Struggling to manage intense emotions or feeling like your emotions are on a rollercoaster? You’re not alone. An ADHD meltdown is a tantrum-like outburst triggered by emotional overload or unmet needs. It can be overwhelming for both the individuals experiencing the meltdown and their caregivers. This article explains ADHD meltdowns and provides tips to prevent, manage, and recover from them.
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What Does An ADHD Meltdown Look Like?
There is no single way that an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) “meltdown” can look. A meltdown is essentially a build-up of emotions that are released at once in a way that may feel objectively excessive to the situation at hand.
An ADHD meltdown can look like:
- Suddenly bursting into tears
- Excessive cursing
- Throwing things
- Yelling or screaming
- Stomping around
- Crumbling to the ground in a ball
- Clenching fists
- Full body tension
Adult ADHD Meltdowns
Even adults with ADHD can have an ADHD meltdown. Recent research has found that emotional symptoms occur in both youths and adults diagnosed with ADHD.1 Research has found that across the developmental lifespan, people living with ADHD also tend to struggle with social impairment as well as being more likely to engage in risky behaviors.2 The extent of these traits will vary from person to person.
The way that emotional dysregulation presents in children with ADHD can have some similarities to the way it does in adults depending on the person and their level of emotional maturity and emotional awareness.
The ADHD Volcano Model
The ADHD volcano model is an image constructed to help people understand how someone with ADHD might experience an emotional build-up that could lead to an emotional meltdown based on their struggles with executive function and other neurological differences common in individuals living with ADHD.
Some behaviors that might be exhibited by a person experiencing an emotional meltdown are: angry outbursts, miscommunication, excessive talking and being argumentative. The volcano shows different layers including: Dopamine availability at the base, executive function ability, performance influences, and level of inattention or hyperactivity. The volcano model helps to demonstrate that there are multiple factors and forces that underlie the expressive behaviors associated with an ADHD meltdown that can be building for some time before the triggering event occurs.
Causes of An ADHD Meltdown
A person living with ADHD may experience more frustration in their day-to-day life than a neurotypical person, which in turn increases their vulnerability to having a meltdown. Because of differences in brain processes and ability to navigate emotional difficulty, someone with ADHD will likely process their emotions differently than a neurotypical person. Some ADHD symptoms, for example, can cause an increased amount of frustration that may eventually lead to a meltdown.
ADHD symptoms that increase the likelihood of having a meltdown include:
- Impulsivity: Impulsivity increases the use of risky behaviors. This means an individual may be engaging in behaviors or activities they have not thoroughly thought-through. This behavior could contribute to more emotional volatility or being in situations that are likely to increase emotional reactivity.
- Overstimulation: Though this symptom is not currently in the cluster of official symptoms associated with an ADHD diagnosis, individuals living with ADHD often report being more sensitive to overstimulation in the environment which could in turn increase their vulnerability to having a meltdown.
- Emotional dysregulation: Emotion dysregulation is a trait often found to occur in individuals living with ADHD, rather than being a specific symptom of ADHD. Individuals struggling with emotion dysregulation will likely struggle to navigate situations that trigger an emotional response. This means an increased likelihood of tantrum-like behavior occurring.
- Disorganization: Individuals struggling with disorganization may be more prone to having a meltdown due to the stress that often accompanies disorganization in the environment. For example, someone with a messy room might begin to feel overwhelmed by the difficulty they have finding important things.
- Being forgetful: Forgetfulness may increase the likelihood of having a meltdown because it can be extremely disorienting and confusing to forget important dates, deadlines or items needed to complete important tasks at school or work. For example, a student may frequently forget to bring their homework to school, which results in them failing class or getting in trouble with their parents.
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How to Manage & Stop ADHD Meltdowns
While addressing ADHD meltdowns can be challenging, there are strategies and skills one can use to manage and stop them.
Here are 12 tips on how to manage and stop ADHD meltdowns:
- Identify your triggers: It can be helpful for individuals who experience difficulty with regulating their emotions to identify their specific triggers. These can be unique to each individual and vary from person-to-person.
- Use the 54321 method: The 54321 method is a grounding technique used to help someone focus on things in their immediate environment which can serve as a useful distraction from experiencing emotional distress.
- Focus on your breathing: Engaging in mindful breathing techniques can help to calm the body and the nervous system when experiencing emotional distress.
- Get better sleep: It is important to remember that sleep impacts mental health in multiple ways. Getting regular and sufficient sleep is associated with an increased ability to regulate and manage emotions.
- Use a body double: An ADHD body double can help people who struggle with managing their emotions by having a trusted friend or individual navigate difficult situations alongside them.
- Journal: Journaling has been known to increase emotional awareness and self-awareness in general.
- Therapy: Engaging in regular behavioral therapy can help someone learn strategies for managing their emotions and navigating or making sense of difficult emotional situations.
- Spend time in nature: Spending time outside has been shown to help regulate the nervous system. Taking time each day to spend time outside can have massive health benefits.
- Move your body: Body movement and exercise have also been shown to help increase emotion regulation. Finding a way to add exercise or some form of body movement that feels comfortable and doable into your daily routine can make a big impact on overall emotional wellbeing.
- Practice gratitude: It can be easy to focus on the negative when things aren’t going well in life. The positive psychology movement has found in research that practicing gratitude is a helpful tool to use when struggling with difficult emotions. Identifying five things you’re grateful for every day can be helpful in managing emotional distress.
- Set boundaries: One large source of frustration and irritability is a lack of boundary setting. This can show-up at work and in relationships, for example. It is helpful to take inventory of ways you might be over-extending yourself in these areas and to adjust and set boundaries accordingly if irritability is high.
- Practice self compassion: Being hard on yourself can add to an already distressing situation. Remember to practice kindness and compassion to yourself even during times of struggle and failure.
When to Seek Professional Support for ADHD Meltdowns
If symptoms associated with ADHD and emotional dysregulation are causing problems at work, in relationships or in other important areas of life, it might be time to find a neurodiverse affirming therapist. An online therapist directory or online therapy platform is a good choice for finding a therapist who specializes in ADHD treatment. If you are considering medication for ADHD symptoms or symptoms of emotional dysregulation, an online psychiatrist options is a good choice for finding ADHD medication management.
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