, your child may enjoy a happy and stable life.
A mood swing is a phenomenon that indicates rapid fluctuation in emotion over a short period. This can look like unpredictability in the change of emotions at little triggers. You might feel happy and content one minute and shift to unproportionate anger at a slight annoyance in the next minute. Alternatively, mood swings can also span over weeks. You may feel downcast for weeks without any identifiable cause or reason.
Sometimes, the trigger is identifiable. It may be a stressful encounter at work, disrespect from a child, or something not going your way. Other times, you may be unable to explain why you feel a certain way.
It’s common for people to lose control of their emotions from time to time. Mostly, they are not indicative of a serious health issue. Yet, it can affect your quality of life and those around you. Difficulty in relationships, job instability, and drug and alcohol misuse can be some unpleasant effects of recurrent mood swings.
If they occur frequently, they may indicate an underlying health condition. Mood swings can occur due to many reasons, such as ADHD, addiction, or even pregnancy. However, mood swings are not exclusive to health conditions like ADHD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed during childhood and may persist in adulthood. Children and adults with ADHD display a characteristically low attention span and are hyperactive.
They also experience being unable to stay focused on a task and having poor time management skills, impulsive decisions, excessive activity, restlessness, talking over people, and low frustration tolerance.
People with ADHD also tend to feel heightened emotions like anger, frustration, or disappointment. Although moodiness isn’t unique to ADHD, poor self-control and impulsivity can cause mood swings, which are common symptoms of ADHD.
One of the effects of mental instability is experiencing mood swings. Struggling to pay attention or being unable to perform the way non-ADHD peers do is a common cause of a sudden irritable or frustrated mood. 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.
Alternatively, they can also feel frustrated when someone else interrupts their thought process or something they’re doing, or even when they are talking. This can be seen in children with ADHD who hyperfocus on an aimless activity and start crying if a parent or teacher tries to bring them to an important task.
A heightened sense of emotion also characterizes ADHD. An exciting event or a big win can bring many people a magnified feeling of happiness. In people with ADHD, this can be followed by depressive aftermath as the stimulus is removed and they switch to the other extreme of the emotional spectrum. Identifying such a pattern is important to predict your blues and prepare yourself for the upcoming phase.
Another common cause that can be attributed to ADHD mood swings is medications. Medication has been shown to help with cognitive symptoms like low attention span but not emotional symptoms. Conversely, stimulant medication can wear off after a few hours and cause a few hours of moodiness. However, according to a Yale study, increased irritability was true only for amphetamine-derived medication. Medication-induced mood swings will occur in a time-bound pattern if the patient takes their medication regularly. This would occur mostly in the late afternoon or early evening.
Such symptoms should be noted and reported to the overseeing physician if they need to adjust medication.
Some patients with ADHD may also suffer from other disorders that can significantly affect mood patterns.
The most common ones are mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder. Mood swings are a hallmark sign of bipolar disorder; patients have felt manic and depressed for months. Combined with ADHD, mood swings could seriously affect the quality of life of such patients and their loved ones.
Anxiety disorder is also commonly seen hand-in-hand with ADHD and depression. Incessant worry, nervousness, and other symptoms are seen, leading to episodes of sudden onset of a panicked state.
Learning disabilities are also seen in people with ADHD. Children and adults with ADHD may show lower academic performance than their peers. This is exhibited in the ADHD mental age chart, which shows ADHD children to be three years behind their chronological age in terms of executive functioning and emotional maturity. As you age, the frontal lobe reaches its fully developed stage. Thus, symptoms may dissipate over the years; however, the irritability associated with not performing well or grasping concepts may persist.
Most people cope with a range of emotions throughout the week. For people with ADHD, a tough week can be the source of heightened and immense emotions that require solid coping mechanisms. ADHD medication may only have a limited effect on such feelings since they deal with cognitive symptoms instead of the emotional aspect of ADHD. If your mood swings overpower your ability to cope with your emotions, consulting a psychiatrist might be the best option.
However, you can take some measures on your own to deal with ADHD mood swings on a day-to-day basis.
People with ADHD have an unregulated attention span, making it difficult for them to focus. Sometimes you may find yourself unable to focus on a task at hand, and rather you see yourself hyper-focused on a mundane side task. Take advantage of this ability and channel your emotions towards an immersive hobby when your mood swings hit.
