Mood swings can be common for both adults and children with ADHD. Some of the reasons for this connection include feeling frustrated from struggling with attention and focus all day, difficulties with impulse control, and being prone to rejection-sensitive dysphoria.5 Mood swings can be related to the effects of ADHD medications as well.
What Causes ADHD Mood Swings?
A person dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is likely to face many frustrations throughout the day, which can cause mood swings. These can include things like losing their keys, running late, or struggling to keep up with the demands of the daily schedule. For someone with ADHD, thoughts can feel like a ping-pong ball bouncing around inside their head. This can be exhausting and make everything feel difficult.
Additionally, ADHD can make it difficult to focus and concentrate. A person may fixate on a tough meeting with the boss or something someone said or did, repeating it in their mind and influencing their mood. Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RDP) can play a part, too, because it causes hyper fixation and sensitivity related to the possibility of rejection.
ADHD factors that increase mood swings include:
- Emotion Dysregulation: Challenges with executive functioning can lead to difficulty regulating emotions in people with ADHD. Executive functioning controls rational thought, and ADHD-impaired executive functioning can lead to impulsivity and emotional dysregulation.
- Medication: ADHD medications can have a stimulant effect, causing irritability and insomnia. However, medications often have a positive impact on mood, smoothing out some of the highs and lows and reducing the irritability and frustration that come with managing the symptoms of ADHD.
- Frustration: Dealing with ADHD symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, or lack of focus all day can be exhausting and frustrating. ADHD symptoms can also lower frustration tolerance, leading to irritability and mood swings.1
- Related Symptoms: Some of the symptoms of ADHD, such as impulse control, can contribute to mood swings. People with ADHD may have impulsive, emotional reactions and less emotional inhibition. Specifically, there is a link between ADHD and anger.
- Co-Existing Conditions: Connections have been found between ADHD and anxiety and ADHD and depression as well as behavioral or conduct problems and learning disorders in children. These issues may start as ADHD symptoms and develop into more significant disorders of their own over time.2
- Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD): Some people with ADHD experience an intense emotional response to perceived criticism or rejection. This can occur even if the criticism is mild or unintentional. This hypersensitivity to any perceived rejection or criticism can lead to mood swings.3
- Hyperfocus: Some people with ADHD experience hyperfocus, which is the ability to focus intently on an activity for long periods of time. They can be very creative, productive, and focused at times, but this can have a downside as well. Hyperfocus can cause difficulty with awareness of time and can cause frustration and negative emotions when one is interrupted or has to switch tasks.
Symptoms of ADHD Mood Swings
Mood swings are common in individuals with ADHD. However, there is some disagreement as to whether this is a symptom of ADHD, a result of the frustrations caused by living with ADHD, or an overlap with symptoms of other co-occurring disorders. Mood swings that are significant, occur most days or interfere with the ability to function at work or school could be an indicator of another disorder.4
Common symptoms of ADHD-related mood swings include:
- Cycling between bursts of energy and fatigue throughout the day
- Feeling emotions intensely and having difficulty regulating emotions
- Rapid and intense shifts in emotions, such as going from feeling happy to sad or angry within a short period
- Frequent changes in mood without any obvious trigger
- Emotions that seem disproportionate to the event that triggered them
- Feeling overwhelmed by emotions and unable to cope
- Becoming easily irritated or annoyed
- Problems with sleep, including insomnia
- Problems in relationships or interactions with others due to mood fluctuations
- An increase in difficulty concentrating during times of extreme emotional dysregulation
ADHD Mood Swings in Adults Vs. Children
Both adults with ADHD and children with ADHD will deal with mood swings. In children, these mood swings may be more outwardly noticeable and take the form of outbursts, behavioral problems, or temper tantrums. Children may not have as many coping skills for tough emotions, which can lead to overwhelm. A child’s mood swings may look like lashing out at their teacher or outbursts directed at another child.
