Children with ADHD tend to be more argumentative and have more explosive emotions than those without ADHD. In fact, it is often noted that those with ADHD may feel emotions up to 3 times MORE intensely than those without ADHD.
Argumentative and even caustic behavior, even among smart and capable children with ADHD, often stems from weak perspective-taking skills and a lack of cognitive flexibility.
Emotional regulation can be challenging for children with ADHD, and bouts of anger are common. In fact, it's estimated that anywhere between 40–65 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD also have a condition called Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or ODD, which includes anger as one of its symptoms.
A good solution for this problem is to agree ahead of time on a nonverbal prompt to remind your child to listen and not interrupt. Because your ADHD child is already in the arguing mode and starting to escalate emotionally, nonverbal gestures often work better than words.
Children often use opposition and negotiation to cope with the lack of control over certain aspects of their lives. Whenever a child argues about everything, then chances are they feel like they don't have control over anything, and arguing is their attempt to gain some autonomy.
Many people with ADHD are, if anything, argument-averse. And certainly, you needn't have ADHD to be an argumentative son of a gun. Yet, some individuals with ADHD do habitually bait others into heated disagreements. It's typically a subconscious behavior.
Does ADHD make you argumentative or prone to say mean things? Sometimes, being argumentative or even saying mean things can stem from an inability to slow down and recognize how other people are reacting or feeling. This again falls into impulsivity and hyperactivity.
Most children with ADHD are impulsive, and this drives the emotional component of ODD. “For people with ADHD, emotions are expressed quickly, whereas others are able to contain their feelings,” says Barkley. This is why the small subset of children who have the inattentive type of ADHD is less likely to develop ODD.
Yelling doesn't help kids with ADHD learn better behavior. In fact, harsh punishment can lead them to act out more in the future. Try these calm, collected ways to deal with discipline instead.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
Weak emotional control is a common ADHD side effect. In children, this may manifest as dysregulated yelling, indiscriminate lying, and repeating the same mistake over and over with empty apologies but no change in behavior.
With ADHD, traditional methods of discipline aren't always the best fit. Shift your mindset from “I have to discipline my child” and get curious about how to help them improve their skills. Taking an attitude of, “What can I do to help them” instead of “How can I get them to do what I want” is a game-changer.
In general, ADHD doesn't get worse with age. Some adults may also outgrow their symptoms. But this is not the case for everyone.
When we feel like we are constantly unable to do tasks asked of us, it can lead to feelings of anxiety and worthlessness, which can lead to a meltdown, too. Meltdowns may occur when deep breaths and time-outs aren't working and angry outbursts are imminent ? .
Kids with ADHD can show signs in any or all these areas: Inattentive. Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start.
Lack of consistency. Toxic communication — such as contempt, criticism, and sarcasm. Controlling behavior and distrust. Abusive — this is also inclusive of emotionally abusive behaviors, such as gaslighting, love bombing, breadcrumbing etc.
It's often said that people with ADHD enjoy drama. And scientifically that makes sense. Negative emotions cause a release of adrenaline that stimulates the brain. Which means people with ADHD may subconsciously start a row or chase relationship drama.
We're extremely sensitive to disapproval, rejection, and criticism. We might interpret a colleague's reaction to something we proposed as criticism, disapproval, or even insult, when none was intended. We tend to react self-defensively, or worse, angrily. Rejection sensitivity is extremely common in people with ADHD.
As we've discussed, unfortunately, many people with ADHD tend to have a lack of empathy. This can be addressed, though, through identifying and communicating about each other's feelings. If you see a disconnect between ADHD and empathy in your child or in your spouse, don't give up hope.
Ari Tuckman, renowned author and ADHD specialist: People with ADHD often feel others are trying to control them. This includes family members, romantic partners, bosses, coworkers and friends.
ADHD makes it harder for kids to develop the skills that control attention, behavior, emotions, and activity. As a result, they often act in ways that are hard for parents manage. For example, because they are inattentive, kids with ADHD may: seem distracted.
School can present challenges for many children with ADHD. Because ADHD symptoms include difficulty with attention regulation, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which can affect planning, organizing, and managing behavior, many children with ADHD struggle with change.