Staying active and dedicating some time to physical exercise is proven to be effective in releasing endorphins that instantly uplift the mood. Even better, you could engage in high-intensity or competitive sports that would allow you to channel your aggression or mood swings toward a healthy goal.
Bottling up your emotions can be destructive over time. A healthy way to vent is to find a friend willing to listen or write a journal. Journaling helps to take your emotions into account and keep track. Other physical ways to vent can be more creative such as singing or dancing. However, although venting brings your emotions to the forefront, you must also dedicate time to staying calm and grounding yourself to reality. Assisted meditation is helpful in this endeavor.
See Also: What’s The Difference Between ADD And ADHD?
If you were diagnosed with ADHD as a child, you must have undergone some form of therapy to mitigate the effects of the disorder. Other symptoms may diminish over time but understanding the cause of your symptoms is imperative to developing healthy coping mechanisms.
How does it feel when you have a presentation in front of a large audience? If you have stage fright, you probably start feeling nauseous or like all your intestines are knotted up. What about when you see someone you’re romantically interested in? The feeling is described as having butterflies in your stomach. How about when you see something that makes you sad and helpless? It feels gut-wrenching.
Do you notice the common theme amongst all these phrases? All these emotions you feel regularly instigate a reaction in your gut. Why is that so?
The truth is that it’s not all in your head! Your psychology directly influences chemical pathways and biological processes that affect your gut.
So, how does the magic really happen? Your digestive canal spans from your mouth to your esophagus to your rectum. There are two thin layers of 100 million nerve cells lining this canal, called the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is part of the nervous system, but because it is such an extensive network and relies on the same neurotransmitters and types of neurons as the central nervous system (CNS), it is called your ‘second brain’. This network is closely connected to the CNS; so, when you feel ill in the stomach, you may also experience a headache. This communication between the brain and the gut is called the gut-brain axis.
The vagus nerve, running from the brain to the gut, is a very important connection between the two organs. It enables you to convert food to feelings. When you wake up in the morning and eat your breakfast, you feel satisfaction in your stomach and head. This is because your intestines are covered in a layer of villi. These villi are like small tiny hair and are made up of many different kinds of cells, mainly the enteroendocrine cell, which is also known as the gut sensor. Our gut sensor is connected to the vagus nerve.
We now know that the gut and the brain have an established connection. After the food particles come in contact with the sensor, they sense the chemical stimuli such as the nutrients. Then the signal is converted into electrical pulses and transmitted through a link of the vagus nerve. Through this sensory information, the brain and gut are interlinked. This connection influences the brain’s function within seconds, thus satisfying our hunger.
So, what else may influence the gut-brain axis? Researchers are also looking into the natural flora of the human body and how an imbalance in the healthy and unhealthy bacteria can affect the body. Normally, the human body contains thousands of ‘good’ bacteria in the skin, gut, and mucosal lining, which maintain a symbiotic relationship and prevent the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria. The microbiome of your gut is believed to play an important role in the health of the gut, obesity, and inflammatory skin disorders. However, research now suggests that this extends to the well-being of your brain and neurological systems, too.
If an imbalance of bacteria develops in the gut, the body’s immune system may overreact, leading to inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. As a result of inflammation, disease symptoms will develop throughout the body, including the brain.
But could gut microbes be affecting physiological stress levels? The most recent study found it to be true among mice. When mice were exposed to certain microbes, they showed dramatic changes in brain levels.
For the study, scientists used germ-free mice: mice that were born and immediately placed in a clean cage, so that they were barely exposed to any microbes at all. These were compared to mice that were exposed to a known set of microbes. The experiment concluded that the germ-free mice got a lot more stressed out when they were restrained. So, it seemed like something about the bacteria in the mice was helping keep their stress level in check.
The team found out that the brains of the germ-free mice had less activation in the brain regions that determine how an animal reacts to stress. This research proves that your gut does seem to affect your brain, but scientists aren’t 100% sure why this happens.
Often you have a nervous stomach and no lab tests can confirm the condition and no doctor can officially diagnose you with the problem. In this condition, you may experience some digestive problems due to a nervous or anxious state of mind.
These symptoms are similar to those of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, there are known physiological causes of IBS whereas a nervous stomach is mostly due to mental stress.
You may experience these symptoms in daunting situations when you feel nervous, like before a presentation or when having to confront someone.
