If you have ADHD and it has been going unmanaged for a long time then you must be feeling ADHD burnout as the ADHD-related traits and symptoms can get a little hard to manage. This problem can arise if one leaves it untreated even for some time. It can be especially hard if it is the case of ADHD burnout in adults. Let’s discuss what are the causes, what can be done to avoid its pitfalls and what are its treatments.
Let’s Define ADHD First
ADHD, or Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as it is fully called, is a mental condition that is characterized by symptoms like hyperactivity, inability to focus on a task at hand, restlessness, extreme procrastination, and attention only for preferred tasks. This type of mental condition is known for targeting the executive functioning of the affected individual. This means that you are kind of locked away from initiating or even completing everyday tasks that are important for sustenance in life, essentially handicapping you from living a full life. For example, exercising to lose weight but due to hyperactivity and over excitedness in someone with ADHD, it will not be followed through. ADHD burnout is just one example of the many ADHD-related symptoms.
Read More: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD test for teenagers
What is a Burnout?
Before we talk about ADHD burnout, let’s shed some light on the term burnout and what exactly it is. When you are going through a burnout phase you are essentially no longer taking interest or pleasure in your normal activities, you see allies (like co-workers) as enemies who are burdening you with more and more work and you basically withdraw from everything as you feel always tired and also feel it’s almost impossible to get things done. That can be a big problem for us as humans as in terms of evolution we were never made to sit around because we tend to be active social animals.
Defining ADHD Burnout
Now focusing back on ADHD burnout, it is essentially a state of chronic exhaustion that can develop due to active symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Hyperactivity, inability to focus on a task at hand, restlessness, extreme procrastination, and reserving attention only for preferred tasks, all of these symptoms and triggers are amplified when someone is suffering from ADHD. These ADHD burnout symptoms are basically sub-symptoms that develop as a result of the usual symptoms that are associated with ADHD.
- Feelings of overwhelmingness
- Poor performance in school or work
- Lower productivity & poorer performance at work or school
- Feeling drained or fatigued due to ADHD most of the time
- Difficulty thinking clearly and solving problems (ADHD paralysis)
- Diminishing confidence
- Feeling incompetent or lazy due to ADHD, which feeds into lower self-esteem
- General lack of motivation and drive
- Feeling angry or resentful towards people
- More irritability
- ADHD-induced mood swings
- Procrastination
- Social anxiety
- Taking more time than normal to complete basic tasks
- Changes in your appetite, sleep, or substance use
- Emotional detachment
- Physical health problems
- Emotional numbness
Does ADHD Make A Burount Worse? Especially in Adults?
ADHD burnout in adults can get worse because ADHD and burnout are not a good concoction, with mixed responses at best. This is because the symptoms of ADHD, like poor time management, unorganized or inattention essentially add fuel to the fire of ADHD burnout symptoms. It is hard for people with ADHD to do things that normal people take for granted. Plus, distractions like social media and the excessive competition that we perceive as adults, significantly increase the risk of ADHD burnout.
Additionally, people with ADHD can go into a trance like “hyperfocus”, where they put all their focus on something specific and neglect everything else, including their health. This can also cause ADHD burnout, but this time much faster.
Read More: Calming Activities For ADHD in Children
What Are The Other Causes of ADHD Burnout in Adults?
While ADHD burnout symptoms are the direct cause of ADHD-related symptoms, there are other causes that directly lead to ADHD burnout in an affected individual. Let’s see what some of these are:
- Tight deadlines at work or university
- Heavy workload
- Unmanaged or masking of ADHD symptoms
- Being a people pleaser
- Trying to be a perfectionist
- Poor time management and prioritization skills
- Unhealthy work habits
- Absence of a support system
- Poor routine
Making Exit From An ADHD Burnout
While it is difficult to get out of the vicious cycle of ADHD burnout, it is entirely possible. This can be done by setting certain standards and rules so signs of ADHD burnout don’t get to you to create new symptoms of ADHD burnout. You see the connection between ADHD and burnout is control. If you control your symptoms, then you are good to go for treating ADHD burnout. You can do this through certain lifestyle changes:
- Staying organized
- Setting realistic goals, especially in the context of ADHD
- Maintain a healthy routine
- Have consistently good habits
- Stop trying to hide your ADHD symptoms
- Make a list of priorities
- Don’t be hard on yourself
If these don’t work, then treatments like psychotherapies or suitable medication will always work. Let’s see some of them:
Read More: ADHD and Gaming: The Link That Binds Them
Psychotherapies: Psychotherapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (talking and finding resolutions), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (mindfulness) or even Exposure Therapy (exposure to triggers, so they lose power can induce great results that help fight against the ADHD burnout symptom as a suitable ADHD burnout treatment.
Medication: This type of ADHD burnout treatment can be divided into two categories. Stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants directly target the central nervous system by increasing the amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters to decrease the signs of ADHD burnout and are very effective. However, these can have side effects, so non-stimulants are used, which are not as effective as the stimulants but have no side effects. Non-stimulants also target the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.
Conclusion
We hope you know what an ADHD burnout is, how it is caused, what are the ADHD burnout symptoms, and how they can be treated. One thing you don’t know is, but would be happy to know that we at, Inland Empire Behavioral Group, are more than excited to assist in treating problems like ADHD burnout and even other mental conditions like Anxiety, OCD, or PTSD.
