ADHD & emotional dsyregulation

Okay, I feel I should preface this by saying - I have never been officially diagnosed with ADHD because my family does not have insurance, so I cannot afford to see a specialist. No diagnosis, no meds. However, everyone that knows me agrees that I have it. If you wish for me to take this down because I don’t have an official diagnosis, please let me know.

Do any of you with ADHD struggle with emotional dysregulation? And if so, how do you deal with it? It just gets so darn overwhelming sometimes. I will feel so many different emotions at once, so strong that I can’t concentrate on anything else. And because there are so many, sometimes I can’t name them all or understand why I am feeling them. My family doesn’t really understand that I feel things more than normal people, they think I just can’t control myself, so they always end up hurt/upset - which just makes the disregulation worse, because then I feel even more like a horrible person.
I just don’t know how to ease the pressure when the emotions start to build up so bad. I don’t even know if what I am saying makes sense right now, I don’t know how to describe it. I just know I don’t want to be known as the 20 year old who still throws temper tantrums, or people to think there is something wrong with me because I get so emotionally overwhelmed. Please, if there is something that helps you, please share.

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waves hii! i experience the same thing and its, ironic enough, so overwhelming in of itself. i’ve never been diagnosed either (same situation as you there except i’m 14 lol-), i wish you the best of luck darlin <3 :people_hugging:

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Thank you, believe it or not, that actually helps a lot to know that I’m not the only one going through this and I’m not insane. :people_hugging: Thank you for being kind enough to say something.

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I have been officially diagnosed with ADHD, and by the sound of it, yes, you do have ADHD. I take a pill called Focalin. You should go to a doctor to see if you need it. (TBH if you don’t listen to me, I won’t be surprised because I am 14 lol and I also have anxiety, depression, trichotillomania, and dermatillomania, autism, dyslexia, PTSD, and more.)

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Thank you for saying this! And I would never disregard what you are saying, I think it is veey kind of you to say something in an attempt to help someone else.

Unfortunately, rn I can’t go see a doctor or get medication (no insurance, broke). And anytime I bring up actually treating my ADHD with medication, my mom (who we’re pretty sure has it to) just looks at me and says something along the lines of, “You really want to be drugged up?” And I can’t bring myself to tell her that I would do anything at this point to stop the destruction, of myself, of relationships.
Shoot, I’m babbling again. Sorry. Just know I thank you very much!

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Haha! anytime! And, trust me, it is okay to babble on.

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This sounds a bit like an autistic meltdown - have you considered that you may be autistic?

(I’m an AuADHD myself)

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I have considered it. Although I am obviously not a doctor, I am inclined to believe it is ADHD (which does have both emotional and sensory overload), due to other symptoms. However, I do not know for sure.

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Gotcha. To be fair, autism is always on my radar when people talk about overstimulation - I didn’t get my diagnosis until I was 49 and I VERY MUCH want to spare others what I went through all those many years lol

As for ADHD medication, it’s nothing like being “drugged up” as your mom says - it’s more like tuning in a radio signal properly when you’ve only been listening to static. I know you can’t see a doctor right now, but it’s something I would recommend for the future. (I’ve been on Adderall XR for more than 25 years now.)

In the meantime, do you watch any ADHD YouTube channels?

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That’s amazing that you were able to finally be diagnosed after that long, and I think it’s wonderful that you’re now trying to help others. :heart:
Thank you for saying that about the medication - that is reassuring.
I do watch a couple of channels, mostly ADHD Love, ADHD Vision, and Life Actuator

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That’s great! Check out How to ADHD as well - I’ve found a lot of her tips helpful. Also, please know that it does get easier once you’re on your own and able to structure your life in a way that best suits you. There’s a tough adjustment period for sure, but it really does get better. :heart:

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Thank you, I just checked it out, and her channel is awesome! And thank you for being so kind.

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I wouldn’t say that I have a disorder, but in the past I used to struggle a lot with the kind of feelings you’ve described. What helped me were a couple of things, firstly is realizing that it’s happening. If you notice it’s building before it’s overwhelms you, then you can take action to stop it before it hurts anyone. The best thing is to remove yourself from whatever situation has triggered it. If it was a conversation, then walk away and isolate yourself until the feelings die down. If you can’t leave, then stopping yourself from talking and try to just breathe for a bit. Cooling yourself (e.g. taking off a jumper) also helps to prevent uncontrollable tears. Exercising or even just jumping on the spot helps to relieve emotional pressure as well.

I hope these tips help you. If you would like to talk more about it, feel free to DM me :slightly_smiling_face:

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