Did you know that migraines aren’t just constrained to the head? You may also experience abdominal migraines. An intense stomachache that may persist for hours or days on end can be triggered by anxiety, stress, and certain foods. It is more common in children but may present in adults as well. Over-thinking a stress-inducing topic is usually the cause of this condition in adults. There are no diagnostic tests to determine abdominal migraine; all lab tests seem to be clear.
Not only does research suggest that digestive issues may cause headaches, but statistics also suggest the opposite: i.e., headaches causing digestive problems. It’s kind of a casualty dilemma, or a chicken-and-the-egg problem, where we aren’t sure which comes first.
A migraine affects the brain and brainstem. Since the GI tract is directly connected to the brain, this channel of communication may cause symptoms to occur in the stomach. We do see nausea and vomiting as associated symptoms of migraine attacks.
Research suggests that people with frequent headaches may be more likely to develop gastrointestinal disorders. This is also true in the reverse scenario: people who suffer from GI problems such as diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, are predisposed to also experience headaches.
Research has shown that people who regularly experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and nausea, have a higher prevalence of headaches than those who don’t. The vagus nerve may be held responsible for this phenomenon since it links both the brain and gut together so that one triggers the other.
A digestive problem headache is also called a gastric headache and has the following symptoms:
See Also: What’s The Difference Between ADD And ADHD?
We know that the gut-brain axis is a well-connected channel and issues in any one of the organs may affect the other.
If you suffer from any of the above issues, such as experiencing nervous stomach symptoms, or have noticed a connection between your headache and digestive problems, you can take over-the-counter medications and home remedies to treat the condition. However, lifestyle changes may also be required to wholly avoid the predicament. In any case, it is strongly advised to get in touch with your physician for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Although nobody likes the unpleasant feeling that follows rejection, it can be even more challenging for those with ADHD. Studies suggest that ADHD-driven emotional sensitivity in people makes them struggle to cope with rejection. This rejection may be as simple as having a friend say no to you or as big as not being accepted for a job you applied for. ADHD-affected people feel every emotion very strongly because of their emotional hyperarousal, which makes perceived or actual rejection more painful than it may be for someone without ADHD.
The condition in which a person feels extreme and overwhelming emotions to criticism, teasing, disappointment, or rejection is called Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). This emotional condition heightens the painful emotions a person experiences. People with RSD tend to either internalize or externalize their overwhelming feelings, harming their relationships with their loved ones. They may internalize feelings by withdrawing from their surroundings, causing a low mood and loneliness, or experience emotional hyperarousal, causing rage and physical violence towards themselves or others.
Studies show that people with ADHD show more susceptibility to RSD, explaining the emotional sensitivity in people diagnosed with ADHD. While psychiatrists commonly believe that RSD occurs exclusively in people diagnosed with ADHD, some professionals think that might not always be the case. Since emotional sensitivity and rejection are difficult to measure, and their symptoms present similar to those of other mental health conditions, it is still debatable whether RSD could be a mental health disorder.
ADHD and sensitivity go hand in hand due to abnormal hormonal levels in a person diagnosed with ADHD. Those with ADHD are likely to face rejection at some point in their lives; some may be more than others, making them more sensitive to rejection or other disappointments in the future.
Sensitivity to rejection in ADHD is likely to feed a vicious cycle of repetition of past trauma. This leads to possible negative thoughts and responses, requiring an efficient management plan. It is essential to realize that people with ADHD are generally emotionally sensitive and may have strong feelings of shame, preventing them from seeking the medical help they need.
Aside from medications, allowing the person to process their emotions before a meltdown is a healthy way to help them cope with rejection. There is no shame in getting help from a specialized counselor. Therapists specializing in dealing with people with ADHD can help you develop a treatment plan and coping strategies that work best for you.
While emotional hyperarousal presents as visible hyperactivity in about 25% of children and 5% of adults, the rest internalize their hyperactivity which can look like the inability to relax. Emotional sensitivity in ADHD may present as passionate thoughts, emotions, and feelings more intense than anyone else. Their highs are higher, and their lows are lower than the average person.
People with ADHD experience stronger emotions, whether positive or negative. They are more invested than others in what they do and develop self-esteem issues if they cannot deliver quality work on time. This may be as minor as being unable to fix a puzzle or something as significant as rejection from a loved one. Since people with ADHD do not usually confine to societal norms, they are often met with harsh criticism from others. They may internalize and grow up with unhealthy emotions and perspectives about themselves.