Adults struggle with ADHD-related mood fluctuations as well, but they have often gained more insight and coping skills to deal with it over time. They may be triggered by times of extreme stress and feelings of overwhelm. Unpredictable mood swings in adults can lead to problems, conflicts, and misunderstandings in both personal and professional relationships.
ADHD Mood Swings Vs. Mood Disorders
ADHD is generally considered a neurodevelopmental disorder rather than a mood disorder. ADHD mood swings are triggered by frustration that results from symptoms like trouble concentrating, forgetting, or losing things. In mood disorders, the disturbance in mood is persistent, occurs more days than not, and is the primary presenting symptom. ADHD and mood disorders are often co-occurring.
How to Deal With ADHD Mood Swings
While addressing ADHD-related mood swings can be challenging, there are healthy ways to cope. These can include seeking professional help in the form of therapy or ADHD medication, or practicing tools like journaling, meditation, or exercise. The ups and downs of mood swings can be stressful and damaging to one’s life and relationships, but there are ways to feel better and reduce their impact.
Here are eight tips for dealing with ADHD mood swings:
- Behavioral therapy: Behavioral therapies like dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for ADHD can help a person learn to identify triggers, regulate emotions and build coping skills. These therapies can reduce the symptoms of ADHD as well as mood swings.
- Medication: ADHD medications can help by regulating neurotransmitters like ADHD-related dopamine deficiencies in the brain, reducing symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Medication can help people with ADHD function better at work and school.
- Identify Triggers: Knowing the triggers that make ADHD symptoms and related mood swings worse can help someone avoid them or be prepared with coping skills when they do arise.
- Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a great tool for focusing on the present moment without judgment. Mindfulness helps a person give their brain something to focus on rather than distraction and chatter.
- Hyperfocus more: Some people with ADHD refer to hyperfocus as their superpower. Hyperfocus refers to times of intense focus, concentration, and productivity, usually when a person is very interested in the topic at hand. Hyperfocus can boost self-esteem by allowing a person to feel a sense of accomplishment and productivity.
- Journaling: Journaling can give thoughts and emotions somewhere to go other than inside one’s head. A brain dump is a type of journaling when a person simply writes a list of everything on their mind without editing. Many people find this to be highly effective for reducing stress and helping regulate mood.
- Exercise: Exercise has long been shown to improve mood, and it is also helpful for ADHD. Aerobic exercise can improve ADHD symptoms, which in turn would decrease the frustration related to dealing with those symptoms.5
- Education: Getting education about the triggers, symptoms, and coping skills for dealing with ADHD can be another helpful way to cope with mood swings. Not only does education provide more tools and skills for reducing symptoms, but it can also help a person practice self-compassion and patience when they understand that the symptoms are not their fault.
When to Seek Professional Support
When mood swings related to ADHD start to impact sleep, appetite, relationships, or the ability to function in one’s daily life, it’s important to seek professional help. An online therapist directory or online therapy platform can be a great place to find a neurodiverse affirming therapist, as most allow a person to search by topic, location, and insurance coverage. A primary care or other healthcare provider may be able to provide options as well.
If a person is considering ADHD medication, it is probably best to meet with a psychiatrist. Regulations regarding ADHD medications have become more strict and many providers require a complete psychological assessment or psychiatric evaluation before prescribing. A psychiatrist can be found by calling the number on the back of one’s insurance card, talking to a healthcare provider, or checking an online psychiatrist directory.
In My Experience
In my experience, more clients are presenting with symptoms of ADHD than ever before. I believe that the popularity of the topic of ADHD on social media has played a role, as have the stressors related to work, parenting, and life that seem to have gotten worse since the Covid19 pandemic. As a maternal and perinatal mental health specialist, I work with a lot of moms who are just starting to notice and express problems with focus, attention, and mood.
Fortunately, I believe that the outlook for ADHD is good because information and resources are readily available. If a client presented to me with this issue, I would want them to know that they are not alone and that they can learn to manage their symptoms, succeed and thrive.
ADHD & Mood Swings Infographics
