Sometimes, a small trouble can lead to intense anger outbursts. But if this anger remains persistent, and you are unable to recognize the exact reason? It might be ADHD rage! Individuals experiencing ADHD remain enraged due to emotional dysregulation.
ADHD & rage are connected, but rage is not an official diagnostic criterion for ADHD. The core symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, cause extreme aggression and lead to overwhelming challenges.
In this article, you will get to know how ADHD and rage are interconnected, common triggers, causes, and how they can be treated.
What is ADHD rage?
People with ADHD have difficulty managing anger due to emotional dysregulation and impulse control. ADHD rage is different from typical anger as it is uncontrollable and causes extreme, impulsive, and hostile behavior. It’s like a wildfire that burns faster.
Moreover, in some people with ADHD, the anger remains lurking beneath the surface and can occur at any time without reason and cannot be controlled.
How are ADHD and rage connected?
ADHD and rage are interconnected, as 7 out of 10 adults around the world struggle with them. The anger issues in ADHD occur due to differences in brain structure and low dopamine levels.
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Here is how ADHD and anger are interconnected:
Emotional dysregulation
Adults and children experiencing ADHD are intensely sensitive, which leads to overwhelming anger bursts and tantrums. Emotional dysregulation is the major factor that contributes to aggression.
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)
People with ADHD are extremely sensitive to getting rejected. It’s a state where small criticisms and rejections cause anger bursts. It causes feelings of low self-esteem, self-blame, negative thoughts, and sometimes causes self-harming thoughts as well.
Impulsivity
It’s a core symptom of ADHD that makes individuals unable to control themselves or focus. They become out of control, and if something does not happen according to their desires, they become intensely angry.
Mood swings
Individuals experiencing ADHD have persistent mood swings. It can also be comorbid with other mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. This co-occurrence with other disorders causes extreme irritability and anger.
Poor working memory
People in this state face difficulties in managing their work; they have to put in more effort to complete a task. However, it eventually triggers anger and overreaction to small things, and causes extreme frustration and tantrums.
Hyperactivity
Being excessively energetic on some tasks is a good thing, but sometimes it’s hard to handle. However, it makes the individual mentally and physically tired, which eventually contributes to anger and aggression.
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What are the common ADHD rage triggers in adults?
ADHD can be triggered due to the following:
1. Sensory overload
ADHD individuals experience the sensation around them at a heightened level. It leads to fight or flight mode and interrupts everyday life activities. It can be triggered by sensory objects such as bright lights, loud noises, smells, crowded places, and louder noises. These sensations make them angry and cause panic attacks.
2. Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired (HALT)
HALT leads to emotional dysfunction and causes extreme frustration. However, not taking proper meals causes issues in energy levels, issues in blood flow, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. It further makes the individual vulnerable to other mental conditions and causes frustration.
3. Sense of injustice
People with ADHD are extremely sensitive to their core symptoms of inattention. If they feel like they are being treated wrong and not getting the attention and love they deserve, they become extremely angry. It can happen to adults as well as children.
4. Interruptions or switching tasks
ADHD individuals have difficulties switching to different tasks when they are working on something. Or if someone interrupts them while they are ‘hyperfocused’, they become extremely angry and cannot be able to focus again on that work.
5. Immersed feelings
Individuals with ADHD become extremely overwhelmed and stressed with tasks like planning, implementing, or organizing events. They have changes in brain chemicals which lead them to the verge of anger until the boiling point.
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How does ADHD rage impact everyday life?
ADHD rage affects every aspect of life, such as work, academics, and relationships. Adults in this state have emotional flooding, breakdowns, and are sensitive to getting rejected. Anger outbursts cause misunderstandings between friendships and partners, leading them to avoid social gatherings.
However, people around them also criticize and keep a distance from them.
How can ADHD rage be treated?
People experiencing ADHD rage struggle to manage rage and emotional flooding. Here is how it can be managed with professional help.
Psychotherapies
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is used to treat several mental disorders, including ADHD rage. There are many types of psychotherapies to treat ADHD rage; however, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and family therapy are considered the best psychotherapies for managing the symptoms of ADHD rage. Sometimes, therapists use a combination of two or more therapies to meet the desired mental health needs of the individuals.
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is an evidence-based treatment that is effective for treating anger associated with ADHD. CBT is a type of talking therapy. It is based on the principle that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. CBT targets unsettling thoughts and beliefs by intervening in thoughts/behaviors and changing them into helpful ones.
2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is also a form of cognitive behavioural therapy. It is for those people who are struggling with emotional distress. DBT is based on the idea that two opposing things can co-exist. In therapy, it means that you can accept your thoughts and emotions and still move on from them by changing them into productive thoughts and emotions.
With DBT, individuals can regulate negative emotions that are involved in making a person become angry.
3. Family therapy
Family members are often affected by the ADHD of the rage-filled individual. The other family members need to be educated about what ADHD rage is, how it affects their well-being, and how to help them in times of crisis. Therefore, in family therapy, the therapist involves the family members in the therapeutic process.
The therapist educates them and enhances communication among the members of the family. This therapy is specifically crucial for parents if their child has ADHD rage. Moreover, families learn to help the person deal with the symptoms of ADHD rage.
4. Group therapy
It’s a form of psychotherapy that helps to reduce feelings of loneliness and provides a sense of belonging and togetherness. It involves a secure, stable, and caring environment where a small group of people gather together and share their life journey with each other. It provides a structure in their lives and makes them learn, heal, and grow. Group therapy is an evidence-based approach that can be helpful for people in many ways. Individuals who are struggling with rage, emotional dysregulation, or frustration can get help from group therapy.
Reach out to us : Psychotherapy For ADHD in Adults
Medications
ADHD rage can be treated with the right combination of medications and therapies, and sometimes a mental healthcare expert combines therapies and medication to get the desired outcomes.
Note: Only a mental healthcare specialist can prescribe medications after examining the severity of the condition.
Let us help you change your life
Do you feel overwhelmed by the symptoms of ADHD rage and find it difficult to manage? Are you looking for professional, trusted solutions near you? Stop searching! Inland Empire Behavioral Group, CA, is here to help. We are committed to providing quality treatments to our patients. You will develop a new perspective that will help you in healing, with an approach that is grounded in holistic principles.
Connect with our experts today and live a balanced and fulfilling life.
Closing Thoughts
Attention-Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. The core symptoms of ADHD make the individual become angry, as both are linked to neurobiological differences in the brain. Individuals with ADHD are more sensitive and emotional, and can be triggered to rage if some rejects them, does not give them attention, or if something happens against their will.
ADHD rage goes deeper than simple irritability, and it affects various areas of life, including relationships with partners, friends, and relatives. However, it can be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or sometimes a combination of both the desired treatment. The common therapies that reduce the ADHD rage include CBT, DBT, family therapy, and group therapy.