ADHD is often misdiagnosed as a mood disorder because of symptoms presenting as emotional sensitivity in ADHD. However, the difference between moods in mood disorders and ADHD is the duration and intensity. In ADHD-driven emotional sensitivity, the moods are pretty much standard in every way except for their intensity. In a mood disorder, the moods often last for two weeks or more and are separate from the person’s situation.
Emotional sensitivity in ADHD is usually triggered by past or current events or wrongly perceived situations. To cope with the emotional hyperarousal caused by ADHD, people need help and support. People with ADHD often suffer from constant, deeply ingrained feelings of shame or low self-esteem and need constant reassurance. It would help if you constantly reminded people with ADHD that they are good enough and value them. This helps them manage their extremely negative perceptions toward themselves and everyday situations.
The key to helping a person with their emotional hyperarousal is embracing them and their unique nervous system as it is. This allows them to be comfortable with themselves amidst the constant feelings of shame and disappointment.
While emotional hyperarousal can feel like a burden at certain times, you can always learn new strategies to help you cope with your heightened emotions. Professional counselors suggest incorporating regular exercising routines in your life. Dedicate a few hours to yourself every night to go over the emotions you may have felt during the day. This helps promote a healthy mental state and lets you occasionally connect with yourself.
Talking about your condition with those around you will help you better understand yourself. In cases of rejection sensitivity and emotional hyperarousal in ADHD, your friends will choose their words carefully when interacting with you. It is best for people with ADHD to choose their relationships wisely and leave emotionally abusive relationships, if possible. Emotional abuse tends to make their ADHD worse, which might cause the person to internalize or externalize their harsh response to being treated a certain way.
It is also essential to understand that most of your emotional hyperarousal and rejection sensitivity is associated with your neurodivergent health condition – ADHD. Knowing your condition and what it can bring about allows you to go easy on yourself and avoid unconstructive and demeaning self-criticism. If your ADHD continues to be difficult for you to cope with, it’s time to visit an ADHD specialist and get help to manage your emotional sensitivities in daily life.
See Also: What’s The Difference Between ADD And ADHD?
As painful as an experience like rejection is, it is even more degrading to people living with ADHD. According to experts, the inability of people with ADHD to process and regulate their emotions makes them more prone to developing RSD. Rejection sensitivity disorder does not respond to therapy and is one of the most challenging aspects of ADHD.
We often hear a typical story: a child might not perform well at school, may show distracted behavior, and act like anything the teacher has to say is useless. It’s dismissed chiefly as childish conduct, but occasionally, an inquisitive teacher might recommend the child be evaluated for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Although well-intentioned, this recommendation has one flaw: ADD hasn’t been a formal diagnosis for several decades. It is easy to make the ADD vs. ADHD mistake as a layperson. But with this article, you can learn the difference between ADD and ADHD to ensure you or your loved ones are appropriately diagnosed.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuro-development disorder, often diagnosed in children. ADHD is the blanket term now used for all attention deficit disorders. According to the DSM-5 (the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), ADHD is classified into three types based on the dominant symptoms. The hallmark symptoms of ADHD are listed below:
The child cannot focus their attention on a specific task, is easily distracted, dislikes or avoids activities requiring focus, and may show disinterest while conversing.
The child exhibits high energy, loves activities involving physical play, cannot stay seated or remain in the same position for some time, talks too much or fast, and blurts out answers before the other person has completed their sentence/question.
The child makes rash decisions, does not think about the consequences of their actions, and often has trouble waiting for their turn (like waiting in queues). Unlike the other two highly manageable symptoms into adulthood, impulsivity often persists throughout the patient’s life and is apparent in their cognitive decision-making process.
The intensity or predominance of these symptoms can vary in different individuals, explaining the different diagnoses despite falling under the umbrella term of ADHD. The three types of ADHD are:
In this condition, the child will exhibit inattentiveness mainly but not the other two symptoms. They are not hyper or impulsive.
The child will be hyperactive and impulsive but may have a good attention span or not have trouble being attentive.
In this condition, the child will present with all three symptoms.
To be diagnosed with any ADHD type, the child must present at least five relevant symptoms (listed above and in DSM-5) under each type for six months. Many children present with such behavior at some point in their life, maybe due to trauma or the company they are in, but these behaviors persist in children with ADHD.
As the child grows, they can present with variable symptoms. Consequently, with the fluidity of symptoms, the child can present with different types of ADHD throughout their life.
A discussion about the difference between ADD and ADHD is a questionable debate. As given above, ADD is considered a subtype of ADHD, i.e., the predominantly inattentive type of ADHD without hyperactivity. Before 1987, ADD and ADHD were considered separate disorders. However, with a revision in the DSM, ADD is now known as ADHD – inattentive type (or any other variation that indicates lack of hyperactivity to a more significant extent). Therefore, it is inappropriate to think in terms of ADHD vs. ADD.
Since patients with inattentive ADHD (or ADD) do not call attention to themselves through their behavior, they can often go undiagnosed and be dismissed as children who are careless or indifferent. Even worse, they can be misdiagnosed as having a mood disorder or anxiety. It is imperative to understand that hyperactive or impulsive children who blurt out answers and run around the class aren’t the only ones that may need clinical help.
Undiagnosed ADHD-without-hyperactivity can result in severe stunting in academic growth and emotional trauma, as the child’s inattentive brain disorder is chalked up to irresponsible behavior and carelessness.
The social construction and performance of gender stereotypes and the different presentation of ADHD symptoms in girls and boys have significantly led to an underdiagnosis of ADHD in girls. Boys often show hyperactive and impulsive behavior and present with the combined type of ADHD.
On the other hand, girls replicate the behaviors of their peers and can adapt better in school, internalize their symptoms, do not exhibit hyperactivity, and, at most, be very chatty. These subtle symptoms are often harder to identify. Unfortunately, girls presenting with this type of ADHD may be boxed under the stereotypical picture of girls generally being talkative. This is why boys are diagnosed up to 3 times more than girls.
Under this internalized form of ADHD, girls may often be caught staring off into space – daydreaming. Daydreaming ADHD is more common in girls than boys and falls under inattentive ADHD.
If you have a daughter, you could look out for these signs of inattentive ADHD:
She feels anxious and burdened by her inability to focus
Your child may have ADHD, hyperfunctioning, and have a mature expression of thought and cognitive ability. This may lead you to believe that your child is brilliant compared to their peers and is emotionally mature.
As a parent, teacher, or caregiver, it is vital to understand the ADHD mental age chart. Children with ADHD may be more articulate in expression, process ideas faster than their peers, and pick up new concepts quickly. However, studies have shown these children to be at least three years behind their peers in emotional maturity and executive functioning.
Executive functioning encompasses impulse control, emotional control, planning and prioritizing tasks, and completing them on time. This makes sense, considering the disordered neural state of hyperactive/impulsive or inattentive children.
If your child or peer has been diagnosed with ADHD, especially if they’re young, visualize the ADHD mental age chart when dealing with them.
Now that you know the difference between ADD and ADHD, you know what to look for in your child. If you think your child has inattentive ADHD (or ADD, informally), you can go through the DSM-5 or get help from an acquaintance caring for someone with ADHD.
Suppose you consistently identify a set of symptoms in your child for over half a year. In that case, referring to a trained professional to evaluate your child and get a proper diagnosis is better. It is advised not to feel alarmed or attacked if your child is diagnosed with it – around 8.4% of children in America have the disorder and are diagnosed during school years.
See Also: Adult ADHD and Parenting
Diagnosis during the early years helps manage the child’s symptoms better and enables them to be their best selves. You should not fear for your child’s prospects either; some very notable people like Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, Abraham Lincoln, the widely successful American President, and current world-famous swimmer Michael Phelps have been ADHD minds! Not only is it possible for your child to live with ADHD, but it is also possible for them to thrive with it.
It wasn’t until the youngest of her three children was diagnosed with ADHD that 45-year-old Allison Bolt realized that she had all the symptoms as well. Going over the checklist of symptoms for her youngest daughter, Julie, it hit her out of nowhere, and things started to fall into place.
“I didn’t want to believe it at first, but at the same time, I was so relieved to get a diagnosis finally. I no longer had to feel like I was a bad mom.”
While parents are warned to expect the unexpected when they have their first child, the unexpectedness of parenting with ADHD is a curveball that no one sees coming. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of awareness of adult ADHD, which makes it difficult for an early diagnosis – especially for those who exhibit inattentive symptoms. These include difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, inability to finish tasks, not paying attention to details, and a lack of organization. Women’s symptoms tend to be easily dismissed as they are more likely to cover up the symptoms than their male counterparts.
Parenting with ADHD can be even more difficult, especially when managing a household and organizing your life along with your children’s. Whether you’re a new parent, a single parent, a working parent, or a stay-at-home parent, it doesn’t get easier – but it helps to know that you’re not alone.
According to a study on parental ADHD symptomology and ineffective parenting, mothers with higher ADHD symptoms reported higher levels of home chaos. Moreover, their symptoms were positively associated with inconsistent disciplinary practices, whereas fathers with ADHD symptoms resulted in low involvement and less supportiveness. The study concluded that some parenting practices are less effective for mothers and fathers who have symptoms of ADHD, and they are more likely to have disorganized homes.
Some of the most prominent challenges of parenting with ADHD arise from the lack of organizational skills. Parents struggle to keep up with their children’s schedules and get easily frustrated when they cannot manage their behavior.
Most moms are likely to be diagnosed with depression rather than ADHD, which is another challenge because treatment and managing symptoms of ADHD are very different. It would be much more helpful for both mothers and their children if parents who have ADHD get an accurate diagnosis and work on a treatment plan with the healthcare provider that suits them best.
Adults with ADHD experience brain fog, and when you’re on a sleepless schedule trying to function as a human being and raising another, things tend to get messy. You might feel less confident in your abilities and like your self-esteem is declining.
This is very common for adults who are unaware of their condition until much later in life and were flying under the radar because your maladaptive daydreaming meant you’re a creative thinker and problem solver. Chances are you were excelling in your field because of your ability to work in bursts of energy and meet your deadlines. However, having a child, or any major life change for that matter, makes it even more difficult to cope with the symptoms.
However, does this mean that adults with ADHD should not be parents? Surely, there is some method to the madness and a way for parents to cope. Here are some tips and strategies to help parents with ADHD make it more manageable for adults with ADHD.
It’s very easy to be hard on yourself and over-critical, especially as a parent when you have to put up with several unsolicited opinions of others. It’s also easy to get overwhelmed with the sudden responsibility of being a parent, and your old coping mechanisms might not be helping you sail through. Make sure you’re not making yourself feel guilty for something that’s not in your control.
As your children get older, the list of extra-curricular activities, doctor’s appointments, and parent-teacher meetings keeps expanding. It becomes even more challenging to keep track of it all without writing it down.
Divide the list of activities based on the tasks – one for daily tasks, one for weekly chores, and one for monthly activities. These will differ with each household, family structure, and dynamic but usually involve several microtasks as well. For example, your daily task may be to make breakfast, but the micro-tasks include:
1. waking your child up so they get ready
2. while you assemble the ingredients
3. and prepare the food.
Your weekly chores for the task may include shopping for ingredients, but before that, you will have to make a shopping list and schedule a time to go to the store.
A monthly chore could include paying the bills, and micro-tasks include collecting your bills and the stamps.
See Also: Causes and Symptoms of ADHD
As your children get older, help them get used to the idea of making their lists and being responsible for some of the microtasks, and consider recruiting other family members to lend a helping hand. Talk to a friend, partner, family member, or other parents who might be in the same boat as you. You don’t have to go through it alone.
Most importantly, when you feel like the normal range of chaos is expanding, reach out to professionals and talk about your symptoms. The stigma around ADHD, especially when an adult has it, can make it difficult for you to open up because it feels like you’re exaggerating, but your feelings are completely valid. Your doctor will be able to offer you better techniques to manage your symptoms.
Bipolar disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are two common psychological conditions experienced among children and adults alike. Since ADHD symptoms are pretty similar to bipolar disorder, they are often mistaken for each other. Moreover, they are also comorbid, meaning both conditions may occur together. There is a high chance one of the conditions is being overlooked due to the similarity in ADHD symptoms and bipolar disorder symptoms.
Understanding when ADHD and bipolar disorder are comorbid can have important implications for treatment decisions. However, it is difficult to diagnose both conditions together since ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that starts in childhood. In contrast, bipolar disorder may be diagnosed later in adulthood. Knowing when and how often these disorders occur is essential to create awareness and implementing adequate treatment options. Such measures are necessary because co-morbidity has a more severe course than either diagnosis alone and is also linked to higher suicide attempts.
Keep reading to find out the differences between ADHD and bipolar disorder, why these conditions are comorbid in some scenarios, how often both conditions occur together, and the different options for bipolar disorder and ADHD diagnosis and treatment.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that most commonly affects children. However, there is also a high prevalence of ADHD in adults. Symptoms of ADHD include a lack of focus or attention, forgetfulness, excessive fidgeting and talking, impulsive behavior, difficulty forming relationships, and a tendency to take risks. It is often identified when individuals attempt to disrupt the college or work environment and have trouble getting along with peers or colleagues.
In contrast, bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that may result in extreme mood swings. Patients often oscillate between episodes of emotional highs, such as mania or hypomania, to lows, like depression. Shifting between both ends of the emotional spectrum can affect the patient’s day-to-day functioning, energy, sleep, judgment, and clarity. These episodes can span the patient’s entire lifetime; however, they are mostly free of any symptoms in between these episodes.
Researchers are still studying why ADHD and bipolar disorder occur together in some patients. One hypothesis is that there may be some common underlying biological and genetic factors. A study conducted in 2015 set out to test the robustness of this hypothesis. Researchers used data from 13,532 twins to get a deeper understanding of the genetic underpinnings of ADHD and bipolar disorder co-morbidities. They found that genetic factors connected to mania had a 25 – 42% association with ADHD symptoms.
Follow-up studies will be helpful in further understanding the association between ADHD and bipolar disorder for efficient treatment options.
Many studies have set out to determine the frequency of ADHD and bipolar disorder co-morbidity. One such review aimed to analyze rates of ADHD and bipolar disorders in a sample of 646,000 participants. They found that ADHD was comorbid with bipolar disorder in roughly 1 in 13 adults. Conversely, the ratio was 1 in 6 adults for bipolar disorder comorbid with ADHD.
Hence, as research suggests, ADHD and bipolar disorder occur together in a large proportion of individuals. Thus, clinicians and healthcare providers must be mindful of these statistics while diagnosing patients with either of these conditions.
Due to similarities between bipolar disorder and ADHD symptoms like inattention and hyperactivity, clinicians are presented with a challenging task. While there are no set guidelines available, clinicians can employ the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual criteria to diagnose bipolar disorder in patients with ADHD.
There are also cases where clinicians and sometimes patients are more inclined towards an ADHD diagnosis than bipolar disorder if symptoms overlap. Bipolar disorder is more complex and challenging to treat than ADHD in adults. There is also a more significant social stigma attached to it. The stigma can further deteriorate the patient’s health; hence the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is ignored in some cases, even if the symptoms are blatant.
Despite their similarities, there are still some distinguishing factors between ADHD and bipolar disorder. ADHD symptoms are more or less a regular part of the patient’s life. Hence, if the patient is experiencing a lack of focus and hyperactivity as a regular part of their routine, their condition is most likely diagnosed as ADHD. In contrast, bipolar disorders occur in episodes. The patient may face a manic or depressive episode for around 4 – 7 days, and then the symptoms subside. Thus, if the symptoms occur only over a specific time period and are absent otherwise, it is bipolar disorder.
There is a scarcity of research on treatment options for patients with both ADHD and bipolar disorder. Hence, clinicians decide the best course of action, keeping the severity of the patient’s symptoms in mind, as there are no definitive criteria set in place so far.
One strategy that healthcare providers adopt is to treat bipolar disorder initially. Once those symptoms are under control, they move toward ADHD symptoms.
Different drugs and therapies are available for both ADHD and bipolar disorder. The most commonly used medications for bipolar disorder include antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines. ADHD in adults and children is usually treated with nervous system stimulants like methylphenidate or, as it is commonly known, Ritalin.
While each condition has its own set of medications for treatment, it is not as straightforward treating both together. For example, there have been issues in the stimulant treatment of ADHD when bipolar disorder was a comorbid condition. A 2016 study found that patients on Ritalin for ADHD treatment who also had bipolar disorders and were not placed on mood stabilizers had nearly a 7-fold chance of a manic episode in 3 months. But if these patients were also treated with a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder and Ritalin, then the medications effectively controlled the symptoms.
ADHD diagnosis and treatment may become challenging if the patient also has bipolar disorder as a comorbid condition. Given the lack of research on this topic, it is highly dependent on the expertise and prior knowledge of the healthcare providers to understand the symptoms and administrate the best treatment option. With an increasing interest in the intersection of both these conditions, there is greater awareness on managing ADHD symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder.
